Thank you for joining me for not only my first When Calls the Heart episode re-cap, but also for the season premiere re-cap! Just like the rest of the Hearties, I was just as excited for Season 5 to start. I couldn’t wait to see what adventure was in store for the show’s most precious characters. So, what am I waiting for? Let me get started talking about Season 5’s first episode!

Just a reminder: If you did not see the season premiere of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.

When Calls the Heart poster image created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Poster image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=series&ShowTitle=When%20Calls%20the%20Heart%20Season%205&IsSeries=True.

 

Season: 5

Episode: 1

Name: Believing

 

Major Stories:

• Bill Avery and Abigail Stanton go to Cape Fullerton to take part in Henry Gowan’s trial. The only crime that Henry has left to be tried for is financial theft of government money. Bill is there to argue against Henry, believing that he should face the appropriate consequences. Abigail is arguing for Henry Gowan, feeling that he should get a second chance. During the trial, Bill brings up A.J. from Season 4, saying that Henry was directly involved in the financial theft and that he and Ray Wyatt (also from Season 4) threatened A.J. to keep quiet about the crime. Before a trial session, Henry reveals to Abigail that the reason why he stole the money is because, since he was a child from a simple background, taking things was the only way he has known how to get what he wanted. When she got to the stand, Abigail remembers how Henry protected Bill from Ray’s bullets in the previous season, using that example, as well as his past experience as mayor, to sway the judge in her and Henry’s favor. The judge rules Henry as guilty for his crime, but gives him a sentence of community service, adding previous jail time to his current sentence.

 

• Elizabeth’s sister, Julie, comes back to Hope Valley. She shares with Elizabeth that she wants to be a teacher and offers to be her apprentice during her stay. Elizabeth reluctantly agrees, but reflects on her sister’s past and thinks that this is just a phase. One evening, Elizabeth receives a letter from her parents and confronts Julie about it the next day. Julie confesses that she wasn’t being honest about her reasons for visiting her sister. She feels if she were honest, her parents would put an end to her plans. Toward the end of the episode, Elizabeth decides to give her sister a chance and puts her belief and faith in Julie.

 

• Carson starts noticing that some people in Hope Valley are receiving stomachaches. After talking with some of his patients, he discovers that they were taking a “miracle” tonic to cure other illnesses. After buying a bottle of the tonic from a traveling peddler, Carson finds out that arson is one of the “secret” ingredients, causing people to receive stomachaches. Opposed by what the peddler is doing, Carson steals the peddler’s wagon and hides it in the woods. Carson reveals to Lee what he had done when asked about the incident, resulting in both Carson and the peddler to be arrested. While in jail, Carson shares a story with the peddler about how one of his former patients almost died because of ingesting arson, hoping the peddler will be persuaded to remove the arson from his tonic. After spending a night in jail, the peddler agrees to create a new tonic, using approved ingredients from Carson’s medical notes. Carson helps the peddler get rid of the old product.

Minor Stories:

• Lee becomes temporary sheriff while Bill is in Cape Fullerton. Lee has his doubts about whether he can successfully carry out his new “duties”, while Rosemary provides him the moral support he needs. While Rosemary and Lee are having dinner at the saloon, Lee finds out that the traveling peddler’s wagon has been stolen. Quickly figuring out who the culprit is, Lee goes to visit Carson. When Lee asks Carson what happened, Carson admits that he stole the peddler’s wagon. Lee then arrests both Carson and the peddler, making them spend a night in jail. After Rosemary expresses her disapproval of Lee’s choice the next day, Lee explains that he was using his business experience to solve the problem, hoping that Carson and the peddler will work things out by simply being in the same room.

• While Clara is tending to Abigail’s Café during Abigail’s absence, Jesse notices that Clara seems upset. When he asks her about it, Clara refuses to say anything. The next day, Jesse goes to Clara’s place before the start of their date, when Jesse discovers that Clara has been crying. Jesse talks to her about it and Clara reveals that her anniversary to her late husband was on that same day. Feeling that she can’t move forward yet, she suggests to Jesse that they put their relationship on hold, with Jesse agreeing. One evening, Clara goes the saloon to drop off some food, only to find Jesse talking with Elizabeth’s sister, Julie. Assuming that Jesse moved on from their relationship, Clara leaves the saloon, appearing very upset. After gossip goes around that Julie could be trying to tear Clara and Jesse’s relationship apart, Julie later tells Elizabeth that she was really trying to help Clara and Jesse get back together.

  

 

Some thoughts to consider:

• While waiting for a trial session to start, Bill tells Abigail that the judge had a son who ran away when he was 16 and was never seen again. Could this son be Jesse Flynn? If you think about it, we know nothing about Jesse’s background prior to his appearance on the show in Season 3. This would give Jesse a bigger story arc than he has had before, with the show promoting the themes of family like it has done in the past.

 

• Since Julie is currently in Hope Valley (and will probably be there for Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding) and since Mr. Thatcher was featured in the Season 5 sneak preview commercial, could the rest of the Thatcher and Thornton family show up for Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding? There are six actors that Hallmark would have to convince to come back to the show, but it would not be an impossible task.

 

• This episode really made an effort to reference characters and events from past seasons. It seemed like the creators of When Calls the Heart were trying to test the knowledge of their fans, seeing how much the Hearties remembered about their favorite show. If you’re a fan of the Garage Sale Mystery series like I am, I’m pretty sure you noticed that Kevin O’Grady was the attorney for Henry Gowan! This makes Mr. O’Grady the second Garage Sale Mystery actor to appear alongside Lori Loughlin on When Calls the Heart.

  

What did you think about the season premiere? Do you have any predictions for upcoming episodes? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen