Sunset Over Hope Valley: Everybody, Celebrate

On June 3, 2019April 6, 2020 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Well, this is it. The final episode of Season 6. I have to admit that this has been one of the most memorable seasons in the show’s history. There was enough content for Hearties to talk about, whether these things happened on or off screen. But, nine episodes later, I’d say that this season was a success! When the seventh season was announced, it proved this season’s, as well as this show’s, success. It showed that When Calls the Heart has the endurance to live on as long as it wants to. If the creative team focuses on making this show the best that it can be and if they fans continue to support it, then this dream can come true. Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. My re-cap of Season Six’s finale of When Calls the Heart!

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

Season: 6

Episode: 9

Name: Two of Hearts

Major Stories:

At the beginning of the episode, Elizabeth’s sister, Julie, arrives in Hope Valley. She and Elizabeth are so excited for Jack’s Baptism ceremony. Before the event, Julie presents her sister with the Christening Gown that all of the Thatcher daughters had worn on their Baptism. The day of this event goes according to plan. Not only does the library officially open, but the Baptism and Baptism party end up being wonderful. At the Founders Day Festival, Elizabeth spends some time with Ally and Nathan. A fishing pole prize at the Strength Test game catches Ally’s eye. Nathan tries to win the prize for her, but fails. Lucas, who approaches the group shortly after, tries to win the fishing pole for Ally. Unfortunately, his attempt fails as well. Finally, Carson, who also approaches the group, tries his luck at the game. He finds success and wins the fishing pole for Ally. Later in the episode, Elizabeth overhears Bill and Henry’s confrontation about Hope Valley’s mining tragedy. When she discusses this with Henry, he reveals that everything in the letter was true and that he felt guilty about the situation ever since. Elizabeth suggests that Henry try moving forward from the past, even though he feels he doesn’t know how. At the Founders Day Dance, when it’s time for the Ladies’ Choice dance, Elizabeth chooses to dance with Lucas instead of Nathan.

Before the Founders’ Day Festival, Bill is recruited as the judge of the Pie Baking Contest. He also fulfills his responsibilities as Jack’s Godfather. The first order of business is attending the Baptism ceremony. At the Festival, he and Lee bond over their duties as Jack’s Godfather and Guardian. Later in the episode, Bill is searching for something in the Mayor’s office. Rosemary soon enters the office to inform him that some of the pies have already been eaten due to a misunderstanding. After agreeing to help Rosemary with the situation, Bill finds a piece of paper at the back of a desk drawer. He discovers that the piece of paper is a letter from the Northwestern Mining Company to Henry Gowen. In this letter, it reveals that Henry had concerns about the overall safety of Hope Valley’s mine. The Mining Company, however, told him that he had nothing to worry about. Shortly after making this discovery, Bill confronts Henry about the letter. Henry admits that everything in the letter was true and that he feels guilty about the situation. The next day, Elizabeth talks to Henry about his confrontation with Bill. Henry shares with her that he has been haunted by the tragedy at the mine. Elizabeth suggests that he move forward from the past. Henry says that he does not know how to do that.

After Spencer and Grace receive the iron pills from Carson, the three of them spend some time at the Founders Day Festival. Spencer is still upset, so Grace takes him to various attractions to help lift his spirits. A few things make him smile for a little while, such as winning a Sheriff pin and petting a rabbit at the Petting Zoo. But, no matter what, Spencer returns to his state of unhappiness. When he sees other children with their parents, he decides to run away when Grace isn’t looking. When she discovers that Spencer is missing, she immediately tells Carson what happened. Grace, Carson, and other citizens from Hope Valley join in the search for Spencer. Carson ends up finding Spencer hiding in his office. Spencer tells Carson that he misses his parents. After the Festival, Grace tries to convince Spencer to come to the orphanage that she and her sister are going to own. As she’s sharing her story of what it was like to be an orphan, Grace also shares all the fun things that the orphans and care-givers will be doing at this orphanage. Spencer ultimately decides to go to this orphanage with Grace.

After the contract gets approved, Lee promotes Jesse to the Manager of the lumberyard. Jesse goes straight to Dottie’s Dress Shop to tell Clara the exciting news. During the Founders Day Festival, Clara volunteers to host a hair-dressing booth. Even though she learned how to create the hairstyle the night before, her execution of the hairstyle at the festival doesn’t go according to plan. She ends up asking Fiona for some assistance. Meanwhile, Jesse asks for Lee’s help in planning a surprise for Clara. At the Founders Day Dance, Jesse surprises Clara with a marriage proposal. With much excitement and happiness, Clara says yes.

Jewels sparkle in the golden wedding rings lying on the leather — Fancy jewelry image created by Freepic.diller at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/wedding”>Wedding photo created by freepic.diller – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Minor Stories:

Because all of the stories surrounded the Founders Day Festival, there were no minor stories in this episode.

59204-O9FTZU-909 — Carnival game 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 was honestly surprised when Elizabeth decided to dance with Lucas at the Founders Day Dance. After her talk with Henry, I thought that Elizabeth would pick him as her dance partner. I understand that the screen-writers of this show want to draw this guessing game of who Elizabeth will fall in love with for as long as possible. But, I think having Elizabeth choose between Lucas and Nathan in this episode was a little too soon.

I was also surprised that Lee and Rosemary didn’t adopt Spencer. I realize that this creative decision was probably made to a.) provide When Hope Calls with some familiar faces and b.) not overshadow Jesse and Clara’s engagement. However, it just felt like the emotionality of Lee and Rosemary’s talk about the possibly of not having children didn’t have a satisfying pay-off.

Since we now know that When Calls the Heart will receive a seventh season, I wonder when a Christmas movie will be announced? These movies have acted as a “bridge” between the previous season and the next season. Maybe it’ll be announced at Hallmark’s Summer TCA Event? What would be shocking is if this show didn’t receive a Christmas movie.

Overall, I thought this season finale was, at best, fine. I understand that after last season’s finale, the creative team behind this show would choose not to include a lot of shocking/surprising moments. The only thing that came the closest to being surprising was Jesse and Clara’s engagement. But even that wasn’t really surprising because it was hinted at in the preview commercial for this episode. To me, there weren’t as many surprises as I had hoped.

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.

Now that this season is over, what are your overall thoughts on it? Do you think this show will receive a Christmas movie? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: All About Lucas

On May 28, 2019June 3, 2019 By 18cinemalane1 Comment

Ever since Lucas Bouchard came to Hope Valley earlier this season, his story has been a mystery. Hearties have speculated if he was a villain or just a troubled soul. I’ve even wondered what his story could be about. Several episodes later, we finally got answers to all of our questions relating to this character. Even though this episode has focused most of its attention on Lucas, the show as a whole has never been about just one character. The creative team behind this show have done a good job at focusing on the town of Hope Valley, giving their characters an equal amount of story-telling opportunities. This aspect helped When Calls the Heart become as successful as it has. Speaking of story-telling, let’s talk about this episode of When Calls the Heart!

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: 8

Name: A Call from the Past

Major Stories:

One day, while at the Mercantile, Lucas receives a personal phone call. During this call, a woman tells him that someone is after them and that this person knows he’s in Hope Valley. Lucas tells her that he’ll figure out what to do. The next day, he decides to close the Queen of Hearts Saloon and leave Hope Valley. When Elizabeth passes by the Saloon, she asks Lucas why he’s closing the Saloon. While Lucas is answering her question, Elizabeth notices that he has a pistol in his possession. After this conversation, she goes straight to the Mountie Office to tell Bill and Nathan everything Lucas told her. Because Lucas is on his way to Cape Fullerton, Nathan chooses to follow him. Before Lucas can reach his destination, Nathan tracks him down. He not only successfully encourages Lucas to come back to Hope Valley, but Lucas reveals what’s really going on. He shares that, in New Orleans, his friend had a struggling business. She borrowed money from a man named Amos Dixon. When she couldn’t pay Amos back, he started threatening to shut down her business and put her in harms way. In an attempt to help his friend, Lucas entered a poker game in order to win her money back. When he discovered that Amos, who was also participating in this game, cheated, Lucas decided to cheat as well. Amos discovered what he had done, causing him to hold a grudge against Lucas. After listening to his story, Nathan promises Lucas that he will contact the Mounties in Cape Fullerton to keep his friend safe. Meanwhile, in Hope Valley, Amos and his accomplice arrive in Hope Valley. They break into the Saloon, waiting for Lucas to arrive. Instead, Elizabeth shows up because she had a feeling that someone was in the Saloon. Amos and his accomplice hold her as their hostage. When Lucas finally arrives, Amos orders him to hand over all the money from his safe. While this is happening, Bill and Nathan figure out that Elizabeth hasn’t come home when she said she would, causing them to suspect that something is wrong. They both go to the Saloon, where Bill ends up catching Amos’s accomplice behind the building. Meanwhile, Nathan had to sneak into the building, due to feeling suspicious about his encounter with Lucas at the Saloon’s front door. Despite a struggle during his encounter with Amos, Nathan successfully arrests him. After the ordeal is over, everyone appears to be uncomfortable around Lucas, including Elizabeth.

Grace, one of the orphanage care-givers from When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, arrives in Hope Valley with an orphan named Spencer. This young boy barely speaks, so Grace is doing everything she can to help him. Grace and Spencer stay at Lee and Rosemary’s house during their visit. Rosemary is organizing the Founders Day Festival, which is not only around the corner, but also encourages Grace and Spencer to stay in town a little longer than expected. When Rosemary tells Elizabeth about all of her Founders Day responsibilities. Elizabeth suggests that she split these responsibilities with someone else. While at the Mercantile, Rosemary tells Fiona about the things has to do in order for the Founders Day Festival to be successful. After doing this, Rosemary asks Fiona if she would like to help her plan the Festival, with Fiona agreeing. Meanwhile, Spencer and Grace take a visit to Carson’s office. Carson finds out that Spencer is anemic and that he hasn’t eaten much in recent days. This is the result of Spencer’s trauma and grief that Grace shares with Rosemary later in the episode. She reveals that Spencer’s parents died in a flood a few months prior, leaving Spencer as the only survivor. Since then, Grace, as well as the orphanage where Spencer was previously staying, have to doing anything they could to help him. While Rosemary and Fiona discuss ideas for the Founders Day Festival, Grace comes up with the solution of having pancakes for dinner. This ends up being successful, as Spencer not only eats the pancakes, but also seems to enjoy them.

Premium quality restaurant breakfasts vintage style advertisement seamless pattern — Pancakes and Syrup image created by vextok at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/banner”>Banner vector created by vextok – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Minor Story:

Because of Henry’s new petroleum oil business, Lee has been losing employees at his lumberyard. When Mike Hickam decides to work for Henry instead, Lee is disappointed but respectful toward this decision. One day, Jesse crosses paths with Henry. He is upset that Henry has been “stealing” employees from Lee. Henry, however, tells Jesse that all he wants to do is move on from their feud. The next day, Jesse talks with Mike about his new job. Mike shares with Jesse how much money he’s now making. This causes Jesse to contemplate the idea of working for Henry. Jesse not only shares this idea with Lee, but also with Clara. When Clara asks him why he would want to trade his job, Jesse says that his reason would be to make her happy. Clara tells him that what makes her happy is when he’s happy. Later that evening, Jesse visits Lee at his home. He tells Lee that he has decided to keep his job at the lumberyard. Jesse also shares his reason why, as his loyalty to Lee as well as Lee’s kindness to him were the things that made him keep his job. This moment makes Lee realize that everything is going to be ok.

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:

At the beginning of this episode, it was revealed that Julie would be the Godmother of Elizabeth’s son, Jack. This has led me to believe that Julie might make an appearance in the season finale. While I’m happy to see that Julie could appear on the show again, I do find it concerning that Elizabeth hasn’t reached out to her in-laws. As a fan of Tom Thornton, I feel that he should have, at least, been mentioned in one of the previous episodes. That way, it shows the audience that Jack’s side of family still plays an important part of Elizabeth’s life.

