HallmarkIt’s the mystery we nearly got an answer to before the Season 3 finale did a last-minute 180. Casey’s identity is now a problem for The Way Home Season 4, but we’ve got some theories.
First introduced in The Way Home Season 2, Casey Goodwin came to Port Haven under the guise of interning for Kat’s paper. They claimed to be the grandchild of Evelyn, coming to town to pick up some of her belongings after she died.
However, this alibi quickly began to unravel. Alice had noticed Casey had a ring exactly the same as Kat’s engagement ring, leading to the revelation Casey was also a time traveler. Now, we know Casey is a Landry as well as a Goodwin, but she definitely isn’t Alice’s child.
Showrunners decided not to fully reveal Casey’s identity in the Season 3 finale because there’s “more to the story” (not that I was too happy with this), so there’s everything to play for in Season 4. But where do we even start? Look no further than these five theories.
Casey could still be Alice & Max Goodwin’s grandchild in The Way Home Season 4
HallmarkThe last few episodes of The Way Home Season 3 confirm Alice and Max have a romantic connection, sharing a kiss in the final few moments of Episode 9. Obviously, Casey has since flat-out told Alice they’re not her kid, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a further descendant… like a grandchild.
Casey is also referred to as “K.C.”, and that’s essential info for understanding these theories. K.C. is a moniker that comes up throughout different points in history, including Casey signing their name in Season 3 Episode 8.
When Casey first met Alice in Season 2 Episode 4, there was a great deal of curiosity from Casey’s side. As a time traveler who already knows much more than Alice ever has, surely this wouldn’t be necessary… unless Casey was trying to connect with their ancestors.
This theory would also explain how Casey is both a Landry and a Goodwin. Kat would be their great-grandmother, with Evelyn acting as their great-great-grandmother (but more on that below).
The original connection to Evelyn
HallmarkAs we know, Casey arrives in Port Haven under the guise of being Evelyn’s grandchild, and this could still hold a weight of truth. On arrival, Casey claims they “don’t know her that well,” telling Kat going through their grandmother’s records at the newspaper office was upset about the things they found out about the early Goodwins.
At the same time, Casey doesn’t claim to know much about them either. However, they’re connected enough to be at Founder’s Day in Season 2 Episode 5 and know Evelyn’s house is a good place to hide out during that same summer.
It’s the most obvious guise and it still has its sticking points. As we’ve said above, it’s perfectly feasible there’s a few ‘greats’ added onto grandmother as far as Evelyn is concerned.
Kat and Elliot’s child or grandchild
HallmarkAlthough Alice is a teen, we can’t rule out Elliot and Kat either. The two are official now, and have no kids of their own. They’re obviously young enough to have more, so what’s to stop them?
As seen throughout Season 2, there’s clearly a strong bond between Kat and Casey. However, Elliot isn’t of as much interest (though I might have worked out why this is). Even so, the time travel connection would be something shared between Kat and Casey, as we’re believing Elliot can’t travel on his own at his own word.
We’re clutching at straws, but there could be more family drama that’s yet to be revealed to explain why there’s such a pull to Kat. This would make particular sense if Kat is Casey’s grandmother, though this would have to mean Kat had another child in the future anyway.
Elliot’s Mom & Jacob’s grandchild or descendant
HallmarkAt the end of Season 3, we learned Elliot’s mom was the woman seen jumping into the pond with a mystery man, who we’re assuming is a Landry as per time travel rules. The most popular theory is Jacob, though we’ve got nothing other than the above photo to believe why this is the case.
When they were brought face to face for the first time, Casey didn’t seem overly fussed by meeting him. It was this (and physical similarities) that first led fans to think Jacob could be her dad.
Showrunner Alexandra Clarke told TV Insider, “We were fascinated by that pairing. I think it felt like in a weird way, by the end of our season, Casey was only kind of coming up against Alice and Kat and we’d never actually had them come face-to-face with yet another time traveler. And Jacob, we’d realized, had really only probably heard about Casey through the stories the others are telling. So it was really fun to have them come face to face.
“But ultimately, the thing that they found was about helping Jacob, and so it was really nice to have a moment where they actually in person could help him versus doing it through Alice or doing it through Kat. Because at the end of the day, this is, as Jacob even says, his salvation, finding this will.”
How Jacob could get involved with Elliot’s mom remains to be seen, but anything is possible when it comes to using the Landry pond.
Elliot’s Mom’s & Colton’s brother’s grandchild or descendant
HallmarkOkay, so this one is incredibly far-fetched. We’ve never met Colton’s brother, having allegedly gone missing at some point in 1965. We know Colton never initially used the pond to try and find him, and the trail has run cold since.
However, one fan theory claims Colton’s brother is actually his twin, meaning we’ve seen him at different points in history across previous episodes. Taking to Facebook, one explained: “Okay, I made this comment before but here I go again with my Colton theory… I don’t think this is the same man.
“I am starting to ponder if either Colton’s brother was a twin or they look a lot alike and he was helping Colton look for Jacob! Maybe that is how they are going to bring Colton back, it was his brother that died in the truck accident.”
So if that is what happened, it’s plausible Colton’s twin could have met Elliot’s mom at some point, particularly if they were both able to time travel. Given the physical similarities between adult Jacob and teen Colton, it could also explain the pond photo above.
The Way Home Season 4 comes to Hallmark in 2026. Catch up with what theories have already been ruled out, why Colton couldn’t be brought back to life, as well as the best Hallmark movies and best Hallmark TV shows of all time.
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