Air date: December 26, 2020 (CAN), June 7, 2021 (US)
"Molly and the Great One" is a one-hour special. It focuses on the Mabrays' attempt to summit Denali, the highest peak in North America.
Plot summary:
While working on a puzzle with her Grandpa Nat, Molly comes across a photo of him in his 20s, when he attempted to summit Denali. He had to turn back because of bad weather and never got another chance to try. Determined to see her grandfather fulfill his dream of standing atop "the Great One," Molly convinces her parents to put together an expedition to the mountain. She wants the expedition to take place on the anniversary of the Stuck-Karstens expedition, the first to reach Denali's summit, in order to honor Walter Harper and the other indigenous members of the expedition. Molly's dad is sold on the idea, as he's a wilderness guide and was named after Harper. But he dashes Molly's hopes by telling her that she's too young to climb. Molly and Tooey decide to learn as much as they can about mountaineering, training hard with packs for the remainder of the winter to prove to their parents that they're ready for Denali. Their parents, impressed with their work, relent and allow the two to join the expedition—on the condition that they only go as far as base camp, and help Tooey's dad Kenji watch over the camp. The expedition team now set, they start preparing in earnest for the expedition in late May.
Meanwhile, Trini is excited for her mother's visit. She'll be on leave from the army for a month, and Trini plans on showing her everything about Qyah. Trini seems to believe that she can convince her mother to stay in Qyah permanently, instead of returning to her job as a helicopter pilot.
As the day of the expedition's start approaches, Molly and Tooey are preparing in the trading post when a reality TV star, Mac McFadden of the Show Within a Show Macventures in the Wild, shows up with his producer Andie and brags about summiting Denali, also on the anniversary of the Stuck-Karstens expedition. Walter, out of concern for Mac's possible recklessness, convinces Mac and Andie to join his expedition, which excites Tooey. When all preparations are made, the expedition consisting of Walter, Nat, Kenji, Mac, Andie, Molly and Tooey set out for Denali by dogsled.
As the expedition progresses, Layla keeps tabs on the weather from Qyah, and keeps the rest of town up to date. Trini spends most of her days sharing everything she's learned with her mom, while pausing to sit in on video calls with Molly and the team at base camp. Trini excitedly shows Joy a flicker's nest, and they discover four eggs. When Joy asks Trini to send her video of the eggs after they hatch, Trini asks why Joy can't simply extend her leave. When Joy tries to explain that she has no control over that situation, Trini runs to her room in tears. Joy and Trini have a heartfelt talk, admitting to one another that their situation really stinks for both of them, and they wish it didn't have to be this way.
Up on Denali, Walter, Nat, Mac and Andie move forward with their climb, choosing the same route that the Stuck-Karstens expedition did. Molly, Tooey and Kenji keep track of their progress via satellite phone, and keep the climbers up to date on weather reports delivered from Layla. Once at high camp, Nat and Walter realize a storm is approaching, and it's likely to delay their summit by a day. Instead of summiting on the June 7th anniversary, they'll likely have to wait until the 8th. Mac is not happy to hear this, and during the night he sneaks out to attempt the summit on his own. When the clouds clear the next morning, Andie panics when she realizes Mac is missing, showing Nat and Walter the video Mac sent her, which shows Mac bragging about his attempt to summit before slipping and tumbling down the mountain, his signal lost. The other three climbers scramble to find him, and manage to do so. He's alive, but his toes are frostbitten and he's severely hypothermic, necessitating an evacuation. But the winds on Denali are still strong, and the national park's single rescue helicopter is out on another rescue. It won't be available to them for hours—time Mac likely doesn't have. Molly asks her mom if she can come to the rescue, but Layla explains that she'd need a helicopter, and she doesn't have that kind of training. So Molly comes up with the idea to ask Joy.
Joy agrees and flies the town doctor, Atsaq, up to Denali. Gale force winds make landing at high camp extremely tricky, but Joy manages it, and Atsaq is able to treat Mac's injuries and get him and Andie evacuated. When Trini witnesses her mother's bravery, she realizes why Joy has to go away so soon and accepts it.
After Mac and Andie are safely off the mountain, Nat and Walter prepare to return to base camp. But the weather suddenly clears and the winds calm down, allowing the two one final shot at the summit. Nat calls Molly from the summit to let her know he made it.
Once the expedition has ended and everyone has returned to Qyah, Mac and Andie are invited to a community potlach, where Nat is honored with a chief's necklace for his accomplishment. Mac demonstrates some hard-won humility, and Trini lets her mom know she's at peace with Joy's departure the next morning. The celebration ends with everyone singing and dancing together.
