Upamanyu Biswas
In episode 6 of ‘The Way Home’ season 3, titled ‘Ain’t No Sunshine,’ Kat and Jacob’s trip back to 1816 leads to a whole bunch of complications as they confront some hard truths. With the year of no summer looming over proceedings, the town of Port Haven falls into superstitious thinking, causing a raft of issues for the central characters. Meanwhile, in the present day, Elliot must navigate his complex past with Emma, trying to make sense of how their relationship panned out the way it did. It sparks a complex discussion regarding Elliot’s relationship with Kat and whether some new challenges might be ahead for the pair. Meanwhile, Alice struggles to understand how Max Goodwin, a boy she despises, could be linked to her through time and may be more influential in her life than she is willing to accept. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kat and Jacob Learn the Truth About Susanna’s Marriage
Episode 6 picks up directly from episode 5’s ending, where Kat and Jacob witness Susanna stepping out of a chapel as Cyrus Goodwin’s bride. As they watch her ride away with her new husband, they spot Elijah among the watching crowd. He takes them away and leads them back to the Landry farm. While trying to make sense of Susanna’s decision, the three are interrupted by a knock on the door. Susanna enters the room. She tells Kat and Jacob to leave her alone and return to their timeline. Kat follows Susanna outside as she leaves through the door. After pleading for more answers, Susanna finally tells Kat that her choice is justified as Cyrus can give her what she wants even if he is not the right person for her. Kat is unsatisfied with the answer and decides to attend her wedding reception by herself.
Jacob tells Elijah that he wants to attend the ceremony as well. However, Kat and Elijah discard it as a foolish thought, especially because Cyrus would instantly recognize Jacob. Thus, only Kat ends up attending the reception. She is invited to dance by a random stranger. While dancing, she meets up with Thomas Coyle, who is wearing a disguise. Thomas tells Kat that he is hoping to rescue Susanna like she is. The pair make the decision to save her together. Meanwhile, Jacob arrives at the event armed with a gun. He is ready to hunt down Cyrus, but Elijah spots him in time and stops him. Jacob says that he feels guilty about Susanna’s choice because he is the reason the whole thing has gone haywire. Elijah reminds Jacob that he had no choice in the matter.
Outside the reception hall, ash begins raining down on the town. The townspeople are alarmed by the apocalyptic developments, unaware of the fact that it is due to a volcano eruption somewhere else. Subsequently, a panicked crowd gathers around the wedding hall and blames Susanna, who is reputed as a witch, for stealing the sun. Watching the argument spiral into chaos, Kat remembers the lyrics from the song that brought her to 1816. She decides to trust the lyrics and takes the blame for the sun being gone, announcing herself as the “white witch.” Meanwhile, Thomas joins in on her ruse and reveals his identity to Cyrus. He states that he is a dead man who the white witch has revived. As a result, both Susanna and Thomas are locked up in the town’s prison.
Alice Tries to Make Sense of Her Future While Elliot is Torn By His Past
Near the end of the previous episode, Alice makes a discovery about Max Goodwin that throws her off. She realizes that his constant reference to Noah about how she is “wife material” sounds sketchy. She also thinks about his connection to Casey. Alice begins suspecting that Max is her future husband and Casey will be their child in the future. In episode 6, Alice begins realizing that these connections are limitless, especially after Noah calls them “soulmates” after realizing they both like certain food combinations. Her distraught feelings become even more pronounced after she runs into Del back home. The two have a fraught discussion mainly centered around their argument from episode 5. However, after a lot of cajoling and with time, Del apologizes to Alice for snapping at her granddaughter to keep away from her old memories.
Meanwhile, Elliot juggles the guilt from his past relationship with Emma after he gets a visit from Nick. They go over the interior changes within Elliot’s house before the conversation turns to Emma. Emma drops by the house during the discussion to meet up with Elliot again. She is desperate to know the answer to why their relationship never worked out. She asks Elliot why he never gave her the family ring when he proposed to her. Elliot is unable to tell her the actual truth, which involves Kat. Instead, he tells her in a roundabout way that he never committed fully to their relationship. As such, the bond was always at risk of fracturing at the most minor problem. Emma says that her love for Elliot was always true. They both end up kissing before Elliot pulls away, horrified at the implications for his relationship with Kat.
Kat’s Confession Throws a Wall Up Between Her and Jacob
After being captured by the town’s authorities, Kat tells Thomas about the song she is referring to as an answer to their situation. Although she is not quite sure how it all works out, she believes that the lyrics may hold the key to her and Thomas surviving the wrath of the town. They both manage to escape the prison but are whisked away by Cyrus Goodwin’s men. Kat wakes up in the Lingermore estate, where Cyrus questions her about why she stole the sun. He asks her to revert it back, but Kat admits she has no power over it. Angered by her refusal to help, he tells her that he will turn her and Thomas into a target for the town to blame, thereby saving his wife Susanna’s life. She and Thomas are brought before an angry mob, ready to be executed at short notice.
Kat finally remembers the important parts of the lyrics and realizes that they also speak about stealing the moon. She announces to the crowd that if they kill her, they will never get their moon back, as she intends to steal it as well. A lunar eclipse occurs in a flash, which darkens the night sky entirely. The fearful crowd urges Cyrus to release Kat. Soon after he does, the moon returns to the sky. Thomas congratulates her on saving both their lives with a quick bit of improvisation. Subsequently, she and Jacob head back to the lake to return to the present-day timeline. However, Jacob hesitates as he does not wish to go back just yet. He still feels attached to Elijah and wants to ensure that the people he grew up with remain safe. Desperate to bring him back, Kat tells him the truth about Colton’s death and how she had a hand in how he passed away.
Jacob is furious upon hearing the truth from Kat. Instead of listening to reason, he throws her into the lake, and she emerges in 1965. She runs into the woods and finds out that eight-year-old Evelyn and Colton are drowning in the lake. Kat jumps in to save both of them. Thus, unlike Evelyn’s version of events, it was not Colton who saved her from drowning but Kat. They call her the white witch and promise to never use the lake again. Subsequently, Kat jumps back into the pond and emerges in the present day, where Del pulls her out of the water. Kat is distraught from what she just witnessed and tells her mother that she is responsible for saving Colton’s life and also killing him. With so many conflicts and mysteries in the air, it will be intriguing to see how the Landry family repairs its bonds once more.
Read More: The Way Home Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: Reeling in the Years
