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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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)
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 5th! There will also be another new episode that airs on May 6th! 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 13th.
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:
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
On the Youtube channel, Hallmarkies Podcast, there is a series of videos called “Amber Makes Rachel Watch”. In this series, Amber, one of the hostesses of Hallmarkies Podcast, introduces Rachel, her friend and fellow Hallmarkies Podcast hostess, to television shows that she has never seen before. This inspired me to broaden my television horizons for the Mystery Mania blogathon. You’d think with the amount of content I watch and talk about from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I would have gotten around to watching Murder, She Wrote. Well, to say it honestly, I’ve never seen any episodes of the show…until now. For this special post, I will review three episodes of the show that I have chosen at random. Because Hallmark Movies & Mysteries regularly airs re-runs of Murder, She Wrote, I was able to easily access these episodes by recording them on my television. Throughout this blogathon entry, I will break down each episode and share what I liked about it, what I didn’t like about it, the mystery within the episode, and the other factors from the episode. I will also be sharing my overall thoughts not just about each episode, but about the show as a whole, based on the three episodes that I’ve seen. Now that this introduction is finished, let’s have Sally watch Murder, She Wrote!
The title card for “The Legacy of Borbey House”. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.What I liked about this episode:
The acting was definitely one of the stronger components of this episode! Within this cast, there were three actors that gave stand-out performances. The first is David Birney, who portrayed Lawrence Baker. Even though his on-screen appearance was very limited, David did a good job at making his character equally charismatic and suspicious. Roy Dotrice also gave a memorable performance as Dr. Howard Sorenson. All of his reactions appeared believable and Dr. Sorenson’s enthusiasm for the subject of vampires seemed genuine. The last stand-out performance came from Gary Hershberger. His portrayal of Dave Perrin was one of the most well-rounded performances in this entire episode, giving this character the emotional depth that kept me invested in his story.
What I didn’t like about this episode:
When I read the synopsis for this episode, I was excited to see how the subject of vampires would be incorporated within the overall narrative. Before I watched “The Legacy of Borbey House”, I thought this subject would play such a large role in the story, that various characters would have continuous competitions to see who could drop the most vampire related pop cultural references in one sitting. Unfortunately, this was not the case. In the overall context of the episode, the subject of vampires seemed like an afterthought. While it was addressed to a certain extent, it was never explored enough to keep me satisfied. If anything, the most talked about subject in this episode was the various renovations that were taking place in the town of Cabot Cove.
The mystery itself:
Honestly, I was very disappointed in this mystery. The entire first half of the episode was dedicated to exposition and build-up to the mystery. The mystery itself, however, didn’t start until the halfway point. Several moments after this happened, Jessica ends up solving the mystery single-handedly based on one photo she was given from her acquaintance. Because of this, it didn’t give the audience a chance to solve the mystery alongside Jessica. This made the mystery not engaging or interactive.
The other factors from this episode:
There were three things within this episode that stood out to me. They are:
The opening scene when Dr. Sorenson pops out of the grave was so random, that it was hilarious!
Even though the Borbey House wasn’t on-screen for long, its architecture and décor were gorgeous! I have no idea if this is a real-life house or just a television show set.
I really liked the brief discussion about how different people view topics relating to belief systems and the supernatural. This added depth not only for the episode’s story, but also for the characters.
My overall thoughts:
At best, “The Legacy of Borbey House” was just ok. But, at worst, I found it to be disappointing. Instead of an engaging mystery featuring the topic of vampires, I ended up getting an episode that treated renovations as if they represented social status. The mystery in “The Legacy of Borbey House” was not very well-written. In fact, this episode didn’t really talk about the “legacy” that was referenced in the title. Yes, there was a myth about vampires being associated with the Borbey family. However, this concept was not explored in this episode. If this episode were given an honest title, it would be called “The Legacy of Cabot Cove’s Renovations”.
Rating: A low 3 out of 5
This book seems a lot more interesting than the episode I ended up watching. I wonder if this book has a chapter about Lestat and Jesse’s relationship? Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.Episode Name: Film Flam
Season 11, Episode 16
Premiere Date: February 19th, 1995
The title card for “Film Flam”. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.What I liked about this episode:
I really liked seeing the different steps that are involved in the process of bringing a movie to its premiere stage. As someone who likes movies and appreciates the movie-making process, I thought this portion of the episode was very interesting and educational. Even though I knew that planning and hosting a movie premiere required a lot of time and effort, this episode opened my eyes to some of the aspects that could affect a movie’s release. In “Film Flam”, the creative, business, and legal areas associated with a particular film were represented. This episode also discussed the various people and situations that could also affect a movie premiere as well as the film itself. I thought this topic was not only well explored, but also effortlessly woven into the overall narrative.
What I didn’t like about this episode:
In this mystery, I thought that the guilty culprit was a little bit obvious. As soon as they introduced themselves and revealed some of their back-story, I immediately knew that they must have something to do with the crime. After everything was said and done, I ended up being correct in my guess of “whodunit”.
