Past, Present, Future: When Calls the Heart Season 9 Episode Review

    Hey, Hearties! How are you this fine April's day? Can you believe that we're already half way through WCTH Season 9? Ahh! Say it ain't so! Guys, that's kind of sad. The wait for this wonderful show is just so long, it's saddening to know we only have so many more episodes left. But, let's look on the bright side, and know we still have another 6 episodes yet. Honestly it's nice to have the extra episodes, even if it means we don't get a Christmas Special.

    So, what did I think of the episode? This week's episode again felt more like a filler episode. Almost like a pure "reaction" episode. Excuse me a moment while I push my nerd glasses up my nose, but in writer terms there are two kinds of scenes: Action scenes and reaction scenes. The first is where stuff happens while the second is where the characters react to the stuff that happened. So in this episode it felt more like everyone was reacting to all the stuff that had happened in previous episodes. Lucas' black eye, Mei telling Bill about Jeffery, Nathan's accident, Robert's bike ride with Angela, Mike becoming mayor, etc. 

    While I enjoyed some of the things that happened no doubt, I have to admit sadly that this episode was more boring than the others, and is probably my least favorite episode in this season thus far. But with all that being said there were some funny and interesting things that happened, some of which have me wondering and asking questions. Oh, and someone might be trying to reopen the mine so... (GASP!) More on that in a bit.

    So let's get to the review!

Nathan, Allie, & Mei

    Wow, Nathan. The hard knocks just keep coming. You poor guy. Bill's taking your horse away from you, Allie's causing trouble, and now Mei just squealed on you. You just can't seem to catch a break. 

    Nathan has been through SO much, yet he continues to press on and fight. All he wants is for things to get back to normal, but him and Newton still have a ways to go with their recovery. I found it funny, yet very sweet that Nathan was walking Newton through town rather than riding him. They're both taking things one step at a time. Those two have a strong bond, and nothing is going to change that. Not even Bill taking Newton. (For shame Bill!) Okay I know why he did that, and it's a very wise move, but that doesn't mean I have to be nice to him. ;) 

    But it turns out his concussion trauma goes deeper than just his latest injury, having gotten one when he was thirteen. (The incident also involving him getting thrown from his horse.) All of this is making it even harder for him to recover. But yet, despite it all he's so committed to his job that he's willing to ask Elizabeth once again for driving lessons. I am definitely looking forward to that, but... I'm still kind of hoping that something will happen so Lucas teaches him how to drive instead. Lol! It's also nice to see Nathan being able to interact with Elizabeth...  without making a snarky comment. :D But honestly the guy really is trying. Trying to move on. Trying to work through his injury. Trying to get him and Newton back to normal, while being open to learning something new. He's also trying to open his heart again to the possibility of love, but... the woman isn't making things easy.

    Oh, Mei... (Sigh...) Yeah, I've got some complaints to take up with you, girl. Sadly I have to say that I am not loving Mei as a character thus far. I want to, especially since it looks like she's going to be Nathan's new love interest, but I'm just not. But I do feel like she's being guarded right now due to her past so hopefully we'll see her open up more, as she eventually moves on from her past. Then maybe she'll become less guarded and we'll see her personality really shine. I know she has a sweet and caring heart, which is why she probably did what she did, but...

    Girl! Nathan shared something super personal with you and what did you do? You ran off and spilled the beans to his boss! Okay, probably not all the beans, but some of them! Now I totally understand why she did what she did. She knows that Nathan is struggling, yet he's still trying to carry on like before. And now with the added trauma of his childhood story, I think she's really concerned for him. After all he's the town Mountie. If he or his horse aren't 100% than something could go wrong while he's trying to do his job. Something that could cause him, Newton, or the townsfolk to get seriously injured. So again I understand her saying something. Was this the best approach? Yes, if she's not trying to build a friendship with Nathan. No, if she is. Nathan came to her in confidence, and she very quickly broke that confidence. I mean, it's not her place to tell him what to do, and any concerned citizen should take the route she did. I just don't know that her way was the most effective.

    She maybe could have made a point to keep working with him and Newton, so she could gauge both the man and the horse's mental status. Maybe she could of had dinner with Nathan again so she could keep an eye on him. But then again, after what Bill said to her... Maybe she should stay far away from Nathan for now.

