North of North (2025) s01e01 Episode Script

1
When people ask
where I'm from, I say,
Think of the furthest place
north you've ever been.
Now keep going.
Keep going.
Yep, that's us.
Ice cove, nunavut.
The heart of the arctic.
Now, most southerners
think we're
And while all that's
technically true,
I am a modern inuk woman.
Whatever that means.
All my life, I've tried
to do everything right.
I got married out of high
school, started a family,
And now he's the town
golden boy, and I'm
His wife.
But it's springtime
in the arctic,
Which is kind of like
our new year's.
And this year, I'm finally
putting myself first.
I'm gonna get a job,
reconnect with friends,
Be the best mom,
and maybe even
come on, babe. No one's
gonna be looking at you anyways.
Coming!
Did I mention, change my life?
- Bye, babies!
- bye!
- love you!
- Love you!
Why does ataata always
take the truck?
Grandma's ski-doo
is way cooler, anyway.
I don't think
that's gonna hold.
Sure it will.
Hi!
- Good luck, boy!
- hey, good morning.
Hey.
What are you gonna do
at grandma's?
I'm gonna have a party!
hey!
- Mom?
- hey!
You said you were
dropping off bun at ten.
I'm sorry, I'm early. I just
um, it's just that
- Hello.
- Hi, baby.
I'm applying for a job today.
- A job, job?
- Yeah, why is that weird?
- What was that?
- Huh?
I have to open up the shop. Bun?
- Eww!
- No! No! Give me that.
Ah! Let's, uh
You can turn the lights on.
Come on, you!
Let's open this door.
Why do you all of a sudden
need a job anyway?
I don't need a job.
I want a job.
Is ting okay?
I mean, I thought pilots
made good money.
This isn't about ting or money.
This is about me.
I want to have something
of my own.
Well, then learn how to sew,
Because I'm tired
of fixing your parkas.
Oh. Hey, ladies.
wrong door, handsome.
hey, wait!
Where were you the fall of '98?
This might sound crazy, but
- Are you my dad?
- huh?
I thought santa was my grandpa!
I'm not sure what to do with
that, so I'm just gonna leave.
Every time, huh?
- I love you.
- I love you!
Hey, be good.
Never.
You want to help me
sort bullets?
Yeah!
the festival
schedule is all online, folks.
Yes, the seal hunt
is this afternoon, and yes,
The naming of the festival
king and queen is tonight.
And to keep up the sweet spring
festival vibe this weekend,
Here's a classic.
sorry, sorry.
- Coffee?
- Oh, thank you.
That is sweet, but aren't
there 50 other things
You could be doing
as a volunteer?
Hey, uh, do you have
five minutes?
I'd love to run an idea by you.
Five minutes max.
My office.
Yes! All right.
By the way, congratulations
on another successful festival.
Suck up.
Well, thank god
it's almost over.
I can't do any more
14-hour days.
I know, it's too much
for one person.
And everything falls on my desk.
Managing garbage collection,
Power outages,
boil water advisory.
Still nothing as important
as our little four-day festival.
That is exactly what I wanted
to talk to you about.
well, chop-chop, siaja.
I'm a busy woman.
You know how
the festival is all,
"woo-hoo! We didn't die
this winter. And "
Uh-uh. It's a celebration
of life, siaja.
Exactly, so I've been thinking,
Why not have more cultural
programming year-round?
Didn't you hear me?
I told you I'm exhausted.
Then hire me.
- Hire you?
- As a program coordinator.
I put together a list of grants
and different opportunities.
Oh, I get I get really cold
whenever I have to tell someone
The truth about themselves.
Siaja, you have a wonderful
imagination.
And you've been a perfectly
adequate festival volunteer.
But you have zero
work experience,
And even less leadership skills.
But I see life and beauty
everywhere, and
Where should I put
these fish heads?
Um, uh
Deep freezer in the commissary.
All right, thank you.
Look, right now you're thinking
about what you need.
I've been here for a while now,
And if there's one thing
I've learned,
It's that the inuit culture
cares most
About what the community needs.
Give my best to ting.
Captaining his first
festival hunt?
You must be so proud.
Okay, here's the plan
for tonight.
Pre-drinks at your place,
Back here for
the closing ceremony,
- And then
- party 'til midnight.
no,
party 'til dawn, colin.
Dawn? That's way too late.
Something wrong?
I wrote up a whole proposal
for a job here,
And helen didn't even open it.
Why do you even want
to work here?
I thought you liked
playing house.