While the cast of When Calls the Heart has been great this season, the actress who stole the show in this episode was Jocelyn Hudon! Her performance was so captivating to watch, helping her character seem as interesting as possible. I also like how her story provided a nice bridge between When Calls the Heart and When Hope Calls. Hopefully, Jocelyn will continue to find good luck on her new show as she has in the When Calls the Heart community!

In the sneak peek commercial for the season finale, it seems like Jesse may propose to Clara! I really hope so because it’s been about two seasons since we last saw a marriage proposal in Hope Valley. Can you imagine if Jesse and Clara’s wedding took place during When Calls the Heart’s Christmas movie? Now that would be a great gift to give to the Hearties!

Even though Lucas’ story was fine, I kind of felt like it was underwhelming. Personally, I was expecting something more intriguing, especially since Lucas himself seems like an interesting character. I also think the conflict between Lucas and Amos was handled a little too quickly. While there was build-up to it, the conflict itself seemed to last for only a few minutes.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Are you excited for the season finale? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: Something to Talk About

On May 23, 2019April 6, 2020 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

After being out of town this past weekend, I have returned to 18 Cinema Lane with another Sunset Over Hope Valley post! Season six has provided Hearties with a lot of content to talk about. Some of it has been related to the story, such as Lucas’ arrival in Hope Valley. Others have been unexpected, such as the “Abigail situation”. But, through it all, things have worked in When Calls the Heart’s favor. With a seventh season on the way, Hearties will continue to have more things to talk about! In this episode, there is plenty of material to address. From the legalities of Hope Valley’s new-found oil to Ally’s backstory, there is something for everyone to contemplate and think about. If you want to learn more about all the things that Hearties could talk about, keep reading this When Calls the Heart re-cap post!

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: 7

Name: Hope is With the Heart

Major Stories:

One day, Jesse comes into Henry’s office to inform him that he is going to sued by Jesse himself. When Henry tells Bill what happened, Bill says that he has been appointed as Hope Valley’s official judge. This means that Bill has assigned himself to Henry and Jesse’s case. On the first day of court, Jesse asks Henry a series of questions relating to the case. He believes that Henry was purposefully trying to take advantage of Jesse, using connections with people he knows in order to steal as much money as possible. After this court session, Clara remembers that Lucas exchanged some money with Henry. Because of this, Jesse decides to question Lucas in the next court session. The next day, on the second day of court, Jesse asks Lucas a series of questions relating to his business relationship with Henry. Lucas answers the questions, but doesn’t provide a lot of details. After assessing the information, Bill declares that there is not enough evidence to determine if Henry intentionally took advantage of Jesse. The next day, Nathan notifies Bill that Johnny Boone, a famous criminal, is on the loose. They both track down Johnny and arrest him. As Johnny reminisces about the other time that Bill arrested him, Bill informs him that he is also the town’s official judge. Later that day, two other Mounties arrive to take Johnny to Union City. When Johnny asks Bill if he can stay in Hope Valley for one more night to receive a warm meal, Bill reluctantly agrees.

