In episode two of Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores, we’re fully invested in the family or should I say families, as the Peck’s also make an appearance.
It’s very hard to forget this show is a family drama, but with so many characters each going through their own stuff and journeys, sometimes we don’t get as many larger family bonding moments as viewers may like. But so far season six seems to be trying to remedy that. The show’s efforts started in the first episode but it’s really coming out to shine in the second episode and it’s great.
The opening moment of episode two is an absolute gem as we see Abby having some quality time with her daughters, something which we haven’t really seen a lot of in a while. The moment gets even better as Bree and Megan join and Megan brings the iconic ice cream. If you’re a Chessie fan you know the importance of ice cream in bed in this show. These family moments are what really makes the show, and if the first two episodes are anything to go off, I think we’ll be seeing many more of those moments.
A large part of this episode is focused on Connor’s recovery, which is expected as it was a massive cliffhanger storyline. Seeing how Connor is recovering is great but what’s better is how the show depicts the changes the rest of the family has made as well. Such as Megan deciding to stay with her family rather than go do her dream job. It shows the character progression arc that’s been developed for her since we first met her back in season one, from a mum who left her kids to one who now stays. We also get to see how her relationships have developed with her children, like Connor, who was insecure in his relationship with his mum and is now secure enough to tell her to leave to follow her dreams.
We’re still not seeing much of Connor and Margaret’s relationship beyond work but that’s understandable given that the show is trying to balance it with Connor’s recovery, which takes up such a large part of the show. The sweet moment we got when Megan makes a comment on how much she likes Margaret saying she’s going places, is so good it makes up for the fact viewers still want more.
The arrivals of the Peck’s in Chesapeake Shores weren’t that surprising and more inevitable. To be honest, it didn’t really add anything to the plot, it just seemed like something that needed to be done. We didn’t get any additional information on the investigation or any exciting developments beyond the press arriving in Chesapeake Shores. It’s a disappointing move for the storyline as in episode one it was set up to be really exciting and a fast-paced storyline. However, there is still potential for it to be really good, we just need fewer filler moments and more action.
Abby and Evan’s relationship taking a back seat in exchange for Connor’s recovery is a good decision from the show, as it means we get smaller, sweeter moments with couples. Such as Abby and Evan holding hands while going on their lowkey second date. It allowed the show to focus on the personality traits of Evan, who loves hobbies but also capitalises on the beauty of the scenery in Maryland. We also get to see how Meghan Ory’s pregnancy is being dealt with on the show. She’s often sitting down and wearing jackets that are closed over her stomach.
The best moment and storyline in this episode and increasingly this season is Mick’s drug problem. The development of this opioid storyline for Mick is incredible and Treat Williams acting is phenomenal. It’s such a good performance seeing Mick scrambling around the house for pills, and the fact there’s only one left in the container suggests we’re going to see how desperate he becomes with his addiction. Also, seeing the shift, he makes in his persona when he’s around the family to try and hide it from them. It’s a realistic portrayal and also capitalises on the success of Hulu and Disney’s Dopesick earlier this year. Also, Luke taking notice of Mick’s changes because of the drugs suggests that this storyline will make up a large part of the season and is about to get interesting.
Like I said earlier, one problem with a show like this where there are so many characters, is that sometimes long periods of time go by before you see a character again. We still haven’t seen Sarah this season, even though Kevin mentions they’re going to Maui on vacation. What’s interesting is that Jessica Sipos who plays Kevin’s wife Sarah, dedicated an Instagram post to say, “Happy Chesapeake Shores premiere day!” But she isn’t listed on the credit sheet this season which suggests she may not appear this season at all or if she does, it may just be in one or two episodes. This is absolutely heart-breaking because Kevin and Sarah’s marriage storyline was just getting started. But it may create a good storyline for Kevin, who we’re yet to see much of.
Another person who is missing from the credit sheet this season is the iconic Diane Ladd, who plays Nell O’Brien, we didn’t see her much last season, but Chesapeake really can’t end without us seeing the matriarch one last time, can it?
The ending of episode two sets up really well for the rest of the season as the family convince Megan to leave to go to do her dream job. How will the show deal with that, as we can’t see Megan really leaving Chesapeake Shores.
