Tomorrow is the last day to submit your nomination for the Gold Sally Awards’ Hallmark Star of the Year

On May 20, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Hi everyone! I just want to remind you that tomorrow, May 21st, is the last day to submit your nomination for the Gold Sally Awards’ Hallmark Star of the Year. In my most recent Sunset Over Hope Valley post, I mentioned that I would be out of town during the weekend of May 19th. I’m still out of town, so my next Sunset Over Hope Valley post and the results of the Gold Sally Awards will be published later than expected.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: A Whole Lot of Drama

On May 13, 2019April 6, 2020 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

To anyone who watches When Calls the Heart, Hope Valley is known as a town where kindness, hospitality, and love can be found. It’s a town that some people probably wish existed in real life. When the events of this episode happen, however, those things kind of become tested. The people of Hope Valley have gone through a lot over these six seasons, showing the audience how strong they can really be. But where there’s triumphs, there are trials. Instead of running away, our favorite characters will have to face them sooner or later. I apologize if this sounds really random, but I’m going to be out of town this coming weekend. Because of this, I will be publishing the next Sunset Over Hope Valley post later than usual. If you see any posts get published this weekend, that is because I wrote and scheduled those posts in advance.

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: 6

Name: Disputing Hearts

Major Story:

After purchasing Jesse’s land, Henry hires employees to help search for oil. He purchases other pieces of land as well, in the hopes that oil will be found. One day, Henry does find oil, a “geyser” to be exact. When the townspeople of Hope Valley hear about this news, a frenzy ensues. Not only do other people try to find oil on their land, but the prices at the Mercantile also rise. This newfound oil has caused tension between neighbors as well. Because Curt, a resident of Hope Valley, is upset that his neighbor was paid by Henry and not him, he has decided to close his gate to anyone outside of his family. This presents an obstacle for Lee, as Curt’s path is the only way that the lumberyard will be able to make a business deal with a potential client. After some negotiating, Curt decides to keep his gate open for 24 hours. Lee also finds out that his potential client has pushed their dateline to a few days sooner than expected. This causes Lee to feel a little overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Bill does some research about the legality of land purchases. He finds evidence that proves what Curt is doing is wrong. However, Curt is still upset and wants to express his frustrations toward Henry. This situation makes Lee remind Bill of how good of a judge Bill would be. While all this is happening, Henry resigns from his job at the lumberyard. He uses this opportunity to start his own petroleum business.

760343 — Oil rig image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/icon”>Icon vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Minor Stories:

One day in school, Elizabeth assigns a series of math problems that involve group work. However, Ally has other ideas. Toward the end of the assignment, Elizabeth finds out that Ally refused to work with her group. Ally surprises her teacher by showing that she correctly completed all of the math problems. Impressed by Ally’s intelligence but concerned by her choice to not work with others, Elizabeth invites Nathan to talk with her after school about Ally. During this meeting, Elizabeth learns more about her new student. According to Nathan, Ally’s mom died when she was very young and her dad left their family. Also, her grandma was unable to take care for her granddaughter. Ally’s backstory encourages Elizabeth to help Ally to the best of her abilities. At recess, one day, Elizabeth sees Ally sitting by herself, reading. When Elizabeth encourages Ally to join the other students, Ally says that she would rather stay by herself. During math class, however, Ally chooses to help Opal with a difficult math problem.

Throughout this episode, something concerning has been on Rosemary’s mind. Toward the beginning of the episode, she tries to take her mind off of this subject by volunteering to create a dress for Anna and her mother. Eventually, Rosemary does bring up her concern to Carson during a doctor’s appointment. When she says that something doesn’t feel right, Carson suggests that she talk to Lee about how she feels. Later in the episode, Rosemary plans a special dinner for her and Lee. She hopes to talk to her husband about her concern. However, life has different plans. When Lee comes home, he is so overwhelmed by everything that’s happening at the lumberyard. Because of this, Rosemary chooses to postpone her conversation.

At the Infirmary, Carson asks Faith if she has reached out to her father. She reveals that she has written and torn up a letter for her father on three separate occasions. This inspires Carson to search for Faith’s father. With a little help from Fiona, Carson eventually accomplishes his goal. One day, Carson invites Faith to join him at the Mercantile. When she arrives, he reveals his plan to her. As it’s time for the phone call to arrive, Faith accepts the message from her father. Her father tells her that he misses her.

As Fiona posts a message board in the Mercantile, she also posts a notice about a position as a telephone operator. With some coaxing, she convinces Florence to take the job. Things don’t run so smoothly for Florence at her new job. She has struggled to make the right connections to different phone lines, causing calls to come in longer than expected. After accidently damaging the operating board, Florence is embarrassed and runs out of the Mercantile. When Fiona runs after her, wanting to know what happened, Florence shares that she wants to quit her job. In an attempt to help Florence keep her job, Fiona tells Florence that this job is a good fit for her because she has great communication skills. Touched by this compliment, Florence reveals that this is the first time she has ever had a job.

OG26F10 — Old fashioned telephone image created by Kues1 at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/vintage”>Vintage photo created by kues1 – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

I would be disappointed if Henry Gowen becomes a villain again. The writers of When Calls the Heart have spent a good amount of time and effort to give Henry a redemption arc. If Henry turns into a villain, I would feel like that redemption arc was wasted. Hopefully, the issues relating to the oil can get resolved.

