The Big Difference Gold Rush Fans See Between Fred Lewis And The Hoffmans

At this point, it's no secret that many fans of Discovery's "Gold Rush" feel that the Hoffmans are some of the least capable gold miners on the series. Despite the fact that Todd Hoffman was the de-facto lead of the show when it first began, fans have become exceptionally critical of his mining practices and management style. It is certainly true that Hoffman and his family have committed many mistakes throughout the years.

One of the family's most memorable blunders came as the result of an ill-advised mining trip to Guyana. In fact, some fans of the show have even labeled this particular misstep the Todd Hoffman moment that went too far. At the end of a disastrous voyage, the crew only manages to scrape together two ounces of gold, despite enduring a plethora of hardships and dangers in their journey through the South American wilderness.

Interestingly, a number of fans have actually drawn comparisons between the Hoffmans' woes and the struggles of fellow "Gold Rush" star Fred Lewis. As fans will surely remember, Lewis actually started out as a viewer before joining the team in 2019 (via Discovery). While few would ever doubt his enthusiasm for gold mining, fans have consistently criticized his lack of experience on the job. Indeed, some fans have even suggested that Lewis shouldn't be on the show at all. 

While both the Hoffmans and Lewis have received a substantial amount of hate from the "Gold Rush" audience, fans have clarified that there is one major difference between the two — one that makes it much easier to root for the Hoffmans.

According to fans on the r/GoldRush subreddit, the biggest difference between watching the Hoffmans and watching Fred Lewis is that the Hoffmans' failures always seemed somewhat entertaining, while Lewis' failures just seem sad. "Why is Fred being bad at mining not as entertaining as the Hoffman's being bad at mining?" asked u/RichEngine. "Was it because the Hoffman's were lightning in a bottle?"

"Both are bad, but at least I think the Hoffmans were trying to run a real operation," answered u/mudpupper. "Fred's is pure fiction." Other users chimed in to say that the Hoffmans' struggles seem much more genuine, while Fred simply seems introduced to consistently underperform. "The Hoffmans were new, organic, and yes, idiots," wrote one user. "Fred, though, is a manufactured military story to pander and create ad revenue." Similarly, u/A_Rented_Mule noted, "Fred and crew were obviously introduced as under-dog heroes for us to cheer for, so they just feel pathetic rather than comical."

All told, it seems like most fans are in agreement that the Hoffmans' blunders were much more entertaining than those of Lewis. Of course, one has to wonder if either crew truly deserves the incredible amount of hatred thrown their way by much of the "Gold Rush" fanbase.