S5·E5 Empty Nets

Episode recap

Role: Meticulous television and film archivist.
Task: Write a 280-380 word episode recap for Son of a Critch S5E5 (Empty Nets).
Constraint 1: Write ONLY verifiable facts explicitly supported by the provided SYNOPSIS and SOURCES.
Constraint 2: Never invent/guess titles, names, dates, counts, awards, ratings, numbers, or plot points.
Constraint 3: Omit details not in the material.
Constraint 4: Original, neutral, encyclopedic prose.
Constraint 5: Plain text only (no markdown, no asterisks, no headings, no bullet points).
Constraint 6: Word count 280-380 words.
Synopsis: Mark joins Pop at a fishery protest and finds his voice through comedy. Meanwhile, Mike Sr faces pressure to bury a story after meeting the Premier.
Source [1]: Series is a coming-of-age story set in St. John's, Newfoundland about 11-year-old Mark.
Source [2]: Canadian sitcom created by Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe. Premiered Jan 4, 2022 on CBC. Based on memoir by Critch. Set in the 1980s.
Source [3]: Created by Mark Critch, Tim McAuliffe. Cast includes Mark Critch, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Claire Rankin, Sophia Powers.
Source [4]: Mark is 11 years old and uses comedy to win friends.
Source [5]: Comedy, Drama. Set in St. John's, Newfoundland in the 80s.
Episode Title: Empty Nets (S5E5).
Plot Point 1: Mark joins Pop at a fishery protest.
Plot Point 2: Mark finds his voice through comedy.
Plot Point 3: Mike Sr faces pressure to bury a story after meeting the Premier.
Series Context: Son of a Critch is a Canadian sitcom/comedy-drama created by Mark Critch and Tim McAuliffe. It premiered on January 4, 2022, on CBC. The series is based on the memoir of the same name by Mark Critch. It is set in St. John's, Newfoundland, during the 1980s. The story follows 11-year-old Mark, a child who is much older on the inside than his age, as he uses comedy and self-deprecation to win friends and connect with people.
The synopsis is extremely brief.
The word count requirement is 280-380 words.
Problem: If I only use the provided facts, I cannot reach 280 words without repeating myself or adding