Tonight on TLC Escaping Alaska returns with an all new Thursday September 18, Season 1 episode 5 called, “One Eskimo Down & Four Surf It Up.” On tonight’s episode one of the group members disappears; Q is low on funds and gets creative; Nuala makes friends and ponders her future; visiting an Indian reservation makes everyone homesick.
“Escaping Alaska” follows a group of young Eskimos as they leave their villages for the first time and secretly escape to San Diego, defying the expectations of their families in order to experience life beyond the harsh realities of Alaska. They are a generation torn between their deep-rooted cultural traditions and the modern pop culture of the lower 48 states.
On tonight’s episode the “family” worries and comes together as one of their own disappears. Low on funds, Q gets creative; Nuala has a gay time making friends and ponders her future. And a visit to an Indian reservation makes everyone homesick.
Tonight’s episode is going to be exciting you won’t want to miss it, so be sure to tune in for our live coverage of the show tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about Escaping Alaska.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Frank left in the middle of the night without a word to his friends, Q, or to even to the producers of the show. Apparently his mom needed him at home seeing as she wasn’t doing so well without him and so he returned to Alaska being the good son. But what Frank seemed to have forgotten was that he was part of a plan. Originally, he came down with the rest of them in agreement to split the rent and that same rent is due soon and the gang is short one person.
Now, because of Frank’s actions, the other have decided to seriously consider going back home as well. The idea of leaving is a big one. It has some of them truly freaked. And besides feeling guilty and missing their families – Mary has certainly been feeling the pressure from her boyfriend. However their situation is different. He wants her to come back to him and yet he doesn’t want to spend the rest of their lives in Alaska. Hence, if Mary chooses him then she would be agreeing to live in Portland and thereby giving up on Alaska indefinitely.
Most of their families were lead to believe the kids were still in Alaska, but just looking for work outside of their small town. So if Mary moves to Portland she won’t be able to right off her trip as a work opportunity. Not if she wants to stay in Portland anyways!
Each of them came down to the lower 48 because they wanted to pursue a dream and see what the rest of the world looked like. Yet none of their plans have panned out. Tamara wanted to be an actress and that never happened. Oddly though she realized she wanted to be more with her family than in LA going to casting auditions.
The one good thing to come out of this trip for her was that it got her interested in her education again. She had given it up too easily before. And speaking of education – Q’s own dreams were put on hold when he failed to gain sponsors for his expedition in finding the little people that hide in Alaskan caves. When he tried – it was suggested to him that maybe he would get taken more seriously if he had a PHD.
Yet he’s not crazy. There’s been plenty of sighting of these little people (sort of like Leprechauns) and so Q doesn’t believe he should waste his time with education when he has a get rich quick scheme just waiting for him. And that’s why Q attempted to finding funding somewhere else. Instead of simply going to people and asking for money – he created paintings. He heard rich people like artwork and thought he could sell his pictures of the little people on the street.
He assumed he would make a killing and here’s what happened: when people weren’t walking passed him without a glance – they laughed in his face. And so his grand sale was a bust! The one thing he had to fall back on was the girl he met. She was interested and he liked having her interested. It stoked his ego.
The gang tried to continue enjoying their time in the lower 48 and for some reason they couldn’t. They were still hung up on what Frank did to them. So they called him and kept calling him, but ultimately to no avail. Not once did Frank pick up his phone.
The girls though remained optimistic. They theorized that maybe he was still on the plane so they wanted to give Frank time. And while they waited – they kept on trying to have fun. They took surfing lessons and Tamara shocked them all by being the best at it.
Then the girls went out and met up with a few of their newfound friends. And seeing them – help remind them about all the good things they would lose if they go back home. Even Q would end up missing someone. So it all came down to one question – should they stay or should they go?
Mary chose to go back to Alaska. She wanted to save her relationship and hopes her boyfriend was still there.
Tamara is going home as well. Her family needs her and she wants to be there for her.
Q was also ready to go home. He had decided to put his expedition on hold because he knows deep down he did the best he could. And his best wasn’t enough.
But Nuala is going to stay. She was lost back in Alaska and feels like California could give her the life she wants.
As for Frank, he didn’t return their calls.
THE END!
