Shocking Baby Twist Revealed: What It Means for ‘The Way Home’ Season 4!

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⚠️ WARNING: This discussion includes spoilers from the season 3 finale of “The Way Home,” a series available for streaming on both Hallmark+ and Peacock.

In simpler terms, this text is advising that the following content may reveal plot details about the final episode of the third season of “The Way Home” which can be found on either Hallmark+ or Peacock streaming platforms.

As a cinephile, I eagerly awaited the third season premiere of “The Way Home,” where an intriguing mystery unfolded: a baby, left behind in a puzzling scene that had fans on the edge of their seats all season long. Finally, in the climactic finale of Season 3, we discovered a crucial detail about the baby – it was none other than Elliot (portrayed by Evan Williams as an adult). The heartwarming infant abandoned by the pond was none other than our beloved character, left behind by his time-traveling mother. She plunged into the icy waters with a man who could only be Landry (whose face remained hidden from us).

In “The Way Home” Season 4, we’ll delve into why Elliot was left by the pond and uncover what links Elliot’s mother to Landry, who remains unidentified at this point. The show’s renewal was announced a day before the finale. As Kat (Chyler Leigh) and Elliot dig deeper into his family’s connection with the pond, Del (Andie MacDowell) will be preoccupied with finding Jacob (Spencer Macpherson), who went missing following Lewis Goodwin’s (Philip Riccio) threat to press attempted arson charges against him. It seems likely that Del won’t be happy to discover Sam (Rob Stewart) knows more about Jacob’s time travels than he’s disclosed, but it was satisfying for viewers to learn in the finale that Sam also has a connection with the pond, which has been hinted at throughout the series.

In the finale of Season 3, several mysteries regarding Elliot, Jacob’s disappearance, Sam, KC Goodwin (Vaughan Murrae), and Colton (Jefferson Brown) were partially unraveled, focusing particularly on Colton’s time-travel escapades. Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) made an unexpected journey to the 1990s for a heartfelt conversation with her grandfather to gain insights about what their family patriarch knew concerning the pond at the time of Jacob’s mysterious vanishing.

In a recent interview, EbMaster spoke with series creators Heather Conkie and Alex Clarke regarding the surprise plot point involving a newborn character, hidden references, wrapping up loose ends, and the implications of the finale’s events on Season 4 and “The Way Home” as it progresses. 

What does this ending mean for Elliot and his relationship with time travel? 

Alexandra Clarke: Things became a lot more personal, adding an exciting new dimension to everything. It’s an intriguing starting point. Despite enjoying the additional five minutes with Colton and cherishing those moments forever, Elliot has always been cautious about time travel. Taking this idea, or developing a theory that involves his own family, takes things up a notch.

Elliot and Kat also seem to take their relationship to the next level after an important conversation in this episode. Are they in a better place to actually make this relationship work than they were at the beginning of the season? 

Heather Conkie: They are learning to accept and understand the changed version of themselves from 1999. They need to adjust their perspective, and Alex wrote an exceptional scene that demonstrates this. I believe anyone experiencing unusual relationship reconfigurations should watch it, as it’s a superb example of how to handle such situations.

Clarke: The season began with their relationship blossoming. However, as the story unfolded, they came to understand that their love isn’t yet fully matured. Throughout this season, both characters undergo growth and make mistakes, acting impulsively at times. Their disagreements are not typical arguments; rather, they signify a standstill in their relationship, indicating the need for self-improvement before they can progress as a couple. This profound conversation marks the climax of this realization. They are learning that to truly love each other, they must accept and love themselves at this very moment, not dwelling on who they were in the past.

Stepping into the past might seem romantic, but it’s impossible to rekindle love with the memories of old mistakes lingering. Time-travel may be possible, but living in the past is not. In this film, Elliot acknowledges his mistake of idolizing Kat because her family was seemingly flawless, which made him overly critical of any faults she might have had due to her perceived perfection. On the other hand, Kat recognizes that she took Elliot for granted throughout their childhood years, assuming he would always be there without faltering. Her realization of the need to appreciate this steadfastness adds a heartwarming touch to the narrative.

Elliot isn’t the only one we learn has a deeper connection to the pond in this finale. You validated everyone who has theorized that Sam at least knows what the pond can do by showing him standing there when he’s talking to Del. What can you tease about Sam’s relationship with the pond? 

In a similar fashion, we placed him in an identical setting using nearly the same words as we did with Elliot at the end of the pilot episode. When you compare the two scenes side by side, it’s like looking at mirror images, word for word. The dialogue is exactly the same.

Clarke: That deliberate reflection was significant. Our series is centered around the reverberations of history and the present. The past doesn’t vanish; instead, it lingers. We appreciated the reference to our initial episode as the entire finale is about returning to the beginning. This is why we selected Coldplay’s “The Scientist” at the outset. By doing so, we aim to convey to the audience that this has been a long-planned narrative. Ideas that originated in Season 1 are now being revealed to you.

So many loose threads with Colton were tied up in this finale. Does it fully close the loop on his time traveling, or is there more to discover there?

Response: I wouldn’t rule out Colton just yet, he’s a central figure in our series and his intrigue is what keeps the show going strong. From episodes 9 to 10, we delve deeper into his time travel journey and the reasons behind his decisions. There are always layers to Colton’s story, and I hope viewers will ponder about the last scene involving younger Del and Colton taking Elliot in. The consequences of this event are a significant part of Elliot’s tale that our audience is unaware of so far. We have many more mysteries to unfold.

One of the things we did confirm in this episode is that Colton knew who Kat was at the crash site and he didn’t just forgive her, but always loved her. What does having that knowledge do for Kat going forward? 

That choice she made has definitely relieved her of the heavy burden of guilt she’s been carrying since then. I believe it will influence her in certain aspects, yet Kat is always quick to move forward.

Clarke: One aspect of Season 4 that really piques my curiosity is how Kat will appear following her resolution. Colton, knowing he was going to perish, prevented Alice from revealing details about his impending demise. He was determined to bring Alice into existence and share this moment with her in February 2000, no matter the cost. His resolve is evident in his decisions. This determination will liberate Kat in a manner we haven’t seen before, and I’m eager to discover what this newfound freedom means for her. Will she seek new opportunities or find renewed confidence? There are many paths ahead for her post-resolution.

Del also got some closure in this season. She finally jumped in the pond! What does the trip back to the ’70s do for Del and her relationship to the pond? 

Conkie: The pond has posed problems for me all along. But today, I finally understood it could hold enchanting secrets. The wedding scene is undeniably my most cherished moment from the entire series. The music was captivating, and the cinematography was flawless. It was truly a unique experience, and incredibly moving.

The trip as a present was essential for her to view the pond in a fresh perspective since it had always symbolized taking away those dear to her. By giving her more time with them through this gift, she can perceive the pond differently from now on. She’s quite rational; she won’t develop an obsession like Kat or Alice, but she needed a favorable encounter with the pond to overcome it.

We also learn that Susannah left Lingermore to the Landry family. What can you tease about what that means for Season 4 and the Goodwin/Landry feud?

This conclusion to the story is tantalizing! They’re clutching a paper, and we wonder what they plan to do with it. Are they really going to follow that path? It raises numerous questions about the dynamics between the Goodwin and Landry families. Remember, Louis Goodwin has already seen the will in Season 2, so if it resurfaces, how will it affect him? These are intriguing dilemmas to grapple with!

KC returns in this episode and confirmed that they not Alice’s daughter. We still don’t know exactly who they are though, so why did you want to give that tidbit of information?

Alice’s situation with Max Goodwin is now uncertain. She’s been worrying all season about ending up with him, wondering if it was predestined or if she still has options. When she unexpectedly feels attracted to him, it brings her some comfort, realizing that she indeed has choices in life, as shown by Elliot and Kat who are choosing their own future together.

In our writers’ room, we aimed to link three powerful female characters with their past, present, and future throughout this season. Del delved into her past as she grappled with unresolved issues. Kat found herself questioning her place in the present following the conclusion of her mission for Jacob. Alice was uncertain about her future due to the emergence of KC and its implications. Our goal was to provide these characters with a sense of liberation from their questions, which we achieved in various ways: Del got a chance to revisit her wedding, reliving memories as she had imagined; Kat’s experiences with Thomas this season helped her find peace in the present; Alice gained clarity and certainty about her future thanks to KC and its resolution. In our finale, we demonstrated that each character has now found their freedom from their questions.

The idea comes up this season that the pond can punish people for breaking the rules. Obviously the pond makes choices about when and where to send people back in time, but is it a thing that can punish or reward travelers for their behavior in the past? 

Clarke: That was Colton’s explanation to Alice and his logic for why he kept it to himself, why he was ashamed, and why he thought it didn’t work for his family. These are all lessons in communication. Colton didn’t know the full story about the pond. I think the pond teaches lessons, but it is all about reflection. It takes you where you need to go. I think it’s a passive entity versus an aggressive one. Colton tells Alice he made a terrible mistake, and he did. We are all capable of making terrible mistakes, even an incredible character like Colton. That’s why this show resonates with people because even the characters with the best intentions that are nothing but pure good are also capable of falling down and getting it wrong. And that’s okay. I think that’s a very powerful message.  

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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2025-03-08 06:49