Upamanyu Biswas
Season 3 of Hallmark’s ‘The Way Home’ continues to throw up unforeseen twists and turns in the generational time travel story. In the fifth episode, titled ‘Reeling in the Years,’ the Landry family prepares for Del’s upcoming birthday amidst a growing list of mysteries ranging back the years. As shown in the last few installments, Colton’s time travel secret remains Kat’s obsession, especially after events from the past episodes. Her daughter, Alice, keeps Evelyn company as Colton’s new love affair with Del continues to advance rapidly. It forces Evelyn to come up with new ways to avoid the painful truth. At the same time, a new face appears in Port Haven, one with links to Elliot’s past, which only makes Kat insecure about their relationship. She is also bothered by cryptic visions of her past life, especially back in the 19th century. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Alice and Evelyn Find a Ghost in the Lingermore Attic
Episode 5 begins in 1974, where Kat and Alice are watching Colton perform a variety of songs in front of a live audience. Evelyn enjoys his singing until she notices young Del at the back of the shop with a happy expression on her face. Alice meets up with her mother, and they discuss the possibility of Colton being a time traveler. Alice tells her mother to relax as she has had no indication that young Colton has any knowledge about traveling through time. Kat listens to Colton sing a very peculiar song that reminds her of her life in 1814 with Thomas Coyle by her side. Alice and Evelyn return to Lingermore estate, where the former learns that the Goodwin girl has moved into the attic to stay away from Del. Evelyn also reveals that the attic is haunted by a ghost of one of her former ancestors, whom she names Cassandra.
Kat meets up with Fern at the Landry farm, where the matriarch informs her that Colton is a “rule breaker.” However, what rule he broke is left a mystery as Fern walks away. Meanwhile, back at the estate, Colton walks into the attic and talks to Evelyn about her new room. She convinces him and Alice to join her for a spirit-calling session with the use of an Ouija board. A Young Del walks in moments later to join them in the communal experience. Although Colton is skeptical about the whole process, the pointer on the board begins going haywire after Evelyn summons the spirit. Three separate phrases are brought to attention by the pointer – namely, “fire,” ‘too fast,” and “blame.” The message seems cryptic and refers to something no one has any knowledge of. However, Colton is slightly troubled by the ordeal.
Del’s Birthday Party Puts a Strain on Alice’s Relationship With Her Grandmother
In the present-day timeline, we learn that Jacob is ready to accept the job offer from Lewis Goodwin. Brady stops by Port Haven to reconnect with his daughter Alice. Meanwhile, Sam and Del spend some time together, with the latter’s birthday coming up the next day. When Jacob walks into the kitchen, Del hands him an envelope. Jacob opens it and finds documents inside which confirm he is no longer a missing or dead person. It allows Jacob to finally take the next steps in the modern world without being held back by unnecessary guidelines. In 1974, Alice and Evelyn briefly discuss Colton slowly drifting away from the latter. Eventually, Evelyn discovers a small hole in the room, revealing a painting of someone familiar to her. Alice returns home.
Kat and Elliot share a tender moment in Elliot’s home before someone rings the entrance bell. Kat opens the door to find Elliot’s ex-wife, Emma, standing outside. She has stopped by for a visit. The three sit down for a brief discussion until the topic of Del’s birthday party enters the equation. Surprisingly, Kat invites Emma to the party, which shocks Elliot slightly. Later, while she and Elliot have a private exchange, she gets a vision of her life in 1814 with Thomas. Not long after, Del’s party begins with the Landry matriarch delivering an emotional speech and also acknowledging Jacob’s new life as an officially alive person. Jacob tells everyone that he has accepted Lewis Goodwin’s offer and is now a consultant on his vineyards. Subsequently, Emma and Alice decide to perform a song together, choosing the same cryptic song that Kat heard Colton sing in 1974.
Kat interrupts Alice’s singing and picks up the lyrics. Later, Alice and her grandmother discuss Kat’s abrupt actions on the porch outside. The conversation eventually turns to Evelyn. Del tells Alice that she never got close to the girl. However, Alice reminds her that Evelyn was hurt when Colton chose Del over her. Her grandmother tells her to stop making her feel guilty for something she had no control over. Alice insists that she is only asking to understand and console Evelyn and not make Del feel bad. Del reacts adversely to her words, harshly telling her to stay away from her old memories. Clearly, there is something with bad taste she is trying to hide from her granddaughter. Sam overhears the conversation and tells Del not to feel too guilty as she will eventually repair her bond with Alice.
Kat and Jacob Take a Trip Back to 1816
After hearing the weird song at the party, Kat becomes even more suspicious of the lyrics. During Alice’s performance, she looks at Jacob to confirm if he is receiving the same hidden message as her, which he does. Subsequently, she, Elliot, and Jacob investigate the meaning behind the words. Rita explains to them that in 1816, a volcanic eruption blocked out daylight for a while, leading to a year without summer. After hearing the word “witch” in the lyrics, Kat and Jacob begin wondering if the song talks about someone they know from 1814, specifically Susanna. Kat tells Elliot that she plans to return to the past to find the answer. Elliot thinks it is a bad idea. Because Kat asked him the question earlier, Elliot tells her why he married Emma in the first place.
While in Toronto one night, Elliot saw Brady and Kat at a local restaurant. Watching Kat from afar, Elliot felt he needed to move on from her. So, when Emma arrives to meet him for their date, he drops to one knee and proposes marriage. The news stuns Kat because her side of the story completely differs from how Elliot views it. She tells him that when he saw her at the Toronto restaurant, her relationship with Brady was already in a downward spiral. She tells him that had she known he was in the restaurant, she would have embraced him immediately. Elliot tries once more to stop Kat from going back to the past, but she is determined to do so. He accepts her decision and lets her leave. Subsequently, Emma shows up at his doorstep, and Elliot invites her in for a few drinks.
Jacob and Kat join hands at the pond as they prepare to fling themselves into the water. They take one final breath before leaping in. They come out of the pond in an almost apocalyptic environment, which has been tinged bright red. They leave the forest and arrive at the Landry farm. Elijah is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, at the nearby chapel, they discover Cyrus Goodwin coming out of the building. A woman accompanies him out in a bridal gown. Both Kat and Jacob are floored when they realize it is Susanna. She meets Kat’s eyes but ignores her and gets into the wagon with Cyrus. Meanwhile, somewhere close, Thomas Coyle watches the events unravel from a hiding place. It opens a whole variety of questions regarding why Susanna would take such a path and how Thomas figures into the whole thing.
Read More: The Way Home Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song
