Planet Earth II is one hell of an emotional rollercoaster

Because every episode makes us go on an introspective emotional journey...

It’s been ten whole years since the first Planet Earth series and although we may be a decade older and wiser, we still get all the feels from watching it.

With racing pulses and shortness of breath, it might seem like we’re on the verge of a heart attack, but no, we’re just on the edge of our sofas pleading with the television to let [insert animal here] survive another day.

And the fact that the BBC uses sound effects to 'create a sense of a wild place, as well emotion and drama' only exacerbates that. The use of studio sounds has recently been criticised by viewers as tainting the viewing experience but BBC producers have defended their position by saying, 'we have a limited range of microphones to pick up the sounds while filming. Range and ambient noise ensure quite a lot of wild sounds simple cannot be recorded in the field. As a result, wildlife film-makers often turn to sound designers to recreate something that sounds like it would in the wild - a soundtrack that is true to nature.'

Whatever you think of the sound debacle, the show is still amazing, and clearly has tangible effects on us, but it doesn’t stop us from coming back to it every week so here’s a definitive guide to the emotions you’ll experience during that hour…

Awestruckness

With panoramic shots of islands, mountain regions and the most flora and fauna you’ve ever seen, you will undoubtedbly turn to your couch buddy and announce how beautiful the world is. You haven’t felt this enlightened since your round-the-world gap year…

Smugness

You’ve just found out something about the world and its inhabitants that you have decided you are 100% going to regurgitate in some sort of dinner party. Now, your head is just trying to think of all the people you know who aren’t watching Planet Earth. Oh, how you will blow their minds…

Denial

Oh, but wait… that cute little snow squirrel’s fate isn’t looking good. Why? Why is nature so cruel. ‘It’s the circle of life,’ you’re reminded, but WHY does it have to be so sad.

Confusion

Reasoning

But, then again. The squirrel does mean that the bobcat gets to feed for another day. RIP squirrel and well done Bob.

Laughter

Look at those bears scratching their itches by rubbing their backs comically on trees while holding onto branches for balance. It’s LOL-inducing and we’re into it. And, flamingos do a mating dance for how long? Yes, a whole month, bobbing their heads side to side to find a mate. Things are so much more sophisticated in the animal kingdom, huh?

Anger

The female species often get left with their young, having to fend for themselves and their offspring until they’re weaned. And, all this while fighting off males who not only want to mate with them, but also want to kill their offspring!? WHAT!!

Bargaining

The camera might not have caught the snow leopard cub meeting the mum snow leopard again but surely, suuuuurely they will have met again? Planet Earth just didn’t capture it.

And then there were the baby turtles in the series finale, who wandered blindly from the beach and into the paths of oncoming Did the crew really just leave the surviving few there to die too?!? We can't be left hanging like this!

(As it happens, they were put back into the sea safely).

Inspiration

If a baby marine iguana can run for its life and escape the perils of ten racer snakes trying to eat it seconds after hatching, we too can face anything.

Empathy

Like, you can totally relate.

Acceptance

Nature can be cruel but it’s pretty damn beautiful too. OK. Fine. We will watch again next week and go through the above all over again.

And, to help you get through it all, there's always this version of David Attenborough bingo which is utterly genius: