The Way Home - Season 3 (2025)

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I have been watching The Way Home since it premiered on The Hallmark Channel in 2023, and  Season 1 was as perfect a show as it gets. Season 2 wasn't as strong. The pacing was slow and too many characters were introduced without them being fleshed out enough. 

Similar to how season 2 began, season 3 picks up where the previous season ended, then quickly jumps ahead several months. Perhaps they skip the winter months because how could they time travel if the pond (their "vehicle") is frozen? Although, I would absolutely love to see a Christmas special of this show.

Anyhow, I digress.

Whereas season 1 was primarily set in the 1990s and season 2 was primarily set in the 1800s, season 3 finds us largely in the 1970s. We get to see how young Del (Julia Tomasone) and young Colton (Jordan Doww) met as teens and how their love story unfolded. We also get to know teenage Evelyn (Devin Cecchetto) during this time period.

Some time is spent in the 1800s, but not nearly as much as it was in season 2. This is a good thing. I wasn't a fan of some of the plotlines that occurred in that season. It was too dark for my taste. However, the time we spend there in season 3 feels like it has a purpose. Everything that happened in season 2 leads to what transpires in season 3. I guess sometimes in life you have to take the bad with the good. While season 3 does go down some dark paths, it's overall a lighter season than the previous one. Don't get me wrong, though. It's still an emotionally powerful season.

There are several more storylines that evolve in season 3, but I can't say too much about them without giving away spoilers. All of the main characters from the previous seasons are there and we meet a few new ones. The introduction of the new characters in season 3 never felt overwhelming to me. 

While some mysteries from the previous two seasons are solved, other mysteries develop in season 3. If the show is going to continue (it has in fact been picked up for a fourth season), this needs to happen. All of the speculation and theories are what keep us engaged and interested.

I do think that the pacing was again a bit off in this season, though. In one episode close to the end of the season, we are fed a lot of answers. I wish those answers were gradually revealed throughout the season. Some episodes even before that were a bit too jam-packed. I counted four different time periods in one particular episode. While it did all make sense, that's a lot of time jumps for a 40-ish minute episode. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. While I love the storylines in this show, perhaps they are trying to do too much. There are only ten 40-ish minute episodes in a season and we have to wait until January for the next season. By doing less with the time given, I think the show could be even better than it already is.

All that being said, I absolutely loved this season. While the pacing could have been better, everything else hit the mark. Season 1 still tops my list of favorites, but season 3 is a very close second. First, the casting for this season was perfection. Every younger version of the older characters was spot on and believable. They are also extremely talented, not just with acting, but also with singing and playing instruments. There is a lot of music from the 1970s in season 3, most of which are sung by the actors themselves. I loved the music so much that I found myself looking up the songs and listening to them when I wasn't watching the show. Sadly, at least one song was written specifically for the show and, to my knowledge, isn't available anywhere else. I hope a soundtrack for the series is released at some point.

The music adds depth and emotion. There was one especially moving moment where the music was playing in the background during a partially slow motion scene. It was so well edited that it had me in tears. I watched that scene alone multiple times and cried every time.

Speaking of editing, that was a strength throughout this season. The transitions between scenes were masterfully done. For example, when we leave a scene in the 1800s, we might be in the same setting in the next scene, but in present day or in the 1970s. Transitions between scenes such as these were seamlessly crafted. It's these finer details that take the show to a higher level. Great care was obviously taken in how it was filmed and edited.

Another strength continues to be the writing. There are so many powerful lines that made me stop and reflect. For example, Del says to Jacob, "The scars may be proof that you suffered, buy they're also proof that you made it through." Another line in a note to Del was, "It's time to let go of what was lost and take hold of what's to come." While these lines are directly related to events in the series, I bet a lot of people can relate to them in real life. I know I can.

Like the previous two seasons, season 3 ends on a cliffhanger. I am so happy this show will be back for another season. I can't wait to see which era we explore when the show resumes. I will be there with popcorn in hand ready to watch it.

If you haven't seen this show because you typically don't like Hallmark content, I encourage you to give it a try. Start with season 1 and watch them in order to experience the full impact of the characters and their stories. Before starting each season, it's important to have a complete understanding of the previous ones. Watching them in order will make you feel much more connected to the series. Also know that you won't be able to answer all the questions you have. But that's part of the fun of watching a show like this. There is so much to ponder.

All seasons of The Way Home are streaming on Hallmark+. If you have the Hallmark+ Hoopla Bingepass you can access this for free through your local library. The last time I checked, season 1 was also streaming for free on YouTube.

This show is so different than any show Hallmark has every made and it could easily be on one of the major streaming channels. It's the perfect blend of time travel and mystery - two of my favorite things.

The Golden Girls - The Engagement (Pilot Episode)

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There's a new cozy mystery novel in town! Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery, by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, was released earlier this year. It's based on the characters in the beloved sitcom that started in the 1980s, The Golden Girls. This series ran from 1985-1992 and it continues to be a fan favorite through reruns. While I've seen bits and pieces of this show, I had never watched an entire episode. Since I want to eventually read Murder by Cheesecake, I decided it was finally time to dive into the television series. I started with the pilot, which I recorded from The Hallmark Channel where it airs almost daily. 

In the pilot episode, Blanche announces that her boyfriend, someone she's been dating for just a short period of time, has asked her to marry him. Not all of the ladies are on board with this, especially since her decision could affect their living arrangements. If you aren't familiar with this episode or the series, you'll have to watch it to find out how this turned out.

The pilot of any sitcom has the challenge of introducing us to the characters, while moving the plot along. The Engagement episode accomplished this with much success. We learn a lot about Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), and Sophia (Estelle Getty). We get to know their personalities and their backgrounds, and we find out how they end up living together. We are also introduced to their butler, Coco (Charles Levin) in a few scenes. He felt out of place to me and I think the right decision was made to eliminate this character after the pilot. The women, all main characters in their 50s, except for Sophia (Dorothy's mother) who was older, were clearly quite capable of carrying the show on their own.

I loved all of the main characters, but I thought Rose could have been tweaked a bit. She's very kind, and in some ways she's very perceptive. That's why when she shows moments of being extremely naive it felt off to me. I'm hoping as the series continues, her character is more fine-tuned.

What surprised me the most about this episode (and I assume it will be the same moving forward) was how much it made me laugh out loud. In particular, the character of Dorothy made me laugh the most. I love when show writers can find that perfect blend of heart of humor. While not all of the jokes have stood the test of time, this show has that blend. They joke with each other, but it's also obvious how much they all care about each other.

I don't exactly need another television show in my life, but I'm so happy to have discovered how much I loved the pilot episode of The Golden Girls. I will definitely be continuing the series. It felt like a warm and cozy hug, much like the feeling I often get from Hallmark movies. Each episode is just over 20 minutes long, so it's a good filler when I don't have a lot of time. It's light-hearted and fun, and full of heart - my favorite kind of entertainment.

Murder, She Wrote (Season 3)

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Happy 40th Anniversary to Murder, She Wrote! On this date 40 years ago, the series premiered with a two-hour episode called "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes". That episode now airs in reruns as two one-hour episodes. The beloved series, starring Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, would go on to last 12 seasons. I have already reviewed seasons 1 and 2, and today, in honor of the 40th anniversary I am finally reviewing season 3.

Most of this season is very much like the first two. They are one-hour episodes where a murder happens and Jessica Fletcher does her amateur, but intelligent, sleuthing to help the authorities get to the bottom of each mystery. Some of the murders happen in Jessica's hometown of Cabot Cove, but she also travels a lot. So while the murder rate in Cabot Cove isn't as high as some people say it is, murder does seem to follow Ms. Fletcher wherever she goes.

There are two episodes in season 3 where Ms. Fletcher isn't featured prominently as the sleuth. In one episode she is in bed recovering and in another episode she narrates a book. They were okay, but these are my least favorite episodes in the season. I prefer the ones where she is up and about doing the sleuthing. The other problem I have with this season is that in one episode the word "retard" is improperly used. I will say that back in the 80's when the episode first aired, it was much more widely used than it is now. Thankfully, that probably wouldn't be acceptable on television these days.

My favorite episode from season 3 was the one that took place on the plane called "The Corpse Flew First Class". This was very much like a locked-room mystery, except that it was on airplane, not in a room. I also really enjoyed the episode called The Days Dwindle Down. This episode was partially filmed in black and white since it dealt with a crime that was committed in the 1950s. I thought it was very well done.

Murder, She Wrote is well-known for having notable guest stars on each episode. One I need to mention in season 3 is Daryl Wood Gerber. She is now the author of several cozy mystery series, including one of my favorites, The Fairy Garden Mysteries. In season 3 of Murder, She Wrote, she had a small role in the episode called "Simon Says, Color Me Dead" It was so fun to see her in this episode.

As someone who enjoys listening to audiobooks, I found the last episode, "Murder, She Spoke", in this season especially interesting. Ms. Fletcher was recording an audiobook for one of her books. She was doing this for the blind. Nowadays, unless it's a memoir, authors usually do not record their own books. And nowadays, audiobooks aren't just for the blind. It's amazing to think how far we've come in 40 years.

So overall, I really liked this season. For the most part, it maintained the same vibe as the previous two, with the exception of the two episodes that did not prominently feature Ms. Fletcher as the sleuth. I'm excited to watch the next season, and now that I've posted my review of season 3, I can do that!

The Way Home - Season 2 (2024)

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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).

The Way Home (Season 1 - 2023)

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Until this year, I had never watched an entire Hallmark series. I saw snippets of When Calls the Heart and I recently watched the pilot episode of Chesapeake Shores, but that was it. Then Hallmark started advertising the series that would premiere in January 2023, The Way Home. Normally I would not be interested in starting a new series, but this one caught my attention. Through the commercials, it was clear that time travel would be a theme. Time travel has been done many times in movies and television. Hallmark has done this through such movies as The Love Letter, Journey Back to Christmas, Next Stop, Christmas, and Rip in Time. I have enjoyed all of those movies, with Rip in Time being one of my all-time favorite movies. So I decided to give The Way Home a chance.

The opening scene takes place in Port Haven, New Brunswick in the year 1814. A woman, referred to as a witch, is being chased, and out of desperation, she jumps into a pond and disappears.

Flash forward to present day Minneapolis where we meet fifteen-year-old Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow), her dad, Brady (Al Mukadam), and her mom, Kat (Chlyer Leigh). Alice is about to perform a song on stage, but when she sees her dad in the audience engrossed in his phone and her mom not there at all, she pulls the fire alarm. We find out this is not the first incident and that Alice is going to be expelled. We also learn that Kat and Brady are separated and that Kat has just been laid off from her job.

Kat later receives a letter from her mom, Del (Andie MacDowell), asking her to come back home to Port Haven to live on the family farm. Much to Alice's dismay, Kat and her daughter pick up and move back to Port Haven. Kat has had a strained relationship with her mother and the two have barely spoken in 20 years, since Kat's younger brother, Jacob (Remy Smith), disappeared and Kat's father, Colton (Jefferson Brown), died.

It turns out that Del did in fact write the letter inviting Kat to come back home, but who sent it is a mystery. Del had actually decided not to send it, so she is confused. Things are tense and Alice, out of frustration, takes her mom's pendant that has the year 1999 engraved on it, and throws it into a pond. Alice, alone at the time, has a change of heart and tries to retrieve the bracelet. However, she falls into the pond, only to be rescued by none other than her mother as a teenager. Alice suddenly finds herself in the year 1999. This sets up the entire premise of the series, which goes back and forth between 1999 and present day.

The Way Home is a solid, standout series. This isn't your average cheesy Hallmark drama. It is family-friendly as Hallmark movies always are, but it could easily be on any other network and succeed. The time travel theme is what pulled me in, but it's everything else that made me stay. The acting is stellar, the music is moving (the actors can not only act, but they really can sing, too), and the story is compelling. It will make you think about your own life and what you might do in certain situations, ask questions, and form theories. The latter is what I love most about this show. There is so much to contemplate. The pacing of the series is perfect. There are ten episodes in this first season and they are each one hour long (with commercials). Each episode gives us just a little more, and yet each one also leaves us wanting just a little more. Questions are answered, but then new questions are posed. 

The Way Home is a journey worth taking. I recommend watching it with someone or finding someone who has watched it because you will want to discuss it. You will want to share theories and discuss certain events. I've seen every episode twice, except for the finale which I watched once. I re-watched the first nine episodes leading up to the finale so that I could refresh my memory on the details and I can tell you I picked up on things I hadn't noticed before or I found myself saying things like, "So that's why that happened..." And I'm certain when (not if) I watch the season yet again I will notice even more. It's that kind of series. At the time of this writing, it's been four days since the finale aired and I'm still forming theories in my mind. Oh, and by the way, I was so excited to watch the finale, that I stayed up to watch it when it first aired. Normally I record every show and watch them during the day a few days later.

Earlier this month, the series was renewed for a second season, which will likely air next year. So you have plenty of time to watch season 1 if you haven't yet. My hope is that they put as much thought into how the next season will unfold as they did into season one. For me, season two can't come quick enough. By the end of season one, some questions were answered, but we were also left with quite the cliffhanger.

Please tell me if you've watching The Way Home or if you plan to watch it. I want to chat about it!

R.I.P. Angela Lansbury (October 16, 1925 - October 11, 2022)

I have been taking a break from blogging, but I want to take some time to share my thoughts on the passing of Angela Lansbury.

With a career spanning more than seven decades, Angela Lansbury means many things to different people. I had heard of her when I was growing up, but it wasn't until earlier this year that I became a fan. It started with my love of cozy mysteries. I love cozy mystery books and movies, but there are times when I have only a short period of time and I want to fill it with a complete cozy mystery that isn't more than an hour. That's where Murder, She Wrote comes in. I remember watching the pilot episode earlier this year and becoming immediately hooked on the show.

The Hallmark Channel airs episodes almost daily, but I like watching them in order starting from the beginning, so I started watching them on Peacock. Recently, Murder, She Wrote moved to the premium version of that channel, but thankfully all 12 seasons are streaming for free on The Roku Channel. So that's where I watch it nowadays.

It is clear to me that Murder, She Wrote would not be nearly as successful without Angela Lansbury as the amateur sleuth, Jessica Fletcher. She is the reason why I continue to watch it and will continue to do so  for years to come. 

Thank you, Angela Lansbury, for the joy, comfort, and coziness you have brought to my life even if it did take me all these years to catch on. May you rest in peace.

You can read my review of Murder, She Wrote season 1 by clicking here.

"Murder, She Wrote" (Seasons 1 and 2)

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"Murder, She Wrote" is a cozy mystery series that aired on television from 1984-1996. Each episode is one hour long. As my interest in cozies has evolved, I finally decided to start watching it this year. The series stars Angela Lansbury as the amateur sleuth, Jessica Fletcher. She plays a widow and retired teacher who now spends her time writing mystery novels (and apparently solving heinous crimes committed in cozy towns).

The show's opening is an indication of the (very 80's) atmosphere of the show. We see Ms. Fletcher typing on her typewriter (we even see closeups of the typewriter as it's being used, which has a charm of its own), riding her bike, walking by the water, working in her garden, jogging, and sleuthing. This clearly shows that she's a writer living in a cozy town and sleuthing.

I am very impressed with this show and if every season is this good, I can see why it lasted more than a decade. Jessica Fletcher is a charming woman and makes an outstanding amateur sleuth. She lives alone in the cozy town of Cabot Cove, but she is well-known and well-liked by many. She has a lot of friends and she easily makes new friends. She is also very perceptive, often noticing details that even the authorities don't.

Not all of the crimes take place in the same town. Often in contemporary cozies, the murders take place in the town where the amateur sleuth lives and one has to wonder how cozy is this town really? In "Murder, She Wrote", Ms. Fletcher travels a lot. Now, I will say that murders seem to follow her wherever she goes, but at least they don't all take place in one town. Since she is so well-known and well-respected, she is usually asked to help with the investigations. This is a big difference from contemporary cozies where the authorities usually feel like the amateur sleuth is a nuisance (based on many the ones I've read and watched). It's a refreshing change to see them all get along in "Murder, She Wrote".

Whereas in contemporary cozies there is usually an ongoing subplot (most often a budding romance or love triangle), there is no secondary plot in "Murder, She Wrote". Each episode can be viewed without having seen any of the ones before it and the viewer wouldn't miss out on anything. Each episode is such that, with the exception of the two-part pilot episodes, the crime usually happens in the first 10-15 minutes. The rest of the episode is spent on solving the crime, up until about the last five minutes when Ms. Fletcher figures everything out and reveals her findings to everyone. Unlike in contemporary cozies, she does not put herself in dangerous situations at the end of the show without having someone or a team of people to back her up. 

As for the mysteries themselves, there wasn't any episode where I was able to figure out who committed the crime before it was revealed. Each mystery has viable suspects with motives, opportunities, and means. This is so frustrating for me when I can't figure out who committed the crime, yet it's also the mark of a good mystery.

I'm guessing that since this show lasted twelve seasons, the next one will live up to the high hopes I have for it. I'm interested in seeing how the show evolves over time and if there are any significant changes. Each season consists of more than 20 episodes and I do not watch them everyday, so it will be a while before I review season 2. Stay tuned!

11/05 UPDATE: I finished watching season 2 quite a while ago. Since it's very similar to season 1 and I would again give it five stars, I will not post a full review at this time. I'm moving on to watching season 3!