Episode 1:
Hit The Road Jill:
Aired: Monday, January 21, 2008.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, the town of Hardisty, Alberta gets ready for a week without Mom. The men’s bravado speaks volumes as the guys discuss their best (and worst) case scenarios without wives, girlfriends, sisters and mothers around. Some men plan to party, others hope to connect with their kids and a few just hope they survive...!
The women, meanwhile, are similarly keyed up AND nervous about leaving their kids and men behind. The ladies pack their bags, stock meals in the freezers and list multiple chores for their guys to complete in their absence. Some go as far as leaving a detailed plan for watering the garden or pin rosters to the fridge. What does this say about women’s control in the home and their confidence in their men? We’ll soon see.
This episode introduces the town of Hardisty and some of the characters that are followed for the next 7 days.
For some men, like local restaurant/bar owner, Max Sabati, being without women is more than just losing his girlfriend, Tamara Seidel… Max is losing half his female bar staff too. And, he’ll have their three children to manage while staying in business. How’s he going to cope? Max’s prediction - “It’ll be a challenge”
Other men, like trucker Brad McKenzie, think that looking after the kids isn’t anything to get stressed about, “It’ll be easy”.
Or as Pipeliner, Dustin Miller says, “two kids, under 5… how hard can it be?”
36-year-old bachelor, Sam Holinaty, has to look after his 11-year-old son, Keaton, for 7 days - the longest he and Keaton have ever spent together. Keaton’s mom (and Sam’s ex-wife), Julie Pasztor, could have allowed Keaton to stay home with his 3 step-siblings and her current husband Jordan, but she’s eager for Sam to be involved in their son’s life. Can Sam do it and what will he discover in the process?
The episode touches on some Hardisty history and points to its future as an oil-rich town.
And apart from anything else, the men of Hardisty start cooking up their plans for a “secret community project” – one that will be a surprise for the women when they return, and a lasting reminder of The Week The Women Went... that is if the women don’t find out what their counterparts are up to in the next 7 days.
To view episode 1:http://www.cbc.ca/thewomenwent/guide1.html