Before I start this When Calls the Heart re-cap, I’d like to remind everyone that Thursday, March 26th, is the last day to cast your vote for the Best Actress of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! The next poll will be posted on the 27th! Here is the link to the poll:
RE-POST: Choosing the Best Actress of 2020’s Gold Sally Awards
Taking things at face value is something that we’ve all done at least once in our lives. We judge a book by its cover, believe something for what it is, or quickly take someone else’s word. However, not everything is what it seems. False information may be passed along, providing opportunities for research and facts to come into play. Gossip and rumors can spread from ear to ear, but, more often than not, truth will prevail. Upon a second glance, looks can be deceiving. This episode of When Calls the Heart perfectly exemplifies everything I’ve just said. Several situations occur in Hope Valley that are easy to observe at face value. However, as you’ll read in this re-cap, the situations are not as they seem.
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
Season: 7
Episode: 5
Name: An Unexpected Gift
Major Stories:
At the beginning of the episode, Elizabeth discovers that a lot of Jack’s clothing doesn’t fit him anymore. When Rosemary comes by to collect the clothes for a fellow neighbor, she sees how disappointed Elizabeth is. In an effort to cheer her up, Rosemary decides to give Elizabeth a bouquet of flowers. The next day, when Rosemary arrives to give Elizabeth the flowers, she discovers that Elizabeth is not home. So, Rosemary places the flowers on the doorstep with no attached card. Elizabeth is pleasantly surprised to find the flowers. When Bill pays her a visit and notices the flowers, he suspects that Nathan or Lucas is the culprit. Elizabeth, however, doesn’t make a big deal about the gesture. In his spare time, Bill tells Nathan and Lucas about the flowers, hoping one of them will reveal their secret. Both Nathan and Lucas are caught off guard, as none of them gave Elizabeth the flowers. In town, where Molly and Elizabeth have a conversation about the flowers, Ally overhears what they are saying. She also wonders if Nathan truly gave the gift. At Clara’s Bachelorette party, Elizabeth spends time with both Nathan and Lucas. She tries to figure out which man is responsible for the flowers. To Elizabeth’s disappointment, none of them seem to have given the bouquet. After the party, Rosemary reveals the she was the one who gave Elizabeth the flowers in an attempt to make her feel better about Jack growing up. Elizabeth is relived by this because she’s afraid of the idea of Nathan or Lucas falling in love with her being real. Rosemary tells her that it’s ok to open up her heart again. At the end of the episode, both Nathan and Lucas give Elizabeth a bouquet of flowers.
Throughout the episode, Rosemary is busy planning Clara’s Bachelorette party and creating Clara’s wedding dress. Her to-do list causes Lee to rethink his ideas for Jesse’s Bachelor party. Later that day, he meets with the guests to determine what will work. During the meeting, Lucas shares that he let the guests of the Bachelorette party reserve half the saloon. He also says the saloon’s chef will make the food for the aforementioned party. Because of this, Bill volunteers to make the food, with the help of Nathan. On the day of the Bachelor party, Jesse reveals that he’s nervous about getting married. He says that he’s afraid he won’t be a good enough husband to Clara. Lee comforts Jesse by sharing his past insecurities and reminding Jesse that his love for Clara is all that matters. At the party, the men discover that they’re not having as good of a time as they thought. Mike suggests that both parties should combine to become one big party. Every guest ends up taking this suggestion. As a result, everyone has a better experience because they’re spending time together. Lee also admits that Rosemary is more talented when it comes to planning events.
Minor Stories:
Before she left for medical school, Faith hired Molly as the Infirmary’s secretary. This decision was made in an effort to help Carson with day-to-day duties. While Faith had good intentions, they lead to undesirable results. Molly creates appointment schedules without informing Carson, she diagnoses patients with no medical context, and she assumes the worst with her own health. All of this becomes too overwhelming for Carson. One day, he tells Molly not to diagnose patients without his knowledge. At first, it seems like Molly understands what Carson is saying. But, at Jesse and Clara’s party, Carson realizes that Mollie’s feelings are hurt. Florence tells Carson that Molly’s secretary job is the first full-time job she’s had in a long time. This fact makes Carson see how important this job is to Molly. When talking with Carson, at the party, Molly shares her medical concerns. Carson tells her that, sometimes, people can get carried away with certain medical terms and conditions. He also admits that he should have taken a gentler approach to the situation. As Molly continues to work at the Infirmary, it seems like she and Carson have gained a better understanding of each other.
Because she misses her ride to the city, Fiona asks Henry if she can borrow his car. She tells him she needs to go to Benson Hills to pick up parts for Bill’s phone. After getting his permission, Fiona is on her way to the city. Just as she’s about to leave, Rosemary asks her if they can carpool to Benson Hills. Rosemary says that she also has to go to the city so she can pick up material for Clara’s dress. After agreeing to take her, Fiona and Rosemary start their journey to Benson Hills. Later in the episode, Fiona and Rosemary are on their way back home. However, their trip is interrupted when they experience car trouble. While figuring out what to do, Rosemary recruits the help of a nearby neighbor. When the neighbor arrives, he helps Fiona take the car to Kevin, while Rosemary takes the dress material and heads to the dress shop. Back in Hope Valley, Kevin tries to help Fiona fix Henry’s car. However, his vehicle knowledge is very limited. Later that night, they arrive at Jesse and Clara’s party. While there, Henry asks Fiona where his car is. She tells him that it got dirty on the way home, so she wanted to clean it before giving it back to him. Henry tells her that he needs the car tomorrow in order to go to a meeting. The next day, when returning the car to Henry, Kevin and Fiona confess that the car is broken due to yesterday’s events. After dealing with the brakes, Henry reveals that the car isn’t broken, but sometimes experiences brake related issues.
Some thoughts to consider:
- In this episode, Clara’s dress isn’t revealed to the audience. Even in the commercial for the next episode, only a part of her dress is shown. I like how the show’s creative team is intentionally waiting until the wedding to show Clara’s dress. It creates a shared experience for the audience and the characters, as most of the characters are going to see the dress for the first time at the wedding. It also reminds me of Marrying Father Christmas, when Miranda’s dress wasn’t revealed until the wedding ceremony.
- Speaking of the commercial for the next episode, the footage made it look like Jesse and Clara’s wedding will take place indoors. If this is the case, I would be disappointed. Hearties have never seen an outdoor wedding on the show before, so this would be When Calls the Heart history in the making. If the wedding takes place indoors and if the writers knew that was going to happen that far in advance, then why didn’t Jesse and Clara receive a Christmas wedding in the first place?
- I know that a lot of fans are invested in the love triangle that is taking place on the show. However, I’m personally not a fan of it. In stories, I find love triangles to be a waste of time and creative energy. Nathan and Lucas trying to win over Elizabeth’s heart has gone on for too long, lasting a season and a half. Honestly, I hope this gets resolved soon so the writers can move on to a different story.
What did you think of this of this episode? Can you believe we’re already halfway through season seven? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
Have fun in Hope Valley!
Sally Silverscreen
18 Cinema Lane 