After several attempts, Elizabeth finally gets her library. In order for this wish to become a reality, Lucas surprises Elizabeth by donating one of the buildings that he purchased. With his help, Elizabeth and her students get to work on building bookshelves and stocking the library with used books. During this activity, Robert finds a copy of The Fall of the House of Usher. After Opal insists, Robert reads some of the story to the entire class. When the story gets to a good part, Elizabeth ends this impromptu story-time. As the students go back to preparing the library, Ally shares that she knows where a “real” haunted house is located. At first, Harper and Robert are uninterested. But, as Ally describes the house to them, Harper and Robert decide that they want to see this house for themselves. Opal wants to join them, but they tell her that she’s too young to come. Later, that night, Harper and Robert travel through the woods in an attempt to find the haunted house. On this trip, they discover that Opal has followed them in order to see the house. When they do find this house, the rocking chair on the porch starts moving on its own. This causes all three children to run away. When Robert gets as far away from the house as possible, he discovers that Harper and Opal are gone. He immediately goes to Elizabeth for help. Elizabeth recruits Nathan to help her find these children. While searching for Harper and Opal, Nathan tells Elizabeth that not only does he not know where Ally is, but that the “haunted” house Ally was talking about is just an abandoned house that she and Nathan found on a fishing trip. Moments later, Ally shows up and tells them that Opal has been hurt. When Nathan and Elizabeth find Harper and Opal, not only does Opal have a hurt arm, but Ally confesses that she was pulling a prank on Robert, Harper, and Opal by moving the rocking chair and pretending that the abandoned house was haunted. After they take Opal to Carson for medical attention, they discover that Opal’s arm has been sprained. When Nathan learns that this situation started because Robert read The Fall of the House of Usher in the library that Lucas was volunteering to coordinate, he feels that he has another reason to not like Lucas. The next day, when walking home from school with Elizabeth, Ally reveals that her grandfather is in jail. When Elizabeth confronts Nathan about this subject, she tells him that he needs to talk to Ally about her grandfather. The next day, Nathan and Ally have a heart-to-heart conversation about Ally’s grandfather.

342407-PA9PYX-915 — Library image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/stack-of-books-on-library-desk_2509490.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/school”>School image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Minor Stories:

Toward the beginning of the episode, Faith thanks Carson for helping her reconnect with her father. She and her father have been having more phone conversations in recent days. While eating at Abigail’s Café, Faith reveals that her father would like Carson to spend Thanksgiving with the Carter family. Carson agrees to her father’s request. Later in the episode, Faith tells Carson that her father had a heart attack. Because of this, Faith has to travel out of town to visit her father. After being with her father, she calls Carson to let him know that her visit might be longer than expected.

What was on Rosemary’s mind in the previous episode is still on her mind. While she is dealing with this, Fiona comes into the dress shop looking for a new dress. When Rosemary asks her if she has any personal requests, Fiona shows her a picture of a skirt from a magazine advertisement. Rosemary has her concerns about making this skirt, especially since she doesn’t know if women in Hope Valley would want to purchase it. Fiona reassures her that the skirt will, hopefully, be purchased by at least one customer. That evening, Rosemary finally talks to Lee about what’s been bothering her. She reveals that there’s a possibility that she will be unable to have children. Lee comforts her by telling her that they will get through this time together. Later in the episode, Rosemary finishes Fiona’s skirt and decides to have some of her friends model her new skirts. She is surprised by how successful her creation has become, with more people buying the skirts than expected. At the end of the episode, Elizabeth asks Rosemary and Lee if they would like to be Jack’s guardians. They both end up accepting Elizabeth’s offer.

Sewing color background — Sewing pattern image created by Nenilkime at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundvector created by Nenilkime – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/sewing-color-background_1380853.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Some thoughts to consider:

The plots of the court case and the Johnny Boone arrest didn’t feel like they connected. If anything, these plots seemed like they were from two separate episodes. Based on the commercial for this episode, I assumed that the court case would last longer. Maybe this case will be brought up in another episode?

Even though her heart was in the right place, I found Elizabeth’s decision to make Rosemary and Lee Jack’s official guardians to be very confusing. Clearly, Elizabeth is not going to give Jack to another family, especially since it seems like she’s been doing a good job when it comes to raising Jack. Plus, in the synopsis for the next episode that was shown on my television, it said that “an old friend arrives with a new orphan”. So, it’s highly likely that one of the care-givers from When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing will arrive in Hope Valley and Rosemary and Lee will adopt this “new orphan”. This means that Elizabeth’s decision wouldn’t have much weight and meaning.

During the commercial for the next episode, the plot that was highlighted the most was about Lucas and his past. I really hope that Lucas’ story is worth the build-up. Throughout the season, it seems like the script has been working up to a big reveal when it comes to the character of Lucas. I do think it’s interesting that Lucas’ story is finally being told in the second to last episode of the season.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Do you have any predictions for what’s to come? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen

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?

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.

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