The Way Home read me to filth. I know that term can be negative, but seriously, it’s not in this context. The first episode of season three just showed me that I underestimated what The Way Home was capable of. They are capable of telling you (me) that you (I) can’t underestimate them. A show rarely remains so good in its third season, but here we are. This one did just that and more.
I have learned at the beginning of every season, we have something to do with the pond and this year – they’re bringing a baby into it. A baby in a basket, with a note, as two people jump into the pond. Who is it? Not sure. But, I have a feeling that we’re going to learn.
And why do I feel like it has something to do with Casey? I feel like she’s from the past and she’s the baby in that basket.
I wasn’t sure how they would pick up this season, based on the cliffhanger that they left us with at the end of season two. But they picked up right where they left off, with Jacob coming home. I wasn’t sure how they would introduce him to Dell, but Kat just walks him into the house where we hear him say, “Mom.”
With Jacob’s return to Port Haven, anyone would have to know that there were going to be a lot of questions. And a lot of questions there were. But Dell – well understandably so, she was just happy to have her son back. She was just happy to see his eyes and feel his hugs, and just know that he was there.
But to understand, Del is going to have to learn about the pond and that is going to be something that she is going to have to accept. I do think though that Del is going to accept anything when it comes to her kids. I do hope that it also makes her see that she doesn’t need to be so hard on Kat. What she needs to do is find a way to live her life to the fullest.
And I do think that we will figure it out as this season goes forward. But for now, we unravel the pieces. The lies are told, the lines are drawn, and somehow we move forward.
9 MONTHS LATER
There is a lot that can happen in a second – but fast forward nine months and we see these new moments – where Del is riding horses, Jacob is working the land, Kat is running late, and well, apparently Elliott’s renovation is taking forever.
But everyone looks happy and seems really happy. I just don’t see how just Jacob coming home is going to solve everything. There has to be a lot of feelings there. 9 months of feelings, on top of the twenty-four years he was missing. This confusion is a waterfall of emotions, especially coming out of Jacob.
There has to be a lot of changes there. The present time is a lot different than 1814.
The family has to find its footing and right now, they are trudging along and going through the motions. Del is coddling Jacob and I can’t even get mad about that because she’s afraid. She has to be afraid of losing him again and that’s reasonable for her to feel.
Jacob doesn’t seem to know how to let her or anyone in. He’s working the land because it is what he knows. It’s the way that he learned to be a man back in 1814. I honestly wonder if it’s what makes him feel like he’s back with the people that he loves.
It’s nearing the end of the summer and it’s time for Alice to return. She’s been with her Dad all summer and that’s always frightening as to how Brady could influence her. The truth is that time changes everyone and they’ve all changed too.
Everyone is hiding their secrets and someone knows the secrets that the Landry’s have. Del gets letters every week, reminding her. Again, feel like this is Casey. Spitballing here – but Casey looks a lot like Suzanna, so what if she’s Suzanna’s child? And Suzanna ended up with Goodwin and Casey is their child?
EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED
Kat is excited for Alice’s return, but she oversleeps. She had told Del, the night before, that she didn’t need to coddle Jacob, but little did she realize that meant she didn’t need to get coddled either.
Kat is really just excited for Alice to return – she’s a mom and that’s to be expected. I don’t think that anyone was ready thought for Alice’s return – because she came back looking forward, and the only thing that she wanted to concentrate on was her future.
Elliot has been thinking about taking a step forward with Kat, and with the renovations at his place done, he wants to talk to Alice about Kat moving in with him. Just Kat. Which, TBH, weirds me out, but family dynamics are not my strong point.
Alice is fine with that and she’s also fine with telling her Mom that she should go back to 1814 and let them know that Jacob is safe. Even though Elliott had told her the same thing, Kat had refused. I think that she was afraid that Elliott would have thought that she was going back for Thomas.
But you can’t convince me that part of her wouldn’t be going back for Thomas. It’s no secret that I don’t understand Elliott and Kat, because their relationship is built on lies, toxic moments, and mistrust. To me, they just feel comfortable and that’s no way to live a life.
When Alice says it’s okay, Kat jumps. Any viewer has to love how far these two have come since the first season. These two need each other. They listen to each other. I can’t help but think that’s going to be really important as we move forward.
1814 OR BUST
Well, we still hate Goodwin. Yes, 1000% percent hate Goodwin. Poor Elijah had been hurt by Goodwin’s men and that is an outrage. We don’t mess with Elijah. We respect Elijah.
I love that Kat went back though, because she wasn’t really welcome back in 1814. Goodwin thought that she was the white witch and that meant she wasn’t safe. But Kat wanted Elijah to know that Jacob was okay. Elijah is the only man that Jacob knows as a father (and that’s not a slam to Colton) and it had to have broken him to let Jacob go.
Only Elijah tells Kat the truth – not knowing that Jacob had lied – that he had told Jacob to go so he would not be hung. Thomas hadn’t died, so Goodwin was on a rampage and was going to take it out on Jacob. You could see the sting in Kat’s eyes. She thought her brother wanted to come home, but knowing that he didn’t want to, stung her.
