When Calls The Heart - General Discussion

[maraleia]

With a few exceptions storytelling wise I was impressed with the first season of this show. They took time to flesh out the characters and give the town some depth while also keeping the anticipation alive for Elizabeth and Jack. What are everyone else's thoughts on the first season? Why in heaven's name hasn't the Hallmark Channel renewed this show yet?

[Veruca Assault]

I agree with both points-- I keep checking to see if they have announced the renewal. I don't want to leave Coal Valley yet!

[emjohnson03]

I agree. I watched the show over 2 days on a binge watch and don't regret it at all. It was better than I thought and it really took the time to build the romance between Jack and Elizabeth. I don't know how much "real time" passed from when they met to the kiss but it was wonderful when it finally happened.

I do agree the pacing was off at points and some of it was a bit cliche but this is set in 1910ish so there's some benefit of the doubt when it comes to things. I think the biggest gripe I had was the introduction of Rosemary and the fact she will be sticking around. I think at this point she's exhausted and can be taken out but there must be a plan for her in Season 2, maybe she will even get past Jack and another love interest will come along for her.

I'm interested to see where they take the Abgail and Bill story/romance. I really enjoy both of them together so I'm wondering how that's going to play out. Jack Wagner is still looking mighty good and really fits in with the era.

There will be a season two, it did very well in the ratings so I don't see why they are waiting, Maybe it's simply just a logistical thing with time and dates. I know they were basically done shooting the season this time last year so they won't be airing the show till next year probably.

Love to keep chatting with you all! This really is a gem of a show that I could watch again, my favorite episodes of course!

[bigskygirl]

I was hoping Rosemary was hitting the road.  She bug me as much as Elizabeth's sister did.

[wanderingstar]

To my surprise, I enjoyed this show. The chemistry between Jack and Elizabeth drew me in, and then I found I enjoyed the rest of the show as well. In particular, I loved the friendship between Elizabeth and Abigail. I hope this show gets renewed. I at least want to see what happens with Jack and Elizabeth.

[maraleia]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's first season. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[maraleia]

For all media mentions of the show.

 

Renewed for a second season http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/hallmark-channel-whan-calls-the-heart-renewed/

[bigskygirl]

The new season will not start until May 2015.

[wanderingstar]

Well late to the party on this, but I am glad to see this show is getting a second season. I really enjoyed it.

[bigskygirl]

Season two starts on April 4 with a two hour episode.

[EyewatchTV211]

Preview - http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid3714740058001?bckey=AQ~~,AAADFOok6gk~,sJNVXZ-vjAgqp6CkJT-hyJmBLkoetCec&bctid=4080292656001

[bigskygirl]

Season 2 starts on April 25th instead of the 4th.

[MzLiz]

IMDB has listed all the episode descriptions for season 2, so here they are:

Episode 1: Trials of the Heart

Coal Valley's trial gets underway in the town with a new Judge presiding over it. Elizabeth gets unsettling news from Hamilton regarding her family, and must return. Abigail's case is presided over by an unlikely prosecutor. Elizabeth's family meets, Jack.

Episode 2: Trials of the Heart

The trial's verdict is rendered by the Judge, which effects the whole town. Elizabeth readjusts to family life in Hamilton. Abigail is reunited with a family member. Jack has to reevaluate his importance in Elizabeth's life. A new man comes to town with a prospect that can change the townspeople's entire future.

Episode 3: Heart and Soul

Rosemary makes herself useful at Abigail's Cafe. Jack and the townspeople work on building the new church to become the school. Elizabeth gets reacquainted with her old life away from Coal Valley. One of the widows gets proposed to and the wedding brings the townspeople closer together. Abigail receives troubling information about Bill Avery.

Episode 4: Heart's Desire

Abigail leaves the town to search for a family member. Rosemary gets her big break she's been waiting for, but things don't go the way she'd hoped. Jack is there to lend his help. A new pastor comes to town with unconventional preaching methods. Jack continues to work on building the new church for Elizabeth's return to teaching. The question is does Elizabeth want to return?

Episode 5: Heart of the Family

Elizabeth returns to town in time for the school semester to begin. Elizabeth readjusts to country life in a big way, but has a helping hand from Jack. Abigail gets help in the Cafe from a family member. Rosemary finds a new way to contribute her knowledge to the townspeople. Gowen has met his match in a local tycoon. Bill busies himself in Hamilton with some shady business deals.

