[playful music playing]
[Siaja] You do not spark joy.
[sternly] You do not spark joy.
You do not spark joy.
[sighs]
And you, I just despise.
[tense stinger]
[upbeat music playing]
[sighs heavily]
Sparking…
joy.
-No. No. No. No. No. -[dramatic music playing]
-[panting] -[music ends]
[dramatic stinger]
[upbeat music playing]
[shouting] Joy!
["Tupilak" by Tarrak playing]
♪ Tupilak ♪
[music ends]
Hi. Siaja.
No.
["Go Crazy" by Kima Otung & Soulplusmind playing]
♪ You might send a message And I don't reply… ♪
Hi.
[music cuts off]
No.
♪ I'll tell you what I'm feeling With my whole chest… ♪
Mom, are you done in there? We're heading out.
[Neevee] Calm your tits.
Yeah.
[music continues]
Whoa. Holy… Look at you all gussied up to be Helen's gofer.
-[music ends] -I'm not her gofer.
I'm an executive assistant.
And what does an executive assistant do, exactly?
Is it hot in here?
It's like minus 30, and I can't stop sweating.
Okay. Since it's your first day and you're having a panic attack,
I'll take Bun to school.
-Really? -But don't get used to it.
Thank you, Mom.
-I love you both. -Bye!
Aakuluk!
Why is Anaana so sweaty?
Because she has no idea what she's doing.
-[playful music playing] -[Siaja grunting]
COMMUNITY CENTER
[Siaja] Oh God. Where is she?
Hey, coworkers!
I thought work started at 9:00.
Ah, whatever. Time's a colonial construct.
Yeah. Yeah, we take our cues from the sun, wind, and the snow formations.
Colin, I can't feel my face.
Okay. Okay.
I brought you guys coffee, but I drank them to survive. [chuckles]
[squealing excitedly]
[music ends]
My own desk?
Are you gonna be this perky all day? 'Cause I can still call in sick.
Hey, didn't this desk used to be over here?
[Millie] Hm?
I can't believe she hired you.
[scoffs] Elisapee, you don't even know me.
I know everyone.
Millie thinks she knows everything.
Colin,
he's okay.
-Mm! -And Mikey,
he's gonna be fired on Friday.
[Mikey] Not if I quit first.
You seem like you're doing better.
Sure am. I got my own desk.
I got a hole punch.
This is like that show with all the people in their office.
Do you mean The Office?
Do you know how many EAs Helen has hired since I started working here?
You're lucky number seven.
Eight. Lucy went to one meeting and then did that.
Just make sure you look busy when Helen comes in.
And when does Helen come in?
When you least expect it.
Mm-hm.
["No Evil" by Shawnee Kish playing]
[school bell ringing]
♪ Trying to ignore the way you feel ♪
♪ Telling you everything would fine ♪
-[Bun] Bye. -See you.
♪ She said "Close your eyes" ♪
Late again. Do you have an excuse?
Yeah. I dropped these.
-Hm! -[teacher scoffs]
Shit.
[music fades out]
You seem nervous.
I'm not a big fan of schools.
Oh, right. The whole residential school thing.
Which was awful, obviously.
I'm so sorry I said that. Oh my God.
Can you imagine stealing children? So horrible.
Is Bun in trouble?
It's not just me. She's been giving kids the finger.
That's just kids being kids.
Yeah, she's also flipped off parents and the Canadian flag…
[restrained chuckle]
Is everything okay at home?
I hear Siaja is struggling.
How about I take Bun for the day?
Tell her I'll be out front.
Uh…
[horn honking]
-[sighs] -[Bun] Grandma!
Hey, you want to get out on the land? Just the two of us?
Yeah.
-[Neevee] Atii! -[exciting music playing]
Let's go.
[music fades out]
[desk scraping loudly]
Okay. Can we agree to never make that sound again?
What happened to you?
Oh, I just took a little spill during my online cardio trampoline class.
I may or may not have a concussion as well.
Uh, listen up, everybody.
