Sam tells us that she’s going back to her childhood and waits for her ride. And it’s a truck? A circus truck? She’s spending her weekend with a traveling circus. Okay.
Can a normal person actually do this?
Anyway, she’s in San Jose with the Circus Vargas, a family circus traveling around California. Sam asks if there was a time he didn’t want to be in the circus and he says “no.” They will be staying in a mall parking lot, where the Big Top will be set up. They let Sam drive the truck before breaking out the forklifts and hard hats. She hits the “go” button and the tent rises like dough. She is informed the tent is from Italy. One of the people helping Sam is also a trapeze artists and he shows off his muscles. Sam meets Nelson, the circus owner, as she continues to finish setting up the tent. Nelson reveals the construction crew, like the trapeze artist, are all in the circus. And all seem to be related to him either by blood or by marriage. Sam commiserates about having to live with the people she works with and asks to borrow the sledgehammer. You know there’s a tech somewhere off camera shaking his of her head.
It’s Saturday and the tent is finally set up. She goes to get dolled up for a circus parade at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Sam kicks out the camera crew before emerging dressed for a parade. Santa Cruz is a top surfing spot and is one of the oldest Boardwalk amusement park in Cali. So the circus performers go out, get people hula-hooping. She finds the trapeze artist, watching and eating ice cream. But it’s not all work and no play as the performers hit some rides.
Next: She flies through the air with the greatest of ease, the high-flying Sam on the flying trapeze…
Saturday afternoon in San Jose. Sam begins her training with the Lyra. The performer, Danielle, says you can use your dancing skills with this act. She herself is a former dancer who has been performing with the circus for years. She teaches Sam some moves on the Lyra. Sam isn’t so graceful when she tries to right herself from the pose. She trains how to fall properly with Nelson. He tells her to land on her back for safety but she doesn’t need to practice. It’s only falling. He gets her in a harness for the trapeze. Tense music plays as Sam tries to get out of doing it. She even offers to buy everyone beer. That’s our Sam! The others refuse, saying they don’t drink. Sam knows she’ll need one. But she takes the leap and swings through the air, lets go and lands on her stomach. She knows that isn’t how she was supposed to land.
Next: Sam the Swami meets Sam the Chicken.
Saturday evening. Sam decides to get down with (funny) business with Circus Vargas’ head clown. She gets the makeup on as the clown says he really feels it when the nose comes on. They stick a red nose on her and reveal what she looks like while it sounds like “76 Trombones” from “The Music Man” plays. She asks for a cream pie and they love that she’s in character. “No, I’m just hungry” she says. The crowds arrive and the MC welcomes them to the Circus Vargas. We see Danielle and the Lyra as Sam prepares to enter with the clowns. They entertain the crowds, pulling some victims from the audience. She manages to get applause.
Sunday morning. Sam practices the trapeze again, but she won’t have a safety rope that night. Louis helps her out of the harness as Sam gets some tips. She prepares to jump off the platforms and has a panic attack. She talcs up her hands, getting a pep talk. She leaves the platform and flies, this time remembering to land on her back. You know, I have to give her credit. I couldn’t never do that. I’m too scared of heights to even get up on the platform, let alone to fly the trapeze.
Coming up: The final performance!
Sunday evening. It is Circus Vargas’ final performance in San Jose. As the family performs, Sam worries she may not be able to do the trapeze. She gets dressed in her costume as we see Danielle one last time on the Lyra. Sam reminds herself to smile, to show the audience she is having fun. The MC introduces the flying trapeze artists, who perform stunts that elicit gasps of delight from the crowd. Sam stands on the platform, looking pretty until her turn. She grabs the trapeze and flies. After a few swings, se lands with a bounce in the net. She takes a bow with the others as the evening draws to a close. The family tells her the next time, she’ll do some somersaults in the air. She agrees.
The episode ends with Sam flying in the Lyra, voicing over how she was glad to live out her dreams of running away with the circus.
But the question begs to be asked: Can a normal person looking for a weekend getaway just book a trip with a local traveling circus? Do they allow the average Joe to perform with them? One of the things I like about Sam’s show is that while she is granting special privileges because she has a camera crew, she goes places and does things that anyone can do in a weekend. While watching Sam perform with the circus was fun, I would’ve rather her take me around San Jose, show what the city has to offer.
Quote of the Episode
“I’m just hoping the nose gives me powers I need to make people smile.”—Sam, before her circus debut.
No comments:
Post a Comment