#anyway. the scene were attila gets run over by a car and then we get a snapshot of him realigning all his fucking bones

[jordm]

Heartland 11x09 - Challenges review

“Mongolia… why not?”  - Amy 

Well… I could list a few reasons why but anyways. I digress. Not the point? Or is it? Long story short, this episode brought challenges to all characters; some I welcomed (Georgie, Mitch, Amy and Georgie), some which were kinda cringe but also kinda good (Amy and Mongolia, Ty) and some I appreciated/understood but didn’t really like the outcome (Tim).

I’m going to try to keep this short. Try, being the key word. 

Also please appreciate this photo of Mitch looking at Lyndy. Because I do. 

[EDIT: I tots failed at this short thing, courtesy of my popular dislike for this new somewhat re-used Mongolia storyline]

AMY

Amy still hasn’t told her father about her trip to Mongolia, even though she leaves in a few days. Literally. Luckily, or unluckily, Georgie let it slip in a conversation to her grandfather. Let’s pause here to appreciate Tim preaching wisdom onto his family.

“World’s oldest babysitter” - Tim about Jack babysitting Lyndy

“Is the well being of a horse in Mongolia mean more to you than your daughter?” - Tim

Amy seems to finally realize that maybe, just maybe Jack isn’t the best choice of a babysitter especially considering he has to look after his other grandchildren, so she wisely asks Lou to come home and help babysit. Lou agrees (after all, she does miss Katie and Georgie and y’know should do her motherly duties)… and thank god, because Jack already fell asleep with the baby monitor in his hand in the beginning of the episode.

Later on, Amy insists on going even though it’s revealed later that Ty won’t be there to pick her up, despite Tim and Jack insist it won’t be safe. “It’ll be fine” says Amy, which means everything won’t be, because TV law. Jack says he’ll go with Amy since they don’t want her going on her own, but Tim wants to go because he wants (needs) to spend time with Amy. This i get. They’re protective but also want her to ‘grow her wings’ so the compromise is to let someone accompany her since Ty is apparently too busy to pick her up. And it’s totally fair, if Amy is so dead set on going- which she is. 

SIDENOTE: I kind of hoped to see a Tamy reunion Mongolia airport scene and a car ride with the two of them going to the site and Ty showing Amy the sites. But oh well.

So who is the best to accompany her? To be fair, neither of them going with Amy is great. Jack is objectively old, and Tim is dealing with his tumour issue; perhaps Mitch is honestly the best option or, you know, none of them at all going. And I’m not honestly sure who the best to go with Amy on this trip is… (The answer is neither) BUT all I know is that I don’t really like this Mongolia trip either way. I mean, let’s face it- no one does. Not even the casuals. But the way they’re approaching this, with Tim accompanying her… I don’t hate (but I also don’t love because of this situation is coming up). I’m meh and seeing where it goes.

The one part I did enjoy about her storyline was Amy coaching Georgie on the Devil’s Lake jump. She suggests building the duplicate Devils Lake jump where Ty built her the practise ring all those seasons ago. And then, the memories flood back to Amy, and we see flashbacks from many seasons ago when Ty first build it. And it made me feel was miss those good old days when the storyline was about the simple things/everyday life and everyone was close to home. (But bonus points for incorporating those flashbacks!)

Lastly, let’s also appreciate Tim’s wit about Mongolia, where he wasn’t completely wrong.

“It’s like three inches from Afghanistan” - Tim about Mongolia on a map

TY 

First, we see that Ty is in Mongolia and safe… so far. We all know better than to expect a happy Mongolia storyline no? Ty finally sees Attila and Attila really is sick, but once he gets some fluid in him, he seems to be improving. i enjoyed seeing Ty work as a vet, even if it’s not in Hudson, which hey, can he please do more of. Apparently, Attila has been pretty depressed and sad since he arrived, which in itself is kind of depressed and sad.

One more thing; the Mongolian people really did under-estimate Attila’s condition. It wasn’t just a respiratory illness and if they had an inkling that it was perhaps more serious… maybe they could have arranged treatment faster.

Look, after seeing Attila’s condition, i’m not against Ty going to Mongolia. But..

Can someone tell me why is this a good idea to rush off to help Bata when he knows it’s going to be dangerous? I get their friends, and it showed off his good personality traits of helping and being there for his friends, but he didn’t even think about the resulting consequences or you know, the danger. He was hired for a job to TREAT ATTILA, he was flown over to TREAT ATTILA, not to help his old friend out of a situation. I get that he wants to help his friend but Attila’s health is going to continue to be at risk if something happens to him. Plus he knows his wife is coming, so why put himself in danger? Although this showed off his do-good traits, I just think he should have though this out a little more, especially when him and Bata ran off to help a neighbouring village. 

ALSO how did Ty not know that Mongolia was a dangerous place considering he’d been there already?! Helloooooooo.

We learn that Poachers (yay for continuation!) have been going village to village burning villages down since they reported them to authorities. When Ty hears this he texts and calls Amy not to come- a little too late, but she leaves her phone at home and she doesn’t get the call. 

Frankly, I can’t say i didn’t see that coming.

NEXT EPISODE: We see that Amy and Tim arrive and hear that Ty is ‘missing’ . They then are forced to go onto a ‘search and rescue’ mission. Sigh. Ty can’t catch a break.