Episode 6: Awakenings and Revelations

Bill returns to town on an undercover mission. Jack gets himself involved without knowing what the mission is. Rosemary doesn't feel her role in the town is big enough and seeks to have a theatre built. A childhood friend of Elizabeth comes to town on business and hopes it will allow him more time with her. Abigail seeks advice from the new preacher about a close family member of hers.

Episode 7: Heart and Home

The school term gets off to a cold start. Elizabeth gets called back to Hamilton to deal with a family emergency. Jack gets involved. Rosemary gives the school children some acting encouragement. Abigail moves forward with her life, and the café, apart from Bill. Elizabeth's family continues to question Jack's involvement in Elizabeth's life. Gowen's position of power in the town increases even more.

Episode 8: Coming Together, Coming Apart

Jack and Elizabeth don't see eye to eye on everything in Hamilton. They discover that their relationship is not as straightforward as they originally thought. Elizabeth's family puts a strain on Jack, and it takes all of Jack's skills as a constable to resolve the conflict. Bill sorts out a relationship from his past, so that he can move forward with the future. Gowen's grasp on the town is threatened by a powerful member of the town. It all comes down to the luck of the draw.

Episode 9: Follow Your Heart

Abigail develops a friendship with the new Pastor of the town. Elizabeth and Jack are forced to re-examine the future of their relationship under extreme circumstances. Rosemary questions her true feelings about one of the town members. Gowen gets backed into a corner by his local rival.

Episode 10: With all my Heart

Elizabeth and Jack discover that true love is more than just societal positions and external influences. After a harrowing ordeal Jack and Elizabeth are brought closer together. Rosemary realizes when you find a good man you don't let him get away. Gowen and his rival sharpen their knives and prepare for a battle for power over the town. Bill's shady dealings catch up with him, putting his freedom and reputation at stake. Elizabeth has to make a choice between a life on the frontier or a life of luxury in Hamilton.

[MzLiz]

I just love this show. I am so ready for season two. Jack and Elizabeth has such a sweet romance.

[Ms Lark]

Saw this as a banner while watching reruns of Frasier in the wee hours: "When Calls the Heart Starts in 5 days!" I haven't seen much promotion of it, but Season 2 starts this coming Sat. 4/25 with a 2 hr. premiere: 8p-10p, 10p-12a EST. I was shocked and pleased!

[bigskygirl]

 

Coal Valley’s trial gets underway in the town with a new Judge presiding over it. Elizabeth gets unsettling news from Hamilton regarding her family, and must return. Abigail’s case is presided over by an unlikely prosecutor. Elizabeth’s family meets, Jack.

 

[bigskygirl]

 

The trial’s verdict is rendered by the Judge, which effects the whole town. Elizabeth readjusts to family life in Hamilton. Abigail is reunited with a family member. Jack has to reevaluate his importance in Elizabeth’s life. A new man comes to town with a prospect that can change the townspeople’s entire future.

 

[LilWharveyGal]

For the love of all that's good, what does it take to get a period-appropriate hairdo on an actress on this show?!

[wanderingstar]

Glad to have this show back. Elizabeth and Jack's little horse riding lesson was cute.

 

Also nice to see Laura Mennell as the prosecutor. 

 

I could do without Rosemarie, though.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Gillian Rosh

[SonofaBiscuit]

So, I liked Jack and Elizabeth last season, but after the season premiere, I kind of want him to run away as fast as he can.  Her family is just awful.  The oldest sister (Violet?) is totally stuck up and way too serious, and the youngest one is a dinglebat.  I thought that some of the family members were completely rude to Jack during the dinner, and it sucked that he had to watch Elizabeth with her guy friend all night long.  

 

I know that I'm supposed to find Elizabeth's traits endearing, but it's difficult when I see the single mothers of coal valley raising their children all alone, taking care of their homes, putting food on the table, running a business, and even working in the coal mine (that only happened once, though, I think).  I just don't get why Elizabeth is still a terrible cook if Abigail was helping her out last season, and I felt bad that she basically guilted Jack into eating her burnt chicken fried steak!  And poor Jack, having to haul her heavy suitcases around when she couldn't even lift one of them.  I know that I'm nitpicking...I usually like Elizabeth just fine but she bugged me this episode (especially when she was with her family).  I hope that things improve next week because I don't want to be annoyed all season long. 

