"Home is truly where the heart is."
Hello everyone!
And so with my final Christmas-themed movie review, we say farewell not only to December, but to 2019.
Hopefully the year has treated you well, and you've made all the plans you need for 2020. Fingers crossed they all work out for you!
In the meantime, it's time to make a Christmas pit-stop one last time with our movies.
Come January it's back to Hogwarts (or not Hogwarts, as may be the case with the final stages of Mr. Potter's journey), so let's try and soak up all that's left of this Christmas spirit, shall we? After all, it'll be a full year before we can get into it again.
What better way to say goodbye than with When Calls the Heart?
The show that captured hearts around the globe with its message and persevering spirit, and which keeps going despite every obstacle and hurdle thrown its way.
Because even and especially in When Calls the heart, it's time to come Home for Christmas.
It's Christmas again in Hope Valley, and our characters are reflecting on things come and gone, and everything that may befall them in the coming seasons. We catch up with fan favourites and meet a few new people along the way, but really, if you're anything like myself, you'll sit down for the hour and a half long special, and just enjoy.
This is going to be baby Jack's first Christmas, and his first birthday, and everyone is preparing for it in their own way, because practically speaking Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) is the heart of Hope Valley (and the show) and her baby boy is everyone's little star.
He's also an absolute cutie so I mean, how could he NOT be?
The story honestly revolves around Christmas preparations in general, and we get to see everyone (and their mother) pitch in!
Lucas (Chris McNally), one of the newcomers to Hope Valley, launches a Christmas festival in this special, and kind of overestimates just how many people are going to hear about it and come check it out, so it's literally all hands on deck. He's running low on accommodation and food and the people of Hope Valley are making snarky enough remarks about it, but everyone does help.
After all, he's one of their own - maybe he overreached, (and maybe he should have asked Rosemary how to go about things) but he IS still a Heartie, so there's food and tables for EVERYONE.
This does put a hitch in Jesse and Clara's plans, however, because Clara goes to help Lucas in the saloon, derailing Jesse's plans for them, but when he dares mention it, she hands over the notepad and pen she uses to take orders, and tells him to go wait on tables.
You go girl!
The end result of this, however, is that Jesse comes around to seeing Lucas as a friend, not an annoyance, so there's a happy ending there.
Elsewhere, Rosemary and Lee are having trouble figuring out what to get baby Jack for his birthday, and the thing is: Rosemary doesn't really have a reference - as established in the previous season, she can't have children, unfortunately, so she has no idea how to properly care for one, or what gifts to give.
Pascale and Kavan remain the brightest stars in the universe with their portrayal of a couple going through life's trials together, and they are ALWAYS an absolute JOY to watch.
Plus their silent communication once they DO settle on a gift - a rocking horse that a friend of theirs makes - is everything.
At least they don't lose as much sleep over the gift as poor Bill, though (Jack Wagner). Bill actually LOSES the intended gift - or he thinks he does. But being the total guy he is, he doesn't come out and ask his secretary exactly what he's looking for or what he needs, and because he isn't specific, he shaves off about ten years of his life before the woman is like 'well you asked about IN your desk, not ON your desk, ya moron' and hands him the gift she'd safely tucked away in a different cupboard.
And what's the previous gift, you ask?
Jack Thornton's compass.
Jack had given it to Bill one time they were in the mountains (and Bill got them extra lost WITH the compass to boot) but Bill now thinks it's time for baby Jack to have this memento of his father. Bill will remember Jack just fine - but it's stories like the one of the compass that will bring Jack to life for his son.
I'm tearing up just typing this, ugh.
Speaking of gift-giving, Constable Nathan (Kevin McGarry) and his niece Allie seem to finally be putting down roots in Hope Valley, which includes taking a pine cone from their Christmas tree and planting its seeds, so they can literally plant a seedling in the spring. Unluckily, however, Nate gets news of a promotion he'd applied for a long time ago and was initially passed over for, but now a position opened up ... in Union City, not in Hope Valley, so they'd have to leave again.
So despite having Elizabeth help them pick their tree and all of Allie's excitement with both decorating it, and her participation in the children's choir, the fact that she might have to move again is devastating, and Nate can see it. The most heartbreaking part of it all is that the girl tells her uncle she's used to it - so she'll move along like a trooper.
Elizabeth herself is upset about this - which I think isn't the best decision Hallmark has ever made, because it looks like they're setting up a love triangle between her, Lucas and Nathan, or at least a one-sided one. You see Nate often trying to say something or gather his courage to go to her, but the more open and gregarious Lucas beats him to it, after which Nate withdraws.
And it's totally on Elizabeth for leading him on, because she keeps gravitating towards him as much as Lucas, and it's just ... GAH.
Anyway.
Nate eventually declines to take the promotion and he and Allie stay in Hope Valley, meaning they can plant their seedling AND Allie can enjoy her charm bracelet, something her mother used to have as well, and a tradition her uncle wants to keep alive for her.
You know who else has to look alive in this episode?
Carson (Paul Greene).
He and Faith have been two ships in the night since she went to stay with her ailing father, and her trip to Hope Valley falls down the drain when her brother can't come stay with the older man so she can go to Hope Valley. This prompts Carson to board a train to go to HER - but of course she wants to surprise him and they miss each other at the station, going in opposite direction. Some frantic searching and calls placed by Fiona (the telephone operator) later, Carson finally makes it back home and just catches Faith before she heads out to look for him in a wagon.
The salesman who helped Carson gets some doctor treatment for his cough, and a promise from none other than Henry Gowen that he'll see about getting the kid a better job come the new year.
See, we ALL know Gowen has a gooey heart in there!
Now everyone's accounted for, the festival guests have been watered and fed, and Lucas can wrap up his surprise for Hope Valley, as lanterns are sent off into the sky, a tradition he remembers from the many Christmases spent on the road with his family.
And in the morning, when baby Jack is opening his presents with all his family around him - he finally says his first word.
It's 'mama'.
On that note, we leave them, dear readers, to enjoy their Christmas, the presents, the good food and better cheer as they remember Jack and watch his son starting down a path likely to anchor him even deeper in viewer's hearts.
When Calls the Heart returns some time in 2020, but until then, I truly hope that the coming year brings you everything you've ever hoped for.
Happy New Year!
xx
*images and video not mine
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