04x04 - No Man Left Behind

[bunniefuu]

Steve: going on 63 years old.
This is my last hurrah.

Steve: that's what
it's all about, ain't it?

Yeah!

That's a nice-size chunk.

If I can get
this inland mine set up,

This is my opportunity
to be my own boss again.

I want to separate myself
from shawn.

He wants to do things his way.
I want to do them my way.

I don't want to be talking
about a partnership quite yet

Until I get rid of
my other partner.

Fair enough.

And that's gonna happen
tomorrow.

I want you to take
the christine rose over.

I want to go inland.

I'm not gonna have
any part of it, or...?

Yeah.

So who's gonna win the battle?
I don't know.

You think we need you
that bad?

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

♪ I heard about a fortune
to be made ♪

♪ And I'm a-gonna get it,
now, just you wait ♪

♪ Gold

-- [Font color="#ffff00"]captions by vitac[/font] --
[font color="#00ffff"]www.vitac.com[/font]

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Narrator: nome, alaska...

Hank: rocking and rolling, baby.
This is a lot of fun.

Who wouldn't want to dig gold
in the bering sea?

Narrator: ...frontier home
of the american dream.

Emily: you can be
this impoverished person,

And you can come to nome,

And there's this ocean
littered with gold.

What's taking you so long?
Get in the water.

And we're gonna make
some money today.

Vernon: we have the potential
of turning this

Into a very profitable summer.

There's tough times out there.

The economy's just in a shamble,

But I think there's a hell
of a future right out there --

Offshore nome.

There's tons and tons
and tons of gold.

Narrator: the freedom
to seek your own fortune

Attracts those looking to play
by their own set of rules.

If you don't like having dreams
and daydreaming

And then following those dreams,
then gold mining's not for you.

Narrator:
seven miles west of town,

On the tomcod claim.

Shawn: hop up here,

Make sure there ain't nothing
obvious going wrong.

Little routine maintenance
keeps you from having

Major issues down the road.

christine rose co-owner
shawn pomrenke

Learned to mine
from his father, steve.

Now he's passing on the torch
to his own 17-year-old son.

Check the oil on the water pump.
It's on that side.

Okay.

Shawn: dylan has shown
some interest in mining,

And I'd like him to take over
the family business someday.

My dad taught me.

Hopefully I can teach him
everything I know,

Then he can take it
to the next level.

Work hard, play hard.

Shawn: we're gonna do
some test-panning,

See if there's any cheese
down here.

Narrator: after six days
mining out an 80x80-yard grid,

Shawn's first lesson
for dylan...

Shawn:
see what we got here.

...how to put the barge
on fresh ground.

There's a piece of gold
right there.

Prospecting is the most
important thing in mining.

If you don't prospect,
you're not gonna make any money.

Dylan:
a pretty badass pan.

Oh, yeah.
We'll run that.

That's
a real nice pan there.

I think we're ready
to fire up and run, huh?

[ Engine turns over ]

Narrator:
already leading the fleets

With 260 ounces,
worth 312 grand...

Time to get
some bering sea gold.

Narrator: ...shawn has
the family business on track

For a 1,000-ounce season.

Shawn:
to put gold in the box,

You got to put dirt
through the wash plant.

We're still in the gold,
so we're gonna keep on digging.

Hopefully by the end
of my shift,

I can have two feet of the box
all yellow for this cleanup.

We're buying new equipment.
We're paying for things.

Life's good.

Narrator:
this summer, 1,000 ounces
isn't the only thing

On the pomrenke family agenda.

Steve: wow.

It's like a package
responsibility from hell.

Narrator: for weeks now,
shawn's old man

Has been spending gold
as fast as they can find it...

The tires are 20,000 bucks
apiece now.

They look like a good deal,
so we're getting them.

Narrator:
...buying up equipment

For a new
inland mining business.

The ocean's been great to us
and everything,

But I need to go
inland mining for me.

Shawn: I think dad and I make
a great team.

I'm actually
looking forward to it

'Cause me and him mined together
inland before,

And it was just dad and i,
with no other workers,

And we had a great year.

Today, we're gonna move a lot,
put a lot of gold in the box.

Dad wants to go inland mining,

And if I can help him
make it happen,

I'm gonna help him
make it happen.

Narrator: while shawn
is fired up to make more gold

For the new inland partnership
with dad,

Back in the city of nome...

Shawn doesn't know
I have a new partner yet.

He ain't gonna like it,
but that's -- life is tough.

Narrator: ...shawn's dad, steve,
has something else in mind.

Life is too short
to be doing something

That you don't like doing.

If you [bleep] talk to me
like a normal [bleep]

Human being,
it might [bleep] work.

Narrator: after six years

Of a contentious father-son
business relationship...

I'm tired of people
talking [bleep] about me

To other people.

Because you give us
so much ammunition!

...steve is looking to start
the new venture

With someone else.

It would probably be better
on our relationship,

'Cause then everything's
pretty much cut-and-dried.

You do yours, I'll do mine.

Narrator: steve's choice
to replace his son?

Experienced nome miner
and crew chief derek mcclarty.

Steve: he's a welder,
he's a mechanic,

He's an electrician.

Derek's just like
an all-round man.

He reminds me of me.

Derek:
I heard this rumor

That a friend of mine
was going inland,

And to me that just sounded
like an opportunity.

I don't want to be talking
about a partnership quite yet

Until I get rid of
my other partner.

Fair enough.

And that's gonna happen
tomorrow.

Are you serious?

You do the business workings,
you make sure we're on gold,

I can definitely
take care of my side.

Yeah, well, we're talking
about inland mining ground.

It's a whole different
ball game.

That's why I'm saying it sounds
like an awesome opportunity.

Love it.

We're gonna make money
out the a*s

Once we get dirt running.

Can't think of anything else
that's getting me more excited.

[ Laughs ]

Yeah, that's the enthusiasm
I am looking for.

I'm so excited,
I'm gonna celebrate.

I'm gonna get me
a hawaiian punch.

Narrator:
a half mile out to sea,

On claim 14...

All of us want to have the best
season of our lives this year.

Narrator:
...the only female dredge owner
in the fleet, emily riedel,

Along with her diver,
tony mann...

Got some nice chunky
going under here, brother.

Narrator: ...have the 40-foot
eroica back at work.

I'm not gonna be satisfied
with anything less

Than 400 ounces this season.

Narrator:
so far this summer...

Emily: what are you seeing
down there?

Suck it up.
Gold for days.

Narrator: ...emily and her crew
have been working the same area

She's mined
for the last year and a half.

But the gold
has been coming up light.

Emily:
it's early in the season.

The guys were reporting to me
that they were on great gold.

We're at just over 20 ounces,

Which is not good,
and we need to really start

Picking it up in order to make
this season profitable.

Narrator: to help her reach
her 400-ounce goal,

Emily is rolling the dice
on an untested rookie miner,

Tony's childhood friend
jonathan "tons" ruppe.

Emily: I think tons
is a little bit nervous.

You don't know
who can endure it and who can't.

Just have to bring him up here

And throw him in the bering sea
and see how they turn out.

Jonathan:
I've never gold-mined, period.

Not even, like,
in a stream with a pan,

So this is a totally new
experience for me.

But I'm a pretty
confident person,

So I'll be able to
figure it out.

All right.
I'm coming up.

What's up, tons?
How's it going, buddy?

Perfect learning ground --
about a foot of cobble

In front of him,
then an entire cobble field.

Knock yourself out.

Emily: take as much time
as you need to get comfortable.

Find some gold.
Okay.

All right,
get to work!

Welcome to the bering sea.

It's cold, isn't it?

yep.

look around at the ground,

and that's what it looks like
whenever, you know --

You see the hard-packed clay

And how the rocks
are turned over?

take it nice and slow.

Just let him get his bearings.
It's a lot to take in.

How you doing, tons?

I'm actually seeing
a little bit of gold right now.

All right!
First time seeing gold!

welcome
to your next addiction.

He's already seen it,
so that's a damn good sign.

It's like
a god-dang bazooka.

[ Laughs ]

I took a gamble
bringing tony's friend up here

To work on the boat,
and I think it's gonna pay off.

Oh, yeah.

Our wild card is working out.
I had a good feeling about it.

how you doing, tons?

Hey, just stop working,
and hit the free flow,

And then just slow down
your breathing.

Narrator:
over-breathing a dive helmet
means demanding more oxygen

Than the regulator can deliver.

It's a spiral
that can cause a diver

To pass out or suffocate.

just slow
that breathing down, tons.

I can't feel my fingers.

say again.

I can't feel my hands.

You got plenty of volume.

Get you up?

Pull up the diver!

Pull him up!
Pull him up!

Pull him up!

Narrator: off the coast of nome,
on the eroica...

Tony:
pull up the diver!

Emily: pull him up!
Pull him up!

Pull him up!

You all right?

I told you not
to over-breathe that hat.

Here, come up on deck, man.
Have a seat.

Yeah, come on.

Before you get too cold,

'Cause that water's
gonna get you cold.

Narrator: ...rookie diver
jonathan "tons" ruppe

Was gasping for breath
underwater,

Sucking more oxygen than
his regulator could provide.

Tons, you just got to learn
to control that hat.

This ain't dive school
no more.

The working pressure
for that regulator,

I think it's like 80 psi,

So if you start huffing
and puffing on it so much,

You get below that 80,

It's feels like you're not
getting no air at all.

Definitely
a rough start.

Narrator:
with her greenhorn spooked

And her only other diver

Gassed after six hours
underwater,

Emily has no choice
but to pack it in for the day.

Tony spent a lot of time
talking tons up.

That's part of the reason

Why I accepted somebody
who was this green.

He's a commercial diver,

And his first dive
was pretty disappointing.

He's acting like he's never
dove in an ocean before,

And if this doesn't improve,
then he has to go.

Narrator:
while emily heads for shore,

Back in nome,
at belmont beach...

I'm trying to go down
to the tomcod and get big gold.

We're trying to do $6,000,
$7,000 of gold in one day.

Narrator: ...the captain
of one of the smallest dredges

In the fleet, brad kelly,
has big dreams.

We're going
on a long trip today --


Total of 14 miles.

But it is the hot spot.

It's where we left off
in the winter.

We got to get out there
and get our piece.

That's all I give
a [bleep] about.

Narrator:
so far this season...

You got a new kid
and a new family,

So you need the money
for that.

...after his son andy quit,
brad was down one diver.

Kris:
why do I have to be a b*tch

And always have to jerk around

With this stupid,
garbage equipment?

Narrator:
...and his son kris's first dive
barely produced any gold at all.

Now the skipper
has a new plan...

I invited my buddies along

'Cause, you know, together
we're just individual miners.

But as a group,
we're like an army.

Narrator:
...lead a dredging armada.

We're gonna try and block
this spot in

And make sure
we get the grounds.

I want all my buddies
to get gold.

Narrator: for a small fee,
brad is tipping off his friends

To his favorite hot spot
on the tomcod claim,

Without technically
owning the claim.

I'll call my other groupies,
flunkies, whatever,

And I'll have them bring
their boats up

So I can get 10%.

Narrator: in other words,
yeah, it's a pyramid scheme.

Brad:
I've got friends here,

And they don't really know
where the gold is located.

They think
it's just anywhere out there.

And then I tell them,
"look, I'm gonna take you

And put you on seven grams
an hour consistently."

They're so happy, dude.

They want to run over
and give me that money.

I could turn this
into a real future, you know?

Pay-as-you-go-type mining.

Don't let him hit you.

I'm not really into doing
the buddy/team dredging.

You know,
this is kind of like --

It's a competition, in my mind,
against everyone.

Go ahead.

Brad: brad's world out here.
You know what I mean?

Hi!

And here comes
my hawaiian brothers.

They'll have to pay homage, 10%.

Narrator:
unfortunately for brad...

...his friends are getting
a little too close for comfort.

What is going on?

They're drifting
off the anchor.

Oh [bleep]

Oh!

I am so sick
of this [bleep] [bleep]

"Do this, do that.
Get her away, go away."

[Bleep] off.

Yeah, 'cause of you!

Ground floor.

How you doing?

Feels like
I'm in a [bleep] blizzard.

just do
what you can do.

don't worry.

just leave it in my hands
and we'll find gold.

i guarantee it.

i think we're getting
tangled up.

be careful down there.

What are you doing?

Get the [bleep]
off of me.

