Sun, Oct 20, 1985
While local bank manager Arthur Carruthers is away on business in Toronto, a suit named Morton Stanley from the regional office in Vancouver comes in in an acting manager capacity. One of his first orders of business as he sees is to seize the Persephone as he feels Nick has defaulted on his $8,000 loan by only paying interest on it, despite Nick having an agreement with Carruthers to do so when business is slow, such as now. Just as the bailiff Charlie is ordered to put the seizure notice on the Persephone, Nick manages to escape with his boat with a somewhat reluctant passenger, Pat, who just happened to be on the boat at the time. Relic, however, senses an opportunity and offers to buy the loan from the bank in order to put Nick out of business. Stanley agrees. This situation lays the framework for each person's task. Nick and Pat's task is to hide themselves and the boat from Stanley and Relic. Relic and city slicker Stanley's task is to find Nick and the Persephone. John's task is to uphold the law by finding Nick, but he who wants Relic and Stanley out of his way. Jesse's task is to see if he can raise the money to pay off the loan. And bank employee Laurel's task is to see if she can contact Carruthers in Toronto to override who she sees as her opportunistic and slimy temporary boss.
Top-rated
Sun, Nov 10, 1985
Nick and John seeing him play his saxophone for the whales out on his boat anchored off of Tuck Island is the first indication that anyone has of the return of former Gibsons resident Stuart Brody, better known as Halibut Stu. Nick and John end up spending the day with their eccentric old friend, who seems to spend his life playing music, drinking homemade wine and inventing things that have no real world use. Nick and John spending the day with Stu is why they are the second to last people in Gibsons to know about the two mysterious but bumbling men in town, they who are wearing matching suits and hats, that are looking for Stu, and are willing to pay big money to find him. Stu is the last person to know. Relic has no problems taking their money and showing them where Stu is, no matter who they are. But when Nick and John tell Stu of the men, he doesn't tell them who the men are beyond not wanting to have anything to do with them, which means his immediate departure from these waters. Will the two suits or Stu get what they want in their immediate tasks?
Sun, Jan 5, 1986
It's a dark and stormy night. John's expectation to play Clue with his friends ends up being a bust due to miscommunication and other issues arising. Jack, Molly and Sal are heading off to play bingo for the evening, Jesse is taking Sara to the movies, and Nick has a last minute work issue in cleaning up a log boom. Alone at the Reach with his beloved board game, playing it which he believes makes him a better policeman, John quickly falls asleep and begins to dream. His dream is that he is an Inspector with more under his hat than usual, he who has been called by an anonymous person to solve the Clue-like suspected murder of Captain Chutney. There is, however, yet no body. He heads to the home of Professor Orange, where all the suspects happen to be for the evening. Each of the suspects has motive, access to a murder weapon, and access to a secluded room in Professor Orange's house to commit the murder. Will the brilliant Inspector's keen sense of deduction lead him to the killer, if indeed there is one?
Sat, Jan 18, 1986
Whenever it suits his schedule and as long as he can make money, Relic has been providing boat tours showing Gibsons from the water. His tour guide descriptions are filled with half and exaggerated truths, as well as downright lies. He thinks he has the potential to make a bundle when a British couple, Lord Roger and Lady Pamela, want him to provide an extended tour for them. To do so, he "borrows" old Stewart's ferry as it's he only vessel big enough, and he coerces Sal to come along as a classy companion who will be able to speak the Lord and Lady's language. Relic won't say where they're going, calling it a mystery tour, but Nick thinks that's a bad idea as Stewart's ferry may get into problems if it hits rough waters. Relic may have regretted his decision not to tell anyone where they were going as he may need someone to save him from the hell that the trip ends up being for him. John may provide that salvation, he who is looking for Relic for his own ulterior motives.
