‘When Calls the Heart’ undertakes some enthralling avenues with its characters and storylines in season 12, and episode 5, ‘Mom’s the Word,’ brings many of these narratives to an intriguing peak. Since sharing a dance with Wyatt on her birthday, Allie’s infatuation with the older boy grows, leading to growing concerns from Nathan. However, the teenager’s choices remain out of the Mountie’s grasp, especially once he’s recruited to aid Rosemary and Bill in their fascinating gold coin investigation. Meanwhile, new and old faces arrive in town, leading to some surprising resolutions. As such, things seem to be progressing steadfastly in Hope Valley. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Nathan Goes Undercover to a Poker Game
After the events of the last episode, Jed Campbell comes clean about being the one to spend the cold coin at Yost’s shop. Yet, he claims to know nothing about its origins and connection to the Garrison gan or infamous train robbery. Instead, he passes on pertinent information to Rosemary and Bill—his suspicious interrogators. As it turns out, Jed won the coin in a poker game that he participated in in the backroom of some Union City hotel. Toddy Davis, an estate dealer, is the previous owner of the coin, making him the Judge and Journalist’s next suspect.
After sharing their findings with the resident Mountie, Nathan, the duo comes up with the idea to infiltrate the poker game and make contact with Toddy. Although both Rosemary and Bill seem excited at the prospect of doing clandestine work, Nathan soon bursts their bubble and insists he should be the one to go undercover, given the situation’s potential danger. However, this introduces a new small problem: the Mountie isn’t the best bet for passing off as a suave poker player. Thus, a brief but effective makeover commences, wherein Rosemary and Bill shower their best advice on the man.
Eventually, Nathan attends the Poker Game—under the alias of Danny DeMarco. Initially, he plays it cool in an attempt to play off his persona of a serious businessman. This piques Toddy’s interest, and he inevitably approaches him at the bar after the game. Through a meticulously crafted backstory, Nathan subtly presents himself as a person of interest in the other man’s business. As a result, he successfully manages to get his attention—and contact information—setting up the base for Rosemary and Bill’s investigation to progress.
The Town Meddles in Lucas and Lee’s Fued
Ever since things went south in Lucas’ initial National Park pitch, things have been notably tense between him and Lee. Both parties feel slighted by the other man in terms of their friendship and business partnership. Lee thinks the governor betrayed him by reconsidering his plans so quickly at the words of an outsider, while Lucas is angry at the former’s continued departure from his team, which sent out a bad message for his already ramshackle public reputation. Nonetheless, despite the fact that they can work these issues out, both men remain distant from each other on account of their pride.
Naturally, Lucas and Lee seem to require a nudge—which Fiona’s pleasantly surprising arrival in town provides. Fiona had previously left Hope Valley to pursue her aspirations of contributing to the suffragette movement in San Fransico. However, she has returned to town for a brief period—and even picked up a hitchhiker, Ava, on the way. Both women seem to have intriguing reasons for their presence in the town, which will no doubt be explored further in future episodes. Still, an unforeseen side-effect of Fiona’s return remains her ability to peddle the importance of meddling. As such, her influence compels Pastor Joseph and Mike Hickam to facilitate a forced proximity situation between Lucas and Lee.
As such, the duo find themselves stranded in the woods together, forced to walk back in each other’s company. Inevitably, this opens up an inescapable space for them to talk to each other and see the errors of their own ways. Lucas realizes that his people-pleasing abilities can often hurt those he cares about most. Similarly, Lee also realizes he shouldn’t close himself off so readily. Therefore, as the two make their way back into town, their friendship seems to have gotten back on track, promising good things for their National Park plans.
Allie Takes a Chance on Love
From the first time Wyatt returned to town—this time as a young man—Allie has been besotted with his charming persona. She decides to have a dance party after getting smitten by his moves and joyfully shares a dance with him on her birthday. Consequently, in its aftermath, she’s sure that something is blooming between them. Nonetheless, Nathan isn’t thrilled about the idea of her daughter falling for Wyatt due to his distrust of the other teenager. Still, he knows better than to meddle in Allie’s life, but he still asks Elizabeth to talk with her while he’s out on his Union City mission.
Elizabeth is also reluctant to discuss the matter with Allie since she knows teenagers only rebel more if they feel restricted. Still, it becomes impossible for her to ignore the issue once she spots Wyatt flirting with Ava at the hotel, albeit unsuccessfully. The teacher realizes that Allie is way more serious about the boy than he is about her, which is bound to leave the former heartbroken. Nevertheless, the teenage girls ignore Elizabeth’s advice and decide to put herself out there. She asks Wyatt if he would like to join her in a picnic or another date-like activity—only for the boy to shoot her down.
Wyatt tries to be gentle in his own way—by telling Allie she isn’t “his speed” and offering her a free grilled cheese sandwich. Yet, it predictably leaves Allie somber. This is the first time she has tried to put her heart on the line, and she’s mournful of the scars she has already acquired. Still, on the bright side, it offers the opportunity for a rare moment of genuine bonding between her and Elizabeth. Although the two have always had a close student-teacher relationship, Nathan and Elizabeth’s courtship has introduced a different dynamic for them. As a result, the aftermath of Allie’s heartbreak strengthens this dynamic, allowing them to acknowledge their close bond.
Read More: When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 4 Recap: Dancing Teens