Season 2 Episode 5 of The Way Home, “Long Time Gone,” premiered on Sunday, February 25. This week’s episode gets an A+ review for its fast pace, character deep dives, unexpected twists, and shocking ending. After last week’s episode worked as a bit of a refresher for fans, giving them space to breathe and process everything we’ve learned, this week’s episode moved the plot forward in some pretty significant ways.
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**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR S2E5 BELOW**
Let’s start out by jumping straight to some of the major points at the end.
Kat Finds Jacob & Loses Him Right Away
Much of the episode revolved around Kat traveling back to 1814, spending time with Elijah and Susanna, and finally finding Jacob again. Thanks to Elliot’s dad’s ship manifest, she was able to figure out that Jacob was traveling under Coyle’s name and returning on the Belladonna. Shortly before his arrival, she found the clothes he was wearing when he disappeared as a kid, buried in a bag in the Landry farm’s field. Did the Landrys know how the pond worked, and hid Jacob’s clothing so his secret wouldn’t be discovered?
She also learned that Jacob delivered Cyrus Goodwin’s boat to the Navy, because he wanted to make Elijah proud. But he didn’t have enough money to get back home, so Coyle paid for his passage on the Belladonna and put him under his own name.
But all of this is quickly forgotten when the unspeakable happens… Kat sees an adult Jacob on a boat heading for shore and calls out his name. He doesn’t react to her words, indicating that maybe he was trying to hide his identity. British officials recognize him and arrest him for treason, hauling him away before Kat can come near him.
Chyler Leigh portrayed Kat’s grief in those last few seconds with an amazing authenticity that really tore at my heart.
The episode ends with Kat devastated again, as her choices possibly led to yet another Landry man’s demise.
But is that really the case?
Some astute viewers have pointed out that this is a very small town and Jacob was likely well known. The British officials who came to arrest him were there because they already knew he was arriving. Whether or not Kat called his name, they still would have recognized him. So while the scene leads us to believe she’s responsible for his arrest, a deeper dive uncovers that it might have happened with or without her presence.
Alice Played a Supportive Role This Week
This week, Alice’s part in the episode moved at a slower pace. She mostly served a supportive role for a number of characters. She helped the viewers get to know Elliot’s struggles better when she visited him in the past. His father was an alcoholic who treated Elliot poorly, even getting drunk and embarrassing him on Founder’s Day as a teen. Elliot ultimately faced his demons and delivered a stirring speech in the present day.
Alice was also very supportive of Kat, trying to set her up with Elliot and later encouraging her to go back to 1814 and see Jacob’s return. It’s nice to see how far these two have come compared to the beginning of season 1.
And while she’s busy supporting everyone else, she has a blossoming romance of her own with Noah. I don’t think Noah plays any kind of unique role in the show’s overarching mystery. He’s simply a new love interest, who perhaps might grow into a love triangle next season if Spencer returns.
Casey Uncovered Disturbing Information About Cyrus
Casey didn’t have any awkward scenes with Alice this week. Instead, their role revolved around researching the Goodwin family’s history (and filling in for a dad who is mysteriously never around.)
Casey learned that their ancestor, Cyrus, was cozy with the British during the War of 1812, to the point where he received a “Letter of Marque” that allowed him to pillage and steal whatever he wanted. According to the Royal Museums Greenwich website, Letters of Marque were commissions that let privately owned ships capture enemy merchant ships. These privateers were legally commissioned pirates, so they were observed as heroes rather than as thieves. The letters were no longer issued after privateering was abolished in 1856.
Casey said Cyrus’s Letter of Marque let him “steal and pillage” anything he wanted from anyone, in the name of the king. They mused that the Goodwin family riches might have come from these acts. I think we can guess, based on Cyrus’s interactions with Elijah, that he might be pillaging from the Landry and Augustine families too.
Casey also discovered a book of execution records from the 1800s among her grandmother’s belongings. While Kat didn’t seem very interested in the book, I think that was an oversight on her part. She’ll likely reference it in a later episode to try to figure out what happens to Jacob and Susanna.
Even though the summer is ending and Casey is leaving, I can’t help but feel like there’s more to their story. I still like the theory that Casey is Alice’s child from the future, but I’m not sure if the show will go in that direction.
Del Finds Her Own Freedom
Del struggled with her own inner demons this week, feeling like an “imposter” at the Founder’s Day celebration. Elliot and Casey both felt like imposters too, so I’m thinking that for future Founder’s Day events, maybe they should get rid of those mums and “ask me about my family?” signs?
There was a sweet scene where Del “saw” Colton encouraging her and reminding her that she’s just as much of a Landry as anyone else. (Does that also mean she can time travel in the pond?) After that, she was open to Sam Bishop, her neighbor, when he approached her, and they had a carefree swim in the lake.
While I’m starting to think that Sam might be able to be trusted with Del’s heart, I think there’s more to him than meets the eye. He keeps mentioning having a history with the town, and I’m wondering just how deep that history goes. Maybe the mystery of Sam will be studied more in a future season?
Elliot & Kat Just Aren’t Working Out
As much as I wanted Elliot and Kat to be a couple, I’m starting to think the show is making a strong case for the two being better off as friends. Last week I thought they were working things out and respecting each other, but that fell apart this week. Every time they try to move into a more romantic relationship, they start fighting. They’re both suspicious and critical of the other, and don’t seem to bring out the best in each other when they try to date. Perhaps at this point, they should both move on.
(I also want to take a second to address Elliot’s belief that the pond takes you where you need to go, and it takes people to specific places for good reasons. Kat’s doubt is worth considering. The pond has magical powers, but we shouldn’t ascribe anthropomorphic qualities to it. However, I have a hard time believing that Elliot, as a scientist, would do that. So does he know more about the pond than he’s letting on?)
Coyle Is the MVP Character This Week
If I had to give an “MVP” award to a character this week, it would be to Thomas Coyle. The actor, Kris Holden-Reid, plays Coyle with just the right dash of swagger and mystery, and there’s obviously already a spark of some sort between him and Kat. Their meeting at the pond was entertaining to watch, although I’m not sure I can forgive him for shooting Kat when she first arrived at the pond!
He’s a painter who is friends with Jacob and even helped secure him a passage back home. It’s pretty clear at this point that he’s the one who painted Kat in that portrait, and he might also be the one secretly stealing from Cyrus Goodwin’s ships. He’s a good character who hides his good deeds behind a villain veneer. He’s likely working behind the scenes to try to undermine Cyrus, who is the real villain of the show. Cyrus already threatened Susanna’s life with the weird comments about her “magical” herbs, and he’s probably the one behind Jacob’s arrest.
But what role will Coyle be playing in the future? His name is on Colton’s guitar, which points to something significant. But his family isn’t known in the town’s history.
Since he’s close to Jacob, I think it’s possible that Jacob told him the truth about the pond. Maybe Coyle has even traveled through the pond himself. Perhaps he shot Kat because he was expecting someone else to come out of that pond — someone dangerous.
My Future Hope:
- I’d like Elliot to go back in time with Kat.
- But I simultaneously kind of want a Kat-Coyle romance and for Coyle to travel to the future.
- I’d like Susanna to travel to the future with Jacob.
Major Mysteries:
- Why is Coyle’s name on Alice/Colton’s guitar?
- Did Coyle paint Kat?
- Will we meet the other Augustine family members in the 1800s or just Susanna?
- Why isn’t Jacob’s name in any of the historical books? Is it connected to his arrest?
- Who was watching the Brady family in the past (he looked like Colton)?
- Can only the Landrys use the pond (and their dog Finn) or can other families use it too?
- Is Susanna’s connection to the land somehow connected to the pond’s powers?
- Who else has used the pond? Did Colton and Jacob know about it? Or Del?
- What secret are Elliot and Kat hiding from their past that’s connected to Lingermore?
- Who is Casey Goodwin really?
Cons:
- My only “con” is still the same one 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 5 is A+.
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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].
