In my article, ‘Top 10 Things I’d Like to See in When Calls the Heart’s Ninth Season’, I talked about wanting to see a brutally honest character make a permanent residence in Hope Valley. One of my reasons was how it, sometimes, feels like the characters are afraid to be honest. But in this episode of When Calls the Heart, the characters were more honest than they’ve been in quite some time! This change was refreshing, whether or not it was intentional! While this honesty wasn’t brutal, it did help resolve some overarching issues. Even though this is only episode three, I’m hoping the honesty remains a consistent aspect throughout the season. Now let’s re-cap this episode of When Calls the Heart!

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

Season: 9

Episode: 3

Name: Turn of the Page

Major stories:

Elizabeth’s book has finally been published! Everyone in town is excited to get their copy. But not all news is good news. At the Valley Voice’s office, Rosemary and Lee receive negative reviews for Elizabeth’s book. Even though they don’t want to hurt Elizabeth’s feelings, Lee and Rosemary agree to be honest with her. This decision comes after Rosemary read Lee’s first article, when she discovered his bold writing style. Elizabeth is hurt and disappointed by the reviews, especially the ones that criticize her as a person. But the residents of Hope Valley remind Elizabeth of her recent accomplishment, sharing their praise for her book. Meanwhile, Lucas plans a surprise party in celebration of the book’s publication. But things don’t go according to plan. On the night of the party, Elizabeth would rather share a private moment with Lucas on the saloon’s deck. Lucas remains patient, despite a room full of guests waiting downstairs. After several minutes, Lucas reveals the surprise party to Elizabeth. In an effort to salvage Lucas’ plans, she agrees to act surprised when they arrive in the saloon. Though the party is a success, Rosemary figures out Elizabeth knew about the party. Throughout all of this, Rosemary reads one positive review to Elizabeth. This review is from a widow, explaining how Elizabeth’s book helped her cope with her and her family’s loss. Elizabeth is able to put things into perspective because of that review.

Wyman returns to Hope Valley. This time, though, he is heading the foundry project. Wyman has given up on trying to purchase the saloon, as Lucas has decided not to sell. Despite this, Lucas and Bill still have their concerns over Wyman. One evening, at the saloon, Bill sees Wyman talking with Mike. In an attempt to steer Mike away from danger, Bill warns him about Wyman at Elizabeth’s party. Mike reassures Bill and tells him he knows about Wyman’s shake-ups, especially those that happened last season. Later in the episode, Mike pays Bill a visit. He reminds Bill how seriously he is taking his mayoral position. Mike also tells Bill that he needs to move out of the office within a week. Meanwhile, Henry is still considering his future with the petroleum company. In an effort to assist Henry with his decision, Lucas suggests Henry should read Elizabeth’s book. Toward the end of the episode, Lucas calls a woman named Janette and asks for information about Wyman.

Minor stories:

Nathan is off bed-rest and now has his arm in a sling. While his recovery has been successful, his attempts to reconnect with Newton have not. Bill shares with Nathan that Mei has been the only person to approach Newton. When Nathan visits the pharmacy to express his frustrations to Mei, she tells him he has to be patient. Later in the episode, Nathan visits Newton. Mei also pays the horse a visit. Nathan wonders if the accident from the previous episode was his fault. He also questions if the accident was some sort of sign. Mei reminds him that he and Newton have been traumatized to some extent. She also states that, because Nathan doesn’t remember the accident, he doesn’t have to relive his trauma. The day after Elizabeth’s party, Nathan goes to Ned’s mercantile to pick up a hat and Ally’s letter. Florence notices how Nathan is looking at Mei through the window. She suggests Nathan may try to start another courtship. But Nathan denies that suggestion.

Joseph notices how Cooper doesn’t want to spend much time with him. He is still concerned over Cooper’s behavior and his lack of desire to attend church. Minnie suggests Cooper tag along with Joseph so father and son can spend more time together. Taking Minnie’s words to heart, Joseph decides to bring Cooper on a building project. Since Rosemary wanted to add another window to her office, Joseph creates a new window for her. He and Cooper carve out new window space and insert the window. But Lee points out the window was placed backwards. After Joseph states he and Cooper will fix the window the following day, he confesses to Rosemary and Lee that he purposefully put the window backwards so Cooper could spend more time with his father. On their way home, Joseph asks Cooper what is wrong. Cooper confides in his dad by revealing he feels guilty. Because he was sick with measles, like Angela, Cooper wonders why he didn’t become blind as well. Joseph and Minnie contemplate Cooper’s guilt while sitting alone at church. They reflect on how a doctor refused to treat Angela long before they moved to Hope Valley. Minnie and Joseph also take note of how Angela never questioned her disability. What they agree on is teaching their children the importance of kindness and on keeping their home in Hope Valley.

Some thoughts to consider:

• If you create anything subjective, such as writing a book, you should know ahead of time your work is not going to be everyone’s “cup of tea”. This allows you, as a creator, to handle criticism and learn from the perspective of others. If Elizabeth had known this before she published her book, she might have taken her negative reviews in stride. I blame Helen and Lucas for not better preparing Elizabeth for that part of the process. Sure, Helen’s letter to Elizabeth and the editing pencil were nice gestures. But as an editor, it was Helen’s responsibility to educate Elizabeth on the publishing world.
•  As much as I appreciate the honesty within this episode, the episode itself was a “filler” story. The plots and character development didn’t progress forward that much. In fact, the stories weren’t that interesting. Yes, we received some closure on Cooper’s story. But it did not receive a resolution. The commercial for the fourth episode makes it seem like the upcoming stories will be exciting. This has me questioning why that episode wasn’t the third episode?
• As I said in this re-cap, Nathan wondered if the accident was some sort of sign. After he said this, it made me wonder if he was considering stepping down from the Mounties? If this is the case, does that mean Hope Valley will get their first female Mountie? It will be interesting to see how Nathan’s story turns out.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Do you think the next episode will be more interesting than this one? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen