A Very (Corner) Gas-y Weekend

A few weeks ago, my cable and internet went down. This made me sad. So in order to entertain myself, I threw on some DVD's. Despite the fact that I knew that I was going to be starting this challenge soon, I was an idiot and started watching my Corner Gas DVD's (only own season 2). I had always enjoyed the show but never really loved it. I could take it or leave it. Much like everything, I've come to really appreciate it, only once it is longer on the air. Because I'm an even bigger idiot, I managed to make it through season 1 before September, leaving me only 3-6 left.

For years now, Canadian TV was synonymous with Corner Gas and now I'm addicted too. But despite my obsessive nature, I can't put my finger on why. I find it interesting this new found appreciation of Saskatchewan (2 hit sitcoms set in rural Saskatchewan...who knew?). I know Canadian TV does have a history of country living (Don Messer's Jubilee, anyone?) but it's never been something that interested me. I'm a city girl, through and through so why should I care about some small town in Saskatchewan? But everything about the show just works so well though. The whole cast just plays off each other and the humour different (I'm still trying to work through a comparison with American sitcoms...we'll see how that turns out). But somehow, this show came to mean so much to everyone. And it made being Canadian cool. It makes jokes about Canada that all of us can relate to without having to be from a small town. Plus all the awesome cameos. I like how all Canadians have a sense of humour about themselves.

What is so interesting to me is how the characters have basically seen each other everyday for their entire lives. I've always known that I was never going to stay in the town I grew up in. My closest friend from home that I've known for over ten years now, I haven't seen in four months. It blows my mind to have a friendship like Brent and Hank where they've been friends their entire lives like that. To have somebody like that around all the time. It's just so bizarre to me.

And I was wondering: how do they date? Like I know that there is more people in the town than just the 8 of them, but seriously, how would they date anybody? And what about Wanda? She has a kid but they never mention a husband? Is she a single mother? In my head, she ends up with Brent just because apparently I can't tell the different between reality and fiction. And how did Lacey adjust so well in Dog River after moving from Toronto? For some reason, the problem was the town accepting her but seriously, after living in Toronto, wouldn't you have some adjustment issues in Dog River? But then again, this is just me over-thinking everything like usual.

Time to return to Dog River.