    The possibility that she is still married doesn't bode well for anybody. She's just said so very little that I don't know what really happened with her and Jeffery. Of course that's how the writers want it. Lol! I have to admit that I'm not thrilled with her storyline, and if she is still married, Nathan is about to take yet another shot to the heart. And this time he may not recover so well. But I get the feeling that Jeffery isn't such a good man, and perhaps once all is revealed I'll feel very differently about everything. I'll just have to keep waiting.

    Finally, I have to mention Allie, her ice cream adventure, and her feelings for Robert. Oh boy! Did her and Robert get into a mess! And... she found out about the bike ride Robert and Angela took! And Allie isn't all too happy about it. But I think Elizabeth's advice was good advice. Focus on being friends with Angela and Robert right now, and not about wanting to be Robert's girlfriend. I found it interesting that things between Elizabeth and Allie are pretty much back to normal now. But then again a lot of time has passed, and seeing her Uncle (Or rather Dad) moving on definitely has helped her heal. But anyway, I still think Allie is a bit young to have a boyfriend or at least feelings beyond "like-liking" Robert. Maybe wait a year or two little lady. But I'm very curious to see where this plotline goes.

    Note to Nathan: Maybe you'd better have a chat with Allie about the new word she learned. Lol!

Bill, Mike, and... Faith?

    Wow! Mike you sure got a lot of sisters. And.... and that explains a lot. Lol! The poor guy is just so excited and happy to be mayor, and I know he has the very best of intentions. I mean, just look at the office he was willing to take instead of the actual mayor's office that Bill is using currently. How sweet is that? The problem is no one else truly believes in him to do the job. But thankfully, someone is taking an interest in supporting him and helping him succeed.

    Well, Bill is certainly making things up to Mike in this episode. He was just so brash last time over Mike's dealings with Wyman, and he didn't even let the poor man get a word in. But now, he's really taking the guy under his wing, and helping him build up his image and show him the ropes. Maybe just inform Mike that he doesn't quite need to wave so much to Faith... And speaking of Faith... You know what I'm about to do...

    Faith... and Mike?!? What? How? Why? I just... ugh! What happened to Mike's crush on Fiona? What happened to all of Faith's looks at Nathan? Why oh, why is this happening?

    Okay... breathe Hope... breathe...

    So in all honesty I really doubt that Faith and Mike will become a thing. I mean, Faith's been looking at Nathan for the past 5 episodes so... I really have my doubts. (Then again we don't know why Faith has been looking at Nathan.) Honestly guys I think Faith is just dying to be in a relationship. She just alwyas picks the guys that want more than Hope Valley and end up leaving. I don't know that she'll end up with either Mike or Nathan and to be honest I don't know that she feels that way about either of them. She needs to find the man that takes her breath away and sweeps her off her feet. And I don't think that guy is Nathan or Mike.

The Canfields

    Not too much happened with the Canfields this episode, but it's looking more and more like Minnie may buy into the cafe. She's kind of become the new Abigail of Hope Valley so I guess it's only fitting. And Joseph is just the sweetest guy. He's always there if you need him and he's so willing to help in any way he can. He really wants to take on more with Lee's sawmill, but is willing to wait and let his wife possibly buy into the cafe first. He also stepped in to stop Lee's fight with the bill board worker. Good job Joseph.

 

Lee & Rosemary

    Lee... You seriously need to take a breath, and just... accept the fact that Mike is mayor. Oh, and stop getting into fist fights. That would be a good idea too. Lol! Honestly, wow! I don't think we've seen Lee ever, ever get into a physical fight in the history of this show. That may be proof that he's really struggling inside. The poor man just wanted to be mayor so bad, and doesn't think Mike is cut out for the job. And so what does he do? Writes a bold newspaper article and publishes his opinion for the entire town to read. Ouch! It would seem John Tinker enjoys putting the characters through their lowest moments in life. In Season 8 it was Jesse & Clara, and then Elizabeth when she was mad at Rosemary. Now it's good old Lee's turn.

    In my opinion, Lee just needs to let the whole mayor thing go. He needs to accept that he didn't win, and that rather than putting Mike down and putting pressure on him, Lee should be lifting him up. Supporting him. Helping him in anyway he can. Then maybe he would see Mike's heart and his true intentions as mayor. Lee would also be a much happier man. Again I'm not sure if he's staying at the newspaper forever. He very well may stay on for awhile, and it's providing some new storylines for both him and Rosemary. But either way, he needs to stop badmouthing Mike and putting him down.

