WOW. The Way Home Season 2 finale was amazing. This week, my review of Season 2 Episode 10 is delivering a solid A++. Some plotlines were resolved, but we were left with some pretty hefty twists at the end that fans will be discussing and theorizing for a long time to come. After what we saw, I’m ready to dive in and watch the whole thing again, starting with Season 1’s premiere.
And by the way, if you turned off the show about seven minutes before it ended, you’re not alone. A commercial for Season 3 made it seem like the episode was over (especially if you were streaming the episode.) I didn’t realize it wasn’t over until I jumped onto my Facebook theories group for the show and saw all the discussions!
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**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 2 FINALE BELOW**
This review is going to start with the major mysteries and twists that happened in the last few minutes of the show… because really, that’s what we’re all talking about.
Colton is a Time Traveler!!!!!!!!
Some of us had suspected this. Many fans guessed that Colton was the mysterious person watching the Landrys’ party back in 1999. Now we know for certain.
Colton time traveling (Hallmark)Based on what he’s wearing in this big reveal, and the scenes we’ve seen where Del imagines interacting with an older Colton, the “time-traveling” Colton appears to be about the same age that he was when Jacob disappeared and he died. This explains so much, and opens up so many possibilities.
- He’s known about the pond since he was a little boy.
- Now we know why he called Kat “My Katherine” when he died. He knew she was his daughter, traveling back in time.
- He knew Alice was a time-traveling Landry too. The only question is whether he figured out that she was his granddaughter.
- He knew adult Elliot was a time traveler. That’s why he welcomed the drenched stranger so readily.
- I need to rewatch all the scenes with Colton now, because there are likely a lot of layers we missed.
- Did he know he was going to die soon? He must have guessed it, considering so many people came to visit him around the same time and were upset and sad.
- He warned Jacob that the pond was off-limits. He talked about the pond having a dangerous sinkhole. For some reason, he didn’t tell Kat, Jacob or Elliot what the pond could truly do, but he did try to keep them away from it.
I’ve rewatched this scene far too many times, trying to read his expression. You can bet that the directors gave Jefferson Brown specific instructions on what his emotions should be at this moment. At first he seems happy after watching himself with Elliot, Jacob and Kat. But right before the scene fades, his look turns more serious, perhaps even a little sad.
The Pond Called to Colton Just Like It Called to Jacob
We learned that Colton has been time-traveling since he was a little boy. Or at the very least, he’s known about pond’s abilities since he was a boy. There are a lot of unanswered questions here.
The scene at the very end of the finale shows his grandmother telling Colton: “I know that it calls to you. Remember what I said. It will always take you where you need to go. But you need to stay here for now. It’s not your time. Not yet.”
She says she knows the pond is calling to him. Do you remember when Jacob told Kat that the pond was calling to him too? And they hypothesized that he was going to end up in the pond no matter what, because it was pulling him so much?
It seems to be a case of “what happened, happened” where the past/present/future loops always existed and can’t be changed. When someone is needed in the past for a specific reason, they can’t ignore the pond’s call.
Does the pond truly have a reason for everything? Or is it simply a portal that keeps the timeline intact?
We’re shown a series of quick shots in this scene with Colton and his grandmother. (But we know from Jacob’s experience that she may not his grandmother by blood, but via adoption, like Elijah and Rebecca are for Jacob.)
The scenes show Colton barefoot with dirty feet. His grandmother’s clothes look like they’re from the past. His shirt looks like he’s from the past. Some fans think his pants might have a seam that’s not indicative of the past. This show is so good at red herrings that it’s tough to tell for certain.
It honestly looks like a scene from the past to me, but it might not be. Looks are deceiving on this show, after all! It’s interesting how the grandmother says the pond takes you where you need to go, which is exactly what Elliot always says. But we also know from this episode that Elliot never traveled in the pond before. So I guess that’s just a coincidence?
Colton as a boy says to his grandma: “But why grandma? I want to try.”
And she says: “You just have to be patient, Colton.”
This scene opens up a lot of possibilities:
- The grandmother has a lot of knowledge about the pond that adult Colton did not pass down to his own kids.
- Elijah and Rebecca did not know how the pond worked in the 1800s. But the grandmother does. So does she pre-date them, and the knowledge was lost? Or does she come after them?
- If time travel can only initially happen by going into the past, then this scene either takes place far in the future OR Colton was born in the future and traveled back in time, and in this scene he is in the past wanting to return to his time. But the scene really sounds like Colton doesn’t have experience with the pond yet, so it’s hard to tell.
- This scene means that Colton must have known Jacob could have been lost to the pond when he disappeared. He must have traveled in the pond hoping it would take him to Jacob, but it never did.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Elliot is wrong and some Landrys can travel to the future initially, which would shake up all my theories. So far, we have no evidence for that.
Casey Is a Landry & a Time Traveler
As many viewers had suspected, Casey is a time traveler. They have Kat and Brady’s engagement ring, the one that Kat and Brady gifted to Alice earlier this season.
