You won’t find too many folks in Saskatchewan who didn’t watch Corner Gas. The popular TV series ran from 2004-2009. That was followed by a hit film in 2014 and the second season of the new animated version of the series just wrapped up on CTV. This week we focus on the zany antics of Dog River, Saskatchewan and highlight some of our favourite episodes.
Wedding Card (Season 2, Episode 2)
Oscar and Emma reveal that they were never actually married, although we end up discovering that they did get married but lied because they were embarrassed by the wedding photos (they were dressed as Elvis). Davis goes into wedding planning mode while Lacey mistakenly believes that Oscar can’t read because he wants to get a prenup (“I just think I would be more comfortable if I was able to put things in writing.”) Finally, Bret and Hank get into an argument over the ownership of a Darryl Sittler rookie card.
This is another episode where every character gets a chance to shine. Lacey’s insistence that Oscar is illiterate is entertaining, if only because Oscar seems so interested in a children’s book because it has a picture of a train with a mustache. Davis completely over the top in this one and there is a fun cameo from Darryl Sittler. The wedding rehearsal is pure chaos and it is fun to watch.
Smell of Freedom (Season 2, Episode 3)
Brent learns that he knows nothing about the people in Dog River and is labelled a “smellaphobe” when he makes light of the fact that Davis has lost his sense of smell. Davis does miraculously regain his sense of smell, however, when trying to help Oscar get a cat out of a tree. Unfortunately, now he has to deal with a wide range of offensive smells, such as Karen’s perfume. Meanwhile, Lacey is unable to beat Hank at Scrabble, although everyone else in town has no such difficulty.
Hank’s Scrabble abilities (or lack thereof) provide a lot of laughs. He tries to start a game off by playing “a bang” as one word. When told this is not possible, he opts to stick with “a” instead. (Emma: “Is it too late to put money on this?”) As a bonus, you get to learn what an “ojime” is (a carved bead used as a clasp). Davis regaining his sense of smell by hitting his head is a bit silly — complete with Oscar trying to help him lose it again with a similar blow to the head, to which Davis replies “I don’t think that will work…because this isn’t Gilligan’s Island.” Then again, Corner Gas was always at its best when it did not take itself too seriously.
The Littlest Yarbo (Season 3, Episode 5)
One of the storylines in this episode centres on Hank thinking he has met the dog from the classic Canadian TV show, The Littlest Hobo. Hank sets about trying to get the dog to rescue him from dangerous situations. In the end, the dog proves to be smarter, which is hardly shocking. Meanwhile, Brent and Lacey try to order travel mugs, but Brent overthinks the placement of the Corner Gas logo. Finally, Davis and Karen are threatened by the hiring of two new firefighters that prove to be rather popular with the citizens of Dog River.
I will gladly watch just about anything that includes the theme song from The Littlest Hobo, so this episode is a real treat. Davis and Karen trying to create a “police drill” to prove their worth is also a lot of fun. A great episode that allows the whole cast to shine.
Lacey Borrows (Season 4, Episode 15)
Because they are friends, Lacey and Karen get into a conflict over borrowing each other’s items without asking first, just to see who can push things too far. Meanwhile, Oscar and Emma are surprised to learn that Brent has never seen a horror film, so they and Wanda make him sit down and watch one. Unfortunately, they are the ones who end up getting scared. Finally, Hank starts wearing cargo pants that contain everything he needs, so he doesn’t have to constantly go back-and-forth to his truck.
The battle between Lacey and Karen is a lot of fun, especially when Lacey drives off in the police squad car, or the reveal that everyone is watching the movie at Lacey’s house (without her knowledge). Oscar watching the movie is hilarious; we all know someone who asks too many inane questions during a movie and/or someone who falls asleep five minutes into the start of the film. Naturally, his grasp on the plot is tenuous at best (“It’s about some stupid, evil cat that refuses to die. Team Canada tries to kill it.”)
It is also a blast watching Hank slowly unravel as he tries to keep up with the mounting pressure to always have what everyone needs in his pants pockets (“These pants are never satisfied…I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up! There’s just no pleasing these pants”!).
Bed and Brake Fast (Season 5, Episode 18)
Oscar overhears that a couple is looking to spend lots of money to stay at a local bed and breakfast, and so he convinces them to stay at his house. He then also has to convince Emma that they are old friends of his and not paying guests. Meanwhile, Davis starts borrowing Brent’s car to use a “ghost car” to catch speeders. Finally, Lacey wins Hank’s handyman services in an auction, but getting him to do the work proves difficult. Instead, she tries to pawn him off on Karen.
It is a lot of fun watching Oscar try to keep the B&B ruse from Emma, all the while explaining her “odd behaviour” as a drinking problem. The best part, however, is once Emma is wise to the situation, she is perfectly content to acquire even more guests. The best part of the car plotline is just how pleased Brent is that his car is involved in police work, which culminates in a fantasy sequence where Brent imagines his car can talk like K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider.
What do you think of our list? It was difficult picking five episodes from such a great series!