Because I
Want to make our community
a better place.
fine.
I need something
of my own, okay?
Bun is in school now,
and her world's getting bigger.
And I'm jealous of a child.
I need this job,
or I will explode.
Or worse, I will
Become a sinner like your mum?
nah, your mum's
a legend.
Listen, they don't call me
the helen whisperer for nothing.
- Nobody calls you that, colin.
- She doesn't know that.
Have you tried crying?
Millie! Cost report!
Colin! Radio!
Siaja! Beach!
- What about a petition?
- Huh?
I will get you
a petition that proves
The community wants more
cultural programming.
- And then will you hire me?
- No.
Helen, please, just give me
a chance to prove myself.
- Okay, get me 500 signatures.
- what?
That's like a quarter
of the town.
By the end of today.
Piece of cake.
Hey, elisapee.
You want to be
my first signature?
Nope.
You, sir, do you want
to sign my petition?
hey, sign right here.
one, two, three
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Can I get a macchiato?
- Hate to break it to you,
But you're not down south
anymore, toto.
Oh, what makes you think
I'm from the south?
- I like the pea coat, though.
- Yeah? Thanks.
- You're making fun of me.
- No, I would never.
Not your face, anyway.
I would do it behind your back.
Like a respectable
modern inuk woman.
Oh! I need signatures.
Sure, yeah.
What's this? What, uh
Uh, a petition
for community programming,
Like language classes,
parka making, coffee nights.
I just feel like we're all
A bit starved for connection,
you know?
I'll put my number down, too,
just in case you want it.
- siaja!
- No, no, actually
- I needed to talk to my wife!
- Whoa, okay.
My assistant bailed.
It's a bad case of seal finger.
I need you to come hunting.
Ting, I'm working.
You're a volunteer, siaja.
Nobody's gonna notice
you're gone.
- Ting, I put so much effort
- babe, I'm sorry.
You know how much this
means to me.
My dad used to win
this event every year.
I want to do him proud.
Fine. I just have
to put my stuff
- Aah!
- Aah! Ting!
- I've gotta put some stuff away.
- No, no, come on.
Let's go.
We've gotta get ready.
You've gotta get your head
in the game.
Hey, you wanna
- Sign this petition?
- Sure.
Let's take this moment
to thank the seals,
And our hunters!
Remember, this hunt is not
about prizes, not about glory.
It's about filling our bellies!
In the name of jesus, amen!
Stop. This isn't church.
Listen up, remember,
The arctic ocean
is freezing cold.
Be safe at the floe edge.
All right, thank you, thank you,
helen, for your wisdom.
Ahem! Now.
Ready Set
come on, come on, come on!
See you at the floe edge!
Um
Ting, can we talk?
Yeah, babe.
Ah, isn't this great?
Look at our life.
We're so lucky, right?
Here, take a picture of me.
Um
Ooh!
so, ting?
You like that?
I know you like this one.
Nice!
it looks so good.
- Ting, listen to me.
- Hashtag, king ting.
Hashtag, inuk hunter.
I asked for a job
at the community centre.
What?
I need to do something
with my life.
You know, something
besides being your wife.
Well, you can't get a job,
not now.
We agreed I'd stay home
'til bun was in school.
- She's seven, right?
- Okay.
I was gonna wait,
and tell you and bun together.
But
We're having another baby!
I'm not pregnant, ting.
no, it's my cousin.
She's expecting,
and she asked us to adopt.
I said yes.
- Without talking to me first.
- You need this.
And bun needs this.
It's no good for her to be
an only kid, you know that.
I don't want another kid, ting!
I want my own life.
That's really messed up, siaja.
My mother always said having me
was the best thing she ever did.
- Ting, behind you.
- I mean,
- What kind of a inuk woman
- ting, a seal!
Oh, shit.
Ha ha! Yes!
Get the nets in.
Whoa!
siaja!
you're really lucky to be alive.
Your body's in shock,
but you'll be okay.
our insurance
can't handle this.
You're off volunteer duty.
I mean, yes,
I lost the seal, but
What's a seal
compared to a life?
thank god you were there
to pull her out.
Excuse me a sec.
You made me look
like a frickin' idiot.
Like I'm a shitty hunter.
You get that, right?
You're an embarrassment.
I've gotta go get my gear.
you okay?
Can you give me a ride
to my mom's?
Yeah.
You got 20 bucks?
I know, ting.
Just give it some time.
Yeah, yeah,
I'll talk to her. Okay.
Well, that was your husband
calling for the ninth time.
I don't want to speak to him.
