Season 11: My Thoughts on Episodes 8-10 & Final Predictions
I share my overall thoughts on Season 11 Episodes 8-10, predictions for Episodes 11-12, and MORE!
Hearties! We have 2 episodes left in Season 11 with unanswered questions and stories to solve! I share my thoughts on Episodes 8-10 and some predictions/hopes for the last two episodes.
Where Have I Been?
First, let me explain my absence in the last few weeks. I have been super busy in my real life this summer but aside from that I haven’t felt very motivated to post or blog about When Calls the Heart. This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I am enjoying it and am so grateful for the beautiful moments and community storylines we have seen this season. However, something is missing for me. I will share more on that in another post since I am waiting for Season 11 to end before judging it.
Thoughts on Episode 8
Episode 8 was practically Part 2 of Episode 7. The main storylines were the resolution of Tom's situation with the choir, more information on Pike and the shooting, and Joseph and Jacob's reconciliation. Aside from these storylines Nathan & Elizabeth continue to deepen their friendship while pursuing romantic endeavors with one another.
I thought the choir storyline served one main purpose — introduce Tom & the Canfield’s storylines. This was the first episode in a few weeks I felt progressed and worked toward resolution. It was a breath of fresh air. Of course, the choir did not go to Salt Lake City for the festival, which was a scam. But they rallied together in Hope Valley fashion to host a celebration, The Voices of the Valley. I LOVED this idea because it felt like the old When Calls the Heart was just around the corner. They raised enough money to pay back Hope Valley, Benson Hills, and Jameson for the money lost to the scammer.
More information came to light about Pike’s innocence and doubts started to arise about Montaague’s ability to be involved in a scheme of this magnitude. Pike is truly terrified of the person who hired him to confess to the attempted murder of Governor Bouchard.
Joseph and Jacob’s reconciliation is beautifully done in this episode and highlights the importance of communication. A simple misunderstanding and hurt feelings turned to 20 years of discourse because of pride. The Canfield Brothers finally talk about what initiated this disconnection. From my understanding, Jacob felt left out when Joseph got married. But instead of communicating this to Joseph, he shut him out and quit going to church and singing. At the end of the episode, Jacob joins the Hope Valley Choir for their rendition of Amazing Grace.
Nathan & Elizabeth were supportive figures for one another in this episode. Nathan stood beside Tom and Elizabeth as they navigated the fundraiser idea to keep Tom out of jail. I thought this was one of the most well-down episodes of the season. Nathan & Elizabeth did not need all the romantic dates or whirlwind romance to convey connectedness. At the end of the episode Nathan & Elizabeth take another leap in their relationship…a dance. This is an elevation in their physical touch, which has been building over the season. It started with a simple brushing of the hair and moved to the closeness of a slow dance.
Overall, Episode 8 is ranked #2 with Episode 6 taking the lead.
Thoughts on Episodes 9 & 10
Nathan & Allie
I thought about breaking up these episodes but the storylines are intertwined too much. The main storyline in these two episodes revolves around Allie wanting to meet her birth father - Dylan Parks. In Episode 9, Allie is asking Nathan but he does not tell her the truth to protect her. However, Nathan eventually tells Allie that Dylan is in jail for theft. Despite Nathan’s protests, Allie is determined to meet him and does just that in Episode 10. Allie is angry with Nathan for not allowing her to see Dylan or talking about him with her. Eventually, she strikes out on her own to see Dylan by taking a train to Granville Prison. Nathan receives a phone call from the Mounties telling him about Allie’s visit and that Dylan does not want to see her. Allie does not know Dylan does not want to see her. Once the prison guard informs her (off-screen) she is heartbroken and gutted. Allie is tearfully waiting on a bench outside the prison when Nathan and Elizabeth pull up. Nathan is full of worry for his daughter and upon seeing Allie, jumps out and they embrace. Then Allie asks to go home and they set off for Hope Valley.
I appreciate the WCTH writers not shying away from the hard truths surrounding this topic. Allie is loved so much by Nathan, and she knows this but that doesn’t change her desire to meet her birth father. Nathan only wanted to protect Allie from these harsh truths, but sometimes parents let their children learn the difficult way. After telling Nathan the truth it was up to her to decide the next move. Allie learned cruelly her birth father does not want to see her or have anything to do with her. This only made Allie stronger and strengthened her relationship with Nathan.
In Episodes 7 & 8 Nathan largely supported Elizabeth and her familial troubles with Tom by standing by her. In Episodes 9 & 10 Elizabeth stands by Nathan as he learns to navigate this new territory with Allie. They have always bonded over being single parents and often give one another advice. This season is no different as they are more involved in the other’s life and decisions regarding the children. Overall, I appreciated the parallel between Nathan and Elizabeth giving advice and supporting one another throughout the season.
In Episode 10, Nathan & Allie share a heartfelt chat in which Nathan tells her watching her grow up has been his greatest joy. There is a lot more to this chat but recapping it here wouldn’t do it justice! If you watched the episode then you know just how special it is!
Faith & Lily
Faith and Lily have captured my heart, and like Faith, I was happy to hear Mrs. Watson was on the mend and coming to Hope Valley. However, it was bittersweet because I cannot imagine Faith without Lily and vice versa! Never fear, as I predicted Mrs. Watson wants Faith to continue watching Lily as her guardian. Lily wants that too and this way Mrs. Watson can visit frequently. A happy ending for all involved which makes me wonder if we will see Lily in Season 12?!
Little Jack’s Pony
Little Jack gets a pony, Pal, from Bill. Nathan & Bill share the responsibility of giving him riding lessons! An endless amount of sweet scenes of LJ riding Pal with the two best teachers between Episodes 9 & 10.
The Resort, The Shooting, & Jeanette Returns
As I titled this section I was thinking about The Wizards of Oz and my mind landed on “Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OH MY!” The resort, shooting, and Jeanette are all closely related. Lucas remembers the remainder of these flashbacks, and to his surprise (not mine) Jeanette was a witness. Now, she was being held hostage by Casimir Shaw, the most likely suspect in the shooting at this moment. So Jeanette is Lucas’s Achilles heel. Who else is NOT shocked? Due to the recent revelations, Lucas decides to step back from the resort, thus ending the quest to find bidders. Thank goodness. This comes following Lee and Maise withdrawing their support of the resort and Montague being attacked in the stables. However, Jeanette reveals she is as good as dead if he does not finish the resort. As of right now Lucas, Nathan, Bill & crew are not truly concerned for her safety. Or so it seems to me. This was the main thing I was questioning at the end of last week. Then we see Lucas drop Jeanette off on the outskirts of town in the dead of night, and as she drives off he walks back to town. Weird.
Final Thoughts
Overall, these 3 episodes have provided some of the most heartfelt and beautiful stories. Despite my frustrations with the pacing and other storylines, what I have outlined here are some of my favorites of the season.
Predictions:
Season 11: The Fourth Quarter is my latest blog post detailing my predictions for the last 4 episodes of Season 11. Check it out if you haven’t already!
THANK YOU to everyone who reads and subscribes to my blog! I love sharing my thoughts and conversing with everyone here! I cannot wait for tonight’s which happens to be the penultimate episode of Season 11.
QUESTION: What are your thoughts on Jeanette? Is she good or bad? SHARE your thoughts below in the comments.