The Way Home - Season 2 (2024)

🍄🍄🍄🍄

Last year on The Hallmark Channel, The Way Home  premiered. I was very intrigued by the concept of this time travel show, so I tuned in. It ended up being one of my favorite shows I've ever watched. I don't think I'd ever been so excited about any television series. Season 1 ended in March of 2023. It was a long wait for season 2, which premiered in January of this year. 

Like it's predecessor, season 2 consisted of ten one-hour episodes. It picked up where season 1 left off, then quickly jumped ahead several months. Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, which carried over into season 2. Along the way, we met new characters, with new storylines coming into play. By the end of the season, some questions were answered, some were still unresolved, and other questions came up that left the door open for a season 3 (which has been confirmed will happen).

Just prior to season 2, I re-watched season 1 to refresh my memory. After season 2 ended, I took a bit of a break, then re-watched both seasons. I'm glad I rewatched them because my opinion of season 2 changed after watching it a second time. 

My initial impression of season 2 was that while it didn't live up to masterpiece of season 1, I was still curious to see where the show was going and I looked forward to it each week. I wasn't crazy about our visits to the 1800's, but that was partly because I was getting confused about who the new characters were and where their stories were going.

That was the main problem with season 2. Too many new characters came into play, and therefore too many new threads were introduced. The new characters who were introduced were not fleshed out enough. I would have preferred to spend more time with the characters we met in season 1.

When I watched season 2 a second time, I didn't have to wait a week to watch the next episode. Thanks to the magic of the DVR, I had the luxury of watching one episode a day, while also pausing and rewinding when needed. This gave me a much better understanding of the characters and their places in the overall story. The first time around, season 2 seemed to move too slow, which it did, but being able to watch the episodes each day helped a lot. The pacing felt much better, even though overall it was a slow-moving season. 

Season 2 also lacked the music and nostalgia of season 1. There were glimpses of it, but not nearly enough to have the emotional impact it did in season 1. This is in large part due to the fact that we didn't spend as much time in the late 90s and early 2000s as we did in season 1. The time we spent in the 1800s was darker in tone.

With all this being said, I still feel this is one of the best shows on television, on any channel. It is the only television series I consistently watch. I love the discussions around it. There are so many theories to ponder and that's what makes it fun for me. Season 2 had a lot to live up to after season 1. It's a series I highly recommend to anyone, whether you're a Hallmark fan or not. I do recommend binge watching it, as I think you'll find the pacing better that way. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the first season, I will definitely tune in to season 3 when it airs (probably in January 2025).