The mystery itself:
The mystery in “Film Flam” was much better than in “The Legacy of Borbey House”! While the first half of the episode was still dedicated to exposition and build-up to the mystery, it was also paired with the behind-the-scenes aspect of coordinating a movie premiere. These two elements balanced out the story really well. There was also enough room for the audience to solve the mystery alongside Jessica. This allowed for the mystery to be interactive and intriguing. With various suspects and clues, I thought that “Film Flam” was a well-written mystery story!
The other factors from this episode:
Here are some of the things that caught my attention while I watched “Film Flam”:
Whoever scouted locations for this show did a really good job at choosing gorgeous houses! Fritz’s house in “Film Flam” was beautiful, both in architecture and design/décor.
Whenever Elaine Brown and Darryl Harding appeared on-screen together, I could sense strong on-screen chemistry between Jim Caviezel and Stacy Edwards. Because of this, I was really hoping that Elaine and Darryl would, at least, start a romantic relationship by the end of the episode. While this is only assumed, based on the fact that Darryl and Elaine were holding hands toward the end of “Film Flam”, I’m hoping these two characters appeared in other episodes. That way, there could be a chance for them to receive their “happily-ever-after”.
I won’t spoil anything if you haven’t seen this episode. However, all I will say is when the guilty culprit reveals why they committed the crime, I found their explanation to be very creepy.
My overall thoughts:
I really liked this episode! It combined a well-written mystery story with something that I love; movies. Because this episode centered around the process of a movie premiere, I feel like I gained valuable and educational information about what it takes to coordinate an event like this. “Film Flam” was both intriguing and engaging, things that I think a good mystery should be. While the guilty culprit was a little bit obvious, I still enjoyed the experience of trying to solve the mystery alongside Jessica. Even though I’ve only seen two episodes of Murder, She Wrote so far, I would be willing to guess that this story was one of the show’s stronger episodes.
Rating: A 4.7 out of 5
Honestly, seeing Darryl and Elaine’s relationship progress as this episode went on was, for me, a highlight of “Film Flam”. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.Episode Name: School for Murder
Season 11, Episode 19
Premiere Date: April 30th, 1995
The title card for “School for Murder”. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.What I liked about this episode:
I liked how some of the students of St. Crispin’s Academy were able to play a role within the overall narrative. When reading the description for “School for Murder”, I wasn’t sure if any of the students were going to be prominently featured in the episode. Even though I’ve now only seen three episodes of the show, I’ve noticed that there aren’t many opportunities for young people to be included in the overall story. So, it was nice to see these students incorporated into this episode.
What I didn’t like about this episode:
I wasn’t a fan of St. Crispin’s Academy’s “secret society”. Because of the inclusion of this story element, it felt like there was too much going on in this episode. It also felt like the screenwriters were trying to accomplish too much in one story. While this “secret society” did play a role within the overall narrative, it just seemed like it didn’t need to be there.
The mystery itself:
The mystery in “School for Murder” was very interesting. There was not only a primary mystery, but there were also two sub-mysteries. All three of these mysteries were connected to each other in some way. I thought this was a very unique approach to the story-telling aspect of this episode, especially compared to the previous two episodes that I’ve seen. There were also a few surprises that I did not see coming. Added with enough room for the audience to solve the mystery alongside Jessica, the mystery story of “School for Murder” stood out from the rest.
The other factors from this episode:
In this episode, there were only two things that stood out to me. These are:
I’m sorry if I sound like a broken record, but whoever was the location scout for this show knew what they were doing when it came to choosing the locations for Murder, She Wrote. St. Crispin’s Academy was a really nice-looking facility! Like with the Borbey House in “The Legacy of Borbey House”, I’m not sure if St. Crispin’s Academy is a real place or just a set.
I’m not going to spoil anything if you haven’t seen this episode. But I thought the way the guilty party was written was very interesting. Instead of being deceitful or hateful, like the guilty parties in “The Legacy of Borbey House” and “Film Flam”, the guilty party in “School for Murder” was portrayed in a more human and realistic way. To me, this was a unique departure from the aforementioned episodes.
My overall thoughts:
While “School for Murder” was ok, it wasn’t as disappointing as “The Legacy of Borbey House”. There were too many story elements associated with this episode, which caused this story to feel too jam-packed. However, “School for Murder” did have some merits. One of them is the inclusion of young people in the overall narrative. These merits and strengths added something interesting to this episode. It made “School for Murder” somewhat different from “The Legacy of Borbey House” and “Film Flam”. I wonder if the other episodes of Murder, She Wrote took creative approaches to its use of story-telling?
Rating: A 3.2 out of 5
This facility definitely looked the part of an well-respected, private school. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.My final assessment:
So, now is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. What do I think of Murder, She Wrote? Overall, the show is fine. If I had nothing else to do and if my options for what to watch on television were limited, I would definitely watch an episode or two. Something that I noticed when I watched these episodes was that the overall quality of the show was not consistent. Out of the three episodes that I saw, I really liked only one of them. The other two were just ok. But no television show is perfect and some episodes are bound to be better than others. If you’re like me and have never seen Murder, She Wrote before, I would definitely recommend it! Just pick a few episodes and then decide if this show is for you. The great thing about Murder, She Wrote is that it doesn’t really rely on an over-arcing story. This makes it easy to watch any episode without having to watch its predecessors.
Have you ever watched Murder, She Wrote? Would you like me to review other episodes of the show? Please tell me in the comment section!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
December 25th was a special day for Hearties: it was Christmas as well as the premiere of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing! Hearties were given the opportunity to not only partake in the festivities of the season, but also to celebrate the arrival of When Calls the Heart’s next chapter. Even though I was looking forward to this film, my expectations for it were low. When I first learned about the film’s synopsis, it sounded like Cody and Becky’s story from When Calls the Heart: New Year’s Wish was being rehashed to a certain extent. Earlier this month, in a Word on the Street post, I shared my thoughts about the trailer for When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. At best, it was just fine, not heightening my expectations for the film. However, I still wanted to watch the movie, especially since I am a fan of the show. Because I also re-cap When Calls the Heart in my “Sunset Over Hope Valley” series, reviewing this movie would keep up with 18 Cinema Lane’s continuity. Thank you for joining me for this review, as you’re about to discover my thoughts on When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing!
The acting: One of the best components of When Calls the Heart has always been the strength of the cast! Just like on the show, the cast in When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was one of the strongest parts of the film! Everyone in this cast portrayed their specific character very well, providing enough natural emotions and reactions to bring a sense of believability to their particular role. A pleasant surprise within this movie was Morgan Kohan and Jocelyn Hudon’s performance! While I’ve never seen any of Morgan’s acting performances before, I remember watching Jocelyn’s performances in The Christmas Cure and Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Love Locks. Their portrayals of Grace and Lillian were so believable, it felt like their characters had a good familial bond.
The humor: More often than not, Hallmark has done a pretty good job at incorporating humor into their films. In When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, all of the humor felt good-natured and genuine. One of the funniest scenes in this movie was when Bill and Abigail were taste-testing the figgy pudding that he had made. Because Lori and Jack provided reactions that seemed very natural for that particular situation, it made the scene that much funnier. Another funny scene was when Bill accidently counted Robert while he was trying to figure out how many orphans arrived in Hope Valley. Similar to what I said about Lori and Jack, Jaiven’s reaction was so genuine that it helped that scene to be humorous in a good-natured way.
The character interactions: As I have already mentioned, one of the strongest parts of this movie was the cast! What is wonderful about this cast is witnessing how strong the on-screen chemistry is amongst the characters. Seeing the various characters interact with one another was a very great highlight of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. Like I’ve said before, Morgan and Jocelyn both pulled off such a believable performance, the familial bond that they portrayed felt very real. This is also the case when it comes to the connections between the other characters. What helps is the film’s cast is also the cast on the show, having those relationships already established in previous stories.
A two-hour commercial for “When Hope Calls”: When I talked about the trailer for When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, I mentioned that the main plot of the movie was how a group of orphans are stranded in Hope Valley during Christmas-time. While I thought this plot was the best one in the movie, I feel it should have been a subplot. During the commercials in-between this film, it was revealed that the main plot of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing would serve as the premise for the new show on Hallmark Movies Now, “When Hope Calls”. It was also revealed that “When Hope Calls” would premiere on Hallmark’s streaming service next summer. Going back to why I think the main plot from When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing should have been a subplot, it doesn’t seem like any aspect of this main plot will be transferred over to When Calls the Heart’s sixth season. Also, because the story for “When Hope Calls” was introduced about six to eight months before its premiere, the creative team behind When Calls the Heart/ “When Hope Calls” could run the risk of making any hype for this new show quickly disappear before it has a chance to receive any amount of anticipation from a potential audience. Because of how much attention this main plot received, it felt like the characters from When Calls the Heart were placed on the side-lines. I, honestly, think that the creative team behind this movie should have waited to introduce “When Hope Calls” in a two-part episode on When Calls the Heart.
The subplots: Like I previously mentioned, the best plot in When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was the one involving the orphans and their care-givers. However, I found all of the subplots to be weak and uninteresting. For example, throughout the movie, Jesse and his friends are trying to find a suit so Jesse can take Clara to a special performance of The Nutcracker. This subplot feels like a step backward compared with the subplot Jesse was given in When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree. Even his subplot in the ninth episode of the fifth season was stronger than his subplot in this film. To me, these subplots lacked depth and intrigue, causing me to not feel invested in any of these stories.
Tom Thornton’s absence: In my season finale post from the “Sunset Over Hope Valley” series, I said that Tom’s incorporation into When Calls the Heart’s Christmas movie would make up for Tom’s absence in the season finale of the show. Unfortunately, not only was Tom nowhere to be found, but he was never referenced in any part of the movie. Of course, I was disappointed by this. I think he could have been given a really well-written story arc where he has to deal with becoming an uncle and spending his first Christmas without his brother. This story arc could have shown the two different sides of Christmas: the joyous side and the emotional side. Because this was Hope Valley’s first Christmas without Jack, but there were also good things to acknowledge about the Christmas season, Tom’s story arc could have shown a nice balance between these two ideas.
While I thought that When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was a good film, I honestly thought it could have been better. If I had the choice, I would choose last year’s Christmas movie, When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree, over this one. This is because all of the plots in last year’s film were stronger and equally well-told. The screen-writing was the biggest flaw of this year’s movie, causing me to lower my expectations for When Calls the Heart’s sixth season. Even though I’m still looking forward to this show’s return, I have my concerns about the overall story for the upcoming season. During the commercials in-between When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, there was an advertisement for the new season. The biggest plot-point in this trailer was how Hope Valley will be receiving a telephone. While there could be an interesting story associated with this idea, the commercial didn’t give me a reason to get excited about a telephone coming to Hope Valley. However, in this same commercial, it was mentioned that Clara and Jesse are planning on building a barn. This part of the advertisement excited me the most, as this detail left me with several unanswered questions. Hopefully, When Calls the Heart’s next season can be filled with more intriguing stories. This show, in my opinion, has a pretty good track record when it comes to story-telling, so I will be optimistic about what’s to come for this show.
Overall score: 7.8 out of 10
Are you looking forward to When Calls the Heart’s sixth season? What is your favorite When Calls the Heart Christmas movie? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
As I was trying to come up with ideas for what to write about for the 2nd Disability In Film Blogathon, I came across the book and movie, Wonderstruck. While reading the story’s synopsis, I discovered that it was about two children who go on an adventure in two very different time periods. Even though these characters lead very different lives from one another and are unique individuals from each other, they both have something in common: both of these children are deaf. The idea of these characters having similar life experiences and stories of disability, despite existing in separate time periods, is what inspired me to create this editorial. My favorite superhero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Bucky Barnes and Matthew Rogers is my favorite character from Little House on the Prairie. After watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier for the first time, I started to notice that Bucky and Matthew shared more in common than one would think. Like the protagonists in Wonderstruck, Bucky’s and Matthew’s story takes place in two very different time periods: the late 1800s and the present day. Also like the protagonists in Wonderstruck, Bucky and Matthew have a disability: Bucky is an amputee and Matthew is non-verbal. In my post, “My Top 5 Dream Double Features at the Cinema”, I talked about how I would want to discuss the similarities in Bucky’s and Matthew’s story if I paired both episodes of “The Wild Boy” with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now, I finally get the chance to explore these similarities in honor of the 2nd Disability In Film Blogathon!
The 2nd Disability In Film Blogathon banner created by Crystal from In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and Robin from Pop Culture Reverie. Image found at https://crystalkalyana.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/announcing-the-2nd-disability-in-film-blogathon/ and https://popculturereverie.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/announcing-the-2nd-disability-in-film-blogathon/.
The Introduction of Bucky and Matthew
Bucky Barnes and Matthew Rogers are introduced into a series that already had an established story prior to their appearance (the Captain America trilogy/MCU and Little House on the Prairie). When they make their official appearances in these series, Bucky’s movie and Matthew’s episodes were centered around them, even though they are not one of the main characters. Though this movie is a part of the Captain America trilogy, the title of this film is Captain America: The Winter Soldier because the movie explores Bucky’s story. On Little House on the Prairie, the episode where Matthew makes his debut is titled “The Wild Boy” because, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Matthew’s story is the primary focus. Because this episode is told in two parts, it allows for Matthew and his story to have a meaningful impact on the residents of Walnut Grove.
When Bucky and Matthew first appear on screen, the audience sees them carrying dangerous and violent identities. At the beginning of “The Wild Boy” Part 1, Matthew is introduced as The Wild Boy, a young, unkempt boy who reacts violently when Dr. McQueen, a traveling medicine man, tries to get his attention. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is known as The Winter Soldier, a dangerous antagonist from Hydra, a criminal organization, who causes chaos and destruction. At first, the protagonists in each story see the personas of The Wild Boy and The Winter Soldier for face value, believing that these individuals are truly as violent and dangerous as they appear. This also allows the audience to share similar thoughts and beliefs with the protagonists, with the delivery of the truth about The Wild Boy and The Winter Soldier being executed as a surprise for the audience.
The unmasking of The Winter Soldier: a moment that shocked the Marvel fandom. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
The Truth about Bucky and Matthew
As their stories go on, the truth about The Winter Soldier and The Wild Boy are revealed. When Steve Rogers removes The Winter Soldier’s mask during a confrontation in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he discovers that The Winter Soldier is really his friend, Bucky Barnes. After that scene, the audience is given the opportunity to learn about how Bucky ended up with Hydra. While Bucky has his prosthetic arm repaired by Hydra members, a flash-back montage is shown. This montage shows the audience that after he fell off the train in Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky lost his left arm while he was falling. He was then kidnapped by Hydra and kept against his will. During this montage, the audience discovers how Bucky receives his prosthetic arm, but also sees Bucky getting mistreated by members of Hydra. The audience also learns that Bucky had The Winter Soldier persona forced upon him and was brainwashed by Hydra to hurt other people. When the story returns to present day, Bucky is still getting mistreated and abused by Hydra. Alexander Pierce, the head of Hydra, feels that the mistreatment toward Bucky, such as unexpectedly slapping him in the face and having Bucky involuntarily go through electroshock treatments, is justifiable. Brock Rumlow, a fellow Hydra member, witnesses the abuse toward Bucky, but chooses not to do anything about it. Steve Rogers finds out about Bucky’s traumatic situation after Captain America: The Winter Soldier but before Captain America: Civil War.
Like Bucky, the audience gets to learn more about The Wild Boy in “The Wild Boy” Part 1. Toward the beginning of this episode, The Wild Boy is shown getting physically abused by Dr. McQueen (he hits his hand with his cane) and being neglected (Dr. McQueen refuses to feed him). Dr. McQueen is also verbally abusive toward The Wild Boy, referring to him as “creature” and “animal” as well as saying he “acquired” him. Luther Abbott, the assistant of Dr. McQueen, recognizes that The Wild Boy is being mistreated, but doesn’t really do anything about the situation. He even assumes that The Wild Boy has a small amount of intelligence and doesn’t understand what’s going on around him. When Dr. McQueen visits Walnut Gove, Jenny Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s niece, suspects there’s more to The Wild Boy than meets the eye after she and her friends sneak into the tent where The Wild Boy is kept. The next day, when Jenny finds The Wild Boy hiding in her family’s barn, she discovers the truth about The Wild Boy. She not only learns that The Wild Boy is really Matthew Rogers, but also that he is non-verbal. The audience learns in the Little House on the Prairie episode “Hello and Goodbye” that Matthew became non-verbal due to having Lye forced down his throat by a farming couple who only wanted to adopt Matthew as a work-hand, not as their son. The audience also learns, later on in “The Wild Boy” Part 1, that Matthew developed Morphinism due to Dr. McQueen using the morphine laced elixir he was selling to control Matthew’s behavior, causing him to act “wild”.
Why the heck would Dr. McQueen think this “Wild Boy” idea is ok? Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Bucky and Matthew Break Free
Fortunately, Bucky and Matthew find a way to escape their abusive situations. Despite Luther assuming that Matthew has a lack of intelligence, Matthew figures out how to dismantle his cage, giving him a chance to run away from Dr. McQueen’s capture. While Steve and Bucky fight each other during the Triskelion Battle in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve rescues Bucky from Hydra’s capture by reminding Bucky of who he is and of the friendship they have. These reminders help Bucky break through Hydra’s brainwashing and escape their clutches. It’s also important to point out that after their initial escape, Bucky and Matthew never return to their captors’ control. Dr. McQueen comes back to Walnut Grove in an attempt to reclaim Matthew in “The Wild Boy” Part 2. This causes a judge to be called in and a hearing to take place in order to determine who should be the guardian of Matthew. Because of Luther confessing the truth about Dr. McQueen’s abuse toward Matthew and that he was bribed by Dr. McQueen to lie about Matthew’s situation, the judge decides to revoke Dr. McQueen’s guardianship but also decides to have Matthew sent to an asylum. After some convincing from Matthew and Mr. Edwards, the judge decides to grant guardianship to Mr. Edwards. Because a large portion of Hydra’s members were killed during the Triskelion Battle or went into hiding after that battle, Bucky has been able to live a life free of anything Hydra related.
Why is Bucky, sometimes, still referred to as “The Winter Soldier” when he’s no longer the Winter Soldier? Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Bucky’s and Matthew’s Support System
Because their families are mostly absent from their stories, Bucky and Matthew have to build their support system from scratch. In each support system, there’s at least three key individuals that are present throughout Bucky’s and Matthew’s journey. For Matthew, these people are Mr. Edwards, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Jenny Wilder. In Bucky’s story, these individuals are Steve Rogers, T’Challa, and Shuri. The people in these support systems approach their roles in their own ways, but their goal is the same: helping their friend or loved one and keeping their best interests in mind.
The biggest role in both of these support systems is the advocate, the person who spends the most time with their friend or loved one and makes sure their best interests are met. These roles are given to Mr. Edwards and Steve Rogers. After Matthew escapes from Dr. McQueen’s capture, he ends up having no place to go. Mr. Edwards volunteers to be his temporary guardian and takes care of Matthew. When Matthew faces the threat of being sent to an asylum, Mr. Edwards makes a speech before Sunday Service, with all the residents of Walnut Grove present, about how Matthew is no different from the other members of Walnut Gove. During this speech, Mr. Edwards was advocating for Matthew to stay in Walnut Grove so he could live in a stable, loving, and supportive environment. This speech convinced the judge to allow Matthew to live in Walnut Grove with Mr. Edwards. In Bucky’s case, Steve has been his friend prior to the events that caused Bucky to become disabled. During Bucky’s time in the MCU, Steve Rogers not only rescued Bucky from Hydra’s capture, but he also defends Bucky throughout Captain America: Civil War. When Bucky is wrongly accused of committing murder, Steve tries to explain to the members of “Team Iron Man” that not only is Bucky innocent, but that he also experienced a very traumatic and violent past. During the final battle between Captain America, Bucky, and Iron Man, Steve puts Bucky’s needs before his own by giving up his shield and choosing to help his friend.
The other two roles in this support system are the resource gatherer (the one who finds the resources for their loved one or friend) and the understanding soul (the one who, through understanding, comes to accept and appreciate the person they are going to help). The role of resource gatherer is given to Shuri and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Shortly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Bucky comes to Wakanda to receive the medical care that he needs, wants, and deserves. Not only does Shuri help Bucky overcome his trauma, she also creates a new prosthetic arm, using Wakanda’s vibranium, for Bucky at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. In Matthew’s situation, Laura teaches him sign language so he can communicate with the people around him. For Jenny and T’Challa, they have taken on the role of the understanding soul. In Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa assumes that Bucky killed his father because Helmut Zemo, the film’s villain, was dressed up as Bucky when he murdered several people in Vienna. After T’Challa learns the truth about how his father died, he accepts Bucky into his social circle and helps him receive the resources he needs and wants. T’Challa also discovers Bucky’s past and realizes that he has been a victim of abuse and trauma. After she stops Nancy Oleson from tormenting Matthew and, later, finds Matthew hiding in her family’s barn, Jenny discovers that Matthew’s “wild boy” persona was forced upon him by his captors. She also learns about Matthew’s disability and agrees to become his friend.
Laura teaching Matthew, Jenny, and Mr. Edwards how to say “coffee pot” in sign language. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
An Assistive Tool for Bucky and Matthew
After breaking free from their traumatic and abusive life, Bucky and Matthew are able to surround themselves with people who truly care about them and strive to meet their best interests. One way that their best interests are met is when they each receive an assistive tool that will help them live as independent and productive of a life as possible. As mentioned earlier, Laura teaches Matthew sign language in order to help him communicate with the people in his life. She also teaches Mr. Edwards and Jenny sign language so they can understand what Matthew is trying to say. This assistive tool of language helps Matthew to form friendships and make his wishes and thoughts known to others. Without it, Matthew would probably feel excluded from the community, feeling like he had limited opportunities to contribute to any conversations.
Even though Bucky received his prosthetic arm during his time under Hydra’s capture, that arm was created and controlled by Hydra, meaning that Bucky couldn’t use his assistive tool in his favor. After he was rescued from Hydra’s capture, Bucky was able to have more control over his prosthetic arm, being able to use his assistive tool the way he wants to, such as picking up plums from the market and fighting alongside “Team Cap” in Captain America: Civil War. During the battle between Captain America, Bucky, and Iron Man, Bucky’s prosthetic arm was destroyed after a failed attempt to remove Iron Man’s arc reactor. He not only receives a new prosthetic arm at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, but this prosthetic arm has no connection to Hydra, meaning that Bucky can have total control over his assistive tool. It’s also important to point out that throughout Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky seems comfortable with his new prosthetic arm, that he was given enough time to get used to his assistive tool and operate it the way he wants to.
Bucky and Bucky being invited by Thor to a screening of Avengers: Infinity War! Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
The language used toward/about Bucky and Matthew
When Bucky and Matthew start their new lives, the audience gets to see how others interact with them. During Bucky’s time in the MCU and in both parts of “The Wild Boy”, Bucky and Matthew are welcomed into their communities. There are never bullied, made fun of, treated differently, or judged because of their disability. While looking at Bucky’s and Matthew’s stories, however, there was language used either toward or about them that could be seen as problematic. In both parts of “The Wild Boy”, some of the characters refer to Matthew as a “mute”. This is the only example of problematic language I could find within Matthew’s story. Because Little House on the Prairie takes place sometime between the 1870s to 1890s, I found this language to be more reflective of that time-period. Throughout Bucky’s time in the MCU, I found three instances where language was used either toward or about Bucky as a person with a disability that one could find as problematic. Below are the list of these instances and how they could be perceived as problematic.
“You have a metal arm?! That is awesome, dude!” – This is what Spider-Man tells Bucky during their fight in Captain America: Civil War. What Spider-Man said could be seen as problematic for two reasons. The first is by Spider-Man pointing out Bucky’s prosthetic arm, it seems like Bucky’s disability is being acknowledged before Bucky as a person. The second is if Spider-Man knew how Bucky acquired his prosthetic arm, he probably wouldn’t sound as enthusiastic as he did. Personally, I don’t have a problem with what Spider-Man said because his compliment truly sounded genuine and he appeared excited to meet and interact with people that were different from those he interacted with on a daily basis.
“Great! Another broken white boy for us to fix.” – Though Shuri doesn’t explicitly say who she’s referring to in Black Panther, it is assumed that the first “broken white boy” is Bucky. Implying that Bucky, a person with a disability, is broken and needs to be fixed is very problematic because this would suggest that, by having a disability, something is wrong with him and he should feel ashamed or embarrassed about being disabled. Because Shuri volunteers to help Bucky overcome his trauma and joins Bucky’s Support System, I don’t believe Shuri meant to be hurtful toward him. However, I do think that any screenwriter of any Marvel movie should be a bit more mindful when referring to any character with any type of disability and how their audience might perceive what is being said about a character with a disability.
