Ep6 Recap – The Heart of Female Empowerment
BY: Rach Kayrooz for GOOD.
It’s cause for celebration, Hearties, with Goldie’s 1st birthday! Little Jack has the perfect gift– a contract for season 12!
Elizabeth’s concerns about reporting to the Valley School Board are interrupted by Nathan, who offers to carry her books after doing his morning bench press. He courageously asks her to lunch, and she agrees to stop by the jail. Mmmm prison lunch, how romantic.
Lee is keen to form an official HV Committee of Leadership, aka the HV Head Honchos. All Rosie hears is soiree. She is displeased with Lee’s attire, and gets to work designing a flamboyant outfit that screams, ‘Mayor!’
Elizabeth awaits Mr Wilcox from the school board, but instead the creepy and highly inappropriate Thomas Higgins arrives, who is territorial, I mean, Territorial Superintendent. His guidelines for testing standards are not Elizabeth’s only concern.
How many HV leaders does it take to hang a sign on the Mayor’s office? Apparently only one, and three more to tell them it’s crooked. Well done, lads.
Mike is off to his breakfast date with Mei, while Rosie is pushing a pram filled with files on Pike. She arrives at Bill’s office, only to find out that Pike has refused to talk. Bill is fed up with the ‘brick walls’, and thinks of ways to tear them down.
Mei has a new nickname for BF Hickam – “Mikey”. Nothing like calling a grown man his childhood name. Meanwhile, The First Housewives of HV, FloMo, are taking the soiree to the next level by inviting the whole town.
The creepy Superintendent Higgins is overstepping the mark and needs to be reported and thrown in jail. He has Elizabeth shaken up, but she won’t relay what’s going on to Nathan, or Scout, who could easily grab Higgins by the leg and drag him out of the school.
Lucas and Henry are on conference calls, in attempts to secure a deal. Alas, someone is spreading rumours about Lucas to delay the Resort…another mystery for Rosie and Bill’s Moonlighting Detective Agency.
#VIHVP (Very Important Hope Valley People) is the new Gold Standard Membership for HV soiree hopefuls. The Resort and Golf Club, with golf buggy privileges, will only be open to this select group.
Rosie is telling Lee that he has to dress “exuding confidence”. The new dignitaries are caught out by the paparazzi, exuding plenty of confidence in their latest attire.
Joseph is struggling to find the words to write a letter to his brother, Jacob. He wants to go back to when they were just two kids, the best of friends, and life was simple. “We didn’t have much, but we had each other”. Awwww!
Rosie and Lee realise that the soiree shouldn’t be exclusive, because Lee is everybody’s Mayor.
Elizabeth confides in Rosie that attempts to report Higgins’ inappropriate behaviour in teaching college caused her to almost lose her job. He is back to settle old scores, again harassing her and making unwanted advances, putting Elizabeth in an unsafe space of vulnerability, anxiety, and self-doubt. She is worried about her job, and the students being punished by this vulgar recidivist who must be stopped.
Rosie expresses concern about his behaviour, and encourages her dear friend to tell Nathan, reminding Elizabeth of her strength and resourcefulness.
Higgins awaits Elizabeth’s early arrival the next morning at the deserted school. Her advocacy for students’ different learning abilities is met with Higgins’ response to put them in a remedial classroom. His disgusting proposition for back-scratching is best met by throwing him to the Canadian bears. Thankfully, Anna arrives, and Elizabeth jumps to protect her, as women do when they know a snake is in the grass.
Rosie discovers Pike commenced a short work contract five years ago for Montague’s Union City Holding Company. Now that the Pike-Montague link has been established, it’s time for Bill to find more evidence.
Mei is at The Mercantile, chasing oyster and soy sauces to make her special family recipes for Mikey.
Florence runs out back to grab a wok, hopefully for Elizabeth to use in knocking Higgins over the head.
The perpetrating Superintendent has his sights set on grooming and exploiting young Anna. He is offering to visit her college next month and introduce her to recruiters. Elizabeth warns young Anna to be careful, as our prac teacher scoots off back to the city.
Elizabeth makes her way to the Saloon bar, carrying her basket, but sadly no wok in hand. She demands to know what Higgins was saying to Anna, and warns him to leave the young girl alone. He threatens to remove Jack’s name from the school and is out to hurt Elizabeth every way he can. Is anyone else yelling at the tv right now?!
Nathan thankfully sees Elizabeth alone by the lake, and we desperately want her to tell him everything. She cries into his arms, and relays the history of Higgins. Nathan reminds Elizabeth that Higgins wants her to think he has all the power, but he doesn’t. Could we love Nathan anymore at this moment?! Encouraged by her friends, Elizabeth sets out to stop Higgins for good. She hatches up a strategy with Nathan that sees Higgins confess.
Undeterred, Higgins runs to Lucas, expectant the Governor will stand by him. However, Lucas was tipped off by Elizabeth and Nathan, and made some calls to discover several women have been exploited, threatened, and assaulted by Higgins. This narcissist threatens his influence in Capital City, leading to more charges, an immediate suspension, and a future trial. Elizabeth realises Higgins is not powerful, but weak. She has taken her power back. Go girl!
The town soiree for the people of HV to ‘meet the Mayor’ is underway. Molly is requesting a change to noise by-laws from 11 to 8pm. Lee is disappointed that the weekly karaoke night will be affected.
Mikey arrives, flowers in hand, to a beautiful dinner with Mei. These two are so sweet. I can almost smell the ginger and garlic fusion dumplings, and pan-fried noodles from here! M & M beat Nathan and Elizabeth to the kiss! Hickam celebrates by showing off his chopstick skills.
Nathan checks in on Elizabeth and they share in some star-gazing. He reminds her she has nothing to apologise for, and feels for what she has been going through. She is filled with regret, yet Nathan reminds her it’s because of her actions that Higgins will pay for what he’s done, and she should be proud of herself. As the moon lights up the sky, Elizabeth leans on Nathan’s shoulder, and all is well with the world.
Memorable quotes:
Lucas (to Higgins): “I believe Elizabeth, and I believe every woman who has accused you.”
Elizabeth (to Higgins): “I swear on everything I hold dear; you will never have the power to abuse another woman again!”
Nathan (to Elizabeth): “I’m proud of you.”
Elizabeth: “Thank you for being there… thank you for being here.
Nathan: “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
*If you have been affected by sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence, please reach out for support. In an emergency, call 000.
Australian national 24hr helpline: 1800 RESPECT
Ph: 1800 737 732
Website: www.1800respect.org.au
Watch When Calls the Heart season 11 on Friday nights at 7:30pm AEST on GOOD. or stream from the free GOOD app. Watch this episode now. CLICK HERE.
About the Author: Rach is an AACTA Award-winning writer, director, producer, and tv/film content creator, with a background in human rights advocacy. A mum, music manager, animal lover, and fan of 80s power ballads, she spends her ‘spare’ time cooking allergy-friendly food, and adding to her dream list of places to travel. An advocate for disability, and an award-winning speaker, Rach is currently working on post-production of her reality TV show Facing the Fear, and pre-production for her documentary, FND: Not My Story.
Socials: @rachkayrooz
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