Sun, Oct 4, 1987
Everyone in town is enthralled with Molly's latest novel, which is a fictional account of life in Gibsons. They are so enthralled that they lose track of their regular day to day duties. Each is most excited by the larger than life depiction of the character who is based on him or herself. Their excitement grows when Hollywood director Mr. Palooka and his assistant Whitney come into town, they who are making a movie of the book and who seem to want to use the local person upon who the character is based to portray that character. As such, each person tries to act the way they see their self portrayed in the book. So they all happily sign the contract that Palooka places in front of them, all except Nick, who sees that the contract is not all it seems on the surface. When Nick convinces them all that they have basically signed their life away to Palooka, they have to come up with a way to regain their life back from him. They get some unexpected support in the matter.
Sun, Oct 11, 1987
Sara becomes enthralled by Mother Teresa and her work. Sara believes her imminent beatification justified. Nick tries to encourage Sara to do her small part in making the world a better place through everyday kindness to others. What Sara ends up doing is inviting Didee, a homeless woman she just met, to dinner and to stay with her, Nick, Jesse and Laurel in the spare bedroom. Nick, Jesse and Laurel are taken aback enough by the dinner invitation, let alone the open invitation to stay for as long as she wants. The differing value systems of Didee on one side, and Nick, Jesse and Laurel on the other are quickly evident, which causes some quietly antagonistic feelings on both sides. Caught in the middle is Sara, who is still trying to find the right thing to do. Meanwhile, John is trying to convince everyone to attend the police fund-raiser, the Mountie Stomp. Pat, in particular, takes John's challenge to heart. And using the Heimlich maneuver, Nick saves Relic from choking. Using his own values, Relic, not wanting to be indebted to anyone, offers Nick what he believes is fair compensation for saving his life. Nick on the other hand, wants other things from Relic.
Sun, Oct 18, 1987
Following fifteen years of unimportant quarreling amongst Nick and Relic, they at last go too far and the group requests a conclusion to it. As an outcome to especially muddled squabble, Nick and Relic are requested to complete twenty hours of group benefit - together. They are compelled to acknowledge this reality in the wake of painting themselves into inverse corners of the group lobby.
Sun, Nov 1, 1987
John requests Nick and Jesse to make a run to Lund - one full day in each direction - to transport cantankerous seventy-six year old Duffy Bingham to his son Lorrie Bingham's house. Fed up with living at the senior's boarding house, Duffy figured that living with Lorrie a better option. However, Duffy hasn't seen his son in close to twenty years, when Lorrie, then a hippie, got married. But after Lorrie inherited a fortune from his grandmother, he has since built a house on his private island. Jesse refuses this job because of its cargo as he and Duffy aren't on the best of terms, so John decides to be Nick's second in command. Because of Duffy's ever complaining attitude and behavior, Nick also regrets taking this job by the time they reach the island. But Duffy too may regret the trip when he sees that Lorrie has not changed at all in twenty years, that the house is nothing more than a shack with no running water, and that Lorrie's dream house - a pyramid - is a long way from being completed if it ever gets done. They also find that life between Lorrie and his wife Mo is not totally harmonious, as she long outgrew her hippie beliefs, and finds that Lorrie is as much a child that needs to be taken care of as any of her and Lorrie's biological children. The question becomes what will happen with this new extended Bingham family in all its disharmony.
Sun, Nov 8, 1987
John is looking for an out of the way recreational property to buy to get away from his work stresses. Relic has a friend who has a small A-frame house on acreage he wants to sell. As such, the two are planning on taking a drive out to see it in the police cruiser. What Relic is unaware of is that John has asked Nick and Jesse to come along as a second and third pair of eyes. Relic isn't very happy as he believed he would have been able to con John, but he isn't able to con all three as when they eventually arrive at the very, very, very out of the way property off on a dangerous mountainous dirt road, the house in question is a run down shack, which John has no intention of purchasing. However, on their way down the mountain, the cruiser runs into mechanical difficulties, which results in it and them being perched precariously on the side of the cliff. In the accident, Nick sustains a sprained ankle, while Relic sustains a head injury, which results in a form of amnesia, where he reverts to his childhood. As such, Jesse and John are tasked with heading down the mountain on foot to flag down help, although John is more preoccupied about what he will eventually tell his supervisor about why he was off on a mountain road in the cruiser. But their task is easier than Nick's, he who has to look after childlike Relic, who is more to handle than adult Relic.
Sun, Dec 20, 1987
It's Christmas, and the festive holiday mood has hit most of the regulars of Molly's Reach as demonstrated by them being aboard the caroling ship which is circling the harbor. There are a few people however who are retreating from the Christmas holidays. One of those seemingly is Coug McCoy who came into town from his remote cabin to pick up supplies, but who, behind closed doors, is celebrating Christmas in his own special way. Another is Relic who is his old crotchety self, he who wants to get as far away from the caroling as possible. And yet another is a young couple, Joel and Jessica Turner, who came to Gibsons from Vancouver for Christmas to get away from their traditional family obligations. They purchased a boat to do so, despite Joel not being either marine or mechanically inclined. His lack of aptitude in these areas become problems when the boat breaks down out on the water while a just over eight months pregnant Jessica goes into labor. Even if Joel knew how to operate the radio, it may be difficult to contact anyone with most in town being preoccupied on the caroling ship.