“Okay, how much for the arm? (Bucky walks away) Oh, I’ll get that arm” – During Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky and Rocket teamed up in an attempt to stop the threat against Wakanda. The aforementioned quote is what Rocket said toward the end of his interaction with Bucky. Even though I think this moment was meant to be hilarious and what Rocket said is more in line with his sense of humor, I can see why someone would think that what Rocket said was problematic. By Rocket implying that he wants to take Bucky’s arm away from him, it would make Rocket appear is if he wants Bucky’s independence to be taken away from him. As I mentioned earlier, Bucky’s prosthetic arm is an assistive tool, which helps him live as independent and productive of a life as possible. Suggesting that Bucky, an individual with a disability, shouldn’t be able to use his assistive tool is very demeaning.
Jenny and Matthew teaching their friend, Jeb, how to say “friend” in sign language. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
The Future of Bucky and Matthew
Though Bucky and Matthew experience positivity throughout their stories, their journeys are far from over. They may never be able to fully escape their traumatic pasts, but the audience can see that Bucky and Matthew have the strength and resilience to continue to move forward to a better and brighter day. Even though they had horrible identities forced upon them by horrible people, Bucky and Matthew never became the person that their captors tried desperately to turn them into. When Mr. Edwards suggests that he and Matthew run away in order to prevent Matthew from getting sent to an asylum, Matthew refuses and tells him that following the law and respecting the judge are more important than keeping their temporary family together. Because Matthew truly cared about Mr. Edwards, he sought out the best interests of Mr. Edwards and stopped him from making one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Shortly after Bucky was rescued from Hydra’s capture, one of the first things Bucky does is save Steve from potentially drowning. Because of what Steve did for Bucky, he realizes that Steve still cares about his friend and wants the best for him. Bucky’s act of kindness shows the audience that he is expressing his gratitude toward his friend by helping him out in a dire situation. Both of these situations are an example of, when given the choice, Bucky and Matthew consciously choose to be good people despite the terrible hands they had been dealt in the past.
Because of where Bucky’s and Matthew’s story leaves off in their respective series, it makes it unclear of what exactly will happen to them. In the Little House on the Prairie episode “Hello and Goodbye”, Matthew reunites with his biological father, Philip Rogers. Since this episode was not only Matthew’s last appearance on the show, but also the final episode in the series, it is assumed that Matthew received a happy ending when he chose to live with his father. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky disappeared as a result of Thanos’ plan being successful. Because ‘Avengers 4’ is listed on Sebastian Stan’s filmography on IMDB, it is assumed that Bucky will return in the next film. Some people even speculate that he could become the next Captain America if Steve Rogers were to step away from the title. No matter what happens to Bucky and Matthew, the most important thing to remember is that their disability is a part of their story. They do not let the past define them, but instead use it as a source of strength and perseverance. Bucky and Matthew are, more often than not, given opportunities to show others what they are capable of, especially when they set their minds to it. They never let their struggles or their hardships get in the way of achieving their goals and following their dreams. Within their respective series and even in the world of pop culture, Bucky Barnes and Matthew Rogers are just as significant and meaningful as the other characters surrounding them.
Bucky’s ready to make his return in ‘Avengers 4″! Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen. Matthew gives Mr. Edwards a hug as the credits are rolling. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.Have fun at the movies!
In the season finale of Chesapeake Shores, Mick and Megan were talking about trying to reach the finish line when it came to keeping their family together. Just like with any goal, there will always be a finish line waiting at the end of the journey. When it comes to this Evenings At The Shore re-cap series, my goal was to help people who may have missed an episode or just wanted to remember what happened in their favorite East Coast town. Now, as this season comes to a close, I have finally reached my “finish line” as I re-cap this final episode of Season 3. While Hallmark has not yet announced any future seasons or potential movies for Chesapeake Shores, we can hope, for now, that the O’Brien family has many more stories to tell and journeys to take. While we say good-bye to Season 3, let’s re-cap the Season 3 finale of Chesapeake Shores!
Just a reminder: If you did not see the season finale of Chesapeake Shores, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.
Chesapeake Shores poster image 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=series&ShowTitle=Chesapeake%20Shores%20Season%203&episodeIndex=3001
Season: 3
Episode: 10
Name: Before a Following Sea
Trace’s story: After consulting with his band mates, Trace finally decides to join his band on their European tour. After telling Abby about his decision, he reassures her that they will find a way to maintain their relationship. In the meantime, Trace spends as much time as possible with Abby and her daughters. Before the start of the Children’s Regatta, Trace is caught off guard when Abby says that she wants to end their relationship. He still reassures Abby that they can make the idea of a long-distance relationship work, but Abby tells him that she doesn’t want to spend more than a few months away from him. As Trace leaves Chesapeake Shores, he is constantly reminded of everything he is leaving behind, such as The Bridge and family.
Abby’s story: When Abby learns that Trace is going on his band’s European tour, she is undecided on what to do next. She loves Trace and wants to share a future with him, but she doesn’t want to wait more than a few months for him. Throughout the episode, she turns to Nell and Megan for advice about this situation. Nell tells Abby that in order to have a successful relationship, you must be willing to put the work into it. Megan shares with Abby that it’s important to, sometimes, put your own needs before those of others. In the end, Abby decides to end her relationship with Trace. She tells Trace, before the Children’s Regatta, that she wants to put a stop to their relationship. Even thought Trace reassures her that they can make a long-distance relationship work, Abby sticks to her true feelings and calls off their relationship.
