Episode 3: What's Cookin'?

*Theme Music*


Lynn smiles, allowing the music to fade before she begins speaking to the unseen audience, “Our farmer has been a true trooper and has been faced with several… ‘challenging’ men to choose from.” She turns to the left, showing her favored profile as a true hostess would. She continues, “While the contestants dwindle, the men will be faced with different tasks and dare I say, some rather… womanly tasks? In this day and age, I say that is nonsense, a man can cook as well as any woman and perhaps these men will prove they too can whip up a meal. Where does it say the woman is the homemaker? That is a rather 40s attitude and this is after all the 21st century. I believe these men can rise to the challenge, they can be taught to cook and perhaps one will find they actually enjoy it.”
She looks slyly in to the camera, “What does our farmer have to say on this subject? Well we asked her during her interview…”


Suzi pauses before responding as she so customarily does, her thin brows furrow in thought as she speaks, “A cooking challenge… for the men… I think it’s great. Many of the finest chefs are male. Besides, if we’re both tired and hungry from working the farm, I would hate to think he expects me to cook just because I’m the woman… he will need to know how to take care of himself. Gosh if they don’t know how to cook ‘something’ how did they survive this long?” Suzi shakes her head slowly, “I would hate to think any man would object to at least learning the basics… if he does… I have no time for him.”
The screen fades and witty banter is heard, Suzi’s interview is replaced with Suzi and the remaining men gardening at the farm.


“So nice to see everyone at breakfast this morning…”
Danny laughs, “It’s nice they remembered to dress themselves this morning, too.” He grabs another weed, grunting as he pulls it from the ground and tosses it on to the growing pile.
James can be heard humming to himself as he steadily works, Gilbert pauses and looks around, “Where’s Jesse?”
Brandon can’t resist the bait, “Apologizing to the ‘turkeys’…”
They laugh at his response while Suzi bites her lip and shakes her head. “You guys are so bad.”
Gilbert snorts, “You started it. We’re just having fun… at his expense naturally.” He bends over and starts pulling more weeds, “Didn’t we just do this yesterday?”
“Yup, and we get to do it again tomorrow… and the day after… and the day after that…”
“Whew,” Gilbert wipes his brow, “well it’s no wonder you start so early… its already getting hot out here.”
At this Suzi laughs, “It’s fall… just imagine if it was summer.”
Gilbert looks over at her and grins, “maybe I wont have to imagine…”


Brandon has a revelation, “I think I’m getting the hang of this…” He finds a good rhythm and pulls weeds with renewed enthusiasm.
James looks over at Brandon and steps up his own efforts remaining quiet.
Jesse finally makes his appearance, clippers in hand, “Sorry… I was over um, checking on the uh…”
Danny looks up at him, “chickens, Jesse… those are chickens…”
Jesse nods without skipping a beat, “ya that’s what I thought…” He gives Suzi a lopsided grin and starts trimming the trees. Suzi returns his smile with an apologetic one of her own.

The garden grows quiet as the screen fades to a commercial break.