When Calls the Heart Season 7 Episode 3 Review: Family Matters
Carissa Pavlica
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Writing a novel is giving Elizabeth a lot of food for thought about the people in her life.
Thanks to her voiceovers and Lucas' teasing nature, we're getting a taste of it, too, on When Calls the Heart Season 7 Episode 3.
While she was pondering her life, Clara, Jesse, Faith, and Carson were preparing for the next chapter of theirs.
When Elizabeth moved to the Valley, she couldn't have imagined how things would have turned out so far.
Falling in love with a town, its people, and a man is a lot to process, but her priorities shifted with Jack's death and raising her son alone.
Her life might have been easier if Jack hadn't been killed and she wasn't raising their child alone, but Elizabeth has embraced everything in the wake of those events with open arms.
Everything we have experienced adds to our talents, and Elizabeth has an entirely different pool to choose from to write about in her novel than she was writing in her short stories when Jack was alive.
Her breadth of emotion and understanding of tragedy is allowing her to reach deeper into her novel than she could have under different circumstances.
Wouldn't it be fun if Hallmark released her novel at the same time she gets her book published (which she inevitably will)?
With a large cast like that of When Calls the Heart, it's challenging to admirably suit them all well all the time, and I'd love to know more about the inner workings of her mind.
By her monologue at the beginning of the hour, she shared with us that Lucas challenges her when she needs it the most and that she feels needed by Nathan as he deals with the challenges in his life.
Proving that she's finding it as difficult to determine how to move into any specific direction with her suitors is the character in her book, Luther Brant.
Lucas: And, I'm especially intrigued by this new character, Luther Brant.
Elizabeth: Oh?
Lucas: The handsome, charming restauranteur with a penchant for cards and travel. I gotta say, I'm rooting for him.
Elizabeth: That is what you want as a writer.
Lucas: Who was your inspiration for that character?
Elizabeth: I just made him up.
Lucas: Really?
Elizabeth: Oh, you didn't think that you...
Lucas: No. NO! No, of course not.
Elizabeth: Well, I suggest you keep reading.
That name is the perfect combination of the two men in her life, and when you start counting his characteristics, Luther melds even more perfectly into the dream of a man Elizabeth could have if Lucas and Nathan were one.
Elizabeth: What are you looking for?
Lucas: Humble pie. I was hoping they'd have some in stock.
Elizabeth: You finished reading the chapters.
Lucas: I did.
Elizabeth: And what did you think?
Lucas: Well, Luther, aside from being a handsome, charming restauranteur who enjoys a game of cards is also a widower with a young daughter. And he once worked as a Pinkerton.
Elizabeth: A man of many talents.
Lucas: Indeed.
Elizabeth: Well, remember. It is just fiction.
Lucas wasn't afraid to admit he'd overstepped by making assumptions, which was very pleasant. It was also appreciated that he took a moment to be kind to the other man in Elizabeth's life regarding his troubles with his father.
She so perfectly captured her relationships with both men. Lucas always surprises Elizabeth with unexpected details of his life as he tries to impress her and share with her who he is.
And because of Nathan's status raising his niece as a single father, she's always available to guide him through territory with which he isn't always familiar or doesn't wish to recognize.
It's a sweet balance that makes Elizabeth quite fulfilled.
Raising a young girl alone as Nathan does requires him to seek counsel from others so that he doesn't miss the nuances of her feminine side.
And although Elizabeth could see that Nathan was struggling with the fact that his father had returned to his old ways, it was her kinship with Allie and how deeply Allie wanted to connect with her mother that urged Elizabeth to help Nathan reconsider how he was framing his father's predicament.
Nobody wants to be hurt again and again by believing in someone who always lets you down. But as easy as it was to see Nathan's feelings, he needed an outside force to help him see how much it meant to Allie and how much she could benefit from a relationship with her grandfather.
Lucas: I'm sorry that your dad is in trouble. It can't be easy.
Nathan: I'm used to it.
Nathan's wounded heart moved into action gingerly, and with every bit of evidence that indicated that Archie might be innocent of the charges against him, Nathan grew more confident and pushed others to match his vigor to discover the truth.
I always enjoy the Mountie aspect of When Calls the Heart because it feels so foreign to the beauty of the people in Hope Valley to be pursuing criminals. Nathan's capture of the suspect was no different, reminding me of an old western in which the sheriff falls upon the camp of an outlaw and wanders up, gun in hand.
Proving that heart is in everyone, the man truthfully shared what happened and more, explaining how proud Archie is of his son and that he always talked about his family while in prison.
If a criminal is proud of his Mountie son, then you know he's going to do his best to change his ways. Why would a man with any love in his heart want to put his son through exactly what Nathan suffered during the investigation?
Of course, Hope Valley is only so big with limited opportunities, so Archie has to go elsewhere for work. But we can surely look forward to him visiting again in the future, and his time in the Valley have soothed scars that Nathan has held for a long time.
Another reminder of how small the Valley is came with Faith's opportunity to attend medical school, or to finish it.
Carson: Faith, this is a big opportunity. Sometimes in life, we're presented with a choice where the right decision is to take the risk.
Faith: And this is one of those times, isn't it?
Andrea Brooks is quite a busy woman in the entertainment industry, so if she's got other work and sending Faith to Chicago to study is the show's way of dealing with it, I'm all for it.
She only has two classes to complete, so she can come and go as necessary so that Brooks can pursue other opportunities and Carson and Faith can stay together.
Carson's foray into photography was very cute, and when he gave Faith the wrapped copy of his anatomy book from college, I was so sure it was going to be a copy of the framed print from their "selfie" by the water.
Faith: Wait. You can take a photo of yourself?
Carson: Apparently so.
Faith: What will they think of next?
And it's unclear when Jesse and Clara are getting married, but if it's longer than two weeks, then Carson won't have to feel neglected attending the wedding without Faith because he's going to be the photographer!
There is nothing like a wedding to bring a whole town together, and it was adorable the way the engaged couple kept making their wedding party bigger and even more that they're so accepting of the other tweaking the plans they've made together.
Clara allowed Bill to squirm as he heard more and more people getting taken into the inner circle of their plans while he remained outside looking for a way in.
As soon as she began saying no to his attempts to be a part of the festivities, it was apparent what it meant. Bill was getting the most important job at any wedding, supporting the bride and offering her hand in marriage.
Sheesh, it makes my eyes watery even recalling how beautifully that played out.
From Rosemary matching (or outmatching) Clara's excitement to add Elizabeth to the bridal party to Clara and Bill's hug, it was perfect.
It also seems like my desire for Fiona to get incorporated into town life is also coming to fruition! Have we ever seen Kevin before? Eh, who cares. We needed another single fellow for Fiona, and Kevin is a good match for her.
Not only is he single and quite sweet, but he's got the skills necessary to create doohickeys for Fiona's switchboard when she needs them, too! And unless I'm mistaken, Kevin has been admiring Fiona from afar.
He had memorized a quote about her from the magazine article, and let her know that he and the entire town are very proud of what she's accomplished. Swoon!
For the time being, everything is right with the world in Hope Valley. What do you think will happen as the season continues?
Are you excited to see the wedding and everyone's role within it?
What did you think of Elizabeth's analysis of her two suitors?
Please drop your thoughts down below, and if you missed an episode, you can watch When Calls the Heart online any time to catch up.
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.