We are going to be blessed with a special visitor
from the Department of the Environment, who will be sharing our office space.
Just another example of a Southerner coming to tell us Northerners
how to do things.
And in preparation, I will be reading this tedious report
written by our visitor.
While you're doing that…
-Oh, you work here now. -Yeah.
New idea.
Uh, you read the report and give me the gist.
Happy to.
Okay.
-[upbeat music playing] -[Neevee sniffing]
I smell a small,
stinky little Inuk.
[sniffing]
You're the stinky!
I'm Super Bun!
And I shoot magic out of my hands.
-[Bun whooshing] -[grunting]
[both laughing]
[music fades out]
[Neevee sighs deeply]
Is there anything you wanna talk about?
Hey, are you copying me?
I like when Grandma spits in my eye.
-If you say so. -No!
-[hocking] Come here! -I was joking! I'm just a little kid!
-[uplifting music playing] -[Bun laughing]
[music ends]
I forgot she was such a keener.
Don't worry. It'll wear off.
Everybody, calm down.
Uh, the VIP is in town early.
Get it together. Look al--
Oh crap, he's here.
Hi, Alistair! [stammering] Tunngasugitsi.
[Alistair] Thank you.
[Helen] Um, I was just saying what a treat it is when you come visit us Northerners.
Elisapee, coats.
This is my EA, Siaja…
Uh…
…who apparently has had a stroke.
Hi. Hi, um…
Sorry.
[Helen] Uh…
And I'm Kuuk Nanuaq. I'm also working the file.
-Nanuaq? -Yeah.
Your parents are Eto Nanuaq and Penelope Lightning.
-You're the Little Prince. -[Kuuk] Oh you don't have to call me that.
The Little Prince is here, everyone! The Little Prince!
Don't be modest.
Your parents have done more
for Nunavut than any politician this century.
[Kuuk] Well, I mean, that's not saying much.
Shall we?
[playful music playing]
[music fades out]
You okay, there?
Oh, this? Yeah, of course.
I just… A little hang-gliding accident.
[laughing] I'm kidding.
I've never been hang gliding.
How can we help you?
Uh, well, I assume you've read my report.
Yes. I loved it.
Um, I couldn't stop reading it.
There's a lot of favorite parts I had.
-Remember, I was telling you? -Uh…
Yeah. Helen was saying what an honor it would be
for you to choose Ice Cove as the site for the new polar research station.
Yeah. It would be such an honor.
Well, to be clear, Kuuk and I are just gathering the research.
It's actually the higher-ups who will make the decision in a few months.
Helen was also saying that the recent upgrades to the airport should help.
-[phone buzzing] -Uh, yes. She's right.
You're right. That will help.
Um, could you excuse us for a couple seconds?
We will be right back.
[softly] Come on!
The dump's on fire again.
I told Ottawa that we'd have no more dump fires
seven dump fires ago.
This research station would bring a ton of jobs and be great for my legacy,
but not if they think our town is a raging trash inferno.
Yeah, that won't look good.
Okay. Your job is to keep them away.
Could somebody, maybe--
While you're doing that, I will get this fire thing sorted out
before I get fired.
Because if I get fired, then I don't need an assistant, do I?
Elisapee, coat!
[phone ringing]
[Jeffrey] Hey, Siaja, what's up?
-Hey! I just heard the dump's on fire. -[whimsical music playing]
Yeah, it's beginning to look that way.
Oh.
Do they know what started it?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Heck, yours is probably even better.
'Cause, like, you were the only person here this morning.
[music ends]
Uh, I think your screen froze.
[chuckles awkwardly] Hey, could you not mention my name?
Like, you know, to Helen or something?
Sure, I'll make up a name.
No, don't mention anybody being there.
Yeah, that's probably better.
It's like I don't have that kind of time to make up a whole new person.
What kind of hair they had.
-Their job… -Thanks, Jeffrey! I gotta go!
The hopes and dreams that they have--
I'm busy.
[call drops]
Siaja?
[Siaja muttering] No. Why would you do that to him? Why would you?
