Season 2 Episode 4 of The Way Home premiered on Sunday, February 18 after a one-week hiatus. This week’s episode, “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” gets an A review (only because the A+ episodes just had a slight extra “zing” to them.) We dug deep into characters’ emotions, and this week’s theme seemed to revolve around reconciliation and resolution. All in all, this episode provided a few new clues, but it was more of an opportunity for viewers to sit back and process what we’ve learned so far, before things pick up again.
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**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR S2E4 BELOW**
Brady Was Painted in a Positive Light, Although in a Bittersweet Way
The episode began with Alice having a nightmare about Jacob drowning that pushed her to go back and visit the pond again, even though Brady is in town visiting for a few days. This episode really did a good job of painting Brady in a better light. Although as a viewer, I’ll always harbor resentment toward him for how things ended with Kat, the episode really showed that he still wants to be a good dad to Alice, and keep things amicable with Kat. They’re both acting like mature adults, working as a team to parent their daughter, even gifting her their wedding ring in an incredibly sweet moment.
Alice even got to watch Brady and Kat’s engagement in 2001, from his fancy proposal that didn’t go over well, to a sweet one-on-one that helped cement a future together where they would be happy (at least for awhile.) What made this bittersweet was knowing how things would end up between these two. But seeing Brady supporting Kat, supporting Del, and being a good dad to Alice still, even after the divorce, helps ease some of the bitterness.
The Show Does a Good Job of Acknowledging & Respecting History
One thing I like about this show is how it doesn’t shy away from historical truths and events. Alice goes back in time to the fall of 2001, after September 11 and in the midst of the anthrax attacks. Young Elliot really drives home how difficult and world-altering that time was, even though Alice from her perspective doesn’t truly grasp it. I thought that was a pretty accurate portrayal of how different generational perspectives can be. The show is giving us that same respect for history in the 1800s as well.
This is something I appreciate, as it paints a pretty big contrast to shows like “When Calls the Heart.” WCTH has made a deliberate decision to ignore every major event happening during the show’s timeline, so it can focus on creating a cozier atmosphere for viewers. “The Way Home” has chosen the opposite approach, and I’m really enjoying it.
Del Resolves Her Land Lease Issue, But I’m Still Not Trusting Sam Yet
Brady’s storyline was used as a catalyst for helping “semi” resolve the land lease issue between Del and her neighbor, Sam Bishop. (Part of me still thinks something will crop up from all of that.) I did cringe during their meeting, when Sam revealed that Brady was practicing in an area where he wasn’t licensed. Every lawyer knows they should never pretend to practice where they’re not licensed. In real life, Brady wouldn’t have overlooked that, but I’ll give it a pass since this show is so accurate in many other ways.
In the end, Del and Sam resolved their issues amicably and without legal representation. Del agreed to let Sam out of the lease, as long as Del agreed to let Sam pay her to board the horse. I think the show is hinting at a potential romance between these two, but I’m not sure that I trust Sam yet.
Elliot & Kat Resolve Their Differences in the Present Day, While Teen Elliot Struggles Immensely
Teen Elliot did a wonderful job of portraying how heartbreaking Kat’s engagement was to him. His reaction was so realistic: even though he knew it was coming, he still had some space for denial since it hadn’t happened quite yet. As he said, he thought he would have more time.
Adult Elliot handles things better now (and was even been married in the interim at one point), but he still harbors that same love for Kat, as he acknowledges to Alice. However, he’s finally reached a point where he can empathize with Kat and her need for answers about Jacob. Now, rather than a roadblock, he’s turned into a supporter. (Which drives my hope that someday he will travel in the pond too, but that’s another story.)
Much of this episode is about resolutions and reconciliations between characters, and that includes Kat and Elliot in the current timeline.
Alice and Nick Have a Lingering Goodbye
Nick is the only one besides Elliot who sees Alice in 2001. It’s been a year since they last saw each other, and he still harbors love for her (just like Elliot for Kat.) They have an undeniable connection, but Alice is able to give him a real goodbye that she’s ready for this time. But for him, it’s not a true goodbye since she says that he’ll see her again one day.
If we hadn’t seen adult Nick in season 1, I would have half expected Nick to follow her into the pond and time travel too. But instead, I believe the show closed this chapter and is setting up a romance between Alice and Noah LeBlanc (the guy in the coffee shop.) Next season we might even see a love triangle between Alice, Noah, and Spencer (who is currently out of the country for the summer.)
Did Jacob and Colton Already Know About the Pond?
The episode gives us another clue about Jacob’s childhood, when Kat approaches Danny in the present about Jacob’s pictures of the pond. Danny says they used to call it “Jake’s Pond” because Jacob played around it all the time.