[wanderingstar]

While I enjoyed the season opener, I'm not sure it needed to be 2 hours long (this is a big pet peeve of mine with all the shows I watch; season premieres and finales really don't need to be 2 hours long. But I digress.)
 
Elizabeth's family annoyed me greatly. Her Mom and younger sister were the only ones I could tolerate. Also, I wonder if we'll see Jack's younger brother, Tom again.
 
The new storylines for the season have been set up really well: the timber business, the tug of war between Elizabeth's life in Coal - sorry Hope Valley and her family in Hamilton, whatever romance will happen between Abigail and Bill. I'm genuinely interested in seeing how all of this plays out.

[Suzysite]

 

For the love of all that's good, what does it take to get a period-appropriate hairdo on an actress on this show?!

Thank you! That was bugging me for the entire show!   All that loose hair flying around was totally inappropriate for the time period.  And especially wrong in the cafe.  I kept saying, "tie that hair back" to the women cooking!!

Edited April 26, 2015 by Suzysite

[Chippings]

Bad as the hair is, and it's crazy-making to see, the women's costumes are also terrible, period-wise. 

On the Hallmark website there is a segment where the costume designer speaks to the men's costumes and how period-appropriate they are.  I don't see a word about the women's.  It's appalling.  The hemlines are all over the place; the shapes are entirely wrong.  Some of the pieces on the extras are just weird.  Especially odd was the blue jacket, with white fur or something, on the little widow.  That looked like it came straight from a Goodwill someplace

I actually tuned in to this cold last night, having never seen Season One.  Just watching for ten minutes or so, I had no idea what time period it was supposed to be in - for a while I thought maybe it was jumping around from some unknown decade to the present.

With a budget like they must have had, it's alarming that the women are decked out so badly, across the board.

[Reeree]

So thrilled to have When Calls the Heart back!  I had been looking forward to it for so long.  As happy as I was to watch, I was also eager to discuss the storylines in the forums.  I must say, I was rather taken aback by the comments about the costumes and hairstyles.  Not just here, but other places also.  Since I don't claim to be any kind of a fashion icon, I decided to do a search on fashion and hairstyles of the early part of the 20th century.   What I found was interesting. I quote from one site (Hair Styles of the Last 100 Years)  "During the early 1910's styles were long hair either pinned up elaborately or flowing and wavy. Popular accessories were big bows, jeweled pins, headbands often adorned with fancy beads, and stitch work designs and hats.  During the mid-1910's the "bob" hair style was becoming very popular."  So  the flowing and wavy hair would definitely apply to Elizabeth and her sisters.  I wonder if they will get "bobs" moving forward.  I would have to agree that the hat accessory seems to be missing.    As for the women's' clothing and dresses, there was a plethora of articles and pictures.   I  quote from one.........." Skirts rose from floor length to well above the ankle.............."  Between 1910 and 1920, fashion began to loosen up. Clothes were being designed for uncorsetted figures."  I found many pictures and drawings that were very similar to what the female actors were wearing on WCTH in daywear and evening gowns.  Even those split skirts!!!

 

Now, for the storylines-- I was pleased at the outcome of the trial, and very happy to see that new business would be coming to the town.  That was set up very well. As with any series, there needs to be new story lines to keep the series moving.  And although WCTH is based on Janette Okes books, the series does not follow her books.  That was made very clear by Brian Bird in the first season, and Janette approved and signed off on that.  There needs to be some romantic tension with the main characters otherwise we would all get bored very quickly in a series.  If there wasn't, then Hallmark should have just stopped with the original movie.  Although, in my humble opinion, the series is far superior to the movie.  The acting is far better, and the movie jumped so much between generations in flashbacks it gave me a headache. 

As for Elizabeth's family-- I was disappointed in the attitude of the mother and father, but the aunt improved as the story went along.  Little sister Julie was the same silly girl, and the older sister filled out the snobbish role beautifully.  That acerbic Flo is still with us, and I am so excited to see her back.  But where is Cat Montgomery?  I miss her!  I wish Rosemary was gone, but I do see where she is providing some comic relief.  I will look forward to all the stories that this series brings forth.

[maraleia]

I'm glad that they cleared up the fact that this show takes place after 1910 when Samantha Madison got her law degree so the costumes and hairstyles don't seem so out of place.

