Ep 9. Cell Phone

Corner Gas is a Canadian sitcom centered around the mishaps and hijinks of the inhabitants of the small town of Dog River. In season 1 episode 9, titled Cell Phone, the residents of Dog River are introduced to a new item of technology that will change their lives forever: the cell phone.

The episode opens with Brent, the owner of the local gas station and main character of the series, purchasing his very first cell phone. As he excitedly shows it off to his friends and family, they all react with confusion and disdain, as they see no need for such a device in their small town.

But as the episode progresses, the convenience and potential of the cell phone become apparent. Brent tries to use his new phone to impress his childhood crush, Lacey, who owns the town's coffee shop. Meanwhile, Oscar, Brent's cantankerous father, becomes obsessed with taking advantage of the cell phone's long-distance capabilities to call friends and family in far-off locations.

But as with any new technology, there are bound to be hiccups. When Brent accidentally sends a rude text message to Lacey instead of his intended recipient, he must scramble to make amends. And Oscar quickly realizes that the long-distance charges on the cell phone bill are adding up much faster than he anticipated.

As the residents of Dog River navigate the ups and downs of their new cell phones, they begin to realize that the convenience may not be worth the cost. When Brent and Lacey both accidentally drop their phones in unflushed toilets (in separate incidents), they decide to ditch the devices altogether and revert back to more traditional forms of communication.

Overall, season 1 episode 9 of Corner Gas is a light-hearted exploration of the introduction of a new technology into a small town setting. The episode plays off of the universal experience of being both excited and overwhelmed by new gadgets, and how quickly things can go wrong when we don't fully understand their capabilities.