Episode 4:
Who's Holding The Aces Now?:
Aired: Monday, February 11th, 2008.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As most mothers know, getting the kids up and out the door for school can be an exercise in frustration.
Today, the men of Hardisty are witnessing first hand just how frustrating that morning routine can be...
39-year-old Ed Wurz is usually on the road for up to 17 hours a day. The life of a long haul trucker is certainly challenging but with his wife Penny away, Ed’s now towing what seems like a heavier load - running around after their three boys, Dylan, Derrick and Travis. Ed’s the sort of Dad who likes things done his way, precisely, and on time. But his truculent boys have found ways to test Dad’s patience – first, they sleep in, and then 8-year-old Travis decides to give himself a haircut…
Across town, another trucker, Brad McKensize’s struggling to get the kids going in the morning but at least he’s got a helping hand – his mother Shirley. Brad’s supposed to be minding his girlfriend Pam Krause’s three kids, Melinda, Kyla and Carson on his own this week, but Shirley (who stayed in town to play bingo), is picking up Brad’s slack. Is Brad playing fair to the other men in town?
Speaking of the other men, Todd Moody’s secret wedding plans are going from bad to worse – first, his wedding planner accidentally spilled the beans to a friend, and now, Todd’s kids have found out. Word is leaking out and Todd doesn’t like it one bit. So far, his intended, Leah Rogers, still doesn’t know but Todd figures it’s only a matter of time – so he decides to go on the offensive. Radically.
Elsewhere in town, some Dads and their kids are spending more time with each other than they’ve ever done before. Bachelor Sam Holinaty is typically the life of the party – popular and charismatic – he’s father to 11-year-old Keaton. Keaton would love to live with his Dad and this week, Sam’s discovering just how important being there for his son really is.
In Canmore, the Hardisty women settle in for a round of boisterous poker – led by Kelly Weatherly. The change in location has prompted a surprising shift of gender roles. Typically multi-tasking between jobs, children’s activities and community volunteering, the women have little time to just hang with other women. They’re starting to re-examine their identities and let go just a little bit at a time.
There’s reflection and re-examination in Hardisty too. Curtis Chisen and his girlfriend, Nikki Brausen split a couple of years ago and then a week after they split Nikki discovered she was pregnant. They’ve been having difficulty seeing eye to eye over the care of their child, Carter. This week is a chance for both of them – Nikki to learn to trust Curtis, and Curtis to prove himself as a good Dad. And Curtis opts to mark the occasion in a special way, perhaps more than Nikki could ever have imagined.
To view episode 4:
http://www.cbc.ca/thewomenwent/guide4.html