[flyingmonkey]

I was coming on the site to comment on the horrible costuming, but I see folks have beaten me to it.  After looking forward to the Season 2 premiere, I was dismayed to find that the costuming took me out of the program so much that I could not enjoy it.

In many scenes, it appeared that they had taken some care with the costumes of the leads, but other characters were dressed as if someone had gone thrift shopping.  In the scene in which the three sisters were descending the stairs---the BIG moment---Elizabeth was wearing a dress from the time period.  Julie was clothed in a prom dress from the 2000's----like all of the ones on the rack at Goodwill.  Elizabeth's mother's dress had a deep slit in the back of the skirt, and when she walked, her leg was visible--no petticoat or boots, just stage shoes like any high school production would have issued.  The overcoats of the women in Coal--Hope--Valley were so terrible that I found myself fixated on how Hallmark could mount a production with such low production values.  This is touted as their 'much-anticipated return of their epic series.'  It looked like someone sent out an email that said, 'bring your long dresses and coats, we'll take it from there.'  

I know it is a silly thing to fixate on, but it took me so far out of the program that I couldn't enjoy the two hours.  When Elizabeth and her sisters sauntered down the streets with their shopping bags, complete with the stickers on the outside, it was too much.

 

The hair has been covered elsewhere.  The choice to have the women of Coal Valley sport a casual hairstyle is appropriate, I imagine, but putting up her hair was a girl's rite of passage, and the Thatcher girls would have had people to dress their hair each day, especially for evening.

 

OK, enough.  Enough.  Down from the soapbox.  Urgh...

[LilWharveyGal]

Totally agree, flyingmonkey.  I wish I wasn't this way, but these kinds of details prevent me from enjoying shows.  For example, I remember being really interested in Reign when it was coming out, but I had to bail after a few episodes because of the wacky costuming.  And things weren't like this last season, so I wonder what happened?

 

It also bugged me that the women did not wear hats.  (The exception being Florence and her Black Fedora of Pessimism.)  The sisters should have had some fancy, frilly hats for their shopping excursion.  But I guess this season's budget was blown on the industrial strength curling iron.

 

It was nice to see Rose from Republic of Doyle again now that that show has finished.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Gah. I forgot the premiere was last night and thought it was tonight. Gah. Is Hallmark going to re-air it before next week's episode? I was really looking forward to the show's return and can't believe I missed it. GAH.

[MzLiz]

I really enjoyed the episode. Loved the cute Jack/Elizabeth moments.

Glad that the trial had a happy outcome though I wasn't expecting the mine to be shut down (or at least only short term for safety measures to put in place). Very fortunate another industry just happen to come along at the very moment the mine closed. I smell something afoot.

Loved that the aunt was firmly on the Jack/Elizabeth train.

I suspect Bill may be up to no good. I hope the money he was carrying out wasn't stolen from Abigail.

Who wants to bet the daughter in law Clara has a baby back home, though I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't tell Abigail.

Edited April 27, 2015 by MzLiz

[jordanpond]

Well, .I certainly enjoyed the premier. Peter ' s widow took me completely by surprise. I thought Lee was a great addition, and I thought a saw mill was the perfect new beginning: the opportunity for a lot of local employment in an industry that appears to be much safer. Well done, show! I also found Rosemary to be so much more enjoyable as a woman pursuing her own romantic interest than someone clinging to a man whom she had discarded and wanted to win back. I liked her fun, easy rapport with Lee.

Also, I really enjoyed the scenes at Elizabeth's home. I thought it was a really well-rounded episode.

But alas, the bad. Towards the end of last season I was growing a little weary that Elizabeth and Jack's main method of communication is teasing. They're in their twenties, they're educated and very responsible, and the teasing is starting to sound very, very juvenile to me. Why not walk out of a restaurant and simply talk about how good the food was? Clearly, she took him there because she thought they would both enjoy it. Why not talk about the riding lesson in terms of how much fun it is to do this activity together? Discussing the former as teasing about the rich vs. middle class ways to eat, and the latter as something for which Elizabeth must "pay" with a kiss all seemed silly to me. I found her conversations with Charles much more enjoyable. There was a little joking there, too, but overall it sounded a lot more like a friendly, caring, sharing conversation between two adults. I wish most of her and Jack's conversations were more like this.

One more note: as much as Jack has many qualities I admire, I think he is too quick to make a decision, and "drop" it on Elizabeth. I think at the party, he should have just sat back and enjoyed the music. If he felt the need to leave early, why not consult with Elizabeth privately? She clearly had been expecting him to stay longer, and just making a decision to leave, and then informing her within earshot of others seemed rather selfish.

Overall, this was very enjoyable for me! There are a lot of fresh beginnings for this season to explore.

Edited April 27, 2015 by jordanpond

[TVAddict]

I have to disagree about the hairstyles.  They are 100% 2015 and very distracting.  

[StaceyNotStacie]

Glad that this show has returned.  I'm glad that the trial turned out in the widow's favor.  I don't trust that sawmill guy.  There's something about him that makes me suspicious.

[ShelleySue]

My favorite scenes have always been those between Elizabeth and Jack.  Is the whole season going to have the two of them separated?  

 

Maybe I was tired or distracted, but there were just too many new people for me to keep track of.  At least the sisters had red hair so I wouldn't mix them up with the attorney and the previously unknown daughter-in-law.

[jordanpond]

Since I haven't mastered the multiple-quote post, I'll have to randomly reply to some thoughts from a few of you that I found interesting.

About the period clothing: Although I'm far from knowledgeable about the details, I did feel that when this series began last year that there was a little stricter period "look" in that the women wore hats outside, wore their hair up, and all had clothing that looked similar to what each other wore. By the end of the season, the loss of hats and the wearing of long hair did seem to change the "period" look of the show.

I do give a lot if leeway to a show like this, because I think that a lot of factors among Coal Valley residents would make outfits less period identifiable including clothes that are homemade for comfort or warmth, rather than for style, borrowed clothes from a taller or shorter friend that would make the hemlines off, clothes that might be 10 or more years old and behind the times,etc. Despite that, I agree with all of you that Elizabeth's family, especially at dinner, would probably be the best example of what was period correct of the moment. But to be honest, I thought the gowns were so pretty, that I wasn't even thinking about whether they were representative of 1911 or so. I'll leave that up to those of you with a much more detailed eye than mine!

SonOfABiscuit, I didn't notice it until you pointed it out, but Elizabeth was more silly this episode than her usual practical self. (I don't think Abigail did teach her how to cook last season, I think it was just a single cake for the fair.) But I agree that last year's Elizabeth would have been too smart to risk wasting food at the cafe by cooking a steak she didn't know how to make. I think last year's Elizabeth would have been thrilled that Rosemary could cook the hot food, and would have smartly taken over serving pie and coffee and collecting the money.

I'm really enjoying reading all your interesting posts. Looking forward to the next episode!

Edited May 2, 2015 by jordanpond

[bigskygirl]

 

Rosemary makes herself useful at Abigail's Cafe. Jack and the townspeople work on building the new church to become the school. Elizabeth gets reacquainted with her old life away from Coal Valley. One of the widows gets proposed to and the wedding brings the townspeople closer together. Abigail receives troubling information about Bill Avery.

 

[wanderingstar]

So, what's going on with Bill? Is that lady Nora really his wife? And what merchandise was he collecting in that alley? I have a feeling all that is going to be misdirection and Bill will turn out to be a nice guy after all. Yawn.

 

Elizabeth's friend Charles seems like a nice guy, but I found myself zoning out during their scenes.

[HoodlumSheep]

I was cracking up at the shady alley scene. The black clothing. The rain. The shady people. I feel like this show has gotten cheesier and I love it.

I like Charles. I wonder how long he's going to last though, like are we never going to see him again when Elizabeth eventually decides to return to *Hope* Valley, or will he show up there to create more drama? Either way, I hope he and Elizabeth remains friends.

I can't tell, but is Jack thinking about maybe giving it another shot with his ex-fiancée, or did I misread some of his looks? His ex-fiancée has become one of my favorite characters; she's a lot of fun and I like her with the sawmill guy.

I'm not quite sure if the older sister's engagement is going to last.

Sorry, I've forgotten everyone's names apparently.

[emjohnson03]

The show has seem to take on a modern look but I don't mind because everyone is still kinda in character. I say kinda because I do think Elizabeth has become a bit off course but only because of plot points. She's naive to Charles's advancements but that's only because she's supposed to be. If she was in Hope Valley she wouldn't be so accommodating. There has be some tension between Elizabeth and Jack and it can't just be class lines. 

 

I like Rosemary but her prattling with Jack about wanting to start something and then with the saw mill guy and liking him is just a bit much. Jack clearly has Elizabeth on the brain so I'm not concerned. It was sad to not see them have any scenes though! I miss those two!

 

And yes please give Abigail something to hold on to! The poor woman has been put through the ringer and she still gets screwed over. I don't think Bill is shady and he's doing some undercover work. This is Hallmark Channel not Investigative Discovery. They aren't going to make him a bad guy, just make you think with the twists and turns. Maybe his ex is crazy or something. Obviously Bill is hiding for a reason.

 

I like Charles but again plot point! They just need to drag this out a bit longer for Jack and Elizabeth. Once they get together they will be together. Just another element to add to their story which I actually don't mind because it does explore the class lines, cliche as it can be.

[jordanpond]

Hello, friends. If any of you want to speculate about what might happen in future episodes, would you please create a "speculation" thread and move the discussion there? That way each episode thread contains only what happened in that particular episode. Those of us who don't want to see future guesses can avoid the speculation thread. Thanks.

[bigskygirl]

There is a spoilers and spoiled speculation thread for posters who want to talk about what will happen in future episodes. http://forums.previously.tv/topic/24306-spoilers-and-spoiled-speculations/#entry982005

[wanderingstar]

I was cracking up at the shady alley scene. The black clothing. The rain. The shady people. I feel like this show has gotten cheesier and I love it.

 

Oh yeah - I love the cheesiness. It's one of the main reasons I keep tuning in. 

[jordanpond]

I liked this episode, but remembering last year what a popular couple Mrs. Mary Dunbar ( and the man's name escapes me) were, I thought that this year their wedding preparations would have been an episode in itself. I would have preferred to focus on them and skip the father and daughter con artists. And I would have preferred it to be during an episode in which Elizabeth was back in Hope Valley. I'm really enjoying the back and forth between Elizabeth's home and Hope Valley, but Elizabeth has now missed the trial and the wedding, and that seems a lot to me.

About Jack: in some ways he was his usual terrific self, happily pitching in long hours to build the school, and quietly confident that Elizabeth still held strong ties to Hope Valley. But my word, could he be dismissive of both his feelings for Elizabeth, and of Rosemary's feelings. The whole town knows that he and Elizabeth are romantically involved. Yet when Lee asked him Jack denied it. What is so terrible about stating that, yes, there is woman in Hope Valley that makes him happy. And as for Rosemary, the best thing that could happen for Rosemary, Elizabeth, and Jack is for Rosemary to get interested in a new man. So she does just that, and rather than be happy for her, he ridicules her. Just as it was with last week's show, seeing how warm and friendly and positive Charles is when he speaks to Elizabeth is making Jack's "always begin your conversations by teasing or saying something negative or refusing to admit something positive" way of speaking starting to stand out like a very sore and ugly thumb.

Edited May 4, 2015 by jordanpond

[dangwoodchucks]

I have to disagree about the hairstyles.  They are 100% 2015 and very distracting.  

Totally 2015. I don't think all the young women went around with beach curls, or their hair highlighted like Lori Laughlin's back then. What was with that thick, long blue coat she was wearing in several scenes? It looked...odd.

[bigskygirl]

 

Abigail leaves the town to search for a family member. Rosemary gets her big break she’s been waiting for, but things don’t go the way she’d hoped. Jack is there to lend his help. A new pastor comes to town with unconventional preaching methods. Jack continues to work on building the new church for Elizabeth’s return to teaching. The question is: does Elizabeth want to return?

Elizabeth returns to town in time for the school semester to begin. Elizabeth readjusts to country life in a big way, but has a helping hand from Jack. Abigail gets help in the Cafe from a family member. Rosemary finds a new way to contribute her knowledge to the townspeople. Gowen has met his match in a local tycoon. Bill busies himself in Hamilton with some shady business deals.

 

 

[HoodlumSheep]

Did anyone else hear an echo-y-ness during the Rosemary/Jack campfire scene? We heard that same noise during that mother's day movie last saturday. It's either our tv (which is unlikely), or they used the same sound person for both projects (in which case they might want to find someone else).

I feel like this show is some weird alternate reality of old-timeyness and the future mashed together (due to the modern day haircuts, outfits, etc.)

Jack Wagner continues to be shady. What did he show the sketchy dude, gold? Some precious stone/material? The wife seems...unstable.