Here’s what we know about Casey:
- Casey is nonbinary and told Kat to refer to them as they, not her.
- They said their dad is a Goodwin, but we never met him.
- They never said anything about their mom.
- When Alice told them that the Goodwins had bought the Landry’s land, they excused themselves abruptly.
- Casey returned later with papers from their dad canceling the entire sale.
- Casey previously expressed concern about the Goodwins’ past and how awful Cyrus had been, feeling upset that the Goodwin’s money came from wrongdoings. So Casey likely is truly a Goodwin.
- Casey was very interested in spending time with Alice, almost awkwardly so. Kind of like Kat was with past Colton, and Alice was with past Colton and teen Kat.
- Casey said they were Evelyn’s grandchild.
Casey’s definitely a Landry, and likely legitimately a Goodwin too. They might be Alice’s child with a Goodwin, but they could even be a grandchild or a great-grandchild. If they were a great-granchild (or more) of Evelyn, then calling themselves Evelyn’s grandchild could still technically be true (sort of.)
But let’s not forget: we still have questions about Evelyn. Why is she so fond of Colton and the idea of little Coltons? Is she Colton’s sibling who was raised by the Goodwins for some reason? Or did she and Colton date once in the past? There’s a lot to uncover about her and why Del really thinks she owes her.
Is Sam Bishop a Time Traveler? There Might Be More to Him
After last week, I had decided that Sam Bishop was just a regular guy who fell in love with Del and there was nothing more to him. But after the finale, I think maybe, just maybe, there’s more to him. (Though I still believe his love for Del is genuine.)
We learn that thanks to the valuable coins that Thomas gave Kat (how very prescient of him), Del now has the money to farm the land that was given back to her. The money problems are solved! But there’s an interesting potential twist in this scene.
When Elliot shows Del a picture of the coins, she exclaims, “These are from the 1800s! Where did you find them, Katherine?”
Right when she says they’re from the 1800s, the camera shifts to Sam and his surprised look. Then it quickly shifts back to Kat.
I think that’s a clue. Sam looks concerned in that brief moment, maybe troubled.
It leads me to believe that Sam’s a time traveler himself. Or connected to one.
Here are some facts about him to keep in mind:
- He owns the land next to Del’s.
- He has a horse that is a lot like Del’s childhood horse.
- He’s a lawyer and is now retired.
- He used to talk about how his family has a long history with the town too. But no one in the town talks about the Bishops.
- The Bishops weren’t even mentioned at the Founders Day party.
- So what connection does his family have to the town?
One theory I have is that maybe Sam Bishop is the Samuel Augustine (the man from the past who wrote the history book about the town.) For this to work out based on the pond’s rules, Sam would have needed to originally be from the present or future, and traveled back in time. I’ll admit, that feels a bit convoluted. But now that we know Susanna didn’t secretly write Samuel Augustine’s book, because Kat is publishing her book now, there are questions about this mysterious Samuel that we never met.
Of course, that would mean that the Augustines could time travel on their own, which Elliot couldn’t do. So that’s a hole in my theory. Either Sam traveled with a Landry, or he’s not an Augustine and is actually a Landry. Or he’s not a time traveler at all! Maybe he just knows a time traveler. I’m kind of grasping at straws here, but I do think there’s more to Sam, and there’s a reason the camera focused on him in that scene.
Elliot Finally Time Travels & Understands Kat
Elliot had some major character development of his own in this episode. He figured out the mystery we’ve all been wondering about how Fynn the dog can time travel. Apparently, you can’t travel forward in time. (Or at least, we haven’t seen anyone do that yet.) But a non-Landry can travel back in time if they travel with a Landry. They just can’t go alone.
So he travels back with Alice to test the theory, and is sucked down into the pond. The first time is terrifying and he hears voices as the pond decides where he should go. Alice confirms that happens every time they travel. (Closed captioning doesn’t reveal what the voices said, unfortunately.)
Evan Williams was phenomenal in these scenes. First, he was really funny with his reaction when he came out of the pond. And he transitioned to a heartbreaking and heartwarming moment in his later scenes with Colton.
Adult Elliot arrives soaking wet to see Colton (and Colton must have known immediately that he was a time traveler, perhaps even Elliot himself.) Together they add electricity to the barn where teen Elliot hung out, and have a touching moment that heals Elliot’s heart.
Elliot was even tempted to warn Colton about the future, but stopped himself.
This helped Elliot, for the first time, finally understand Kat and where she’s been coming from. (I wish he could have empathized with her without having to literally be in her shoes, but at least he finally gets it.) In the present day, he apologizes to Kat for everything, kisses her, and tells her that he wants her to choose him. Kat reluctantly tells him that she hears all his words, but she needs time to process them.
Elliot made peace with his past in this episode. He learned to accept his awful father, knowing that Colton was his real dad in every way that counted. This is portrayed when he pictures both of them watching him as he tears down the wall that he once felt was a sign that he was like his dad. But he’s not. He’s actually like Colton.