Top-rated
Sun, Dec 27, 1987
Jesse is the only person excited to learn that he's won a contest, the prize being a freezer full of beef which should be able to feed his family for a year. His excitement turns to horror and his friends and family's indifference turns to amusement when he finds out that that freezer full of beef is still alive in the form of a live cow. Beyond the added cost of butchering the cow, Jesse learns that the butcher will not slaughter the cow, meaning that Jesse has to do it himself, or find someone to come out of the woodwork so to speak to do it for him. He does get a few offers from his friends to do the slaughtering, the cost of half the meat which he is willing to pay. The question becomes whether his friends are full of hot air. In addition, everyone seems not to know how to handle the cow, that is except for Sara, who bonds with who she names Emma. The problem becomes whether Jesse can now kill Emma, especially as Sara has vowed never to forgive him if he does.
Sun, Jan 3, 1988
Following a telephone cable where it shouldn't be, Relic comes across a young teen named Jordan Smith, nicknamed Silicon, hiding behind the Reach. He is a boarding school runaway and computer expert, that telephone cable which is hooked up to his personal computer. Relic doesn't turn him in as he becomes Relic's unofficial partner. Relic recently lost some work to Nick and Jesse with Woodchuck Lumber, who, using a new computer system, relays the location of stray logs for Nick and Jesse to pick up. Hacking into their computer system, Silicon is able to provide the log locations to Relic before Nick and Jesse arrive on the scene. But Relic is unaware of Silicon's other computer passion, namely developing a computer game. Wanting it to be based on the real life activities of beachcombers, Silicon uses Relic, Nick and Jesse - all without their knowledge - to test out the game scenarios, some which may have disastrous results if what Silicon plans on programming into the game doesn't happen in real life.
Sun, Jan 10, 1988
Nick is handling the sale of his friend Alan Crispin's restored luxury yacht, the Alibi Wahoo, which is priced at $56,000 and which Crispin spared no expense in restoring. Upon first sight, unemployed Pat, who believes that working for wages gets one nowhere in life, falls in love with the boat and wants to buy it to start a luxury charter business. He is certain he can raise the money somehow to buy it. He believes that source of cash will be from his grandfather, as Jack has just inherited his just deceased friend Bert's downtown property, a warehouse that is at least worth $75,000. Pat feels that his grandfather owes him as much as he does everything for him, and has never asked for anything in return. Pat does whatever he can to initiate both the sale of the warehouse and the purchase of the boat. But Jack loves the warehouse, which is filled with musical memorabilia, and which is a comforting getaway for him from everyday life. As such, Jack contemplates keeping it as his retreat. Jack has to decide if he will fulfill his own or Pat's needs and wants. Someone else may ultimately decide what happens in this matter, but which may ultimately fulfill both Jack and Pat's desires... sort of.
Top-rated
Sun, Jan 24, 1988
A storm has swept much debris into the area. There is some miscommunication on the issue, as before Nick and Jesse can clear the larger logs off the water, Graham and his friend Jenny, with Pat and Sara at the boat's helm, are water-skiing in the area. Hitting one of the logs, Jenny crashes and suffers what looks to be a serious injury, which requires a full body cast upon her admittance into the hospital. After Jenny initially feels sorry for herself about her situation, she learns from the doctor that she will most-likely regain full use of her upper body with physical therapy, but that she may never walk again. Jenny possibly being confined to a wheelchair brings up the issue of accessibility in all her old haunts. But as Jenny tries to cope with the news of her prognosis, Graham, Sara and Pat all deal with the issue of Jenny in a different way. While Graham goes overboard in trying to push Jenny to the limit in every aspect of her new life, Pat, feeling guilty about the accident, can't even face her. The question becomes whether the four can ever have a "normal" friendship again.
Sun, Jan 31, 1988
Sara's day, which is so far overwhelmed by work, takes a turn for the brighter with the arrival into The Reach of a new customer, an artist and musician named Wade Sheffield, just arrived into town by boat. She is immediately smitten with him, and he by her. She, however, is not the only person captivated by him, as everyone in The Reach falls under his spell, everyone that is except Nick, who sees something not quite right in his demeanor. The next day, while Laurel is at work at the bank when Nick and Jack are among its customers, the bank is held up by two armed and masked men, who manage to escape with $50,000. Among the witnesses, Nick is sure he knows the identity of one of the robbers based on the glistening of what he is certain is a diamond stud in the robber's left earlobe underneath his dark stocking mask, as the only person who fits that description in the area is Wade. Nick shares his opinion with John. As Sara is staunchly supportive of Wade, Nick's accusation could mean the end of their friendship if Nick is wrong. But if Nick is right, Sara hanging out with Wade could prove to be dangerous, especially if Wade learns of what Nick has told the police.