"Molly and the Great One" contains the following tropes:
- Ace Pilot: Joy Mumford. She is able to pilot a helicopter to the top of Denali, battling gale force winds, and make a smooth landing to airlift Mac to the hospital after he injures his feet.
- Aerith and Bob: Subverted with John Fredson of the Stuck-Karstens expedition. His real name was Zhoh Gwatson ("wolf smeller" in Gwich'in), but he was known to the expedition by a similar sounding English name.
- Badass Preacher: Hudson Stuck, the organizer of the Stuck-Karstens expedition, was an Episcopalian priest.
- Big Damn Heroes: Joy and Atsaq swoop in to rescue Mac during a blizzard on Denali.
- Bilingual Bonus: Consistent with the rest of the series, the characters repeat phrases of encouragement in Native languages. They also teach Mac and Andie some Gwich'in phrases.
- Bold Explorer: Everyone in the Stuck-Karstens expedition is regarded as this—especially Walter Harper, the guide.
- Break the Cutie: Trini's mom Joy comes home after serving in the military. They enjoy their time together, but Joy eventually has to leave. Trini breaks down crying, because Joy always leaves and all she wants is her to stay forever.
- The Cameo: Several one-off characters from the first season make appearances at the potlach, particularly from among Nat's friends.
- The Cavalry: Just when Mac is in danger during a blizzard, Joy and Atsaq arrive in a helicopter to save him.
- Continuity Cavalcade: Various items and photos from Trini's season one adventures can be spotted around her room. She excitedly points some of them out to her mom.
- Embarrassing First Name: Mac's is Aloysius.
- Fearless Fool: Mac's entire show is a demonstration of this, and it isn't mitigated by having a professional guide leading him up Denali. Once at high camp, he takes off on his own in the middle of the night, in a blizzard, to try and summit Denali after being told by Nat that the weather is too poor to summit. Fortunately, the rest of the expedition finds him, and the only things he suffers are hypothermia and frostbitten toes.
- Historical Domain Character: Walter Harper and the other members of the Stuck-Karstens expedition. Though they're only seen in flashbacks, intense details of their expedition are shown, including a fire at base camp that destroyed most of their gear. The kids latch onto Harper and a teenager named John Fredson, the latter a Gwich'in boy responsible for caring for base camp completely alone, treating them as their personal heroes.
- Just Friends: Mac and Andie don't give much indication that they're a couple, though they do tease each other as if they were. And Andie clearly cares deeply for Mac. In the end, they're still shown to have a platonic relationship.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Tooey and Walter are both starstruck by Mac.
- Large Ham: Mac loves the spotlight and spends most of his screen time Chewing the Scenery.
- Letting the Air out of the Band: Heard when Molly and Tooey attempt a sprint up a hill while wearing full packs—only to slide back down due to the snow and ice.
- Meaningful Name: Denali's name means "great mountain." It's the largest mountain in North America, the world's tallest subaerial mountain from base to summit, and one of the most isolated peaks in the world.
- Missing Mom: Trini feels like her mom is being unfairly kept out of her life because of her job. She eventually comes around and realizes that her mom is a hero who is needed as much by other people as by Trini and Daniel, but it still hurts when the family has to say goodbye to Joy.
- Named After Someone Famous: Walter, Molly's dad, reveals that he was named after Walter Harper.
- Never Say "Die": Walter tries to stress the dangers of climbing Denali to Molly without outright saying it can be deadly. And Mac points out that if they choose the wrong path over the glaciers, they're "doomed." But he never outright states that death is a possibility.
- The Place: "The Great One" in the title refers to Denali, whose name means "great mountain." Nat reverently refers to Denali as the Great One.
- Scaling the Summit: The entire point of the special.
- Sled Dogs Through the Snow: The expedition members opt to take Kenji's sled dogs from Qyah to Denali, as that's how the Stuck-Karstens expedition got there.
- Third Act Stupidity: Mac swears that nothing will keep him from summitting Denali. Nothing, that is, except frostbite and his own hubris.
- Title Drop: Parodied. Molly answers the satellite phone with, "Molly on Denali!"
- Training Montage: Molly and Tooey engage in one in order to convince their parents they're ready for Denali.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: The B plot revolves around Trini teaching Joy about life in Qyah. The two plotlines eventually converge when Joy has to evacuate two of the climbers on Denali.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Trini's mother is never around because she's too busy serving the United Nations. Trini laments that she can't always stay and always has to leave.
- Women Are Wiser: Andie serves as Mac's conscience, and is much more sensible than he is.
