Bourdain’s Posthumous Borders

Bourdains Posthumous Borders

Isaac Cooper, Design Editor

By Isaac Cooper

In June of this year, the sudden death of Anthony Bourdain, endeared host of Borders Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, struck fans with grief as the Borders Unknown host seemed to have his last episodes already released with no new stories nor adventures to come.  However, prior to his death, Bourdain was filming new episodes. These were in the development stage, unreleased to the public.  Now these episodes will be released to the public comprise the final season of Borders Unknown.

   From September 23 to November 11 (excluding November 4 for mid-term election coverage), Borders Unknown will be back on CNN during its regularly scheduled time on Sundays.  The twelfth season will have six episodes in which Bourain travels to Kenya, Spain, New York, Texas and Indonesia.  The final episode will be a special focusing on Bourdain’s impact outside of the episode frame.

   The release of these new episodes will see Bourdain on new, unseen adventures with the same nonchalant, inquisitive and provoking Bourdain fans have come to know and love.  However, only the first episode, Bourdain’s trip to Kenya with W. Kamau Bell, will have Bourdain’s staple narration. This was the last episode Bourdain had filmed with a complete narration.  

   “I continue to be torn regarding the final episodes of Borders Unknown,” english teacher Pamela Kirkland said.  “As a self-proclaimed foodie who is moved by real-life accounts of people and places, Anthony Bourdain held, and still holds, a special place in my heart due to his ability to marry cultures and cuisines, all while giving a raw account of life in places that are often off limits, in some way. I think I would rather see these episodes than not, but I do think that I view these through a different lens now, given that he is no longer here.”

   Sophomore James Gledhill also holds the show to high regards as he finds educational value in Bourdain’s travels.

   “I like it because it exposes stuff I don’t see on a day to day basis… it’s good for new experiences and learning new things,” Gledhill said.

   It is important that in the release of the new episodes, the depth and nuance of the show retains its prevalence, as these episodes are being released posthumously.  As the majority of this season will not have Bourdain’s narration over the film, its replacement will be the voices of people within the episode chiming in to provide context and commentary, a choice fans like sophomore Zora Brandon understand given the circumstances.

   “If they [the Borders Unknown production crew] deemed that a voiceover was necessary for the show and Bourdain was no longer alive to give it and they still planned on releasing it [the final season] it would only make sense that they would have to do something new,” Brandon said.

   Catch an episode of the final of twelve seasons of Borders Unknown with Anthony Bourdain on CNN, airing Sunday nights.

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