Thomas is Alive & Kat Has a Major Decision to Make
At the beginning of the episode, Kat and Thomas had a romantic and heartbreaking scene.
Kat runs to warn him about his upcoming execution, but he already knows it’s going to happen. He agreed with Cyrus to exchange his life for Jacob’s. Kat is devastated and wants him to try to escape, but he says that if he does, Jacob will be killed. He has no choice. This is the only way Jacob can be free.
He tells her that he was trying to shoot Cyrus when she arrived through the pond and had never meant to shoot her. He asks her to carry his coins, as he carries part of her heart.
(Once again, Kat’s travels have a huge impact on the way things turned out in the past.)
They share a passionate kiss, and he urges her to run so that Cyrus and his men don’t find her. The chemistry between these two is off the charts. The love they have for each other is truly unparalleled in the show. Kudos to both actors for knocking this scene out of the park.
Kat sees him shot and killed and mourns him deeply.
Later in the episode, after Elliot confessed his love to Kat, she goes back to the pond to think about everything. Just like Del imagines Colton, Kat imagines Thomas. He asks her what she would have done if he had lived. She says that she doesn’t know. She could have loved him, but now it’s too late, and she does love someone else.
Right at that moment, Jacob emerges from the pond, surprising her with his decision to come back home. He tells her that Susanna, Elijah and Thomas all urged him to leave. And that’s how Kat learns that Thomas is alive. He had procured bullet-proof armor with his illegal rum, and was able to fake his death.
Why didn’t he tell Kat that was going to happen? Was it because he wasn’t sure it would work?
We’re left with no idea who Kat will ultimately choose: Thomas or Elliot. But I know that I can’t wait to see her reunion with Thomas. Even though Thomas is alive, he isn’t free… He’s supposed to be dead. He can never reveal he’s alive, so he can’t stay in town anymore. What kind of future can Thomas possibly have now?
Thomas can only have a life if he flees and starts all over somewhere else far, far away. Or if he somehow finds a way to travel forward in time. But so far, the pond has given no indication that this is possible.
In my opinion, Kat’s heart beats stronger for Thomas. Their connection seems so much deeper and more passionate. But only time will tell if he or Elliot ultimately wins her heart. I hope that maybe, just maybe, Thomas is from the future himself and can now go into the pond and move forward. But will the show grant my wish?
More Plot Points to Ponder
Noah appeared briefly in the episode, confessing to Alice that he was afraid she wouldn’t like him if she got to know him better. But Alice doesn’t really have time for that kind of drama, and is understandably upset that he took that decision away from her. Who knows how things will end up with these two.
Also, Del and Kat had a truly emotional reunion earlier in the episode. They learned that Kat had sent an airplane ticket and a sweet letter to Del shortly after Alice was born. She gave it to Elliot’s dad, Victor, but Victor hated the Landrys so he never delivered it. The new understanding between adult Del and Kat was truly beautiful to watch.
Jacob & Del’s Reunion is Delayed Until Season 3
I am thrilled that Jacob changed his mind and decided to go back home. His hesitation was understandable. The pond was terrifying to him as a boy (not a positive experience like it seems to have been for Colton.) So he was scared to try it again. But with Susanna, Elijah and Thomas’ urging, he made the plunge (literally) and is taken back home.
At the end, there’s a moving moment where he imagines his younger self leaving the house and flashes back to his time as a child. The actor’s expressions in this scene are just phenomenal. He doesn’t even need to speak. Everything is written so eloquently on his face.
He and Kat hold hands, ready to face the future together. Her mission was successful.
Just before he can reunite with Del, the episode ends. Their reunion is perhaps the scene I’m looking forward to the most in 2025.
Major Mysteries (please comment and let me know what I’m missing!):
- Why is Coyle’s name on Alice/Colton’s guitar?
- When did Colton first travel in time? In other words, what year was he born?
- Did Colton know about his death? Did he know why Jacob went missing?
- Is there anyone other than the Landrys who can use the pond by themselves? Why did the Landrys get this power?
- Is Susanna’s magical connection to the land somehow connected to the pond’s powers?
- Is Casey Goodwin really Alice’s child? Is their last name really Goodwin?
- What is Evelyn’s connection to Colton?
- Will Kat choose Thomas? Or Elliot?
- Who is Samuel Augustine?
- Why does Del think she owes Evelyn? Not filing charges really isn’t enough of a reason.
- Is Sam hiding a secret? Is he connected to time travel too?
My grade for The Way Home Season 2 Episode 10 is an A++. I loved every minute and cannot wait until 2025.
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Stephanie Dwilson has been working in entertainment journalism for more than a decade. She's led teams of writers covering top TV show franchises like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, and more. She's a veteran Hallmark journalist and runs a 60,000-member Facebook group dedicated to the genre.
Stephanie is a licensed attorney and she has a master's in science in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].