    Rosemary on the other hand, seems to get this a little better. She's being the sweet wife she always has and is standing with her man. However... I think she can see a little more clearly than Lee, as she didn't want to be mayor. :) Thankfully she's always there to help calm him down and point him in the right direction. I'll be very interested to see how this all plays out. I really do want Lee to apologize to Mike before the season is over. That would be very much appreciated. I'm also curious if Rosemary is finally going to add the Classifieds section to her newspaper. Lol!

Fiona & Henry

     Finally Fiona and Henry have really fixed things between each other and are starting over fresh. I have to agree with Henry. Fiona really just dropped into the middle of things with the oil company, but Henry was kind and understanding and took the first step to make things right. Although... maybe Fiona should have been the one to do that. Honestly  was getting pretty annoyed with her attitude. She was acting really prideful and was ready to fight before she even knew what Henry was going to say. It all just was getting under my skin.

    But anyway, the two of them now have this almost father/daughter thing going on and it could turn out to be really sweet if their relationship continues to go this way. I guess we'll see.

    But... Oh my goodness... There is talk of Jerome Smith possibly wanting to reopen the coal mine!!! Oh my... Oh my, oh my, oh my. I can only imagine the reaction that would occur if this really did happen or even if the rumor got out. It's interesting that Lucas is in on the secret and could be fun if he plays a part in stopping this from happening. But I can only imagine Elizabeth's reaction if she found out. I am very intrigued to see where this goes. Such a great plot twist!

 

Lucas & Elizabeth

    So you finally did it, Bouchard. Finally Lucas admitted where he got his black eye, but only once he knew Wyman was gone. Smart move, dude. But... I'm definitely a little confused about just what Lucas knows, and what he's trying to do. 

    Lucas obviously knows more about Wyman than we do, and he's trying to earn the guy's trust. So... why would Wyman be running scared? And why would Lucas think he is? That doesn't really seem like the Wyman Walden I've been watching. I kind of think Lucas may be downplaying this whole thing to Elizabeth just so she doesn't worry or get involved. Just telling her the details she needs to know, while he works on his plan to catch the crook. This... yeah, this could end quite badly. (Gulp!)

    I think we've yet to see the whole puzzle get pieced together, and so I'll just have to wait until next week to figure things out.

    Other than that plotline, we got some more sweet moments with Lucas and Elizabeth, although not as many as I would have liked. Maybe the writers just spoiled me with these past two episodes. Lol! It is good to see them working out their problems together, and in a way that doesn't involve an incredible amount of tension and anger. That was something that kind of drove me crazy with her and Jack. :D But I'm sure things with Wyman are far from over, so I'll be curious to see how they deal with that, and just what may happen.

    I was glad to see Elizabeth pulling Little Jack around in his wagon. We don't always get a lot of moments with these two so that was nice to see. And guys... Hyland is doing such a great job playing Little Jack! Hyland speaks so well, and is just a joy to watch. He's so happy, and his giggles are so fun to listen to. I just think the Taylor twins didn't always seem as comfortable as Hyland does on set. Or they just simple have different personalities than Hyland. We'll all remember the Taylor twins as the first Little Jack, but I truly am enjoying Hyland's portrayal so much.

    And finally... Elizabeth wants a book wagon so she can take books into the mountains and give them to people who don't have access to them? Yes! This could be such a great plotline for Elizabeth! Can't you just see her and Lucas riding that big wagon into the forest and up the mountain? Finding people who can't afford books or just don't have a way to get them, maybe even reaching out to children and adults alike who don't know how to read because they never had the books to do so? It would almost feel like something you'd see in Season 1 if done right. So I will be very interested to see where this goes. We could get some great storylines and some super drama and danger! (What? That's just where my mind goes. :D )

    Overall while this wasn't my favorite episode, it still had some fun, and humorous moments that made me laugh. I feel like this was another filler episode, and so I'm very curious what's to come next. In reading the next two episode titles I found the most interesting thing. Wikipedia states that episodes 7-8 are titled, "Hope Valley Days Part 1 & Hope Valley Days Part 2." Part 1 and 2, huh? That is very interesting... They're also written by John Tinker so that could mean craziness is on the way. Lol!

    Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below or on my Twitter page! Have an amazing day! God Bless!

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