Mick’s story: Throughout this episode, Mick prepares for the annual Regatta. He recruits Thomas, Connor, and Kevin to help in his attempt to win first place. As the leader of this boat crew, he takes some time to reflect on cherished memories with Thomas and get the boat ready for the race. Also, in this episode, Mick is confronted by Megan about how they should share the truth about their family’s painful past with Bree. Both Mick and Megan agree to write an honest letter to Bree, which they give to her toward the end of the episode. Right before the Regatta starts, Mick is pleasantly surprised that Bree accepted his invitation to join his boat crew.
Megan’s story: Megan is still troubled by all of the anger and hurt feelings that have occurred in the O’Brien family recently. She wants to make things right and does so by taking things one step at a time. She first gives Connor an apology and then advice to Abby. Megan also provides a listening ear when Bree needs it the most. Later in the episode, Megan confronts Mick about how they should tell Bree the truth about their family’s painful past. Megan confesses to Mick that she came back to Chesapeake Shores to help the family heal, but now, she feels she has only made things worse. Megan and Mick agree to write an honest letter to Bree, which they give to her toward the end of the episode. In this letter, they tell their daughter that they, honestly, tried their best to keep their family together. However, things didn’t work out as well as they had hoped. From now on, they were going to work through the pain that had kept their family apart for so long, even if it resulted in taking baby steps to do that.
Bree’s story: Even though things are going well with her and Simon’s relationship, Bree is still worried that Simon might still have romantic feelings toward Caroline. Simon reassures her that he and Caroline are just friends, but Bree can’t let her worries go. When Megan visits her at Word Play, Bree shares her worries, as well as her introduction to Caroline, with her mom. Later in the episode, Bree and Simon spend some time together at the Children’s Regatta. Bree also receives a letter from her parents about their family’s painful past and how her parents are planning to heal these wounds. This letter and the truth encourage Bree to join Mick’s Regatta team and help her family win the race.
Kevin’s story: Kevin joins Mick’s boat crew as his family prepares to compete in the annual Regatta. When he’s not on the boat, he’s taking a trip to Philadelphia to visit Sarah. During his visit, he confesses to her that he applied for an EMT position in Philadelphia so they can be closer together. A few days later, at Sally’s Café, Sarah reveals to Kevin that she ended up taking her old job at the Chesapeake Shores Fire Department. She tells him that she stayed in Chesapeake Shores because Kevin was willing to do whatever it takes to move closer to her. At the end of the episode, Kevin participates in the Regatta with his family.
Jess’ story: When a last-minute change of plans forces the Regatta to find a new caterer, David and Jess step in to save the day. Jess knows the David can create the most delicious meals for the event, but she stills worries that he might want a future that doesn’t involve her. These worries are quickly pushed to the side when David’s parents show up in Chesapeake Shores. They apologize to David and Jess for the way they treated both of them back in Maine. At the Regatta, David’s parents, as well as the rest of the residents in Chesapeake Shores, are impressed with David’s culinary talents. Because of this, and to make up for their ill feelings toward Jess and David in the past, David’s parents show them a listing for a potential Bed & Breakfast. They agree to purchase the building for Jess and David if they both agree to accept this offer.
Connor’s story: In his spare time, Connor is learning everything he can about sailing in order to be prepared for the upcoming Regatta. While at Sally’s Café, he receives an apology from Megan about her not being there when Connor might have needed her. The next day, Connor joins Kevin on his trip to Philadelphia to visit Sarah. On the day of the Regatta, Connor is happy when Danielle shows up to watch the race. She wishes him good luck before the race begins. When it’s time for the O’Brien family to compete in the Regatta, Connor is ready to help his family win first place.
Sailing on the sea image created by Michele L at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Michele L.”
Some thoughts to consider:
I was disappointed by the lack of explanation for why the O’Brien family feel apart. Bree’s manuscript seemed to be leading up to a big reveal about why exactly Megan left the family and why Megan appeared to have little to no contact with her family during her absence. However, all that was given was a vaguely written letter about how things were bad in the past and will, hopefully, get better in the future. I’m guessing the screenwriters wanted to save some material for the characters to explore in future seasons, even though they had plenty of time to do that in Season 3.
In my very first Evenings At The Shore post, I said that I hoped Jess would talk about her past more in Season 3. Sadly, this never happened. Instead, Jess spent the majority of her story obsessing over David and their relationship. Jess is a good character and Laci is a great actress, so I’m hoping Jess receives a stronger and more compelling story if Chesapeake Shores is renewed for a fourth season.
Overall, I think this season of Chesapeake Shores was fine. However, it was not as good as the show’s first two seasons. In my Evenings At The Shore post where I talk about this season’s seventh episode, I said that this season has been more character-driven than plot-driven. I also said, within that same post, that there was a balance within the overall story of the first two seasons between being character and plot-driven. If Chesapeake Shores gets renewed for a fourth season (which I hope they do), I hope the story goes back to having a balance of being character and plot-driven.
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18 Cinema Lane 