For about a month and a half, Hearties everywhere have been patiently waiting for the return of When Calls the Heart. Many people have speculated about what Hallmark would do about the “Abigail situation”, whether she would be replaced or removed altogether. But we, as fans, knew, almost from the very beginning, that the show would return. Last month, in a Word on the Street story, I shared Erin Krakow’s announcement about When Calls the Heart’s return! I also talked about Erin’s second announcement about When Calls the Heart’s seventh season within my review of Bottled with Love. Now, When Calls the Heart is back! Because of this, Sunset Over Hope Valley has returned! With that, let this re-cap of When Calls the Heart begin!
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
Season: 6
Episode: 4
Name: Heart of a Mountie
Major Story:
- After an incident at the Queen of Hearts saloon, Bill ended up meeting Hope Valley’s new Mountie, Nathan Grant. Despite his good-natured demeanor and friendly personality, the residents find themselves avoiding Nathan at all costs. This is due to them feeling that Nathan is only there to replace Jack Thornton. When a carriage rolls into town and its carriage driver, Jeb, claims that Lee’s payroll has been stolen, Nathan and Bill are on the case. Lee also volunteers to help them in their quest for the truth. When Nathan and Lee visit the crime scene, they discover the money box and lock in the mud. However, the money is nowhere to be found. Later that day, when Nathan and Bill question Jeb, they discover mud on his boots. This encourages them to revisit the crime scene. As they re-investigate, Bill discovers several inconsistencies in the statements that Joyce and Sheila, Jeb’s travel guests, gave him. This causes Bill and Nathan to speculate that the carriage robbery was staged. When Jeb and Sheila try to run away with the money, Nathan and Bill arrest them. After the robbery ordeal, Elizabeth makes a conscious effort to welcome Nathan to Hope Valley.
Minor Stories:
- As a class assignment, Elizabeth has the students engage in a mock debate. One pair, Anna and Emily, have been given the topic of what the better mode of transportation is. Emily’s argument is for cars, while Anna’s stance is for horses. At first, the debate runs smoothly. But, as the arguments continue, the debate becomes more bitter between Emily and Anna. When Elizabeth makes Emily and Anna stay after class, she explains to them what the purpose of a debate is. Unfortunately, this explanation does nothing to resolve Emily and Anna’s issues, because, the next day, they’re still upset about the debate. Elizabeth makes them stay after school again. But, this time, she asks Emily and Anna if this debate is worth ruining their friendship over. After giving Elizabeth’s question some thought, the two girls apologize to one another.
- Even though Carson and Faith have decided to pursue a romantic relationship, they’ve decided to keep it a secret. This is because they don’t want the people of Hope Valley, including Rosemary, to make a big deal about their relationship. When Rosemary does find out about Carson and Faith’s relationship, they explain to her why they’re keeping their relationship a secret. When they ask her to not tell anyone about their relationship, Rosemary agrees to uphold her promise. Earlier in the episode, Lee discovers that Rosemary got a phone. Worried that she might spend too much time on the phone to gossip with her friends, Lee goes to the mercantile, one day, to cancel the household’s phone line. During this process, Lee receives a phone call from Rosemary. After she tells him how much she loves him, Lee decides to keep the household’s phone line. As the episode continues, Rosemary continues to keep her promise to Carson and Faith. She and Lee even coordinate a romantic dinner for Faith and Carson.
- After he sees Lucas attempt to kiss Clara on the hand, Jesse proceeds to get into a fight with Lucas. When Clara and Jesse talk about the incident the next day, Clara expresses her frustrations about how Jesse doesn’t trust her. When Jesse goes to Henry about his issue, Henry supports Clara’s point of view instead of Jesse’s. In an attempt to get Clara away from Lucas, Jesse takes a second job at the blacksmith workshop. When he tells Clara this news, she refuses to quit her second job. She claims to love her job and says that Lucas is not as bad as Jesse thinks. Clara advises Jesse to stop being jealous of Lucas and start giving him a chance.
Some thoughts to consider:
- I have to applaud the editors of When Calls the Heart for doing such a good job at re-editing the show! I, honestly, had my doubts about how it would look. But the episode ran smoothly, almost as if the show hadn’t missed a beat. I did think it was interesting how this show addressed the “Abigail situation” within the first five minutes of the episode, with Elizabeth explaining what happened to Abigail and Cody in a voice-over. How this explanation carries over into the Christmas movie will also be interesting. Will Hope Valley receive a new mayor? Is a new character going to be introduced to the series?
- I have to say that I’m proud of Rosemary for choosing to keep her word! She has come a long way since her introduction in the first season, which has allowed her to grow as a character. The writers of When Calls the Heart have done such a great job at incorporating her into the overall story. Pascale Hutton has also done a fantastic job at bringing this character to life! I can’t wait to see Rosemary’s story unfold throughout the rest of the season!
- As engaging as the main story was, I thought it was a little predictable. When Joyce and Sheila made their statements to Bill, I knew that they were lying. Sure enough, I was right about that. It would be totally cool if When Calls the Heart incorporated more mysteries into their plots, especially if the mystery took place over the course of several episodes. This would bring a sense of intrigue and audience engagement into the show.
Are you glad that When Calls the Heart has returned? What are you looking forward to seeing this season? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!
Have fun in Hope Valley!
Sally Silverscreen
18 Cinema Lane 