About “Port Protection: Alaska”

The popular National Geographic series premiered in July 2015, and followsg the lives of the locals of the far-flung Alaskan community, who get by without law enforcement or government assistance, the show taking a fascinating look at how the hardy residents of Port Protection fend for themselves, and defy the odds in the face of what many consider permanent adversity.

Main cast members include Mary Miller, Stuart Andrews, David Squibb, Gary Muehlberger, Hans and Timbi Porter, Litzi Botello, Timothy Leach, and Amanda Makar. Gary, one of the stars of the show, tragically died in March 2021 after living in Alaska for almost four decades. An asset to the community thanks to his fishing and trapping skills, his death rocked Port Protection, and came as a blow to fans of the series. The survival expert died in a house fire; his pet dog, Trapper, also passed a few months later.

Mere months after Gary’s untimely demise, Litzi Botello’s husband John Dean, announced that the TV star had passed away after a six-month battle with cancer. Although he failed to clarify whether Litzi was undergoing chemotherapy at the time of her passing, John shared that she passed away peacefully at home.

Last but not least, Sam Carlson, the commercial fisherman and trapper who has lived in Port Protection all his life, suffered a heart attack in December 2022, which led to an outpouring of support from his online fanbase. The news broke in the official Port Protection Facebook group, and sparked health concerns regarding Sam, who is in his early 60s. Thankfully, the TV personality has since recovered.

Net Worths

A common question amongst “Port Protection” fans – and those of other reality TV series – is just how much their favorite TV stars earn per episode. Various online sources claim that the cast members earn $4,500 per episode, but there’s no substantial evidence to prove the figures; in fact many participants in reality TV series prefer to remain silent, except those who believe that they’re being underpaid! Assuming that they do earn that much, the members of the Alaskan community must have amassed a decent sum of money over the last eight years, although none of them live above their means or spend frivolously.

Port Protection itself has a tiny population of just 36 full-time residents as of 2023. With a total area of just four square miles, the CDP (census-designated place) is truly tiny but has become something of a niche tourist hotspot. With a normal median household income of around $10,000, over half of Port Protection’s population is living below the notional poverty line; however, wealth is relative in a place where residents grow their own crops, hunt and fish for their own food, and build their own shelter.

The stars of the National Geographic show are believed to be worth about six figures: in fact, one article sensationally states that Sam Carlson is worth $500,000, however, there’s good reason to believe that this is an exaggerated amount. The self-taught inventor, affectionally nicknamed The Engineer, has appeared in 38 episodes of the show since 2022; even if he were to have earned the reported $4,500 per episode, that would amount to $171,000, so we think that Sam Carlson’s net worth is actually in the $100,000 range.

It’s important to note that, unlike other reality TV personalities, the cast of “Port Protection” aren’t interested in becoming a brand or a product. For example, Fellow Port Protection resident Curly Leach doesn’t even believe in money, which makes it almost impossible to calculate his net worth. In the Alaskan community, his main responsibilities are fishing and collecting firewood; rather than paying or being paid for goods or services, Curly trades what he has to get everything he needs.

Despite being a recognizable face to millions of viewers, Curly is such an elusive ‘public’ figure that fans don’t even know how old he is. The only information journalists have been able to obtain is that the hardy outdoorsman registered as a Republican voter in 1996. As a hunter and lumberjack, we can assume that Curly is worth about $50,000; however, it remains unclear what he does with the money he earns from appearing in “Port Protection”.

Amanda Makar left the show at the end of season two, with fans missing her presence ever since. A spokesperson for National Geographic stated that many residents moved away from Alaska when the show was halted; however, they were just as soon replaced by fresh faces who were eager to try their luck in the tiny community. Amanda is just one of several cast members who left, and hasn’t been mentioned since.

In happier times, Timbi and Hans Porter were one of the few married couples to reside in Port Protection. During their time in the show, Timbi and Hans were often seen worrying about how to provide for their daughter, Marjorie, who was born with a disability. A few salacious online sources claim that the couple died in a boat accident; however, the truth is that they separated in 2019, and have since gone their separate ways, with Timbi living in the Anchorage area.

