It's one thing to die, but it's whole different thing to lead five of your closest friends to their death. Mark has long-since made peace with his own possible death: in fact, he never really expected to make it this far. Bringing in other people only raises the stakes higher.

Once again, we watch Mark achieve some high-minded scientific goals though some very primitive techniques. If we get nothing else from The Martian, it's that science isn't about laboratories or equations—it's about getting your hands dirty and making things work.

You know you're going crazy when you're feeling sentimental about brutal Chicago winters: those things are icier than Gucci Mane. Nostalgia sure has a funny way of working sometimes.