Upamanyu Biswas
The third season of Hallmark’s ‘The Way Home’ continues the Landry family’s complex, interconnected journey through time by introducing a few more twists into the mix. Season 2 ended with Kat’s long-lost brother, Jacob, returning from 1814 to reunite with his biological family in the present day. However, the final moments tease yet another major character’s return—Colton, Kat’s late father. In the first episode of season 3, viewers get to witness a long-awaited reunion between Jacob and his family, which directly leads to a new life for the Landrys, one free from the magical pond in the woods. Still, a specter hangs over the family as an unknown figure watches them from afar while Kat wonders whether all is well now that Jacob is back home. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Del Learns the Truth About the Pond as She Welcomes Jacob Back Into Her Arms
Season 3 opens exactly where the second season finale left off, with Jacob arriving at the Landry farm after emerging from the pond. Kat tells Jacob that if he enters the house, then his life and the lives of the Landry family will change forever. However, this does not dissuade him, as he steps into the living room and reunites with his mother. Del is speechless at the return of her lost son after decades, recognizing him despite his grown-man appearance. Subsequently, Kat explains to her mother the truth about the pond in the forest and how she and her daughter, Alice, have been time-traveling through it for the past year or so in the hopes of finding and recovering Jacob. It takes a while for Del to absorb everything, which is understandable considering the amount of information unloaded on her.
In the aftermath, Kat rushes to Elliot’s home to break the news that Jacob is back. He is stunned by the revelation and heads off to the Landry farm, where he has an emotional reunion with Jacob. Del asks everyone gathered to sit down at the dinner table. She has a frank discussion with them, stating that no matter what happens, the secret about the magical pond must remain hidden from the world. She also tells them that to explain Jacob’s return from the dead, the Landrys must concoct a believable lie that does not reveal the existence of the magical pond and its time travel abilities. The following scene depicts a news channel interview where Kat and Del stand before the press and explain Jacob’s return in a more realistic manner, stating that he has no memory of his time away and he was living with a family who lived entirely off-grid.
Subsequently, nine months pass at the Landry farm. During that time, Alice has gone off to live with her father, Brady, and his partner, Rachel, for the summer. Meanwhile, Jacob is stuck at the farm, carrying out chores while his mother dotes on him like he is still a young boy. Kat offers Jacob the chance to join the Herald as a photographer, with the secret intention of making him leave the Landry farm occasionally. She informs Del that she cannot keep coddling Jacob all the time as he is no longer the same child he was when he disappeared. Del is reluctant to accept Kat’s words, telling Jacob that he is welcome to stay at the farm as long as he likes. There is a disconnect between Jacob’s needs and Del’s wants. The latter feels insecure about the time she lost with Jacob and is likely overcompensating for that fact.
Kat Takes an Impulsive Trip to 1814 and Closes a Chapter On Her Life
Alice returns to Port Haven from her summer stayover at her father’s place. Her mom and grandmother are impressed by her new professional attire, which is reflective of the college life she was leading there. Upon returning, she and Kat take a trip to the magical pond in the forest, catching up with each other’s affairs. After opening up about the pond’s importance in their life and how much they miss their past timelines, Alice encourages her mother to jump in. Kat takes her advice and plunges into the water, reemerging in 1814. She swiftly travels to Elijah Landry’s house, hoping to inform them about Jacob’s survival and his happy reunion with his family. In Elijah’s timeline, only a day has passed since Jacob jumped into the pond. She learns from him that her brother did not go back to the present of his own accord; circumstances forced him.
As it turns out, Cyrus Goodwin is still on the hunt for Jacob. Therefore, Jacob was given no choice but to escape via the pond to the present day despite the fact that he actually did not want to go in the first place. Kat visits Susanna next, hoping to reconnect with her and tell her how much she misses her as a friend. However, Susanna tells Kat to hold on to her affections as she has to leave and escape before Cyrus comes back to hunt her down. Although hurt by her dismissal, Kat pleads with Susanna not to give up her writing ambitions and to emulate the spirit of the author of ‘Sense and Sensibilities,’ her favorite book. Kat does not reveal that in the present day, Susanna’s book “The Founding of Port Haven” is a published work.
In the present timeline, Alice grants Elliot permission to ask her mom to move in with him. Back in the past, Kat runs into Thomas Coyle near the magical pond. She expresses her pent-up feelings for Thomas, berating him for faking his death, which left her devastated. While she acknowledges that the two of them have a special chemistry, she clarifies that someone is waiting for her, alluding to Elliot. Thomas accepts that nothing more is possible between them and bids her farewell. Kat returns back to the present and rushes to the family farm. She confronts Jacob, asking him why he lied about his reasons for returning to the present. Her brother explains that he feels like a coward for running away from Cyrus and a coward in the present day for hiding on the farm at all times, while Del coddles him like a child. Del hears him from upstairs, hurt by the admission.
Alice’s Late-Night Excursion Raises Some Starling Discoveries
Throughout the episode, Kat notices several discrepancies with her father Colton’s actions and behavior. While perusing through her books, she spills some wine on the back page, accidentally revealing a secret message left behind by one likely suspect—Colton. The message reads, “No Curse is On The Water Believe in magic Come to the pond.” Its cryptic origins and meaning leave Kat wondering whether her father knew about the pond and its time-travel abilities after all. She remembers that Colton called her “My Katherine” as he was dying, which are strange final words to use if he did not recognize her. Kat suspects that Colton may have known it was her and that he was privy to the pond all along. She discusses the theory with Elliot, who tells her that she may be reaching too far.
In the final parts of episode 1, the Landrys gather at Elliot’s place, enjoying dinner together and catching up with everyone’s affairs. During proceedings, Alice witnesses an unknown figure walking through the field outside. She follows him outside while her family remains engaged in their personal discussions. Del acknowledges her overbearing and overprotective attitude towards Jacob and tells him that she will give him space to grow and find his own feet again. She heads to celebrate with Sam while Kat and Elliot dance to some music in his living room. When one of Colton’s old songs starts playing, Kat tells Elliot to listen to the lyrics. The pair soon realize that the female singer’s voice duetting with Colton has to belong to Alice. They are confounded by the discovery, wondering how Alice and Colton had sung a song together that was recorded in the 1970s.
Meanwhile, back at the Landrys, Jacob has a flashback to his childhood, where he remembers his father telling him that he will always love him no matter what happens in the future. The phrasing of Colton’s words convinces Jacob that his father knew everything about the pond and the time traveling, which he relays to a desperate Kat searching for Alice. Out in the woods, the young girl heads for the pond, where she discovers clothing belonging to someone else. She tries calling her mother, stating that someone else is using the pond other than Alice and Kat. A mysterious figure creeps up on her and pushes her into the pond. As Alice drops into its water, she looks up to see a faint, wiggly silhouette of a man/woman looking down on her. Even after finding Jacob, it seems that the Landrys are far from resolving their familial complexities, especially if Colton is now involved.
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