I think it’s very interesting how Ally ends up being an academically gifted student. This concept of gifted children has only been briefly brought up on the show. So, I hoping that this concept can be fully explored this time.

Is it just me or does Elizabeth’s desire to start a library seem very random? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall this idea for a library ever being mentioned in earlier seasons. Maybe this is the writers’ way of making up for Rosemary not receiving her theater?

Red sunset clouds over trees. — Sunset image created by Photoangel at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Photoangel – Freepik.com</a>.<a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/red-sunset-clouds-over-trees_1254327.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Which story was your favorite? Share what’s on your mind in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: Rocking and Rolling

On May 8, 2019April 6, 2020 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

For the first time in Hallmark television history, When Calls the Heart aired back to back episodes! As an attempt to get the fans excited about the show’s return, one of the episodes aired on its usual Sunday night, while the other premiered on a Monday. For someone who re-caps the episodes, this means that I had to write back to back posts. However, because these posts are meant to help people stay caught up on their favorite show, I was more than willing to write these articles. I have to admit that, so far, season six is one of the stronger seasons of When Calls the Heart! Despite the “Abigail situation”, this season has made some interesting choices when it comes to story-telling. Keep reading if you want to know more about what I’m talking about!

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: 5

Name: Surprise

With the arrival of Nathan Grant comes the arrival of his niece, Ally. Not only does she meet Bill in his office, but she also decides to skip school. When she stumbles into the Queen of Hearts saloon, Lucas tries to encourage her to go to school by teaching her a card trick. Later that day, Nathan finds out about Ally skipping school. When she gets caught in her lies, Ally promises to go to school the next day. During her first day of school, she impresses some of the students with her new card trick. However, she uses this same card trick to take advantage of her peers. After Elizabeth finds out about Ally’s scheme, she also discovers who taught her the card trick. Elizabeth pays Lucas a visit at the saloon to share her feelings about his choices. Lucas explains to Elizabeth that he taught Ally that card trick to help make friends in school. The next day, after school, Elizabeth learns from Nathan that Ally’s living situation hasn’t been the most stable. She explains to him that, because of her past experiences, Ally doesn’t feel like she should put in an effort to make friends. So, when Ally joins Nathan and Elizabeth’s conversation, Elizabeth not only encourages her to give her peers a chance, she also tells her to give back all of the items that she “received” from her card trick. The next day, at school, Ally returns these items to her classmates.

While attempting to dig a well on his property, Jesse discovers that oil was hiding beneath the surface. When he shows Lee and Henry what he has found, Henry suggests that Jesse contact a geologist to study the oil and the ground surrounding it. When a geologist does inspect the area, he encourages Jesse to dig deeper into the soil, as more oil could be found. However, the geologist explains to Jesse that this process would be very costly. In an attempt to help Jesse, Henry approaches Lucas and asks him to invest in Jesse’s land. As a part of his plan, Henry talks to Jesse about buying his land for $1,200. Jesse tells him that he doesn’t want to make any plans until he talks with Clara first. One day, at the saloon, Clara and Jesse both agree to sell the land to Henry. When Henry collects the necessary paperwork in order to move forward with the oil dig project, Lucas expresses his concerns over how his money will be spent. Henry tells him that he has nothing to worry about.

One day, when Florence and Molly question Carson about his whereabouts, he tells them that he is visiting a nearby town to pick up a new medical machine. Faith also tells Florence and Molly that she will be joining him in order to pick up additional supplies. When Carson and Faith get to the nearby town, they pick up their supplies without any problems. However, when they try to return to Hope Valley, their path is blocked by a large tree. They decide to camp out until they can return home the next day. In the evening, Faith tells Carson about her troubled relationship with her father. When Carson and Faith are in Hope Valley the next day, Faith apologizes to Carson for bringing up so much personal information about herself. Carson tells her that he doesn’t have a problem with this. Tired about hiding their relationship, Carson and Faith decide to kiss in the middle of town one evening. This lets almost everyone know the state of their relationship.

Heartbeat image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/medical-logo_763775.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/logo”>Logo vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Ronald, visits Bill at his office one day. The purpose of this visit is for Ronald to give Bill an offer for a Judgeship. At first, Bill expresses his frustrations about how judges can be easily taken advantage of. But Ronald reminds Bill that this is why he is perfect for the job, because he is strong and stands up for what he believes in. Throughout the episode, Bill contemplates accepting this new job offer. He even tells Lee about this opportunity, in which Lee encourages Bill to continue thinking about this Judgeship. Later in the episode, Bill helps Lee babysit Jack. During this event, Lee reminds Bill of how good of a judge he would be.

Rosemary feels like she and Elizabeth are growing apart as friends. This is because Elizabeth keeps cancelling plans to hang out with Rosemary. Determined to fix this, Rosemary plans a girls night in get-together. At first, Elizabeth wants to cancel these plans because she doesn’t have a babysitter for Jack. At the last minute, Lee steps in and chooses to babysit Jack. While Rosemary and Elizabeth enjoy each other’s company, Lee receives some assistance from Bill. Though they experience some challenges, Bill and Lee find success in their babysitting duties.