Man, this is gonna turn

Into a cluster[bleep]
so quickly.

Oh, lord, please give me
the strength.

Narrator: while brad's son,
along with his cronies,

Descend on the gold,

Back in the city of nome...

It's a hindrance working
for your dad when you're a man.

'Cause I had a hard time
working with my dad, too.

So I understand them.

Narrator: ...steve pomrenke
is planning to start

The new inland mining venture
without his son shawn.

And I want to split ways
with him and go inland mining,

Let him take over
the christine rose,

Let him try to be
his own boss, period,

And maybe
that'll make him grow up.

Narrator:
out at the barge...

Say, an ounce,
two ounces an hour of material.

Narrator:
...unaware of his father's plan,

Shawn and his kid are nearing
the end of their shift.

When the night shift shows up,
we could do $10,000 to $15,000.

[ Cellphone rings ]

Hello?

Steve: hey. Shawn.

What's up?

We need to get together
and have a talk here

About everything --
business and inland mining.

Where would be a good place
to do that?

Yeah, okay.

I'll meet you at the pit,
then, okay?

I'll call you
when I get off tonight.

I'm out digging
right now, so...

All right.
See you there.

Talk to you later.
Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Shawn:
dad wants to talk a little bit
about inland mining.

He tries to say
he don't have gold fever,

But that's a damn lie.

You don't go out, make $100,000,
and spend it the next day

If you don't have gold fever.

Dylan's already
got the gold fever,

But he's lacking
a little bit of drive.

Narrator: with a meeting set
to talk with his father,

Shawn turns his attention
back to his son.

Well, I'm trying to teach dylan
how to mine now,

And I think I have
a lot more patience

With my son
than my dad had with me.

The only reason
I've worked this hard

Is to build something
for my family,

And hopefully something

The family can prosper off of it
for a long time.

Aw, what the hell is that?

Narrator:
a massive hulk of clay

Has jammed up
the dredge's wash plant,

Bringing mining to a halt.

Jacob: that's bad.

Yeah, that's [bleep]
full to the brim.

Shawn: I think
it's plugged solid with clay.

The jammed chute may be bad
for production...

...but for shawn,
it's also a teachable moment.

Oh! Oh! Yeah!

Got it all out.
Now it's time to fix.

Well, the nut fell off,

Caused the conveyer belt
to fold over,

Then it just plugged it up
instantly.

Whole operation's shut down
for a 10-cent nut.

We ain't gonna be mining gold.

We're gonna be fixing
this stupid damn thing.

You can see the flap
folding over.

That should have been
double-nutted.

Narrator: captain has to remove
the old bolts

And secure the belt
to the side of the chute.

Shawn: what we're gonna do
is use all thread

To pull it back into place.

Steal this piece off
right here.

Now we're just gonna use the nut
to suck that up.

Okay, go ahead and tighten
that nut up a little bit.

Narrator: with jacob and dylan
working the inside of the chute,

Washers and nuts are attached
on both sides of the all thread,

Allowing shawn

To pull the conveyer belt
flat once again.

Got her fixed.
Back to mining.

That just cost us
about $1,000 to $2,000.



Narrator: for shawn,
it's another problem solved

And another lesson handed down
to the next generation.

Shawn:
teaching him the trades

That he needs to know
to be a good gold miner,

If he chooses to be
a gold miner.

I hope he follows
in my footsteps,

Just like I followed
in my dad's.

Narrator:
seven miles west of nome harbor,

On the tomcod claim...

I don't mind the cluster[bleep]
I don't mind it at all.

...captain brad kelly
is master and commander

Of a small navy of dredgers.

Brad: we're drifting
into the hawaiians.

I like all my friends to work
right around me.

It's cool.

It's supposed to be
a cool, friendly thing.

There is enough
for everybody out there.

You pay your dues,

You get out there,
come on, yeah, get a piece.

I'm gonna get this gold till
there's no more gold to get.

I'm not even joking around.

Narrator: brad's minions
may be digging up gold,

But they're also
kicking up dirt.

if you pump up
rocks and sand,

it goes right back
into the water.

Down below, kris kelly is
fighting through the low vis...

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Try to oppose me.

Get away from me.

...and fighting off
dad's buddies.

How's it looking?

Uh, this boat --

Dad, they got to get
out of here.

Topside, the complaints
fall on deaf ears...

I'm going
with my little gps unit.

It works pretty good.

I got it all marked off
within the claim.

That's the key I use
to mark all my spots.

Narrator:
...because for the admiral,

Making gold is just a game
of hits and misses.

I've got ted with his little six
right in here.

I've got the hawaiians
with their six.

And I've got the reaper
with six.

That's 18 inches of suction
power working in total.

I got 10%
coming from the hawaiians,




You do the math,
there's 30% more gold

Just by being out here every day
and finding this gold.

I've got different guys that
pay me a percentage to come,

And next year I'm gonna do it
even more and more.

I'm gonna pump these claims up

To be the biggest gold-mining
experience in the world,

And come on down and pay me 20%.

You know, so that's
the direction I'm going.

I want to make a million a year,
let's say. Who doesn't?

Yeah, this gps unit
might not look like much,

But I'll be honest with you --
with this and these markings,

I can tell exactly where I am
at any time.

This thing
is a serious business, bro.

We're gonna clean this spot out,
get on to the next one,

Get all this gold.

We're just gonna keep raking it
off the bottom.

Got to get this gold.
I'm outraged.

Narrator: while brad places
his pegs on the gold,

Three miles outside nome...

...shawn pomrenke
has been summoned inland.

We've had our good years,

But we've had
a lot of bad years, too.

It's a long-overdue
conversation, I'm telling you.

I don't know if he's gonna like
the news or not like the news,

But he's gonna have to accept

That we're gonna
have to work it out.

Derek's gonna be the better fit
for the land operation.

I know that for a fact.

Oh, look at this.

He's here.

Hey, dad.

Steve: hey.

Befitting that this is the place
I bring you to,

The place I lost 300,000 bucks
in three years.

We moved all this dirt.

I took that first pan
and it was --

Bunch of gold.

...bunch of gold in it.
It was like "wow!"

Just a surface wash
is what it turned out to be --

Just a surface wash.

But we're getting --
we're on the subject,

But we're off the subject,
you know?

I want you to take
the christine rose over.

I want to go
inland mining.

What do you think
about that?

I think I want to find ground
with gold in it

Before we go spending
a bunch of money.

Well,
we'll talk about that.

You know, I'm thinking

Whatever money I take out
of the christine rose account,

When I get the inland mining
operation back up and running,

Then I'll just pay you
your half back.

[ Chuckles ] well, I mean,
we're doing it together,

'Cause I want to be
inland mining, too.

I know you want to go
inland mining, too,

But, you know,
I want derek mcclarty

To be involved.

So it's gonna be --

The inland mining operation's
gonna be yours and derek's,

And I'm not gonna have
any part of it?

Yeah.

So I'm not going inland mining,
I'm just funding it?

Is there something wrong
with that for a few years?

I got maybe
five years in me

Before I really don't want
to physically do it any more.

Damn it, I want you to be
your own boss out there.

I want to move away
from you.

But I don't want to move
all totally away from you.

Well, why would you?

I'm [bleep] gonna support you
and somebody else's operation

To get started up

And get [bleep]
out of the deal.

That's great, great, great.

Well, what's your idea?

I want to [bleep]
be a part of it!

I don't want to be just be
[bleep] left behind!

What,
I don't work hard enough?

I didn't [bleep]
you know, it's like [bleep]

You want to [bleep]
get rid of me?

Then [bleep]
get rid of me.

Thanks.

Same [bleep] thing
I've dealt with

My whole [bleep] life
with you.

You don't want me around?

[Bleep] you know what?
You know what?

You know
what I was looking forward to

Was working with you a little
bit more and [bleep] learning

Some of the things you got
about diesel

And mechanics
and heavy equipment

So maybe I could use
that knowledge someday, too.

But you don't want me
[bleep] around, then fine.

I don't [bleep] need to learn
that [bleep]

I'm [bleep] figure
something else out.

I'm only gonna be here
for another four or five years.

And, I mean,
if you can't run

The christine rose
for four or five years,

I'll run
the [bleep] christine rose.

Don't need you to run
the christine rose.

You think we need you
that bad?

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

Narrator:
three miles outside nome...