Adding to the sting of that Suzanna doesn’t seem to want to see her. She’s so cold and distant. I wondered if it was because Goodwin could find Kat, and I do think that was part of it. But what I also think was part of it was that Suzanna loves Kat. I truly think that she is so in love with Kat and I feel that even stronger as she pulls out the paper from under her bed, and it is the start of the painting of Kat.
OMG did she do it? I would LOVE it is she did it – because had it been a different time these two could have been together. It did break my heart to see Kat leave, but I appreciated that Suzanna sacrificed her own heart.
And as I think that Kat is going to get out of 1814 with nothing else happening, don’t you know that Thomas stops her. He’s hiding near the pond and has been looking to see if anything happens. Kat has to set boundaries, but you can see that his hard for her too.
I feel like Kat is part of a “love square” and before you roll your eyes at me, she is. She’s got feelings for three different people. Two are in 1814 and one is in her time. It’s a love square.
JACOB, YOU LIED
Jacob is remembering things and I both love and hate that for him. It’s got to be a lot. He’s used to a simpler life and one that isn’t filled with so many memories that have tied him down and made him feel as though he can’t function. Memories are overwhelming and they are a lot.
Kat confronts him on what she knows, and he breaks. I love the relationship that is growing between the two of them and how they have each other. However, I worry that they are actually the ones hurting each other with how many lies they need to keep.
Jacob tells her that in his time, he was a man and the land he farmed showed that. Here, he’s unable to be one thanks to the memories and their Mama – who won’t let him function. He can’t tell Del that though, because he doesn’t want to hurt her. He feels so much and all of these feelings that he’s been trying to hold in are coming out.
Jacob may have lied, but he’s imprisoned by whatever time period he’s in. He needs his sister and I am going to be honest, this has in part made me feel like if she goes to move in with Elliott, I will be mad. She needs to be there for him – he’s going through too much.
The good thing is that Del overheard their conversation and this gives her an opening to change. I was impressed that she didn’t go and insert herself into the conversation. She just changed herself.
Del is a different person.
ELLIOTT HAS A PARTY
Alice has changed a lot with her summer away. Everyone has. But Elliott is excited to have her home and to have the renovation on his place done. Family dinners taking place at a table different than the Landry’s table feels weird, but I think it’s good that it happens. We have to open up them all to new experiences and changes in setting.
What I loved was at this dinner Del had found a recording that Colton had made, and they all listened to it. It was as if he was right there with them. The more that Colton is there, the more it exposes Kat and Jacob to remember the things that their father taught them.
And I am convinced that Colton knew about the pond and he’d known more about where Jacob was than he let on. But we’ll get there.
While everyone is enjoying their time together, Alice looks out the window and sees someone running. She tries to get attention, but when she doesn’t – she leaves and follows the direction that they could have gone.
Shortly after that, Del and Jacob head home, where Del tells Jacob that she’s going to give him space. That he can’t just hide at the farm forever. Jacob looks somewhat confused and also somewhat relieved. He heads into the house alone. Del walks off and little did I see this one coming – but she’s in the barn with Sam. Get yours, Del!
Kat and Elliott are cleaning up when he turns Colton’s recording over to play the B side. They are dancing and having a good time – Elliott is about to ask her if she’ll move in – when they suddenly hear Alice on the recording. She’s singing with Colton. That’s definitely her voice singing with Colton.
Alice is at the pond, trying to call her Mom. She knows she saw someone. She knows that someone else is using the pond. When Alice found Colton’s sweater, my jaw dropped. Is Colton back? Is he time-traveling? How does this work? That would be a game-changer.
Kat runs home, trying to get to Alice, where she sees Jacob. He’s had a flashback of Colton telling him to stay away from the pond. Jacob tells his sister that he thinks that their Dad knew about the pond.
All of this is happening so fast. Kat is trying to digest what Jacob just said, and little does she know that Alice is in trouble. She’s at the pond when someone comes up behind Alice and pushes her into the pond.
Who is using the pond!!!???
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Casey Goodwin is suspect – she’s hiding something. Why does she have Alice’s ring?
- Is the pond going to bring people to the future?
- Who is using the pond?
- I want Colton’s sweater for myself – that looks comfy
- I love that Del is hiding her relationship with Sam! Get that spice on
- Seriously Colton told his kids a lot of stuff they never paid attention to
- What do those pictures that Jacob had taped to his desk show? I remember seeing them, but what did we miss?
- Ok, what happened in the 9 months we missed?
- There is something with that clock Elliott found. What is it?
- Why is Alice on that record?
- I don’t wanna hear about Brady’s girlfriend Alice. Especially if you’re giving up on your dream cause of her.
- Jacob and his flashbacks – I feel so bad for him
- I want Jacobs’s scruff back.
The Way Home airs Fridays on The Hallmark Channel and the next day on Hallmark Plus.
