When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 3 Recap: All That Glitters

In ‘When Calls the Heart,’ we continue to follow our beloved Hope Valley residents as season 12 opens an entirely new chapter in their lives. Rosemary, the journalist who is always looking out for the latest scoop, finds a shiny new enigma to captivate the attention of her new radio listeners. However, as Lee returns to town, he seemingly brings a few secrets of his own that pique his wife’s inquisitive curiosity. Meanwhile, another better-kept secret unravels as Oliver’s monthly evaluation nears, leading Nathan and Elizabeth to learn something surprising about their cadet in training. Thus, episode 3 remains ripe with many revelations. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Hidden Truth About Oliver’s Past Emerges

The coming week remains infinitely crucial for Nathan’s mountie cadet, Oliver, who has his first monthly progress report on Friday. However, despite his excellent police work and added help with previous case comparison assignments, the young man remains nervous about his mentor’s upcoming meeting with Superintendant Hargreeves. Nathan finds out the reason behind this soon enough once he takes a look at his cadet’s written reports. Apparently, Oliver—who excels in other aspects of his training—is an exceptionally bad writer.

Since this could become a problem for Oliver’s further progress, Elizabeth offers to help him out with his writing skills. However, as she offers her help to the boy, she learns something confounding about his past. Oliver—who is thrilled at the prospect of receiving Elizabeth’s help—claims that he graduated from a high school in Hamilton. Yet, the teacher, who is actually from that town, suspects the same establishment to have closed down a while back. Her investigation into the matter—a simple phone call to a friend—reveals the same.

Thus, Elizabeth realizes Oliver has been lying about his high school graduation since day one. Even so, once she gently confronts him about the same and learns the reason behind his lie, she is inclined to offer him a second chance. Nathan, on the other hand, doesn’t hold the same belief—at least initially. Therefore, even though Oliver resigns of his own accord, his mentor remains reluctant to offer him the benefit of the doubt, much to Elizabeth’s dismay. Eventually, after an eye-opening conversation with Bill—mountie to mountie—Nathan comes around and decides to hear Oliver out.

As it turns out, Oliver hadn’t attended high school because of his foster family. Oliver is an orphan who was in the system from a young age. The family who fostered him put him to work as a farmhand and, thus, didn’t consider it important to educate him. After he aged out of the system, they offered to continue keeping him on for help on the farm, but the young man sought greater adventures. For the same reason, he lied on his mountie application to become a cadet.

Nonetheless, once Oliver realizes Nathan will learn the truth, he immediately hands in his resignation to ensure the mountie doesn’t become complicit in his actions. This show of loyalty and goodwill, paired with the cadet’s earnest willingness to better himself and correct his previous lie, compels Nathan to give him a second chance. As such, he sticks up for his cadet during the progress report to the superintendent. He and Elizabeth seem to have made up their mind and are prepared to support Oliver in whatever way they can.

Rosemary Makes Some Intriguing Discoveries

This episode finds Rosemary once again on a quest after a new story. Her radio hour seems to have taken off quite well, encouraging him to continue bringing new ideas to the table. Much like last time, her latest topic finds him in Yost’s shop, where a mysterious customer has paid with an extremely rare coin—made of gold and embossed with a two-headed eagle. As such, she comes up with the idea to run an advertisement in her paper, inviting the spender to her radio show to reclaim the coin. Interestingly enough, this seems to catch Bill’s attention. Yet, before Rosemary can unravel that mystery, another distracts her.

Rosemary’s husband, Lee, has recently returned to Hope Valley—after his disagreement with Lucas about the National Park. Although he seems to have made up his mind that he wouldn’t be going back into partnership with the Governor—the validity of that claim remains yet to be seen. However, something entirely different catches Rosemary’s attention. She finds out that her husband has been apparently making changes in his will and setting up doctor’s appointments. The details of these meetings remain a secret to her thanks to confidential privileges.

Things become even more suspicious when Lee begins avoiding her and setting up trekking plans with Mike Hickam. Naturally, this compels her to employ Elizabeth’s help and tail her husband up the mountains. Nonetheless, her ruse only lasts so long before Hickam and Lee manage to spot the two women in the bushes. Consequently, Rosemary realizes the truth about what Lee has been up to all this time. He’s setting up a new hiking trail in the mountains named after Goldie. He thinks that this would be a small token that will help Lucas realize why the National Park is so important.

Thus, two things become clear: Lee is still invested in the National Park’s construction, and he hasn’t been hiding any significant life decisions from his wife. Yet, one secret persists between the pair. Apparently, Lee has been getting introspective lately about his own death since he lost his father around the same age. For the same reason, he has been growing anxious about the legacy he will leave behind for Goldie. Even though he isn’t ready to share those fears with Rosemary yet, the couple will likely work through it together in time.

Alternatively, for now, Rosemary finds herself with a brand new project to focus on. As it turns out, the rare gold coin has a greater mystery attached to it than she initially thought. After looking through some old case files, Bill reveals the coin’s true origin to the journalist. In 1907, some bandits stole twenty thousand brand-new gold minted coins from a locked freight train car. The authorities never managed to retrieve the coins, and the thieves were never caught. Therefore, Bill thinks Rosemary’s gold coin belongs to one of these twenty thousand. He wants to solve the mystery of the spender and track down the thieves behind the robbery. Furthermore, he wants Rosemary’s help to do it.

Lucas Makes a New Enemy

Back in Capitol City, Governor Lucas continues to face problems with his initiative to build a National Park. Previously, he had heeded Edie Martel’s words that such a construction would pose a problem to local ranchers since they relied on the land for their pastures where he is planning on building his Park. However, it now becomes evident that the same was a simple ploy to secure her client’s wishes and sway the vote in her favor. To make matters worse, the trial for Jeanette, Lucas’ ex-girlfriend—who attempted to kill him—shifts earlier to the upcoming week. As a result, the city’s journalists and reports begin hounding the unpopular Governor, making it impossible for him to stay in town.

For the same reason, Lucas finds himself traveling to Hope Valley for a moment of respite. Yet, he isn’t afforded the same since Edie coincidentally ends up following him. Afterward, he arrives in town and realizes his office has been otherwise compromised. As a result, he has to work out of Minnie’s restaurant—where he once again runs into Edie. Apparently, she is looking to set up a local law practice in town and has also found herself working out of the diner due to the shortage of office space in town.

Thus, it seems Lucas and Edie will have to see a lot more of each other in the future. Their bickering dynamic and repeated coincidental meetings seem to suggest a possible enemies-to-lovers romance between them. Edie is ambitious and not above using tricks to get her way. Now that Lucas has already fallen for it once, he is able to see through her act and call her out on her traits. Still, only time will tell whether or not sparks will fly between the pair.