When Kat talks to Elliot about this later, Elliot suggests that Jacob hid the photos because Colton told everyone to stay away from the pond since it was a “sinkhole.” This opens up a lot of possibilities. Not only did Jacob possibly travel through the pond more than once, but it’s very likely that Colton knew exactly how the pond worked, and that’s why he told everyone to stay away from it. But if that was the case, wouldn’t he have tried traveling through the pond immediately when Jacob disappeared?
Elliot’s Dad Will Play Some Role in All of This
Elliot’s dad is an Augustine, but we haven’t seen him yet in the series. However, he’s been brought up several times this season, which I believe means he’s going to play a bigger role in the future.
In this episode, Elliot tells Kat that his dad Victor “was a huge nautical buff” and it was the “only thing he was into.” Elliot tells Kat that his dad has old ship manifests from the 1800s somewhere in the house because he was “obsessed with tracking when the first Augustines came over” and he can look through them for clues about Jacob.
I can’t help but think that Elliot’s dad might end up being some kind of time traveler too. Perhaps a member of Elliot’s family went missing in the pond at some point in history, and that’s why his dad is so obsessed with the past? The way Elliot described his obsession reminded me a bit of Kat’s.
Kat & Susanna Reach an Understanding Based on Their ‘Magical’ Experiences
Following the theme of reconciliation, Kat and Susanna come to an understanding and place of mutual respect when Kat travels back in time. Susanna reveals that she has a connection to the land that is almost magical, and Kat reveals the truth about the pond to her. Because of Susanna’s experiences, she believes Kat and welcomes the new insight into her fiance, Jacob. As Kat later tells Elliot, she may not have seen her brother, but she did find a new sister.
I’m curious to learn more about Susanna’s “powers” and connection to the land (and if any of that is passed on to Elliot.) With the pond having magical powers, something else connected to the land may as well.
My personal hope is that there will be a way to travel forward in time, and Susanna will go with Jacob. This will explain why Jacob isn’t mentioned anywhere in the town’s historical records, and why Susanna isn’t either. But as Susanna says, history is written by the victors. (I’m sure the fact that Elliot’s dad’s name is Victor is just a coincidence, right?)
The clues we have so far give me an uneasy feeling about what might actually transpire with Jacob and Susanna.
Cyrus & Coyle Discuss Inventory Missing from Shipments
There’s really only one part of the episode that provides more clues to the mysteries integral to the show. The scene happens right when Kat first goes back to 1814, before Susanna finds her. She witnesses a discussion between Coyle (the man who shot her) and Cyrus Goodwin.
Cyrus thinks it’s poor form that Coyle and his men are celebrating the burning of the White House. He also mentions that his latest shipment of goods to the British was “suspiciously light on inventory.” Coyle denies it, insisting there is no way he’d make trouble with a man as powerful as Cyrus. Coyle insists he will find whoever is skimming off the top, if someone is, and take care of it.
Could Jacob be involved with the problems with Cyrus’ inventory? Since he’s delivering ships, it’s certainly possible.
Coyle’s Name on Alice’s Guitar Is Another Important Clue
At the very end of the episode, Alice sang a beautiful cover song while we saw a montage of moments from the present day and 2001. It was a sweet way to tie up the episode, presenting each character’s individual truths. But during that scene, the camera was also quite careful to focus in on the word “Coyle’s” on Alice’s guitar (which used to belong to Colton.) Now that we know that Coyle is from 1814, one can’t help but wonder if he is a time traveler connected to Colton in some way.
We also see Kat and Elliot discussing something that Alice might discover if she goes back in time again. Kat is worried that Alice will hate her if she discovers the truth, but Elliot believes they’ll work it out. So whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. But it is likely connected to the voices Elliot was remembering in Episode 2 (see a transcript here.)
In summary, this was a beautifully orchestrated episode deep in character development, with a few small clues about the mysteries integral to the show. It was a little slower than some other episodes, but this can give viewers a chance to breathe and process what we’ve seen so far.
My Future Hope:
- I’d like Elliot to go back in time with Kat.
Major Mysteries:
- Why is Coyle’s name on Alice/Colton’s guitar?
- Why isn’t Jacob’s name in any of the historical books? What happened to him?
- Why doesn’t Elliot know about his ancestor Susanna Augustine?
- Who was watching the Brady family in the past (he looked like Colton)?
- Who else has used the pond? Did Colton and Jacob know about it?
- What secret are Elliot and Kat hiding from their past that’s connected to Lingermore?
- Who is Casey Goodwin really?
- What role does Elliot’s dad have to play in all of this? Why is he obsessed with the past?
- Who painted Kat in the 1800s?
- Who is Noah LeBlanc? Is he just a love interest for Alice or something more?
Cons:
- My only “con” is still the same con that I include every week: Kat and Alice really need to talk to Del about the pond!
My grade for The Way Home Season 2 Episode 4 is A. While it might not rank up there with the A+ episodes, it was still highly enjoyable and left a lasting impression.
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].
