Story-wise, it was a pretty bold move of Heartland to have Ty go to Mongolia. That’s what immediately what struck me on Sunday night during “Something to Prove.”
At first, I’d assumed Graham Wardle had simply asked for time away from the series so he would work on a feature film or miniseries. Heck, they’d even gone so far as to set up a website, Borden without Borders, as a side story to what’s going on with him. But it looks as though Wardle really did spend time in Mongolia—something he posted about on Instagram—meaning either he wanted to really go there or the producers wrote it into the story. I’ll chase down Wardle in the coming weeks to talk to him about it, but I suspect it’s a bit of both. Regardless, having Ty in Mongolia isn’t just a B-plot for the character but a real-life scenario that’s being worked into Heartland and that’s an interesting way of storytelling.
Of course, his departure from Heartland has thrown everyone into a bit of a tizzy, especially Amy and Cass. After having a bad experience with Lex and some cramping, Amy not only needs to be more careful but needs to lean on her family for support. Cass, upset her workload suddenly gotten a lot heavier, was angling for a partnership from Scott and straining her relationship with Amy. By the end of the episode it had all been worked out—a raise for Cass and some peace of mind for Amy—but I’m betting the Amy-Cass partnership is far from over.
Partnerships tested continued with Adam and Georgie, who were pulled apart to sub in and work with Jade and Clay when she refused to work with him during Tim’s orienteering challenge. I don’t know about you guys, but I think it’s a shame that Jade didn’t stand up to Clay the way Georgie did. By putting him in his place, Georgie immediately showed Clay she won’t put up with his bragging and arrogance, something Jade need to do too. Does anyone else get the feeling Clay and Jade are headed for romance?
The final partnership to be tested was Lisa and Jack when her aunt Evelyn (Kate Trotter)Â arrived at Heartland. What first appeared to be slight jabs at Jack about his age and the couple’s living arrangements grew into an all-out war at Maggie’s when Evelyn criticized her niece for becoming a “glorified babysitter” and settling for Jack. It was an uncomfortable scene, but I respected Lisa for standing up to her favourite aunt and defending her own decisions. The two made up, and kudos to Heartland‘s writers for giving Jessica Steen a tasty storyline to really sink her teeth into. Like Jack, Lisa isn’t given a ton to do on Heartland and I appreciate it when she’s given the chance to shine.
Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.
Images courtesy of CBC.