Don't need you to run
the christine rose.

You think we need you
that bad?

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

You're a [bleep]

[Bleep] that!
[Bleep] [bleep] you!

You can run it?

[Bleep] right I can.

Run it!

Yeah, just like you've ran it
for the five [bleep] years.

How many [bleep] days
you've spent out there

Busting
your [bleep] a*s?

Think it's so
[bleep] easy?

I know it ain't easy.

But then [bleep]
it's real easy to take

All the [bleep] money
shawn makes

And [bleep] go spend it

So you and somebody else
can go [bleep]

On a new adventure.

"[Bleep] shawn, he don't need
any part of this."

Nothing different
than what you've done to me

Over the last
couple years.

What?

[Bleep] work my a*s off
all [bleep] winter for free?

For this [bleep] company?

While you sit
in minnesota?

Try and understand
why I want to get away from you.

Oh, but you're up here --

You collecting a [bleep] check
every [bleep] month?

How hard are you working
for that [bleep] check?

Every [bleep] month!
I do.

Oh, yeah,
you're working your a*s off!

Oh, you worked your a*s off
last winter.

Oh, my god.
Oh [bleep]

"Now that things are good
financially,

"It's time to cut shawn
out of the [bleep] deal

And go on my own."

I mean, do you see where --

I want to [bleep] work
with you.

[Bleep]

I mean,
I'm a hard [bleep] worker.

I know
you're a hard worker.

I want to work with you.

I don't want to be
[bleep] left in the dust.

You know how hard
that is, shawn?

It seems to be really hard
for us.

It was really hard
for me and my dad.

I couldn't work
with my dad, either.

"I'm going on an adventure with
somebody else with your money,

And I don't want you to be
any part of it."

Fine. [Bleep] it.
Go ahead.

God almighty.

After years of working together,

The future of the pomrenke
business and family

Is now up in the air.

Dad has taken all the money
that I've worked my a*s off for,

All my hard work,

And just, "I'm giving it
to somebody else."

And then I'm gonna have
no part of it.

[Bleep] that.
That ain't gonna happen.

That's not gonna happen.

Narrator:
in nome, a new day dawns.

For much
of the gold-mining fleet...

I hope there's $5,000
in this tote in gold.

Narrator: ...it's time
to tally up their earnings.

Brad:
okay, let's go.

In the center of town,

At emily riedel's garage.

I see gold,
and I don't believe it.

I'm just cynical.

After a failed first dive
by her new greenhorn,

Emily has ordered a cleanup,

Hoping a little gold
will get him back in the saddle.

This summer,
I have a high goal, 400 ounces,

And this is a matter
of strategizing

How I'm going to achieve that.

I have two relatively
new divers, tony and daryl,

And then I have
a completely green diver, tons.

Jonathan:
it's pretty awesome.

I mean, it's just laying
out there on the ground,

And we're going out there
and picking it up,

So it's kind of
a crazy concept, really.

Daryl: yeah, this is ton's
first cleanout,

One that puts a little money
in his pocket.

If we can keep him
out of the bars, he'll be happy.

[ Chuckles ]

Too much money
spent at bars.

Narrator:
to reach her 400-ounce goal,

Emily needs this cleanup --
and every cleanup --

To be 20 ounces or better.

Burn time.
Ready to burn this up?

Emily: interesting to see
if this cleanout is an increase

Over our first couple.

We need it.

This is a pivotal cleanout
for us.

That's a good little
breakfast omelet.

Yeah, I'd eat that.
I would munch on that.

There's not very many
chunkies, though.

The moment of truth,
always.

The final tally.

Careful.
Not so hasty.

No?

Not even eight?
[ Groans ]

See, I knew we were
on better gold last time,

But that's disappointing.

Narrator:


Yeah.

Oh, lordy.

It's a quarter ounce
an hour.

It's not failure,
but it's not profit either.

Something
needs to change.

I'm not gonna fail
this season.

[Bleep] if it's the last thing
I [bleep] do,

I'm not gonna fail
this season.

Horrible.

Horrible relationship
with my dad.

I tried working with my dad
for six months,

And we about wanted to k*ll
each other.

I really didn't get to see
grandpa and dad together

Except for the first year
we went inland mining.