Fine. But ting is inuk,
all right?
He's not gonna play guitar
outside your window,
Like those movies
you like to watch.
I am so sick of being
the good housewife.
I went from taking care of you
to taking care of him.
Hey, I've been sober
for 10 years.
Yeah, and I've barely lived.
Ugh! I need some air.
You're acting like a white girl
with options!
You're still good
for bun to sleep over?
- Of course.
- Thank you!
Arghh!
oh, this coat
is really working for you.
I haven't been to a party
in, like, seven years.
Ting likes to keep me
to himself.
Well, glad you came.
Partying is like riding
a bike while drunk.
okay.
I know how to get drunk.
I'm ready to start my new life.
Let's do this.
You are ready
to take on the world.
When I fell in the ocean,
I think I died and saw nuliajuk.
Excuse me?
Hey!
I love this song!
Woo! Let's go dance!
save me some, okay?
Who's the silver fox?
that's alistair.
He's some kind
of environmental consultant.
Watch it!
- Ting know you're here?
- no.
- You don't deserve him.
- You know what, lucy?
If you love ting so much,
why don't you go screw him?
Gross! He's my cousin!
so hard to remember
who's related.
Come. This way.
Pea coat boy.
Petition girl.
Hey. I heard about
your accident. That's
- I'm glad you're okay.
- Aww.
Were you worried about me?
Mm, just a little bit.
I'm worried about you.
She saw nuliajuk,
as in the sea goddess?
You saw what now?
I don't know.
I saw Something down there.
Shit.
You got any shamans in
your bloodline?
Your mom would know.
That's the most native shit
I've ever heard.
Awesome.
You guys are being serious?
- Yeah.
- Oh, nuts.
Guys,
I bought plastic cups!
I'll get the broom.
You into shamans?
I I'm flattered. I just
I don't want to cause
any problems here.
- Yeah, good luck with that.
- Well, I just mean,
Your husband's
a little overprotective
- And I don't want to
- whatever, city boy.
I am a strong,
independent indian woman
And I can talk to
whoever she wants to.
Maybe you should switch
to water.
That's not what I meant.
I'm so sick of people telling me
what I can and can't do.
Delaney, hit me!
Oh, shit.
Hi.
Okay. Seems like you're having
a bit of a night.
what makes you think that?
here.
I hear you're some kind of
fancy consultant.
Only by day.
So, do you know my name, too?
No.
- It's alistair.
- Alistair.
I'm siaja.
And what do you do around
here, siaja?
- Technically unemployed.
- mm-hmm.
But I've got big plans.
Even if everyone thinks
I'm a quiet little nobody.
That's not the impression I get.
No?
You seem pretty bold to me.
Like a woman who knows exactly
what she wants and just
Grabs it.
Oh, I
I I wasn't expecting that.
Oh, hey, boss.
- oh, hey.
- Boss?
Hey, uh,
you left this at the beach.
I was gonna give it
to colin, but
My petition.
All the signatures?
Wow, thank you.
we're late for the
closing ceremony. Everybody out.
You can come back for
the after party.
Well, gentlemen
I bid you good evening.
I've got a dream
I need to see through.
Okay.
Good luck.
Okay, give it up for
the ice cove players, everyone.
Helen, 500 signatures.
not now.
Gotta love those
scottish whalers
Introducing these fresh dance
moves to us northerners.
And now for the funnest award
of the festival.
You know what I'm talking about.
It's the award
for best bumhopper.
And it goes to Alicia agul!
Best bumhopper in town.
Look at her go.
And now for best
shit.
congratulations.
Where the hell have you been?
Are you drunk?
Yeah, but that's irrelevant.
What is wrong with you?
you're what's wrong with me.
You're embarrassing yourself.
Again.
- You should go home.
- I'm embarrassing?
You don't get
to decide for me anymore.
What?
and now for
the most coveted prize,
King and queen of
the festival seal hunt.
And the award goes
to our beloved
Ting miyak and his wife, siaja.
We gotta go up there.
No, we don't, ting.
Come on up here, king ting.
Congratulations.
Siaja, come stand with
your king.
babe, come on.
Siaja,
come on, get up here.
Go on, get up there.
No!
I'm done.
We are done..
Screw all y'all!
Give it up for king ting.
we'll be in touch, okay?
- hey.
- Hey.
Siaja, what are you doing?
Neevee?
Alistair?
Mom?
Mom?
what are you doing here?
You said
you were never coming back.
oh, no.
wait.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
I see you finally met
your father.
Loser.