It remains unclear why they divorced, but some fans speculate that the stress of caring for Marjorie and living isolated from the world took its toll on Timbi. Online websites calculate that the couple’s joint net worth as being in the $100,000 range when they were together.

Last but certainly not least is Mary Miller, another Port Protection transplant who grew up in Oakland, California. From hunting and fetching firewood alone, to shrimp potting during the harsh winter months and using her carpentry skills to better preserve meat, Mary proved herself more than capable of being self-sufficient. The brunette became one of the show’s most likeable characters due to her willingness to help others, such as when she taught Amanda how to shoot.

Sadly, Mary also left the show for unspecified reasons. The Oakland native moved to Port Protection to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, and stayed in the tight-knit Alaskan community because of the freedom she felt, living life on her terms. Mary, who is estimated to be worth around $50,000, presumably backed out of the show because she either moved away from Port Protection, or didn’t reach an agreement when it was time to renew her contract.

Season eight of “Port Protection” aired in early 2023. National Geographic has yet to announce an official release date for a ninth season, if there is one.

It’s not uncommon for a popular reality TV personality to engage in acts that haven’t been thought through really well, but serving prison time isn’t what most would specify as customary in that line of work. Jorge Nava had the misfortune of finding out what it’s like to live behind bars, as opposed to in front of the camera lens.

It suffices to say that his life wasn’t easy prior to the conviction, and a lot of his troubles were, for better or for worse, documented in TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé.” While most of the couples in the series had at least somewhat of a wholesome story, the same can’t be said for Jorge Nava and Anfisa Arkipchenko, who at the time were 27 and 20 years old, respectively.

Although there isn’t any real evidence for this claim, many fans are certain that Jorge would’ve been much better off after the show had he had a less money-oriented partner. Without a doubt, Anfisa’s materialistic fascination left most wondering why Nava even tolerated such a greedy and vacuous personality in the first place. Thus, to understand what brought Jorge to court later on, it’s important to understand the story that pushed him towards such incidents.

An unlikely love story

Jorge and Anfisa never would’ve met, considering the fact that she’s from Russia, had he not noticed her revealing pictures on Facebook by accident. Arkipchenko was born on 4 September 1995, into a modest Russian family that had little to offer in the way of glamour and prestige – something she had her sights set on from early childhood.

Her luck would change for the better when someone who at least appeared wealthy took an interest in her physique, which would’ve been the Californian entrepreneur Jorge Nava. Although not exactly a millionaire by definition, Jorge was able to afford a semi-lavish lifestyle, having himself grown up in a relatively affluent family.

It’s unclear whether Nava was using his parents’ money to fund his relationships with women who shared Anfisa’s interests, but it can’t be denied that he was able to keep paying for the various wants and needs that his Russian bride-to-be would come up with. There was a limit, however, perhaps on the credit cards he was using.

As a result, Anfisa couldn’t exactly have every single thing she wanted, such as a $10,000 handbag. Jorge’s failure to provide her with this particular item caused a rift in their relationship, leading Arkipchenko to go back on the previously agreed plans, which was to come and live with him in the US.

Prior to settling down together, the two went on a costly vacation across Europe. It’s unknown how many pricey gifts Nava afforded Anfisa throughout that time, but his reluctance to buy the handbag made her cancel the couple’s remaining flights. She outright refused the idea of trying to reach a compromise, deciding instead to abandon the relationship and return to Russia.

Back together, and apart, and back together

Unsurprisingly to most fans, it didn’t take long for Anfisa to get bored of her same old rural Russian lifestyle, and she eventually found it in her heart – or perhaps her handbag – to forgive Jorge’s transgression of not spending exorbitant amounts of money on someone who isn’t even his wife. She let him know that he had another chance at giving up his wallet, and Nava was just happy that he could yet again use federal paper to make up for his other apparent deficiencies.

The two reunited, and Anfisa finally came to the US, at which point they were featured in “90 Day Fiancé.” Their presence in the show was chaotic, to say the least, with Anfisa’s behavior becoming so erratic at times that one had to wonder whether they were watching reality TV or a horror film.

Since Jorge had previously pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking, most landlords found it unacceptable to rent him their property, soNava mostly lived out of hotels, and Anfisa really didn’t like that. She often criticized him for even the tiniest of issues, and Jorge’s mother, of course, found her son’s life to be unbearably stressful.

With the young Russian having nothing nice to say about Jorge’s family, and the feeling being mutual on the other side, it seemed for most of the series that Nava was the one holding everything together, taking his partner’s unnecessary aggression and his family’s excess worry upon his shoulders pretty much every single day.

Many viewers wondered how anyone at all would want to remain engaged to such an ungrateful and spoiled person as Anfisa, while Jorge simply tried to make the most out of any situation, constantly apologizing and complying with his fiancée’s almost every desire.

As Anfisa grew more and more tired with the fact that they couldn’t settle at a single location, she pushed further for Nava to obey her commands. There was another problem, however, and it was more of a psychological nature.

Due to Jorge’s wealthy appearance, as well as his tendency to flaunt his supposed wealth around, certain shady characters caught wind that he might have some cash laying around, eventually breaking into his old apartment and robbing him blind of all valuable possessions. Ever since then, he’d been extra cautious about keeping his life in just one permanent place, leading to an inconsistent hotel-to-hotel residency that was really getting on his future wife’s nerves.

Nava’s failure to fulfil every single wish that Anfisa would conjure up resulted in the Russian being quite unhappy, showing most of the time that she’s agitated with the simple fact that Jorge exists. Quite the opposite of love, some would say, but Jorge begged to differ.

He described her as a solid and stable individual whom he loved relying upon, explaining that he liked himself a strong woman who isn’t afraid to speak up. Naturally, there’s a limit to how ‘strong’ one should realistically be in a two-way relationship, but alas, only Nava knows what’s best for him, but obviously not!

Even with Jorge appreciating the way she treated him, Anfisa had been ready to leave him on numerous occasions. She threatened almost every single day that she would disappear from his life if he didn’t comply with this or that request, engaging in what most have called severe emotional manipulation.

In the end, Jorge would always succumb to her demands, allowing the young model wannabe to take whatever she wanted from him. It was never enough, however, and Anfisa’s behavior grew more violent and unreasonable by the episode.

Russian psycho

It was revealed by Jorge himself not too late into the relationship that Anfisa has been breaking phones that he spent a lot of money on, which was only one of the many ways the young Russian would relieve herself of aggression and other negative emotions. Without exception, her future husband and his wallet were the punching bags.

Jorge’s mother was understandably enraged with her son’s fiancé, directly accusing her of ‘spreading [her] legs’ whenever Jorge threw money at her. This caused the Russian to get up from her seat and leave the place where she met Mrs Nava, storming out in yet another rage, which Jorge alone would later suffer for.

Go away, but come back

Just like Jorge, fans more often than not had no idea how to make sense of what Anfisa was requesting, seeing as she would kick Jorge out of the small apartment that they eventually moved into, and then call him right back and scream because he isn’t home. The calls were torturous, to put it mildly, as no matter what Jorge said, it just wouldn’t be right, or enough.

It didn’t matter whether he complied with what Anfisa was asking, or simply opted for outright refusal, the young Russian’s reaction was just about the same every time, involving only more screaming and offensive language, all of which Jorge was absorbing like a sponge for the sake of their future marriage.

The aforementioned video shows the Russian calling him incessantly, and each time he would reply, she would just utter a single question and hang up. Nava described her as very controlling, detailing how she always had to know where he was, just to make sure that he wasn’t potentially spending his money on a different woman.

Even after Jorge promised that he would immediately come back, Anfisa kept screaming ‘NOW’ at the top of her lungs, screeching into the microphone until her throat gave out. Most fans took Nava’s side in the many conflicts that were seen throughout the show, agreeing with pretty much everything he had to say about his foreign fiancé.