I continue to love Rosemary (I don't care what anyone else says). She reminds me of Cora Beth (Waltons) and Harriet O. (LHotP), except for bubblier.

liz's little sis is giving me serious Lydia (pride & Prejudice) feels.

I continue to adore Charles. I know he and Elizabeth will never happen, but he's adorable. I hope they don't turn him into a mean/shady character.

Speaking of mean/Shady...I laugh every time I hear the evil music play when the mining head-honcho/the new mayor/what's his name shows up. It's weird that the ex-mayor's wife is working for him.

Also, I hope that the sawmill guy doesn't get turned into an accidental (?) villain. He is striving for change, but I don't know if the town will want all of it. Just think; sawmill=deforestation, the train spur=all the bad stuff you've heard in your history class about Railroad monopolies, etc. Granted some change is good, but I don't know if the town is thinking about this stuff enough.

Edited May 17, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[SonofaBiscuit]

I don't really pay attention to the women's clothes or hairstyles, and don't care if they are period appropriate, but I have to laugh at the fact that it looks like Daniel Lissing (Jack) wandered on set in his street clothes.  Did men wear jeans, henleys, and plaid jackets in the early 1900s?  Guys dress like that nowadays, so I find it a bit odd.

 

I don't recall how Mr. Gowen became the Mayor.  I hope that he wasn't elected by the people of Coal Valley (or I guess it's Hope Valley now).  Otherwise, the townsfolk are idiots.

 

I'm glad that Elizabeth has returned to Hope Valley.  She didn't do much but stand around while in Hamilton, so that was not so exciting to watch.  I hope that she becomes more motivated to learn things like how to cook, how to do farm chores, how to hand pump water (I find it hard to believe that she's never had to do that since she arrived in Coal Valley.  What exactly has she been drinking???).  She's learning to ride a horse...that's a start.

 

I thought for sure that Clara (Abigail's daughter-in-law) was hiding the fact that she had a baby, but I guess not.  She really lucked out in the mother-in-law department, because Abigail is so kind and has so much patience with her.

 

It looks like maybe Abigail and the Pastor will be involved in a relationship.

 

Thought we were done with Charles, but I see that he's back next week.  Can't say that I'm pleased with the love triangle crap.

[Suzysite]

Is Elizabeth still living with Abigail?  They haven't mentioned it at all, and now that Clara is living there it's got to be getting a bit cramped. 

 

The hairstyles still drive me crazy, especially the loose hair in the cafe kitchen.

[HoodlumSheep]

We thought there was going to be a secret baby too, but oh well.

As for love triangles, there's like 80 of them, although I guess you can't call them triangles because a lot of them seem one-sided.

Jack-Liz-Charles

-Jack W's not-dead wife-Jack Wagner-Abigail-new Preacher Guy?

Rosemary (who is ex to jack)-Sawmill guy

Liz's lil sis-Jack's lil' bro

It's like a crazy web.

Anyways, I think I liked the fake preacher from last episode more. I wish he would have stayed around and tricked people for a few more eps, then turn over a new leaf.

[wanderingstar]

I realized that Rosemary is growing on me. I loved how she scandalized those women while reading the letters to her advice column.

 

Really enjoyed the Elizabeth/Jack scenes in this ep. And I'm adopting a wait-and-see attitude toward the coming love triangle with Charles. I'm staying open to the possibility that it won't annoy me.

[Ms Lark]

I thought there was going to be a secret baby, too, possibly "born a little early." Oh well, it is the Hallmark Channel!

 

Did men wear jeans, henleys, and plaid jackets in the early 1900s?  Guys dress like that nowadays, so I find it a bit odd.

Jeans have been around since the 1870s! Typically worn by cowboys, miners, and other outdoorsy types. Henleys were undershirts. Lumberjacks wore plaid in the late 1800's also, so yep. Some things just don't go out of style!

 

I'm betting we're getting the "Little Women" treatment with Charles and Elizabeth. He'll wind up with her younger sister, the "Amy" type, like Laurie, while Elizabeth and Jack are endgame. Rosemary will probably wind up with Leland, but I like him too much to wish her on him! We could lose Rosemary in the wilds and I wouldn't miss her at all.

 

Speaking of Leland, I kept trying to place the actor. Knew I know him from something I watched a lot and he played a good character. IMDB to the rescue: He was Robot Deputy Andy on Eureka! I knew I liked him for some reason other than this show.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Ms Lark