GEORGIE

Amy gets word that the Summer games will feature a Devil’s Lake jump, and gets permission from Paula to use her cross country course. They seem to be two peas in a pod now. Kidding.

Anyways, we also learn that Wyatt is in Calgary with his family and him and Georgie aren’t talking, but Amy wisely uses this to take this as an opportunity to focus on training/the Summer Games. Which she maybe should have done before, because you know… career >> guys. 

On the first time she tries, she gets thrown off the horse and into the water. Luckily, Dylan is there to chime in with this line: 

“It’s easier when the horse jumps with you” - Dylan 

Georgie rightfully panics because she’s afraid won’t get the jump down before Amy leaves, which is apparently in a few days. I mean, your coach wants you to learn a new jump in a few days even though she’s leaving in a few days, won’t be at your competition for the first time and she doesn’t want to run into Dylan; AND is dealing with the whole Wyatt situation? Yikes.

BREIF PAUSE TO POINT OUT A SAD POINT: Can I also point out that when Georgie said, “i’ve never not had Amy at a competition before” or something like that, it’s kind of a hit to the stomach for Lou? Her AUNT is always there but her mother has barely attended half of her competitions. Wake up Lou, Amy is more of a guardian/mother to Georgie than you are. 

Anyways, Mitch says that he can build the Devils Lake jump, which leads to a funny line when Mitch realizes that Dylan is the reason why he’s “up to his knees in dirt and why she won’t train at Westfield.” End result is, she ends up acing the jump on the course, and get’s a promise from Dylan that he’ll see her at the summer games.

ABOUT DYLAN: I still don’t ship Dylan and Georgie (although it is much easier to think of shipp-er names for them than Wyatt and Georgie), because I did love G/W together. Right now, i actually think i’m on the “Georgie needs to focus on training” boat and that she also should be really good friends with Dylan because the two of them could push each other (like Ashley and Amy) to be better riders. 

TIM

We learn that he had a second scan, and the shadow is unchanged; Tim is also having the same symptoms. Then there’s that ominous sign as he drives away…

DEAD END.

Anyone else catch that?

Tim this episode is the voice of reason and the only one bringing up what happened last time in Mongolia, which proves to be all too true. We see Tim’s fears in the future after the last scan as he is not helping Jade with her rodeo plans, wants her to enroll in a rodeo school program thing and is talking to his contacts to get her there. He wants to ensure Jade’s future is set up, even if/incase he’s not there and that’s heartbreaking. 

“You don’t know where you’ll be in the fall” - Tim projecting his fears for the future onto Jade

ABOUT CASEY 

Casey and Tim in the care is awkward. Casey is the only one talking and when Tim finally realizes casey isn’t okay, she confesses with Jen gone, it’s the first time she’s had a chance to think about an things/her brother. Casey talks about how hard it was when Hank was sick and says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Tim. This is awkward, and Tim’s face shows it. 

He doesn’t want to burden her with his illness and make her go through it all again and relive the whole Hank saga, especially given her relating her struggles she is going through… so he breaks up with her. He needs space. “It’s not you, its me” And this one time, it’s actually true. 

My opinion is that, well, Tim has good intentions but it honestly isn’t the best decision. He should tell Casey and let her decide if she wants out; once she finds out, she might understand, but she might also resent him even more for not even giving him that option. I do get why he went that route- he really was thinking of Casey and her well being so she doesn’t have to go through it all again, however, this could have been approached in a different way. In fact, him telling her could have led to a stronger relationship and y’know, more support and more love for him. Which he needs.

I mentioned this before, but he wants to go to Mongolia because he wants/needs to spend more time with Amy. In short, I don’t get reasoning but this overall doesn’t sound like a great idea considering his state and Mongolia being dangerous. I mean… at least he told Jack? Jack of whom…. why did he even let him go? I mean, at least let Amy in on the half truth who is travelling with him incase something happen so she has the full story… but hey i’m all for daughter-father bonding.

JACK

Short appreciation segment for Jack, who is already tired and has agreed to also take care of Lyndy (and Katie, even if Lou agreed to come back)

“it’s my wife” - about Lisa, who is in France. Shout out to Jack for letting us all know where Lisa is even though she was really missed in this fall finale.

Lastly, a nice acknowledgement to him and Tim’s relationship and how it has come so far. Guys. Jack is the only one who knows about his illness. This wouldn’t have happened a decade ago. Jack promises not to tell anyone against his own wishes, which i feel may bite him in the back. 

OVERALL

… I liked this episode. Not my favourite by far due to Mongolia, but also not my least favourite. An average episode with a predictable cliffhanger. I enjoyed the Georgie storyline, seeing Mitch (not as a romantic interest) and Amy’s role in all of this, including the flashbacks. While I do think Ty should have thought before running to help Bata and off to the neighbouring village and i wish he wasn’t even there… it wasn’t unexpected given the circumstances and i enjoyed seeing him work as a vet. Plus despite Tim’s questionable choice to accompany Amy and break up with Casey, he had good intentions. So.. can’t fault him for that (okay I can but whatever).

So I guess i’m one foot on the Mongolia storyline train… i won’t ever be completely on it, but as long as this train is moving, I’m moving along with it and hoping they make the best of it given they must do this storyline (just hanging on though).

SONGS IN THIS EPISODE ( @heartlandians)

Nation’s Son - Evan Olson

Stronger than Longing - Kat + James

Shadow in the Road - Sam Weber