You had to light the musk ox on fire.
Just like the crazy girl you are.
Siaja's kind of interesting, huh?
She's hot too, a little bit.
She's my daughter.
What?
Yeah, I found out, like, two days ago.
Hold on. Wait. Whoa.
Hell, whoa.
-That's insane! -It's already awkward enough as it is.
Oh, she's coming. She's coming.
-Just-- Be cool! -You guys were--
Hey, um, Helen had an important something or other.
-Let me show you guys around. -Okay.
Uh, so this is our office, and we have, um, desks.
[sighs]
This one right here is, uh… That's mine.
Where did everybody go?
[door opening]
[all chattering excitedly]
Mm. I love me a good dump fire. It's like my calendar came to life.
[Colin] With these new uniforms, I can imagine it's anyone under there.
Sure, but why do you always imagine Blake Shelton?
The heart wants what the heart wants.
Right now the heart wants the tall one.
[Millie] Oh yeah.
-Don't tell Jason. -[laughing]
[Millie] Ooh, wow. Yeah, pull it.
You gotta make sure you got a good grip on that.
[Colin] Great work, guys.
And we have our concession.
Uh, if you're thirsty, get some pop. It's fresh.
And… this is you!
Isn't it great?
I'll go scrounge up some chairs.
And a light bulb.
Uh, Siaja, wait. Um…
[sighs]
Oh, yeah. You know what? I'll go find that bulb.
Yeah.
[both sighing uncomfortably]
[Siaja clears throat]
Uh, so, about the other night. [chuckles awkwardly]
-Yeah, let's not talk about that. -Can we just forget--
-You're still talking. -[phone buzzing]
One second.
But… [sighs]
This is stupid. This is not gonna work, will it? This is too big.
I mean, maybe for mood lighting, maybe?
What happened to not making it awkward? Come on.
I don't know.
It's just, it's not like there's a book on how to deal with stuff like this.
I mean, there's literally thousands of books.
What's that smell? Something burning? What is that?
Dump's on fire.
[siren wailing]
[Bun] I'm Neevee,
and you better not look in my drawer beside my bed.
Well, I'm Bun,
and I definitely don't look in the drawer beside my grandma's bed.
-Hm! -Because I listen to her,
and she listens to me.
Hey, honey. What's been bugging you?
A kid at school called Anaana a ho, so I did the finger thing.
Oh, sweetie.
Your Anaana's not a ho.
Okay? Hey, look.
You were right to do the finger thingy.
But you're doing it wrong.
[upbeat music playing]
[phone ringing]
Hey, Jeffrey. What's up?
Hey, Siaja, remember that security tape I was telling you about?
You never told me about a tape.
Then who did I tell?
You didn't tell Helen, did you?
Oh no, I would never.
-She found out on her own. -[music ends]
[sighs]
Did I start the fire, Jeffrey?
Uh, sorry, Siaja.
I don't know what you want me to say to that.
[grumbling]
I'm on my way.
Uh, okay, let me get this straight. You burnt your things?
Not my things.
My ex's.
Sounds like someone else I know.
Haven't you ever wanted to start over fresh?
Not that you care, but my life's been a bit of a…
-[Kuuk] Dumpster fire? -Tough.
Today was my first day at a real job, but since I'm about to get fired,
I might as well tell you
that your report read like it was written by somebody who came here once,
like 25 years ago, and hasn't bothered to check in since.
[tense music playing]
And, yes, we have direct flights to Ottawa and Winnipeg,
but Edmonton will be added in September.
And, no, we don't have an "adequate" amount of outfitters.
We have twice as many as any other town in the region.
Also, the permafrost that you make multiple references to
hasn't been perma since the melt in 2020.
Hm.
Is that it?
-Watch out! Watch out! Watch out! -[brakes skidding]
[music fades out]
[Alistair exclaims]
[mystical music playing]
[Alistair chuckling]
God, I love it up here.
Yeah.
Me too.
[music fades out]
[Kuuk] I almost feel bad for her.
You know, first day on the job, she sets an apocalyptic fire.