90242-OJM5E8-442 — Small, western town image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

I’m really glad that Jaeda Lily Miller has joined the When Calls the Heart family! She is one of the most talented young actresses in the Hallmark community and I believe this is the first time that a Hallmark Hall of Fame alumni has ever appeared on the show! Ally seems like an interesting character, so I can’t wait to see her story develop over the course of these next episodes!

During this episode, Faith talked about her relationship with her father. Could her father make an appearance this season? When Calls the Heart has, sometimes, incorporated stories of family reconnections into their narratives. So, the possibility of mending this relationship makes sense. I wonder if the medical machine that Carson picked up will have anything to do with Faith’s father?

There were a few things that Lucas said in this episode that caught my attention. When talking with Ally, Lucas tells her that he didn’t have friends growing up and that he was a “loner”. When confronted by Nathan at the saloon one evening, Lucas tells him that he’s only cheated once. After thinking about what Lucas said, I wonder if he cheated something and not someone? I speculate that Lucas was either bullied at a young age or has survived a major tragedy. When Calls the Heart hasn’t really explored themes like bullying or large-scale tragedies in their narrative before, so including these potential themes into Lucas’ story would be very interesting. It would explain some of Lucas’ behaviors and choices so far, such as sharing very little information about himself.

At the beginning of the episode, a tremor rocks Hope Valley. However, I thought this aspect of the episode was glossed over. This tremor could have been used to teach the children at school about how the earth works or helping one of the characters address fear. But, after looking back on this episode, I wonder why this tremor was included in the episode in the first place?

What did you think about this episode? Which predictions have you made for the next episodes? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: A New Face has come to Hope Valley

On May 6, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

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.

Mountie face image created by Bakar015 at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/a-set-of-canada-icons_1050671.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by Bakar015 – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

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.

101994-OM0XMB-226 — Money image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/bills-and-coins-in-isometric-design_1065328.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

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

Take 3: Bottled with Love Review

On April 14, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Here at 18 Cinema Lane, I talk about Hallmark films quite a bit. So, it makes sense that I would choose to review Bottled with Love! This is not the first time I have talked about this film, as I reported on this movie in a Word on the Street story two months ago. I also shared my thoughts on the film’s synopsis in another Word on the Street story from last month. There are two reasons why I wanted to see this movie; 1.) Because, for some reason, Hallmark decided to over-hype this movie by claiming that it’s “the best movie you’ll see all year”, so I wanted to see if this movie could live up to Hallmark’s hype and 2.) In the When Calls the Heart Behind-the-Scenes featurette that I talked about in this month’s Word on the Street story, Erin Krakow said she would be making an announcement during the film. Did Bottled with Love meet Hallmark’s expectations? What was Erin’s announcement about? Find out the answer to both of these questions by reading this review!

Bottled with Love poster — *Bottled with Love* poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Bottled+with+Love.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: For the most part, the acting performances in this film were good! As usual, Andrew Walker delivers a performance that appears natural and believable. No matter if he’s given a starring role or a supporting character, Andrew always finds a way to shine in every project he’s cast in! I also liked Bethany Brown’s performance! Her portrayal of Abbey’s friend, Elaine, was such a joy to watch, as her on-screen personality helped make this character likable. This is also the same way I felt about Frances Flanagan’s performance as Aunt Frances. The acting within Bottled with Love was entertaining to watch!

The cinematography: I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of Bottled with Love’s cinematography! There were a few scenes where the sun reflected off objects, such as the bottle that Abbey’s message was placed in. I thought the incorporation of the scene’s natural light was very interesting. The use of close-ups in this film was interesting as well. This is something that Hallmark doesn’t often do in their films, so the close-ups of some of the actors’ faces was something that I wasn’t expecting. While watching Bottled with Love, I felt like I watching a feature film!

Some of the film’s unique touches: When I first shared the synopsis for this film a month ago, I talked about how I thought the story sounded interesting because of the amount of creativity that was being presented. As I watched Bottled with Love, I found a few unique touches in the movie that I really liked! The aspect of the message in a bottle is something that Hallmark doesn’t often include in their films, so it was nice to see some creativity incorporated into this story. I also liked seeing an apple orchard during the spring season instead of the fall season. I’ve never seen a “Spring Fever” movie feature an apple orchard, so I thought that was a unique approach to this particular story!

Fresh Tasty Red Apples in Wooden Basket on Green Grass — Red apples in basket photo created by Valeria_aksakova at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/fresh-tasty-red-apples-in-wooden-basket-on-green-grass_1284495.htm’>Designed by Valeria_aksakova</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Valeria_aksakova – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Weak on-screen chemistry: While both Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker gave a good acting performance, I did not think their on-screen chemistry was very strong. Sure, it was ok. But I’ve seen stronger on-screen chemistry from other on-screen couples in recent Hallmark films. During Bottled with Love, I never sensed an on-screen spark between Bethany and Andrew. This made the romantic aspect of the story seem a little less believable.

An inconsistent pace: Throughout Bottled with Love, I found the overall pace to be inconsistent. Some scenes felt more drawn-out than others, which caused them to feel a little bit boring. I noticed this happened in the scenes that took place at the office, whenever Abbey and Nick were at work.

Lack of mystery: In Bottled with Love, the audience knew the entire time who found Abbey’s message in a bottle. This is the same problem that My Secret Valentine had, where the identity of the protagonist’s secret admirer should have been kept a secret until the last few minutes of the film. Had Bottled with Love kept the identity of Abbey’s pen pal a mystery for not only the protagonist, but also for the audience, I feel that it would have made this story more intriguing.

Message in a bottle on beach. — Message in a bottle image created by Rawpixel.com at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree photo created by rawpixel.com – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

For a short while now, Hallmark has been over-hyping Bottled with Love. They claimed that it will be “the best movie you’ll see all year” and had one of the stars of the movie say that critics are describing the film as an “instant classic”. After looking past all of the hype, I discovered that the film was just decent. Bottled with Love felt no different from any other Hallmark movie. In fact, it almost felt like a repeat of My Secret Valentine. By Hallmark choosing to over-hype this movie, I think, to a certain extent, it hurt the credibility of the film. Now, on to Erin’s announcement, the moment Hearties have been waiting for! It was nice to hear Erin Krakow say that When Calls the Heart will be receiving a seventh season! While I’m not surprised by this news, I am glad that the show will continue.

Overall score: 7.2 out of 10

Have you seen Bottled with Love? How do you feel about this news relating to When Calls the Heart? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Is Hallmark Movies & Mysteries creating a new “Gourmet Detective” movie? + Developments for “When Calls the Heart” and other upcoming movies

On April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

I apologize if I’ve been sounding like a broken record by mostly talking about Hallmark related movie news. But I’ve discovered so much movie news that I can’t always talk about it in one sitting. In this Word on the Street post, I will be talking about a potential Gourmet Detective movie, an upcoming Christmas film, and an unclaimed movie project. Even though I don’t talk about tv shows often, I will be discussing the latest news about When Calls the Heart, especially since I re-cap the show in my Sunset Over Hope Valley series. As I usually do in these Word on the Street posts, I will share my honest thoughts about each piece of movie news. So, let’s get started with talking about these projects!

Vector set of isometric illustrations making movies and watching a movie in the cinema. — Movie process chart created by Vectorpocket at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vector-set-of-isometric-illustrations-making-movies-and-watching-a-movie-in-the-cinema_1215936.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business vector created by Vectorpocket – Freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com

One day, while on IMDB, I stumbled across a page that really caught my eye. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Gourmet Detective series is a collection of films that I have come to enjoy. So, you could imagine my excitement when the title of this IMDB page ended up being “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day”! On this page, the project is listed as “in development”, so it’s unclear what stage of the production process this movie is in. However, it would make sense for another Gourmet Detective movie to be on its way. The last movie to premiere was Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink, and be Buried in 2017. Also, when a fan asked Dylan Neal on Twitter if there would be any upcoming movies in this series, he responded by saying “We’ll see what we can do about another…”. Though Hallmark has not made any announcements about this film, it’ll be interesting to see when this movie could premiere. Since the Garage Sale Mystery series has ended, maybe this new Gourmet Detective movie could air sometime in August? This is a piece of movie news we’ll definitely have to keep our eyes on.

To view the references I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day” at IMDB and Dylan Neal’s official Twitter account (@DylanNealStudio)

OKLG790 — Detective work image created by Photoroyalty at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/investigation-background-design_1041877.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Photoroyalty – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Today, after Home & Family, Erin Krakow appeared in a special When Calls the Heart Behind-the-Scenes featurette to reveal that the show will return on May 5^th! There will also be another new episode that airs on May 6^th! As good as this news was, I was disappointed that the “Abigail Stanton situation” wasn’t addressed. Even in the sneak peek scene that was shown, there was no mention of this character. Another thing that Erin mentioned was that she would make another announcement during the premiere of Bottled with Love! While she didn’t hint at what this announcement could be, my guess is she could be starring in a Christmas movie either alongside Andrew Walker or co-starring with Bethany Joy Lenz. It will be very interesting to hear what Erin has to say on April 13^th.

While I was on Instagram one day, looking for potential movie news stories, I came across a very interesting post. Liz Storm, a screenwriter, posted a picture of her laptop with what appears to be a plot for an upcoming movie. In the description of this picture, the hashtags #hallmarkchristmasmovies, #hallmark, and #marvista are found. This is important to point out because in another Instagram post, Liz said that she was writing a “family romance” for Marvista Entertainment and that it would premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries within their Christmas line-up. Looking at what’s on Liz’s laptop, it seems like this movie will be titled “Love Song for Noel”. What’s interesting is that there are two pages that are visible on the laptop screen. On the first page, the story is about a woman named Noel, who is a violinist living somewhere in Nashville. Also, in this story, there is a character named Wayne Grant, who is a country singer and a single father. But on the second page, the story is about a woman named Beth who works in a small music store. The other characters that were referenced in this story were her mother, Joan, and her best friend, Sheila. It is unclear at this time which story is going to be the final product. As I was reading these stories, I wondered if this movie had anything to do with the upcoming Christmas film that Blake Shelton is associated with? At the Winter TCA Event in February, Hallmark announced that they were partnering with Blake Shelton for a 2019 Christmas film. Since his produced movie, Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, aired on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries last year, everything I just said would make a lot of sense.

To view the references I made about this movie news story, visit Liz Storms’ official Instagram feed (@lizstormy) and this link:

https://www.crownmediapress.com/PressReleaseList/?SiteID=142&NodeID=144&page=4 (the piece about Blake Shelton’s movie is in the article “CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS ANNOUNCES DEAL WITH COUNTRY SUPERSTAR BLAKE SHELTON)

1033 — Group of Christmas figures image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-cute-christmas-character_3188970.htm’>Designed by Pikisuperstar</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Back in January, I listed several movie titles that weren’t attached to any networks. One of these titles was “For You, With Love”. While it’s still unknown which network will receive this movie, we now know who will be starring in this film. According to IMDB, the official cast is:

Edy Ganem
Maddie Phillips
Matreya Scarrwener
Brendon Zub
Adil Zaidi
Rachel Hayward
Clayton Chitty
Mark Brandon
Georgia Bradner
Phillip Joseph Steward

It’s important to point out that Maddie Phillips, Matreya Scarrwener, Brendon Zub, Adil Zaidi, Rachel Hayward, Clayton Chitty, and Mark Brandon have been cast in a Hallmark or UP Network project prior to being cast in “Made for You with Love”, the new title for the film. However, this does not confirm that any of these networks could premiere this movie. This is another piece of movie news we’ll have to keep our eyes on.

To view the reference I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Made for You with Love” on IMDB

Cinema Background Illustration — Coming soon movie image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What are your thoughts on these pieces of movie news? Are you looking forward to any of these projects? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: Friends Lead to Opportunities

On March 11, 2019May 4, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Friendship has always played a huge role on When Calls the Heart. Sometimes, strangers and new individuals have gone on to become familiar faces and even favorite characters. While watching this episode, I noticed that friendship was an over-arching theme within this story. When Henry told Abigail about friends leading to opportunities, I realized that he had a good point. Without friends, there are so many experiences and memories that we would miss out on. Friends can also help us grow as individuals and become better people. In the show, the friends in Hope Valley have gone through a lot. But, in the end, they’ve acquired so many memories and opportunities along the way. Because of the friendships they gained over the course of the show, the characters on When Calls the Heart have evolved as time has gone by. Speaking of friends, let’s revisit our friends in Hope Valley in this week’s re-cap!

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: 3

Name: A Vote of Confidence

Major Story:

After hearing complaints from her neighbors about the saloon’s noise, Abigail approaches Lucas about the issue. She explains that the reason why people are upset about the noise is because, in the past, the saloon closed at 10 o’clock. Lucas tells Abigail that he will keep an eye on his business, especially during non-busy business days. The next day, the noise at the saloon is so loud, that it wakes up Cody. This causes Abigail to visit Lucas at the saloon. When she asks him why he went back on his word, he says that he’s doing exactly what he told her he would do. Because business was busy that night, it caused Lucas to keep the saloon open late. Fed up with this problem, Abigail decides to use her power as mayor to organize a town council meeting regarding this issue. When the meeting finally arrives, the townspeople have a chance to vote for a new business plan that requires all businesses to close at 10 o’clock. However, the vote ends up in a tie. As Abigail’s turn to vote comes up, she chooses to create a compromise with Lucas. She suggests that the saloon stay open late for only two days a week. Not only does Lucas accept this compromise, but this decision makes everyone involved, including Lucas, very happy.

122210-OQDB6E-75 — Poker neon sign image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/poker-neon-lights-background_1137542.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Minor Stories:

Toward the beginning of this episode, Bill goes to Cape Fullerton to testify against two deadly gun-men. However, once he arrives in Cape Fullerton, Bill discovers from the prosecutor that both gun-men have been recently released due to a lack of evidence. When Bill visits the judge, he learns that the judge was threatened by the gun-men, which caused him to release both criminals. Bill’s course of action is to visit his friend, Jeremiah, and ask for help in catching these criminals. When he arrives at Jeremiah’s house, Bill is met with skepticism and doubt from his friend. But, after some convincing, Jeremiah finally agrees to help Bill. During their journey to search for the gun-men, Jeremiah leads Bill to a short-cut, even though he claims he has never seen it himself. But he feels that this short-cut is through an abandoned mine. While in the mine, Jeremiah and Bill’s path is blocked and they become lost. As they search for a way out of the mine, Jeremiah shares with Bill about how he has been haunted by a past mission gone wrong. Bill reassures his friend that the criminal that escaped in the aforementioned mission was caught four months later. This reassurance gives Jeremiah the confidence to find their way out of the mine. Once they leave the mine, Bill and Jeremiah spot the two gun-men they were looking for. Bill decides to confront the criminals by himself, while Jeremiah stays by the mine. This plan proves to be a bad idea as a third gun-man suddenly emerges from the forest. Fourtunately, Jeremiah arrives just in time, knocking out the third gun-man in order to protect Bill. After this eventful confrontation, Jeremiah returns home and Bill brings the gun-men to prison.

After learning about explorers in school, Cody, Robert, and Timmy become interested in pirates. At recess, Cody and Robert pretend to be pirates looking for treasure. Timmy wants to join in on the fun, but gets stuck creating “waves” by throwing water at their make-shift boat. A few days later, at recess, Timmy brings his spy-glass to school and shows it to Robert and Cody. This not only excites them, but this allows Timmy to join their game. After school, Timmy discovers that his spy-glass is missing. When he asks Robert and Cody about the whereabouts of his prized possession, they say that they probably left it by their boat. This causes Timmy to look for the spy-glass all by himself. While riding her horse, Elizabeth sees Timmy searching for his spy-glass. As Timmy tells her his situation, she says that Cody and Robert should be helping him look for his spy-glass. She also gives him the advice to be honest with his friends and tell them how he feels. The next day, at recess, Timmy tells Cody and Robert how upset he is that they wouldn’t help him look for his spy-glass. He also says that all he wants is to be their friend. Moments later, Cody and Robert encourage their entire class to help Timmy look for his spy-glass.

Days after the saloon re-opening, Faith tells Rosemary exactly what Carson told her. Rosemary tells her that because certain words can mean a variety of things, she needs to make her feelings toward Carson clearer when addressing this matter. Meanwhile, at the saw mill, Carson tells Lee exactly what Faith told him at the saloon re-opening. Lee tells Carson that he needs to be more honest about his feelings toward Faith. As the days go on, both Faith and Carson make it clear that they want to honest with each other, but are not yet ready to address their feelings. Finally, Carson tells Faith exactly how he feels. However, Faith is afraid of starting a relationship with Carson, especially after hearing from Rosemary that relationships between two co-workers don’t always work out. A few days later, Carson tells Faith that they have to visit a patient during a house call. While on their way to the patient’s house, Faith finally shares her feelings about Carson to him. She also says that she wants to start relationship with him. After they kiss, Carson reveals that they weren’t going on a house call, but on a picnic instead.

265038-P4TIN9-926 — Envelope with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hearts-and-pink-envelope-for-mothers-day_1950691.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/love”>Love image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

When Elizabeth mentioned that she’d like to start a library, it seemed like this facility was just another establishment on When Calls the Heart’s growing list of places that have never been built or never been seen on-screen. As much as I’d like to finally see the Ice Cream Parlor in a future episode and Rosemary finally receive her theater, I’m not sure if the show has room in their budget to make these places a reality. While there have been changes in Hope Valley, we haven’t seen any new buildings arrive in the town. Also, is it just me or does that railroad that was promised last season seem almost nonexistent?

Personally, I didn’t like how the episode ended with Elizabeth’s class still looking for Timmy’s spy-glass. Ambiguous endings are something that I’m not a fan of. So, I hope that the spy-glass is referenced in the next episode.

During this episode, when it’s time for the mail call, Fiona discovers that a trunk has been sent to Lucas from San Francisco. I’m wondering what is in that trunk and who could have sent it to him? Hopefully these questions get answered in an upcoming episode.

How did you feel about this episode? What was your favorite story-line? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: On Hope Valley’s Block, There’s a New Kid in Town

On March 4, 2019March 11, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

With six seasons and five years of screen-time, When Calls the Heart is bound to introduce a variety of characters on their show. Some of them have called Hope Valley their home, while others have gone their separate ways to broaden their Canadian horizons. Sometimes, characters from previous seasons return to the show, even if it’s just for a little while. When new characters arrive near the start of each season, and sometimes in the Christmas films, it’s always a treat for the show itself as well as for its audience. On When Calls the Heart this season, we’ve already been introduced to Fiona Miller. Now, we’ll be introduced to a new character, one that might shake up Hope Valley. Check out this Sunset Over Hope Valley re-cap post if you want to learn more about this character!

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: 2

Name: The Queen of Hearts

Major Story:

The most talked about event in Hope Valley is the re-opening of the saloon. One of the reasons why is because of the new saloon owner himself. Lucas Bouchard has become Hope Valley’s newest resident. Some people in the town find him to be a charming gentleman. However, there are others who are very skeptical about Lucas’ intentions. One of them is Bill, who, almost immediately, does as much research as possible about Lucas’ past. This is because Lucas hasn’t shared his past with anyone. After calling the police in New Orleans, Bill finds out that Fiona listened in on his phone call. Because of this, Bill recruits her to help him learn more about Lucas. Not only is it revealed that the New Orleans police had never heard of Lucas, but that Lucas, while at Yost’s Mercantile, had called a female and spoke to her about Hope Valley in French. When Bill tried calling this mysterious female and told her he is one of Lucas’ friends, she hung up immediately. A few days later, as Lucas is preparing for the saloon’s re-opening, Bill sees him bringing in a mysterious looking package into Hope Valley. After Bill forces Lucas to open the package, it is revealed to be a box of fish, which Lucas plans on using to prepare a meal. At the saloon re-opening, where the saloon is renamed “Queen of Hearts”, Lucas invites the townspeople to the event. He makes it a point to remind everyone that the event is free. Despite all the things that Lucas has said and done, Bill still remains skeptical about him. Toward the end of the episode, Lucas goes into a back room during the re-opening to hide a box of money in a safe. This box of money was hiding in the box of fish that Bill had inspected days earlier.

Minor Stories:

After Timmy expresses his desire to learn how to ride a bike, Elizabeth volunteers to help Timmy learn this new skill. While borrowing Cody’s bike, Timmy shares his concerns about falling and embarrassing himself. So, every time Timmy practices riding, Elizabeth holds on to the bike until Timmy has enough confidence to ride the bike on his own. One day, Timmy becomes so frustrated by his concerns of falling, that he decides to quit. In order to help him change his mind, Elizabeth asks Timmy to help her play a piano duet. Elizabeth shares with Timmy that she doesn’t want to embarrass herself in front of her students due to her limited piano skills. But, after the piano duet, Elizabeth teaches Timmy how overcoming fears will help him experience the best that life has to offer. Several days later, Timmy not only continues to practice his bike riding skills, but he also learns to ride a bike with no assistance.

While working at Abigail’s Café, Abigail discovers that Henry has an interest in the stock market. After talking with Henry about this matter, Abigail considers investing her money. When she consults with Lee and Rosemary over what she should do, Abigail decides to invest her money with Henry. The next day, Abigail and Henry discuss the amount of money that she should place in the investment. After some negotiations, Abigail chooses to invest five dollars. Later in the episode, Henry tells Abigail that her investment doubled in value, allowing her to receive ten dollars. When Abigail shares this news with Lee, he reveals that the company Henry invested in actually lost money. Lee gives Abigail the advice to talk to Henry about the situation. At the saloon re-opening, Abigail approaches Henry about the investment situation. Henry shares that he wanted Abigail to trust him as well as take him seriously. Abigail tells him that all she wanted to do was give him a second chance, which she thinks he has earned. With that, Henry gives Abigail her five dollars back.

When Jesse and Clara learn that the saloon is looking for new employees, Clara decides to apply for a waitress job. After being interviewed by Lucas himself, Clara receives the job. When she shares this news with Jesse, he becomes skeptical about Clara possibly putting too many responsibilities on her plate. Clara tells him that she accepted this job in order to help Jesse with his financial goals. When she tells Abigail about her new job, Abigail becomes concerned about Clara’s well-being. Clara tells Abigail the exact same thing she told Jesse. Clara’s first assignment at her new job is serving drinks at the saloon re-opening. When Jesse sees Clara working at the event, he still maintains his skepticism.

One day, Faith tells Rosemary about what Carson told her as they were leaving Rosemary and Lee’s house a few days earlier. Rosemary tells Faith not to lose hope about Carson’s possible feelings for her. Several days later, Carson shares with Lee what he told Faith about the state of their relationship. Lee gives Carson the advice to tell Faith how he feels about her. However, when Carson picks up his dinner at Abigail’s Café, he sees Faith marveling over a magic trick that Lucas shows her and Cody. At the saloon re-opening, Carson gathers up enough courage to tell Faith how he feels about her, telling her that she’s special to him. Faith tells Carson that he is special to her as well. After this conversation, Carson and Faith share a dance together.

Happy Valentines day and heart. Card with Happy Valentines day a — Heart image created by Dashu83 at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundimage created by Dashu83 – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/happy-valentines-day-and-heart-card-with-happy-valentines-day-and-heart_1747001.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

Even though Lucas seems suspicious, I really hope that he’s not an antagonist or villain. Based on what I’ve seen and heard from articles, interviews, and fan reactions from the Heartie Family Reunion, it seems like Chris McNally fits in really well within the When Calls the Heart. Also, there have been several characters on When Calls the Heart that have come and gone over the seasons. It would be nice if any of the new characters from season six stayed on the show for, at least, a season and a half.

While this is only the second episode, it seems like the overall narrative of this season isn’t focusing on the children as much as in other seasons. In this episode, Opal was only on screen for a few seconds compared to the minutes upon minutes of screen-time she’s had in previous episodes. Maybe this is a new story-telling technique that the screen-writers are incorporating into the show, where almost every child in Elizabeth’s class is given a story in each episode.

Something that I’ve been noticing, so far, is how Elizabeth’s story is not as central to the overall narrative as in years past. In my Sunset Over Hope Valley re-cap posts last year, I wrote about how Elizabeth’s story was, sometimes, one of the major stories of a given episode. Since it’s only the second episode, we’ll have to wait and see if this trend continues.

What did you think about this episode? How do you feel about Lucas Bouchard? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: Coming Back Home

On February 25, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

One year and a Christmas movie later, the Sunset Over Hope Valley recap series is back! All of the recap posts for season six will be written just like before; focusing on the major and minor stories of each episode, as well as sharing some thoughts to consider. With this recap series starting again, it’ll feel like a lot has not been missed. That’s how I felt when watching the season six premiere of When Calls the Heart, like I didn’t miss much between the end of the Christmas movie and the beginning of this season. In fact, it felt like coming back to a place that was familiar and comfortable. I realize that this makes up the charm of the show. This story is about a town that the audience can feel comfortable in, with characters that they can also become familiar with. Speaking of this town, let’s watch the Sunset Over Hope Valley as I recap When Calls the Heart’s season six premiere!

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

Season: 6

Episode: 1

Name: Phone Rings and Heartstrings

Major Story:

There is much excitement in Hope Valley surrounding the arrival of the telephone. While most of the citizens are looking forward to having this new piece of technology in their town, Bill is skeptical about the amount of change that’s coming to Hope Valley. One day, Abigail gathers everyone in town to celebrate the town’s acquisition of its first telephone. When it’s time for the phone to ring for the first time, things don’t go according to plan. After experiencing some technical errors, Abigail contacts a representative from the telephone company. Several days later, to both Abigail and Rosemary’s surprise, a newcomer named Fiona Miller has arrived in Hope Valley as the new switchboard operator. When trying to assess the problem, Fiona discovers that Ned Yost’s lack of technical knowledge has caused the telephone not to work properly. After reconnecting some wires and fixing the problem, Fiona finds a way to make the telephone work. When the citizens of Hope Valley finally hear the ring of the telephone, Bill starts to realize that some change in Hope Valley can be a good thing.