The same clip also shows one of the few times Nava stood his ground, at which point he told her he wasn’t going to ruin his life just for her. Anfisa didn’t say anything at all, but instead actually slapped her future husband. Finally, the two are seen in a luxury store, where Anfisa is asking for a very expensive dress. Jorge admits that he doesn’t actually have $20,000 in cash that time around, to which Anfisa asks why he even brought her to the US in the first place.

Then, as per usual, right after they go home that day, Anfisa would wake up the next and demand more things, forgetting wholeheartedly that she ever questioned whether they should remain together, as long as Nava is open to making more purchases on her behalf.

The fans believe it was exactly this behavior that eventually pushed Jorge to make more money than he could at the time, leaving him no other option but to engage in illegal activities, such as drug trafficking. In other words, it’s quite possible that  Arkipchenko made Nava go back to his former illegal habits.

Too close to the sun

The consequences of Anfisa’s overwhelming requests culminated on 15 February 2018, when Jorge violated the basic rules of traffic, possibly from driving under great amounts of stress. It was soon revealed why he wasn’t having the most relaxed day behind the wheel, as the officers used their right to perform a routine search of the vehicle after making Nava pull over for an ID check.

His vehicle was stacked to the brim with marijuana, which is only legal for medical purposes in the place where he was halted – Mojave County, Arizona. There was no talking his way out of the fact that he intended to sell this stock to recreational users, which is a severe crime in the state. He was found in possession of 293lbs (133kgs) of marijuana, thus facing a potential prison term of over 25 years.

He was charged with possession and transportation of marijuana with the intent to sell, but subsequently released on $25,000 bail. That wasn’t the end of the ordeal, however, as he still had to face the court in due time. Nava found one of the best attorneys around, who managed to reduce his sentence from a class two felony charge to a class four one, thanks to another plea deal.

Good times, at last

In the end, Jorge ended up serving only two and a half years for a very serious law violation, which can almost be equated to coming out completely unscathed. Still, that wasn’t enough for Anfisa, and she later filed for divorce. The Russian then used her “90 Day Fiancé” fame to spread her name online, starting various social media profiles and a YouTube channel, all of which she is still steadily growing in mid-2023.

As for Jorge, he somehow lost over 128lbs (58kgs) in prison, and had something to look forward to upon coming out as well, as he started a relationship with actress Rhoda Blua soon after tasting freedom again. They ultimately married on 31 July 2022, four months after the birth of their second child, George, with their first, Zara, having been born in April 2021.

Unconfirmed sources claim that Jorge’s new net worth is somewhere around $1 million, suggesting that he’s doing very well for his family after giving up crime for good. Regardless of the verity of that claim, it’s been noted across media outlets that Nava and Blua seem to be well off, lacking for nothing in particular.

Netflix, known for primarily financing documentaries, anime series, movies, and stand-ups, has also branched into producing and distributing reality TV series. Their dating series “Perfect Match,” produced by Kinetic Content and created by Chris Coelen, is becoming a leader in the genre. However, despite the name, only a few couples continued their romance after 12-hour-long episodes. We’ve studied which ones still nurtured their friendship after the finale aired on 28 February 2023.

The romance fizzled out in most cases

Many participants admitted that the show gave them hope of continuing their romance after leaving. However, the five couples who matched in the end quickly discovered that their bond resulted from the isolation in the six-bedroom, five-bathroom house in Panama City, in a resort town named Playa Bonita.

The singles faced many obstacles after leaving, primarily the distance; they were from various parts of the USA, which was problematic enough. However, some were from Australia or Canada, or had family in Europe, such as Damian Powers, who was born in Germany. Moreover, some participants still had former partners they hadn’t get over, and had to return to their busy lives as, for example, TikTok creators, dancers, realtors, and athlete managers.

Dom Gabriel and Georgia Hassarati

Although Dom bonded with Georgia and left the house with her, their romantic relationship didn’t last long. The media called their break-up messy, but the couple claimed that distance was the primary reason – after all, he’s from Toronto, Canada, while she’s from Brisbane, Australia. They weren’t each other’s first choice; Dom initially connected with Francesca Farago. However, she eventually developed feelings for an old flame, Damian Powers, with whom she participated in “Love is Blind.” Luckily, George decided to give it another chance when he ran into Georgia on a date with Chase DeMoor, and she later matched with him. Their castmates recognized their connection, and the two won the first season of the dating reality TV series, meaning that expectations were high.

Sadly, the two slowly distanced romantically after the cameras turned off, citing the feeling that they were living in a bubble that finally burst. However, they both shared positive opinions of one another, calling each other ‘an amazing person’ and stating that they were on good terms and felt that their relationship made them stronger. It’s unclear how long they were a couple, and whether they spent time in person afterwards. Francesca claimed that Georgia broke up with him three days after filming, to date Harry Jowsey. In contrast, shortly after the show ended, Dom implied that they were together when she joined the “Georgia and Harry Jowsey Fall in Love” podcast.

Additionally, they both admitted to never redeeming their all-expenses-paid trip. Thankfully, they seemingly resolved their issues in time. They still follow each other on social media, and have shared screenshots of their chats, meaning they are in digital contact. Dom even said that if they meet again and the connection is strong, they would carry on and see where it goes.

Dom Gabriel and Ines Tazi

While Georgia moved on with Harry, Dom was connected to Ines Tazi afterwards for a good reason. She convinced him to stay in the Panama City house to see if he matched with anyone before he encountered Georgia. Although she had herself in mind and confessed her feelings in the house, Dom didn’t break things off with his girlfriend.

Moreover, after breaking up with Dom, Georgia accused them of flirting with Ines in the house on “The Viall Files” podcast. Despite those accusations and the fans ‘shipping’ the two after they posted many images and videos to social media, Ines and Dom didn’t start dating post-show, proving how strong their friendship’s is.

Dom Gabriel and Shayne Jansen

Unsurprisingly, many cast members of the same gender bond over the time they spend pursuing romance, and Shayne and Dom were great examples. Their bond was apparent during the filming, but grew in the real world. They call each other ‘besties’ and share a love of fitness, swings, and a particular clothing item—a crop top, calling themselves ‘crop top boys for life.’

Dom Gabriel and Zay Wilson

Dom also stayed on good terms with Zay Wilson, despite Zay’s early elimination, meaning they had very little time to connect. However, after Dom left, he read his fans’ comments. He filmed many TikTok videos with Zay, even acknowledging the requestion captioning a lip-syncing video of the Jonas Brothers’ song “Burnin’ Up” with, ‘Y’all demanded more Dom & Zay content!’

Colony, Savannah, Diamond, and Anne Sophie

Zay wasn’t the only cast member who went home early, and lost the opportunity to befriend with people given enough time. However, there were other reasons that viewers failed to see friendships develop. Some cast members made meaningful connections and potentially long-term bonds behind the scenes. Still, viewers never saw it because episodes were much edited, and had to follow exciting storylines. Diamond Jack revealed that she grew close to other women of color, Anne Sophie Petit-Frere, Colony Reeves and Savannah Palacio. Additionally, since she posted a video of them dancing and posing on 2 March 2022, she inadvertently revealed that they got together pretty early, perhaps even during the casting process. Whatever the timing, the ladies called themselves ‘the baddest girls in the house’, and even during the introduction, warned the others not to play with them.

Chloe Veitch and Ines Tazi

Ines had many failed matches in the show, and was unlucky in love with Shayne Jansen, who she presumably had to see a few times since they were both friends with Dom. However, she befriended Chloe Veitch, who Shayne left her for, and the two surprisingly remained close friends afterward. Although neither seemed interested in women, some fans thought that the two became engaged. That’s because Chloe posted their picture on a night out, with Ines putting a ring on her index finger, captioned, ‘I SAID YES!’ Ines took the joke further by commenting, ‘Wifeyyyy GOAL. Not one day can ever be dull with you in it!’ However, it was all good fun, and they merely celebrated their friendship.

Even more surprisingly, Chloe and Ines befriended Chloe’s ex-boyfriend’s ex-fiancé, Natalie Lee, who starred in “Love is Blind.” Natalie accused Shayne of signing up for the Panama show while they were still together, and the timing matches since the casting began in September 2021.  However, although Chloe said that the casting directors chose Shayne because they thought that he was her ideal partner, the complicated history didn’t bother Chloe later.

Francesca Farago and Kariselle Snow

Francesca and Kariselle shared a tight bond in the show, and because they were openly bisexual, they even made out several times, despite having male matches. Although Kariselle’s match, Joey Sasso, saw nothing worrying with that behavior, it bothered Abbey Humphreys, with whom Francesca matched besides Dom.

However, they didn’t let those feelings affect their bond, and had each other’s back to the point of being called ‘a villain and her minion’ by Chase DeMoor and viewers online. People also speculated that they had been close before the show, because they posted pictures of themselves hugging at the Los Angeles Pride event during Pride Month, June 2022. However, they should have remembered that Netflix filmed the show in March of that year, meaning the two were in the real world for about two and a half months by then.

Kariselle Snow and Joey Sasso

Fans loved seeing the loving connection between Joey Sasso and Kariselle Snow, and the couple even became engaged when Joey proposed to her during the season finale. She said yes, but stipulating that he had to get her father’s approval. However, after the show, the couple was quiet about their relationship, and fans had to dig deep and analyze their activity for information. Kariselle posted a TikTok video on 3 March 2023, stating that she came home from Panama and had to inform friends that she was back with an ex-, whom she’d said she wouldn’t return to, but that they were also engaged. However, the video seemed like a skit, making fun of the complex situation she’d got herself into.

That brought light to a February 2023 interview Joey gave to Newsweek magazine. He said that they weren’t on the same page romantically, and went their separate ways in that regard, but are ‘seeing what life has in store for the future and that they feel like the divorced mom and dad of “Perfect Match.”‘ He added that he will always love and respect Kariselle and speak highly of her whenever he can, and Kariselle later said that they remain close friends who keep things civil.

Izzy Fairthorne and Georgia Hassarati

Georgia and Izzy have a history; they were cast members of the third season of “Too Hot To Handle.” Their connection deepened during their time in Panama, while independently searching for but failing to find their perfect match. During the podcast in which she accused her ex-boyfriend Dom of flirting with Ines Tazi, Georgia shared that she has much in common with Izzy, and that the two are great friends.

Zay Wilson and an unknown cast member

Zay Wilson attracted attention for being the first to arrive in the villa, and among the first to depart. As a reminder, Anne Sophie Petit-Frere chose bad boy Chase, but he felt that his perfect match wasn’t in Panama. However, in a TikTok video that he posted on 24 February 2023, he told his followers that he’d been dating someone from the show. However, he clarified that they are still working on moving past the close friends stage and would ‘be outside,’ i.e., go official, after a few more dates. Although he didn’t reveal who it was, viewers with a good memory recalled that he mentioned being interested in Savannah Palacio. We now know that she is close to Anne Sophie, and both women told their TikTok followers that Zay expressed romantic interest in Savannah in the villa. We have yet to see if the internet sleuths got it right. Also, it’s uncertain whether Zay and this mysterious individual will go public with their relationship, or just stay friends.

All romantic relationships failed

Of the five couples that left the show while still romantically involved, none stayed together in the real world, and one even broke-off their engagement. “Perfect Match” served as a social experiment, and its results were discouraging when it came to finding love.

However, most participants found friends they could spend time with and collaborate with, making their stay in Panama far from pointless. However, since the show went off the air recently, we have yet to see how long they can maintain the connection, especially when distance, their occupation, and romantic partners enter the picture.