One day at school, Opal shares a drawing of what Hope Valley’s
planned hotel could look like. She explains to Elizabeth how the drawing was
inspired by Lucas’ “grand vision” of what the hotel could be. The idea of Lucas
having a “grand vision” reminded me of how television shows are created. Every
show starts with a story. Within that story are characters, settings, and
conflicts. All these pieces come together to create a “grand vision”, a dream
of what the show could become. Through the various creative departments, a show’s
creative team work towards making that dream come true. If a show is
successful, a show’s audience help keep that dream alive. While Opal shares her
drawing, she and Elizabeth are not the only characters present in that scene.
Emily and Anna also marveled at Opal’s artistic abilities. It seems like
yesterday when Anna, Emily, and Opal were Elizabeth’s first students. This full
circle moment is such a great example of how the dream of When Calls the
Heart has thrived!
Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there will be spoilers within this re-cap.
Season: 11
Episode: 5
Name: Stronger Together
Major stories:
Maisie is still close-minded on her views about the hotel. Mike
is overwhelmed by the lack of progress and Lee is frustrated by Maisie’s stubbornness.
But this tension goes beyond sibling rivalry. Maisie confesses to Mei how she
feels her constituents are not on the same page as her. This revelation
disappoints Mike, as he feels everyone promoting the hotel share the same goal.
Meanwhile, Lucas recruits Henry to share his perspective as a former businessman.
To prevent Lucas, Mike, and Lee from feeling cornered by Maisie’s demands, Henry
suggests merging Hope Valley and Benson Hills. Lucas loves the idea so much, he
proposes it at the meeting with Maisie. Henry, Mike, and Lee already support the
merging of Benson Hills and Hope Valley. However, Maisie still isn’t convinced.
Until the next election, Lucas decides to declare co-mayors; one for Hope Valley
and one for Benson Hills. Maisie still gets to continue being the mayor of
Benson Hills and is shocked to learn Lee has become Hope Valley’s mayor.
After learning about Henry’s idea, Lucas shares it with
several of Hope Valley’s residents. When they learn the Jack Thornton School
would become part of the valley school district, some of the residents are hesitant
by the merging of Hope Valley and Benson Hills. To ease their worries, Lucas
explains how the merging of the towns would provide Hope Valley more economic
opportunities as well as more opportunities for growth. This explanation lends
itself to a unanimous vote for Hope Valley to be joined with Benson Hills. Later
in the episode, Lucas learns from Bill how the person who hurt him fired their
gun at close range. Through a reclaimed memory, Lucas confesses how he grabbed
the gun from the shooter in order to get the gun away from them.
Elizabeth and Nathan’s interaction before Hope Valley’s
Easter egg hunt concerns Allie. This is because she doesn’t want to see Nathan
get rejected by Elizabeth again. When Allie shares her feelings with Nathan, he
reassures her how she has nothing to worry about. In Hope Valley, Nathan sees
Elizabeth and Lucas interacting with one another. That interaction gives Nathan
the impression Elizabeth may resume her relationship with Lucas. But later, at
the saloon, Lucas tells Nathan how he and Elizabeth are just friends. Lucas also
shares how he and Jeanette were never engaged, telling Nathan the exact same
thing he told Elizabeth. In a private conversation between Elizabeth and
Nathan, Nathan confronts Elizabeth about her feelings for him. Because their
conversation was interrupted, Elizabth didn’t provide an answer. Toward the end
of the episode, Elizabeth tells Nathan how “friends don’t look at friends
this way”.
Minor stories:
Anna pays Elizabeth a visit at the Jack Thornton School. As she is currently enrolled in teaching college, Anna has come back to Hope Valley to work as Elizabeth’s teaching assistant. During recess, Anna confesses to Elizabeth how teaching college is more difficult than she imagined, remembering how easy Elizabeth made teaching appear. Elizabeth reminds Anna how she is her own person and how becoming a good teacher takes time. One responsibility Anna is given is handing out the math tests with their results. Toby is excited about passing the test. After school, Angela and Cooper confess to Elizabeth how they wrote a letter to Jacob in Joseph’s name. Joseph received a response from his brother, with Jacob expressing interest in visiting Joseph and finally getting an apology. Elizabeth encourages Cooper and Angela to talk to their father about the letter. That evening, Angela and Cooper tell Joseph the truth, sharing how his words about family inspired them to reach out to Jacob. Joseph forgives his children and, later, recalls with Minnie how he and his brother used to sing in a choir.
Some thoughts to consider:
·
As I mentioned in this re-cap, Lee became Hope
Valley’s new mayor. He promises Rosemary to not let his new role overshadow his
family. But this is just one important matter on his plate. Not only does Lee
own the town’s saw mill and saloon, he’s also the editor of The Valley Voice. Lee
is a husband and new father as well. I’d like to think Lee can balance all
these responsibilities. However, I’m not sure how.
·
I know this season is almost at the half-way
point, but, so far, Elizabeth and Nathan’s story is the weakest one. Almost all
the other stories introduced in season eleven’s premiere contain some amount of
intrigue. With Nathan and Elizabeth’s story, it is too drawn out and doesn’t
have enough substance. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elizabeth and Nathan finally
share their feelings for each other in season eleven’s finale.
·
An exciting development from this episode was
the idea of Hope Valley and Benson Hills merging. While this sounds like a
great idea on paper, I wonder how this idea will be brought to life on screen.
Will the story revolve around two separate places, similar to season two? Is
the creative team behind When Calls the Heart planning on building a whole
new town for Benson Hills? At this time, another season of the show has not
been announced. But if When Calls the Heart receives a twelfth season,
it’ll be interesting to see how these questions are answered.
What are your thoughts on this episode? Do you like the idea of Hope Valley and Benson Hills merging? Let me know in the comment section!
Have fun in Hope Valley!
Sally Silverscreen