When the whole gang gets together to solve a problem, they’re unstoppable.
That was the experience on When Calls the Heart Season 10 Episode 10 when what seemed like an insurmountable problem arose in our beloved Hope Valley.
When you can’t trust your leaders, who can you trust? Well, you can trust Lucas, Nathan, Lee, Elizabeth, and Rosemary. And Bill. We don’t want to forget Bill.
The problem was quite severe, with Montague stealing water for the city folk.
These valleys are the past. Union City is the future.
Montague
It’s a common theme in entertainment for the little guy to suffer at the hands of the big guy, often for expansion rights or just to make money. In this case, it was a bit of both.
If you watch When Calls the Heart online, you know things have been getting a little hinky around the valley.
Madeline St. John, who was thrilled to be accepted into the community, left abruptly right after she received the deed for Bill’s land. What I didn’t expect was for her to have mind enough not to deliver it to Montague.
Bill: Why didn’t you file the deed?Madeline: I couldn’t do that to you, and it’s the only leverage I have. Montague still won’t release the trust.
Even more surprising is that a man like Montague and his corrupt politician partner, the Governor, weren’t wise enough not to begin work when they didn’t have full permission to do so. Frankly, they were idiots for that.
They were even bigger idiots for believing that small-town people are idiots themselves.
To be fair, thinking you’re going to sway the political system with a choir song and a dinner dance didn’t exactly scream sophistication, but to be so unkind and so crooked as to take advantage of good people is very hard for the average person to comprehend.
It’s hard for the above-average person to comprehend. We want to believe that people are like us and that they’ll do their best when put to the test.
Thankfully, those who live in Hope Valley are those people, and when a crisis arises, they work it from every level to ensure a satisfactory outcome — not just for themselves but for the whole valley.
No wonder Montague and the Governor fell for Lucas’s sleight of hand so willingly.
Lucas: You’re right, Governor. Now I can see what’s what. So, let’s talk business. I’ll do my best to show my fellow townspeople the light but it might be difficult for them to see if all they have is dust.Governor: What are you proposing?Lucas: Divert half the water, at least until after the election. That will give me time to show the people that there is a functional compromise and keep their votes in your favor. I can be your point person here in Hope Valley, for a fee, of course. Union City Holdings, as I understand it, is a limited partnership among friends? Yourself, the governor…Governor: Something like that.Lucas: I would also like to be a partner and a friend.Governor: I knew you were a smart man.Lucas: I’ll also need a new place to settle, just in case 50% of the water becomes a little bit more. Ideally a place where the water will not be redirected.Governor: Monty, can you take Mr. Bouchard through our aqueduct map? That can be arranged in exchange for your continued support.Lucas: You have it, unequivocally.
In the midst of all of this chaos, Elizabeth continues feeling her feelings about Nathan and Lucas.
Losing Jack was the hardest thing I ever went through, and the thought of losing someone else in the line of duty, one who means so much to me, has rekindled old fears I put away. It feels like we have a shadow over us for so many reasons; things that seemed important pale in comparison to what is now at stake.
Elizabeth [Voiceover]
It’s pretty clear now that she sees Nathan as the type to settle down, who will find her face in a crowded room while receiving a commendation and speaking directly to her. To him, she’s home, and it’s beginning to seem like he’s that to her, as well.
Lucas understands the lofty-minded business folk as well as he does the kindhearted and hardworking types of the valley.
He put himself on the line, possibly even risking legal action, by pulling the rug out from Montague and the Governor on live radio.
Hey, who said simple people can’t accomplish big things? No other city has been able to achieve broadcast radio, but for Fiona, it was a piece of cake, and without her expertise, the entire plan would have fallen apart.
Just like Nathan’s speech directed at Elizabeth, Lucas’s back presented to her when he began speaking to the press was significant.
The camera seemed to be making a point that if the chance arose, Lucas would turn his back on Elizabeth to reach higher than Hope Valley.
I’ve said it before, but that is not the man who has been living in Hope Valley these past few years. Wanting a larger house doesn’t mean he’s thinking of taking over the world. He could and wanted to provide the woman he loved with creature comforts.
All of that now seems like it was paving the way for Elizabeth to reconsider her choice, driving her back into Nathan’s arms. Nathan, who has adopted his niece and settled nicely into fatherhood, is seen as a better man for Elizabeth because of the choice he made.
Nathan’s speech was personal. Lucas’s was for the greater good. They’ll both use them to move on to different phases of their lives.
Nathan will finally realize why he has been so unlucky at love — he’s found it and just needed it to find him in return.
Lucas will become the next Governor. Hope Valley will always have a place in his heart, and they will be spared future corporate interests, hoping to claim their resources as their own.
It works out nicely, I suppose, but it’s still a super frustrating way for the events of When Calls the Heart Season 8 to culminate.
Elizabeth: Maybe this is a bad omen.Rosemary: No! No, of course, it isn’t. This is just a mistake. Elizabeth?Elizabeth: There’s just so much going on. The town and the water and the wedding in the middle of it all? It’s normal to get the jitters, isn’t it?Rosemary: Sure it is. Are you having doubts?Elizabeth: No! Just about the dress.
There is another romance on the horizon, too, if Mike can get himself together in time to make his move.
Sheesh. Could Fiona and Faith have paved a more perfect path for the guy? He should have trusted that they were using what they knew about Mei’s feelings as they poked and prodded him.
Instead, he balked and lost out on taking Mei to the formal dance.
It’s unlikely their will-the-won’t-they will last all of three seasons or meet with much other than silly things getting in their way.
It will be interesting to see how one of the three girls getting a boyfriend changes their dynamic as friends.
The big story for the remainder of When Calls the Heart Season 10 will revolve around Elizabeth and her two gentlemen. It appears to be a clear path through the finale, with the biggest question being whether Chris McNally will leave the show.
For me, losing a character like him who pushes the envelope of small-town living will be significant. It will change the stories that are available, for the time being, at least.
Everyone who comes to Hope Valley is usually escaping big city life. Elizabeth did it, and Rosemary, too. Lucas waited his whole life to find a place to settle down and fall in love.
Maybe Madeline will take what Bill said to heart and return. I don’t know that she’ll have much to offer for the big-city vs. country-living side of things, but she was a good fit in town and for Bill, so I’d welcome her back.
What about you, Hearties?
We’ve likely got a 50/50 group here of people who rooted for either Nathan or Lucas during the original go. Where do you stand now?
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