Grandpa come up,

And me and him
were driving dump trucks,

And I remember grandpa
looking at me and going,

"Don't you just hate
that [bleep]"

Of course,
he was talking about my dad.

[ Chuckles ]
and I was like, "yeah!

Why's he got to be
such an [bleep]"

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: in the city of nome,
at the kelly house...

Will you not fill that up
so much, please?

After unleashing
his privateers on the gold,

Brad is looking to see how much
his son and his dredge produced.

Yeah, dad found this spot
and prospected it out

And got us this money.

Thank you, dad.

I didn't have to prospect it.
I guess it was an irish thing.

I just drove along and I felt
a twitch and I parked.

A twitch, you know?

A twitch and an itch,

You need to go to the hospital
and get some pills for that.

Kris: I'm always trying
to make this work.

I'm stressed all the time.

He tells his friends
to come over and dredge with us,

Actually putting their boat
right next to us

And working
in the same hole with me.

You can't [bleep] do that.

That's why we don't have
enough gold.

That's not pomrenke gold.

No, we don't have pound.

Holy [bleep]

Um... 2½ Ounces.

Narrator: 2.72 ounces.

It's worth
just over 3,000 bucks.

It's not good enough.

But for captain brad,
it's not over yet.

What? What's up?

You don't want to pay me
for [bleep]

[ Laughter ]

Man: here's your cut.

How much gold
is this, dude?

How much you get?

Uh, we got two ounces.

The puppet master's
additional score?

Another quarter once,
worth $300.

I'm trying to get the guys
to give me

Like 10 of these a day.

If I can find 10 guys
to go work on these spots

And give me this a day,

[Bleep] I don't even
have to come here any more.

I just sit at home,
"send me my gold," you know?

[Bleep] I'll come anyways.
I don't trust anybody.

[ Laughter ]

You know what I mean?

On the other side of nome,

At the pomrenke cleanup shack...

Shawn:
if not, we'll be damn close.
I have a good feeling of it.

...the future of his
father-son partnership in doubt,

Shawn pomrenke is doing his best
to focus on the gold.

Shawn:
I've worked way too damn hard

To get to where we are right now

And to let somebody else
walk in,

Take all my hard work.

Derek's talented,

But it needs to stay
in the family.

There ain't no reason
to bring outsiders

Into our family business.

Gonna weigh it out.

Got my shovel.

$10,000 A scoop.

$40,000.

$50,000.

$60,000.

$70,000.

This is why they call me
mr. Gold, right here.

$140,000.

Look at that -- 181 ounces.

Narrator: 181 ounces
is worth over $217,000.

[ Grunts ]

Damn.

That feels pretty good,
right there.

That makes it all worthwhile,

All this hard work,
all the fighting with dad,

This is what it's all about.

Dad and I are both stubborn,

And we like to do things
our way,

And we think our way
is the only way.

A lot of times,
we butt heads,

But a big pile of gold helps
relieve a lot of that tension.

There's your bucket stand.
Are you happy?

Shawn: it looks good.



[ Chuckles ]
needed a bigger jar, huh?

Yeah.

There's a whole bunch of black
rocks in there and [bleep]

Don't drop
the glass jar.

It's a nice, heavy jar.
It was a nice run.

Steve: yeah.

What is the plan, here?
You going in cahoots with derek?

We'll just keep it
in the family.

We got all kinds
of family members

We can keep it in,
so that'll be the plan.

That sounds good.
That makes me feel a lot better.

I mean, it was just
a [bleep]damn idea, you know?

[ Laughs ]

God almighty.

Let's move on.

Well,
that's like me saying,

"All the money
we're making,

"I'm gonna go start
a new business,

And I'll pay you back
when I can."

Steve: it ain't easy
working with family,

That's for damn sure,

But I hope to hell
we survive.

Yeah. Right.

Yes, I know.


Can't do any better than that.

Narrator:
despite the family drama,

The pomrenkes are nearly halfway
to their 1,000-ounce goal.

That's the sound of money, baby.
Music to my ears.

That is a pile of gold.

Aah!
What the [bleep] do I do?

Aah!

I'll take all my gear
and [bleep] you

For the rest of the season.

Oh!

[ Crash ]