Have you noticed on Hallmark of late that the villains are getting even more villainy?

Hope Valley got stuck with Jeffrey a little longer on When Calls the Heart Season 9 Episode 8, and there wasn't a single redeeming characteristic about him.

While that could have put a damper on Hope Valley Days, the spirit of those days saved Mei, the holiday, and the episode.

It's so fascinating watching networks change focus. Hallmark was known for its softer villains. There were often misunderstood people you'd have a hard time not feeling sorry for if they weren't barging into your storyline.

Even in Hope Valley, the bad guys haven't always been heinous.

Henry Gowen was introduced as the man Coal Valley blamed for the deaths of their loved ones after a mine collapse. But rooting for him to make a comeback wasn't difficult because of his other traits.

Casting Martin Cummins in the role made that pretty easy with his handsome face and the ease with which he can make Henry look more downtrodden than corrupt.

Even Mr. Loomis always seemed just this side of mean, as he talked tough, but his eyes suggested he was the voice of the school district and not as eager to push their agenda as we'd been led to believe.

But this Jeffrey character is the likes of which we've rarely seen in Hope Valley. He's even worse than the other current baddie Walden because Jeffrey thinks he's doing it all for love.

Is there anything worse than when someone has no concept of love or compassion but professes it all the same? Walden is a jerk, but he makes no bones about it. He's a money-grubber and will stomp on anyone to accomplish his goal.

Jeffrey is stomping on a woman he purports to love. It's disgusting.

But his visit was an excellent way to clear the mysterious air about Mei and further endear her to Nathan.

Fans are passionate about Nathan, and for him to fall too quickly for a woman we barely know wouldn't be a wise choice. By making her mysterious and showing how passionate she is about what she does and her self-worth in career and relationships, Mei became a darn good choice for our single Mountie.

And is there anything better to win a Mountie's heart than a damsel in distress who isn't a damsel in distress at all?

Nathan: Who is he? If he's not your husband, who is he?
Mei: I apprenticed at Jeffrey's pharmacy while I was in school, and everything was fine. Then, after graduation, he offered me a job. But it wasn't long before Jeffrey wanted more than just a friendship. When I refused, eventually, he began telling people that he proposed. And later that we eloped and got married. When Jeffrey learned I was looking for another job, things only got worse.
Nathan: So you were never engaged?
Mei [shakes her head negative]: I never had feelings for him. I'm sorry I was so secretive when I first came to town. I should never have let things get so out of hand.

• Permalink: I never had feelings for him. I'm sorry I was so secretive when I first came to town. I...

Mei never indicated that she was in trouble or needed help. She went about her business privately and retained Bill to represent her. Mei's interest in Hope Valley was a fresh start, and she didn't want what Jeffrey put upon her to be her howdy-do to the residents of Hope Valley.

This has made Mei a wonderful character who fits right in with the other women in the valley. Every one of them has strength and grace in abundance.

Mei didn't need a cartoon villain to prove her value. Jeffrey did everything but twirl his mustache to prove how worthless he was. I vote that characters like him are seen less often, not more often.

By contrast, we can never get enough of Lucas.

Seriously, is there anything this guy can't do to capture our hearts and Elizabeth's? He's always been kind, but his childhood desire to find a hearth and loving home where he could build a solid foundation and a family is constantly bearing new fruit.

Watching Jack, while making him a little nervous because of what it meant, went beautifully, but even with his educated upbringing and love of the written word, I'd never have imagined he had such a knack for teaching.

Lucas is an excellent teacher because he's passionate about others having the same experiences he's been so blessed to have, and he makes it a lot of fun.

Tossing the ball engaged the kids right off the bat, and their desire to be included in that bit of excitement also challenged them to prove what they knew about grammar.

Even as a writer, I found the technical aspect of learning English to be quite dull in my youth. If one of my teachers had upped the ante like Lucas, that might have been much different.

Now, my head is creating a much deeper storyline with the future Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard. Given Lucas's envy of Elizabeth's passion for her work, I can't be alone.

Lucas has never revealed what drove him into money-making careers vs. something he truly enjoys. While I don't doubt that he takes pleasure in running the Saloon, he could just as easily hire a manager to do it for him, and it would still be successful.

Lucas's discovery that Elizabeth was a writer made her all the more endearing to him. He jumped at the opportunity to read her work and help her dreams come true. He wasn't only acting as an intermediary between his mother and Elizabeth; he was genuinely interested.

He also used that interest to help Elizabeth with the town's library.

The area is growing. That's a fact. Soon, Elizabeth won't be able to run the school by herself. She'll need help. Who better than the man she loves, a man with a similar gift for education, to help her take Hope Valley's school to the next level?

If there is another season in When Calls the Heart, that would be a wonderful new direction for everyone, including Lee and Joseph, as a new schoolhouse would be of interest.

Speaking of new passions for work, Lee finally admitted that he could toss his desire to run for or be in office because he gets what he needs from the Village Voice and his work on the town council.

But that was only half of his battle.

While he was still in that mindset, he was hoping to move mountains quickly, and he didn't care who he took down in the process.

Lee wasn't looking at the big picture, including how his bold editorials and opinion pieces affected his friendship with Mike.

Mike was once a close business confidant of Lee's. That relationship gave Mike the confidence to branch out into new avenues.

Sure, they were rivals for the mayoral race, but Bill, who wasn't as close to Mike, has managed to put aside any animosity and has been guiding Mike in the world of politics.

Even in a town as small as Hope Valley, politics plays a role. Mike could have never imagined how hard Lee would take the loss or how determined he would be to try pushing Mike into his way of thinking once he lost.

Once Lee realized he had enough input to see his dreams about Hope Valley realized, he thought it would be as simple as acting as if he hadn't been so harsh.

Lee: Hey, Michael. I, uh, just finished that piece about you, and I wanted you to know that it had nothing to do with us being friends.
Mike: Are we? Friends I mean. [walks away]
Lee: Well, I- Aren't we?

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The moment Mike questioned their friendship was like a blow to the face. It finally hit Lee that the avenue he has with the paper is just as important and carries more public weight than anything he could have done as mayor.

Hopefully, Mike will get the support he deserves from his friend going forward. We sure hope so because as Hope Valley grows, the mayor, the town council, and its newspaper need to work together to take it in the right direction.

And finally, the stories between Faith's desire to take her practice in a new direction and Bill's coughing fits have converged.

Bill didn't go for an X-ray as Faith suggested on When Calls the Heart Season 9 Episode 7 because, of course, he didn't.

He may not have taken her advice, but he knew enough to hightail it over to Faith when he began coughing up blood. That would be enough to scare anyone.

And the reality is that if Faith had an X-ray machine, Bill wouldn't have skipped getting one. It is a pain in the butt to go elsewhere for medical care. Just as anyone with an EPO who moves down the road!

I'm interested in seeing what's next for Faith and what other upgrades she'll make to provide increased care for Hope Valley, but I sure hope Bill's laissez-faire attitude toward the X-ray and prioritizing it doesn't spell something more serious.

Now it's your turn!

You can watch When Calls the Heart online right here via TV Fanatic if you missed it.

Please start or join a discussion about "Hope Valley Days Part 2" down below. I'd love to hear from you!

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.