HallmarkThe biggest week in the Hallmark TV calendar is finally here – the finale of The Way Home Season 3. We’ve plucked five predictions from the mountain of mysteries we want to see in Episode 10.
If I’m completely honest, there’s no way I can effectively sum up The Way Home’s outstanding storyline in one little intro section. Ponderers will have spent months lost in the riddles and storylines of the binge-worthy TV show by this point, so you’re just going to have to keep up.
The important thing to remember is it feels like we have way more storylines to resolve than can comprehensively fit into an hour of television. There’s no word on whether Season 4 will actually happen, so some questions might have to fall by the wayside.
There’s an order of priority here, and thanks to Hallmark previews, we can hazard a guess at what’s to come. The outcomes? Not so much, but that hasn’t stopped me sharing my five predictions for The Way Home Season 3 finale.
Grandma Fern spills her secrets
HallmarkOh Grandma Fern, what are you like? She turned up in Episode 5 singing the 1965 riddle that’s still yet to be fully explained, and again in Episode 9 where the stories she told Colton start to come true. She’s not a mad old woman anymore, and she knows more Landry history than anyone else.
Thanks to Episode 10 previews, we know she’ll definitely be seen in the Season 3 finale. She talks to Kat again, perhaps explaining more about 1965 or what Colton knew about his own time travels.
There’s another factor at play, though – Colton’s missing brother. Episode 9 revealed he first went in the pond as a kid to try and save Evelyn from drowning, not try and look for his brother. It wasn’t until Rick’s death that the pond allowed him to time travel, instead taking him back to 1814 to unknowingly meet the adult version of his future son.
In fact, Colton’s brother hasn’t even popped into his mind during his brief time-travel, and nobody’s really spoken about him since. Could it be another case of Jacob’s disappearance, or has he really gone for good?
There’s one thing we do know: “25 first arrived, 25 never tried. 65 thought they died, 65 still alive” is just waiting to give us answers.
The 1999 timeline changes everything
HallmarkThe Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 had one big surprise in store – we’re heading back to 1999. Alice says Evelyn could easily have been her best friend after what went down earlier on, just like teen Kat was to her in 1999.
Kat recalls memories of the pair then, saying they once played MASH with Elliot… but Alice doesn’t remember it. “Or… that hasn’t happened for you yet,” Kat says. They find Kat’s diary entry that confirms she was once there.
So Alice is heading back to 1999 when she least expects it. But why? It’s surely not to rekindle things with Nick, considering that seems dead in the water after he gave Alice’s chain back. Most likely, it’s something to do with adult Colton.
Given teen Colton has been so central to the twists and turns of Season 3, it makes sense his adult self also has a role to play. We’ve got some gaps in our time travel knowledge about if anything happened after 1974, alongside finding out why he was consumed with so much grief if he knew there was a possibility Jacob could still be alive.
What he has to say – or teenage Kat and Elliot, for that matter – remains unknown, but it’s surely going to rock the boat now we’re bringing all four timelines together.
We know who the baby is
HallmarkThis one is less of an “I can guess their identity” claim and more of a “The Way Home has to answer this question now or it’s going to get ridiculous” claim.
The mystery baby left in the basket by the pond was all anybody could talk about in Episode 1, yet has been conveniently forgotten about ever since. In fact, there’s no direct way to tie the infant to what’s happened across the last three episodes at least. So if the subplot actually means something, we have to know a confirmed identity by the time this last hour is out.
Thankfully, there’s some concrete hope for this one. Showrunner Heather Conkie told TV Line Episode 10 “is probably one of the most emotional [episodes] in the entire history of the show. We’re very proud of it… We can honestly say it answers a lot of questions.”
If you’re asking for my opinion, my money is on the baby being Kat. We’re about to see Colton and Del’s wedding and go back to teen Kat in the 1999 timeline… surely the trifecta is complete if we see her very beginnings?
Casey is actually Jacob’s child
HallmarkWhen Casey came to Port Haven in Season 2 to intern for Kat at the paper, nobody knew too much about their background. It was assumed they were a Goodwin, allegedly coming into town for things left behind after Evelyn’s death.
By the end of Season 2, Alice had worked out something alarming. The ring Casey wears as a necklace is exactly the same as Kat’s engagement ring. Casey flits in and out of early Season 3 episodes, but we get somewhere after the halfway point. They confirm three things: the ring is a family heirloom, it’s not from the Goodwin family, and Casey is from the future.
Putting two and two together, this means Casey is the child of somebody in our main Landry family cast… the question is who. Since we started to get an idea that Casey was a time traveller, fans have guessed they’re the child of Alice and Max (since we know they get together eventually).
But if The Way Home really wants to put Ponderers through an extra twist – and if experience has taught us anything, it does – Casey should be Jacob’s child instead. Since coming home from 1816 involuntarily, we’ve got no real idea what his future is in the modern day timeline. Sure, he’s involved with Louis’ vineyard, but that’s going to be wrapped up pretty quickly.
Given there’s plenty of time to meet someone and settle down, there’s no reason Casey couldn’t be his. In fact, one fan suggests “I’m rewatching Season 2– and as we all know Casey is still an unknown character but I’m wondering if she isn’t a child of Jacob? Casey seemed to peak interest when Kat was inquiring about an age progression image of Jacob.”
Add in the fact that the two look incredibly alike… you can draw your own conclusions.
Del finally time travels
HallmarkHuzzah, all of Del’s pondside side-eyeing has finally paid off! Since Season 1, she’s been vehemently opposed to time travel, wondering why Kat and Alice are going out of their way to dredge up the past. However, her opinion has subtly changed across Season 3.
The reason? She’s now got more at stake. The pond is taking Alice to the 1974 timeline, which is when Del first met and fell in love with Colton. Now their teen versions feel more alive than ever, and the fact Colton time traveled in his youth is causing a major rift between past and present.
For the last two episodes, we’ve seen Del take this frustration out on everybody around her, including the pond itself. She asks the muddy water why it’s had to take everybody she’s ever loved, wandering around with a face like a slapped behind for the rest of her time on screen.
In Episode 9, this comes to a head. She’s furious with the idea of Colton lying to her about Jacob’s whereabouts for their entire marriage, and is still furious when she learns he genuinely didn’t know, but still kept the events of 1816 to himself. Basically, Colton can’t win with Del, and even the ghost of his adult self takes a hit.
Logically speaking, there’s only one way she can put an end to her unnecessary torment – go in the pond herself. If she’s able to see things first-hand, perhaps she’ll have more empathy towards the pond’s role in Landry history, alongside the remaining answers she’s looking for. Plus, she can conveniently relive her wedding day, which we know is coming thanks to Episode 10 previews.
The Way Home Season 3 is currently airing on the Hallmark Channel. Catch up with who the mystery couple could be as well as the best Hallmark movies and more TV shows streaming this month.
For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.