If only she had a loving father to help her out right about now.
You know what I mean?
[Helen] Come on, Jeffrey. It's Siaja.
I don't know. Could be a man in a woman's parka, you know.
Like a disguise.
You can see her face, Jeffrey.
He could be wearing a Siaja mask.
Please, stop.
[door creaks open]
It is me.
Are you sure?
So what did we learn?
Kids are dumb.
Anaana's not a ho.
Thumb out to the side.
Yeah, that's my girl. [laughing]
When is me and Anaana going home?
I think you're gonna be with me for a while.
Can I tell you a secret?
Yeah.
-Grown-ups are stupid, right? -Hm?
And we call each other names,
and we're never as smart as our kids.
But you, and me, and Anaana,
we're forever, okay?
[gasping]
[mystical music playing]
I'm gonna need a bigger gun.
Jeffrey, could you give us a few minutes, please?
-[Jeffrey] Yes, ma'am. -[music ends]
I tried.
This is a hell of a whoopsie, Siaja. Tell me why I shouldn't let you go.
I was burning something Ting gave me.
It was reckless, and stupid, and it was an accident.
But I'm hardworking, and I'm smart, and I…
I need this.
And you need me.
And our town needs this research station.
But they'll just pick somewhere else if you don't use every tool that you have.
I was raised in my mother's store, and I watched, and listened, and learned.
I know this town.
And every question that report asks, I know the answer.
[knocking on door]
Uh…
Hi. Hi. Hi. Sorry to interrupt.
Oh, hello. [chuckles]
Welcome to Jeffrey's shack.
All is well.
I just… I wanted to let you know that I've emailed you a new, updated report.
And I just wanted to thank my daughter for, uh…
Well, for correcting me on a few mistakes that I might have made.
[chuckling] We all think of Siaja as our daughter.
Oh no. She's… She's my daughter.
Huh? Your daughter?
What are you talking about? Is he saying this to make you look cool?
I think he's trying to play white savior.
Hmm.
No. No. No. I'm not… I'm not white-saving anything.
Although I would suggest some fire breaks around the dump in the future.
Thanks.
Okay.
[pensive music playing]
Well, aren't you interesting?
Thanks?
I didn't say I like interesting.
Okay. The fire will remain a "mystery."
But I am putting you on an eight-week probation.
During which time, you will help me land that contract.
-Understood? -[Siaja] Yes. Thank you.
[music rises, then ends]
Hey. Hey, Alistair.
You don't get to come in and play the dad card 26 years too late.
-I know. Sorry for butting in. -Don't say sorry.
-But I'm really sorry how we-- -Stop saying sorry!
It doesn't mean anything!
What about being sorry for missing my entire life?
Siaja, I didn't even know you existed until two days ago.
You didn't?
Nope.
[phone buzzing]
Oh my God.
Oh my God. My kid caught a tuktu!
My kid caught a caribou!
Wait, you got a kid?
Of course I have a kid. I'm 26.
-My kid caught a tuktu! -[uplifting music playing]
That's my baby!
I'm a grandfather?
-[chuckles softly] -[woman] Save the best for your sister.
[Neevee] I got lots of meat. Tell your mom to come by too.
[man] I'll make sure she gets some.
[music fades out]
-And that one. Then that one here. -That one.
She's a complicated woman.
You don't know the half of it.
["Taimangalimaaq (Time after Time)" by Elisapie Isaac playing]
[gasping excitedly]
I caught a tuktu, Anaana.
I'm so proud of my little hunter! [exclaiming happily]
[both giggling]
What were you two talking about?
[sighs]
Fresh starts.
[sniffs] Well, that's stupid.
When Bun's not here, we got a lot to talk about.
-But first, I got to do this! -[Bun cheering]
-[Siaja] Whee! -[chuckles]
[Bun] Whoo-hoo!
-What are we cooking? -The head.
-The head? -Yeah.
Let's go.
["Taimangalimaaq (Time after Time)" by Elisapie Isaac continues]
[song continues]
[music fades out]