The Discovery Channel's "Edge of Alaska" is back. It's basically the same as the previous two seasons but with a few slight twists for flair. ICYMI, "Edge of Alaska" is a show with a fancy budget (meaning it looks pretty, and they spend some money on aerial shots of the Wrangells) about McCarthy and the residents who inhabit it year round.
We're currently four episodes in, and the plot still revolves around whether or not Neil Darish is going to build a massive new hotel in McCarthy and re-open a historic mine called the Mother Lode. However, he's apparently overspent on this project, and his main investor dude is pissed. So he's having to make some serious decisions on how to move forward, including partnering with his former "enemy" Jeremy Keller.
[Related: Farts and tourism upstarts in "Edge of Alaska"]
Keller is trying to figure out how to financially swing buying new property to start a farm, so he can rely on the land even more than he already does with his gazillion animals. His main plan seems to involve buying a sawmill so he can make lumber and sell it to people around town. Keller then gets in bed with Darish so he can supply him with lumber to re-stabilize the Mother Lode mine, which Keller considers to be a pipe dream.
Meanwhile, the one lady on this show, Jenny Rosenbaum, is pregnant, which she finds out by peeing in baking soda. Her new baby daddy, Caleb, is now part of the McCarthy crew. Rosenbaum is also learning how to gold pan so she doesn't have to work for Darish at the Golden Saloon anymore, which is an interesting approach to finances.
The most likable character, Mark Wacht, goes to visit his buddy Tim Mischel, who is living in the Lower 48. They still go shooting (at squirrel targets) and drink beer at a tavern, which is not all that different than when they are in McCarthy.
The best moment featured Keller bringing a baby bull back to McCarthy in the back of his Subaru, which is some legit Alaska stuff. He then walks it on a leash back to his property, which is a total train wreck to watch. Second best was when he rang the bell at "locals night" at the Golden Saloon after a few whiskey drinks. And the third best was when he picked up his neighbor in the parking lot of the Buckaroo Club in Anchorage.
[Related: "Edge of Alaska" gets into the Mother Lode mine]
Finally, one of the town characters, Jason Lobo, is trying to get his brother out of McCarthy to go to Bristol Bay. He crashes his car in a hilarious way during breakup and gets it stuck in about 2 feet of slush. So he walks away and grabs his pack horses to get them out of town as triumphant music plays.
New episodes of "Alaska: The Last Frontier" are also airing on Discovery, but I haven't checked in yet to see if Jewel is running around Homer. But there is plenty of time to get to that this winter.
Emily Fehrenbacher lives in Anchorage, where she reviews Alaska reality TV. You can reach her at realitycheck@alaskadispatch.com or on Twitter @ETFBacher.