Sun, Feb 2, 1986
The latest letter the gang receives from Molly states among other things that someone local has placed a bid on The Reach, who that someone is she does not know. Relic deduces that the only person besides him who has that sort of money is Sal. Relic is able to wrangle out of Sal that she is indeed the bidder, and plans to bulldoze the café and build high end condos in its place. As she won't cut him in on the action, Relic decides to start a rumor that the new owners, whoever they may be, are planning on tearing down the café. John comes up with an idea of getting the town council to declare The Reach a heritage building. Council in turn agrees to the proposal only if the café still can generate revenue by picking up more business than it currently has. As such, Relic switches allegiances back to Sal, telling her he will drive away business from The Reach if she cuts him in as full partner. Sal relents and agrees to Relic's proposal. Relic's plan is to work at The Reach, with people who won't be able to see what he's up to. He will be rude and lie about food and service to customers. Relic is able to carry out his plan to onlooker Sal's satisfaction, but will it have its intended result?
Sun, Feb 9, 1986
Jesse is painting his deck and dock. On Nick's advice, Jesse contemplates buying a paint sprayer to make the job easier, but he doesn't have enough money. That's why Jesse can't pass up Relic's offer, he who is willing to sell some old paint he has lying around at reduced price, which will allow Jesse to buy the paint sprayer. Jesse immediate regrets doing so as Relic's paint is causing him more problems than it was worth. Regardless, Jesse contemplates asking Tommy to help him, if solely to keep Tommy's mind off of missing his best friend Jason, who has just moved away. But Tommy has a much needed other distraction in the form of a stray dog, who he's named Harry. Frankie at the animal shelter allows Tommy to keep the dog as she's pretty sure it has no owner. Sooner thereafter, Jesse shows signs of having an allergic reaction to something, that something determined to be Harry after allergy tests are conducted. Jesse is heartbroken to have to tell Tommy that he can no longer keep Harry. But Tommy may have other thoughts to Jesse's news.
Sun, Feb 16, 1986
Married for forty years, Saskatchewanians Frank and Bess Irvine are visiting Gibsons for the first time. Bess does not seem happy to be there, while Frank does whatever he can to rent a boat for a salvage mission. As Frank won't divulge the nature of what he's looking for, Nick won't rent him his boat. But Relic, with Pat by his side, has no problems doing so for the right price. Frank, with Relic and Pat as his dive support, and Bess part company on angry terms. While inexperienced diver Frank goes underwater, Bess, who vowed secrecy, does end up telling Nick and Laurel the reason for their trip to Gibsons, why she is so upset with Frank, and what "dreamer" Frank is looking for, that cache which Frank is hoping will change their lives. While Nick and Laurel seem to be more enthralled with the story than with what Frank is looking for, Bess becomes worried for Frank's safety for good reason. Meanwhile, it's tax season, and Jesse, as usual, is abandoning Nick to do the company's taxes on his own.
Sun, Mar 2, 1986
Gibsons' Sea Cavalcade is upcoming. While Laurel, Sara and Tommy prepare Molly's Reach's float for the parade, John, Nick, Jesse and Pat practice for the cavalcade's centerpiece this year, the water soccer game between the volunteer fire department and the team led by John. Laurel has some problems as the theme of the float requires John, Nick, Jesse and Pat to be on the float which they refuse to do since they need to practice for the water soccer game. Laurel think she's got an innovative solution. And John's team may not require all that extra practice if only because the firemen's team is down one man, and they ask the only person they know to fill in, Relic, who does so only on one condition. After all is said done, real life may make who wins the game a moot point.
Sun, Mar 9, 1986
Pat is working several jobs. What he doesn't initially tell anyone, but what he eventually tells Nick, is that he plans on using the money to refurbish what was designed as a work boat into a racing boat. For Pat, the boat represents his transition into manhood, as he feels the adults still treat him like a kid. The word of Pat's plan does eventually get out, which doesn't sit well with Relic, as Pat already owes him $100. As a result, Relic and Pat make a wager on a race of their two boats. If Pat wins, Relic will forgo the $100. If Relic wins, Pat still has to pay, but he will also turn over the boat to Relic. The race becomes more to Pat than just the money and the sign that he truly is a man, as he tries to impress a pretty girl. But with a little help from Nick, Pat learns there is more to being a man than just having a fast boat.