Top-rated
Mon, Feb 1, 1988
At the point when Relic unkowingly absconds with John's schedule, he sets up an unanticipated chain of occasions which finishes in John's evident disintergration as an officer of the law. Feeling he has nothing left to lose, John singes to find lastly get rid of the hapless Relic.
Sun, Mar 20, 1988
Pat feels he is without companions when he catches wind of and finds a depressed pontoon. Nobody appears to have room schedule-wise to help Pat raise the vessel for rescue and he should achieve where it counts inside himself to locate the essential assets to carry out the activity all alone; along these lines grasping his own particular creating adulthood.
Sun, Mar 27, 1988
Laurel has just had an interview for a promotion at the bank, the interview which she believes went terribly. On top of that, she is feeling under-appreciated at home as she is forced to work at The Reach as Jesse and Sara go off on their own personal tasks. So she receives a boost in morale when she receives a letter from her band requesting that she apply for a job as band finance manager. If she gets the job and accepts it, that would mean she would have to move back to the reserve. Although she and Jesse have always talked about one day moving back to the reserve so that Tommy could learn more about his ethnic heritage, Jesse always assumed that reserve would be his and not hers. He feels that he will always be seen as riding on her coattails if he accompanies her, while she feels the need to have some say in what happens in their future beyond what Jesse directs. This impasse may be a marriage breaker unless one or the other changes their mind, and/or if her job situation changes.
Sun, Apr 3, 1988
The local craft fair is the first that anyone in town has seen one of the vendors, a woman going only by the name of Ariel. She is a free spirit, who lives by the rhythms of the Earth which means being nomadic and living in a tent as she doesn't believe in being confined by walls, and who believes in the power of spiritual energy. Nick is immediately captivated by her, especially as her holistic healing is able to cure his sprained wrist which the doctor has not been able to do. As time progresses, Nick abandons all else to spend time with her. However, based on a talisman Pat purchases from her which is followed by a series of bad luck, Jack is able to convince both Pat and Graham that Ariel is a witch. Although not going quite that far, Jesse also believes that Ariel is bad news. Beyond specifically Pat and Graham trying to find out more about her in an effort to prove their belief about her to Nick, the shelf-life of a Nick/Ariel relationship may be limited based on Ariel's basic "butterfly" nature despite their mutual feelings for each other which may be described as love.
Sun, Apr 17, 1988
Teenager Jordon Cooper has arrived in Gibsons to do some long distance swimming training in the open water in the pursuit of swimming the much more difficult Bay of Fundy. She is in town with her coach father, Derek Cooper, who dictates every aspect of his daughter's life. Jordon used to be a competitive sprinter, but always finishing second or third in races made her father believe that long distances was a winning approach. It is unclear whether Jordon achieving this goal is more her desire, if at all, or her father's, and if the latter if he is using her solely through which to live vicariously. Regardless, they run into a difference in wants as she befriends Graham, Pat and Sara, the former in particular who is attracted to her. As such, she wants to hang out with her new friends rather than train, which is all Derek wants her to do. As such, Derek has a few run ins specifically with Graham and Pat, from who he want Jordon to stay away. But during their stay in Gibsons, both Jordon and Derek may come to the realization that, although setting goals and trying to achieve them to the best of one's abilities are important, other things in life may trump those goals.
Sun, May 1, 1988
Sara has been accepted into the Emily Carr College of Art and Design. Sara's decision to accept the placement causes a strain between her and Jesse, who has two issues. First, he would like to see her take something useful instead, such as a trade. And second and probably more importantly, he is worried that she is not ready to live in the big city away from the protection of family. But he can't stop her, especially as Molly has provided the tuition. As Sara heads off to Vancouver to embark on her new life - first with John as her chaperon, then with Relic making a delivery to her which leads to what Relic may have found is his new calling in life - Jesse works behind the scenes to lead Sara back in a direction he would like to see her life go. Jesse eventually takes a trip into Vancouver to visit her. By this time, will either Jesse or Sara have changed their mind about this new life, especially as Jesse meets senior student Barry Stickles, who has taken it upon himself to be Sara's guide in this new venture?
Sun, May 15, 1988
Brandon Lewis is new to Tommy's class. He and his widowed father, Cliff Lewis, an unemployed engineer, live on a boat moored in the marina, which allows them to move easily from place to place as Cliff looks for work. Cliff seems overly protective of Brandon from everything outside of their small two person world. In trying to help them, Sara suggests that Cliff may be able to help Nick with a small immediate job as Jesse is out of town. An insurance company is paying $5,000 for the recovery of a missing barge which got lost during a recent storm. Of all the people in town, Nick is the only person who knows the barge's location, but can't tow it in on his own as it's grounded on some rocks in a out of the way cove. Cliff agrees to the job, leaving Brandon at The Reach with Sara and Tommy. Cliff may regret taking the job for two reasons: the unknown cargo aboard the barge in combination with what is waiting back at Gibsons for him and Brandon.