Minor Stories:

After going on maternity leave, Elizabeth returns back to school to teach the children of Hope Valley. One day, after school, there is a misunderstanding in who would take care of Jack Jr. In a written note, Elizabeth is told that Jack Jr. is with Clara. But, when Elizabeth visits Dottie’s Dress Shop, Clara tells Elizabeth that Jack Jr. is with Molly. This scenario causes Elizabeth to think about providing more stability in Jack Jr.’s young life. After Elizabeth teaches her students about how a telephone works, Laura, a recent graduate of the school, returns a book to Elizabeth. When Elizabeth learns that Laura likes reading Jane Austen’s novels, she invites Laura to borrow her collection of Jane Austen books. Several days later, Laura shares with Elizabeth that she’d like to go to college, but her family can’t afford it. Elizabeth comes up with a plan to hire Laura as Jack Jr.’s nanny and help her attend college. One day, at Yost’s Mercantile, Elizabeth reveals to Laura that she contacted her friend, who works at a prep school, and they were able to give Laura an invitation to that prep school. She also tells Laura that with the money she could earn as a nanny, she could use that income to afford the expenses of college. After listening to Elizabeth’s offer, Laura accepts the job.

Tom, the owner of the saloon, decides to sell the saloon in order to take care of his family in Union City. When Bill and Henry hear this news, they both want to purchase the saloon. After Bill and Henry ask Lee if he could be their business partner, Lee told both of them that he had to talk with Rosemary first before making any business decisions. One evening, during a meeting with Rosemary, both Bill and Henry share their ideas for the saloon, which both include Rosemary’s involvement. When Rosemary and Lee learn that Bill and Henry each have half of the funds to pay for the saloon, they convince Bill and Henry to go into business together and purchase the saloon with their combined funds. However, things don’t work in Bill and Henry’s favor when Tom reveals that someone else has already purchased the saloon with a larger financial offer.

One day, Jesse shares with Clara that he recently purchased a plot of land. Both Jesse and Clara are excited about the idea of Jesse being a landowner. When Jesse takes Clara to visit his plot of land, Jesse tells her that he’d like to marry her someday, but wants to put himself in a better financial situation first. Bothered by what Jesse told her, Clara wonders if there is anything that he could be hiding. After talking with Abigail about the situation, she tells Clara to talk with Jesse about she feels. The next day, after Clara tells Jesse how she feels, Jesse shares that when he was younger, he and some of his friends robbed a local store. Jesse was the only one in the group to get caught. While he served his time to make up for his crime, Jesse still wanted to give the store owner the same amount of money he and his friends stole. When Jesse discovered that the store owner was having difficulty running his store, he decided to send him at least ten dollars every month. Jesse then tells Clara that he wants to give the store owner a significant amount of money so he and Clara can start their life together with a clean slate.

After Rosemary sees Carson and Faith helping Ned Yost at his store, she thinks that Carson and Faith would make a good couple. Soon, she decides to invite Faith and Carson over to her and Lee’s house for dinner. But Faith and Carson don’t find out that they were both invited until they arrive at Rosemary and Lee’s house. During dinner, Rosemary and Lee have a disagreement about who should buy the saloon. Meanwhile, Faith shares that she doesn’t cook and Carson says that he doesn’t like beans. When they leave Rosemary and Lee’s house, Faith and Carson discuss how silly it is that Rosemary thought they would make a good couple. However, Faith appears as if she wants to be in a relationship with Carson. The next day, Lee and Rosemary talk about the disagreement they had the night before as well as resolve their issues.

Sale, Happy Valentine Day lettering with bunch of balloons — Heart shaped balloons image created by Katemangostar at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundvector created by katemangostar – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

I’m really glad that Kayla Wallace has joined the When Calls the Heart family! The only acting performance of Kayla’s that I’ve ever seen was her performance in Once Upon a Prince. Her portrayal of Avery, Susanna’s sister, was fantastic, helping to make that movie even more entertaining! Speaking of Kayla Wallace, I just want to let you all know that she has been nominated for the Gold Sally Awards! Stay tuned for her nomination to appear in the voting polls.

Before the season premiered, I read articles about the official synopsis for this season. There were several plot points with these articles that, to me, sounded confusing. However, when I watched this episode, the things that I had read in those articles finally started to make sense. One of these things was the incorporation of Chris McNally. I knew he was joining the show, but I wasn’t sure what his character’s significance within this story was going to be. After learning about the saloon’s fate, it provided some context to how Chris’ character could serve the overall narrative.

I think this was a good start to the season! During the commercial break, there was a sneak preview of what’s to come. Based on what I saw, it looks like the creative team behind this show has made some interesting story-telling choices. I’m definitely curious to see where this story evolves as the weeks go on.

What are your thoughts on this season’s premiere? Is there something that you’re looking forward to seeing this season? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen