Drama
Unfamiliar
Filled with gritty violence and foul language, when it comes to this German spy drama, “unfamiliar” is how most viewers should stay.
Throughout the early 1900s, the small Canadian mining town of Hope Valley has seen many changes. People have come and gone, business have been opened and closed. Even the town name has changed from its less appealing “Coal Valley.”
By Season 13 of Hallmark’s popular drama When Calls the Heart, main character and schoolteacher Elizabeth Thornton has gone through just as many changes herself. She’s seen mayors come and go, friends and family pass away and new life be born. But she’s worried that her own time in Hope Valley may be coming to a close.
She’s recently discovered that her adopted son, Little Jack, has diabetes. And though insulin is just beginning to be used to treat the condition, there’s no clinic anywhere near Hope Valley that’s been approved to carry and distribute it. Plus, there’s only one insulin inspector with the authority to approve new clinics, and he’s stuck in the east due to a railroad strike. So it seems it’ll be some time before the man can give his seal of approval to the Hope Valley clinic.
But the people of Hope Valley care for each other: Elizabeth’s seen 12 seasons’ worth of love and camaraderie during her time there. So they’re doing everything they can to help Elizabeth and Little Jack remain in Hope Valley, rather than have the pair permanently relocate to the far larger Cape Fullerton. And no one has helped more than Nathan, Elizabeth’s boyfriend, who has devoted himself to comforting and supporting Elizabeth through this turbulent time.
Regardless of whether Elizabeth gets to stay, there’s one thing that’s certain: Hope Valley is full of smalltown frontier drama that’ll leave the whole town scrambling to keep up with it all.
But through the kindness and generosity of its townsfolk, Hope Valley will persevere through thick and thin.
Though Hope Valley is filled to the brim with drama, even the most extreme plot twists never veer off the Hallmark Channel rails. People die and fights occur, but these aren’t ever glorified (as some shows seem to do) and most happen offscreen. There are romances, but physical intimacy onscreen never progresses past a passionate kiss or two. Language-wise, “h—” and “d–n” are used in the first couple of seasons, but profanity vanishes into the ether by the third season.
These generally minor problems help us to instead look at the stories of the residents of this small mining town. Just like in real life, characters all come with their own baggage and backstories that have made them who they are—for better or for worse.
But mistakes made are often repented of just as quickly as they’re forgiven, and life in Hope Valley goes on. And with When Calls the Heart’s light-hearted atmosphere and positive messages, we’re inclined to join in on the forgiveness for the few microscopic issues the show does have.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
With no approved insulin clinic in Hope Valley, Elizabeth worries she’ll need to move to Cape Fullerton with her son, Little Jack, in order to get him his diabetes medication. But during a brief visit to Hope Valley, Nathan hatches an idea that may allow Elizabeth to stay there permanently.
Elizabeth and Nathan kiss. A husband and wife kiss, too. Several women pry into another woman’s romantic life.
Elizabeth states that she’s “trusting that everything will work out how it’s meant to” and “when it’s meant to.”
Rising smoke warns of a fire in a park where a group of teens are hiking.
Lucas prepares a surprise for the whole town. Nathan deals with an unwanted failed Mountie dog that’s dropped on his doorstep. Elizabeth tries to help godfather Bill concerning his declining health.
We see a number of married or engaged couples kiss. A few people drink wine.
Pastor Joseph blesses a meal. After a man hires another during a trying time for his company, he looks to Joseph for comfort: “The good Lord will provide, right?”
While Nathan recovers from being struck by a car, new pharmacist Mei Tsu cares for his horse. Lucas learns how to show his love for Elizabeth through smaller gestures.
Nathan recovers in the hospital after being struck by a hit-and-run driver. Newton, Nathan’s horse, has blood on its back left leg.
Henry references a mining disaster which killed 47 men. Cooper, the son of Pastor Joseph, asks if he has to go to church ever again. Prospective mayoral candidates Bill and Lee bond over beers. Later, Lee and his wife Rosemary kiss.
While Elizabeth returns from her trip to Hamilton, duo Ned and Florence finish a surprise for the town. Tensions rise when a prospective oil business partner draws the anger of Henry, the owner of Golem Petroleum.
In a recap, Elizabeth kisses her love interest, Lucas.
Husband and wife Lee and Rosemary kiss multiple times in the episode, as do the new couple Lucas and Elizabeth. Someone vandalizes mayoral candidate Mike’s campaign posters.
Henry breaks open a door with a hammer. Henry is seen with a shot of liquor. He punches prospective business partner Jerome and is thrown into jail.
[Spoiler Warning] Mountie Nathan and his horse are hit by a car.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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