When Calls the Heart Recap: “A Call From the Past”

Sunday night’s penultimate episode of When Calls the Heart centered on:

“Lucas’ past comes back to haunt him and others in Hope Valley; Lee and Gowen compete for workers; an old friend arrives with a new orphan.”

Lots of Activities

As the episode opened, we learned via another voiceover by Elizabeth as she wrote in her journal that a traveling pastor, who will be coming through Hope Valley soon, agreed to baptize little Jack. Elizabeth then revealed that she asked her sister Julie to be little Jack’s Godmother and later in the episode she asked Bill to be his Godfather.

In addition to the upcoming baptism, Rosemary was knee deep in planning Hope Valley Founder’s Day Festival while Elizabeth was also planning the grand opening of the new Library. Given the fact that Lucas donated the building, Elizabeth wanted his involvement in the big celebration, but he insisted that wasn’t necessary.

Lucas’s Past Comes Back

Their conversation was soon interrupted by Fiona, telling Lucas he had a phone call from Cape Fullerton. That phone call set up a good portion of the rest of the episode with Lucas’s past coming back to haunt him. It has been clear since Lucas first came to Hope Valley that there wasn’t something mysterious about him. But it wasn’t because he was a bad guy.

It turned out that Lucas was being hunted by, basically, a loan shark (a title that may not have existed in that time period, but loan shark he was). Amos Dixon (guest star Aaron Douglas of Battlestar Galactica fame) loaned money to a friend of Lucas’s, a widow whose business was burned down by Amos when she didn’t pay back her loan.

After Elizabeth expressed concern over Lucas leaving town, armed with a gun on his hip, Mountie Nathan rode off to look for him; luckily finding him not that far outside of town. Nate convinced Lucas to come back to town because he would be able to call Mountie Headquarters to get help to his friend.

Unfortunately, Amos was in Hope Valley, holding Elizabeth at gunpoint at the saloon – naturally she went there looking for Lucas so when Lucas showed up at the saloon, trouble ensued because Amos wanted his money ($10 grand!). But when Nathan noticed unusual movement at the saloon, and was turned away at the front door by Lucas, he took action.

He found a way inside the saloon and after a bit of a shoot-out – where thankfully no one was hurt, but Elizabeth was shaken – Nate and Lucas got the better of Amos while Bill caught Amos’s goon. The men were arrested and put in the town jail.

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Loyalty Means Something

Ever since Gowen struck oil on the land he bought from Jesse, it’s been a bit of a competition for workers between him and Lee. First it was Hickam helping Gowen on his off hours from Lee’s lumber mill; but now Hickam announced he was leaving Lee’s lumber mill altogether to work for Gowen.

It also looked like Jesse might jump ship too, much to Lee’s dismay because he has come to depend on Jesse, but in the end – after a conversation with his girlfriend Clara – Jesse decided to stay in Lee’s employment because “loyalty means something.”

Return of an “Old” New Friend

Grace, one of the two sisters who came to town with a small group of orphans in the latest Christmas episode of the series, was back in Hope Valley with a young boy named Spencer who lost his parents in a devastating flood a few months earlier. The little boy was obviously traumatized, and not eating much. While Carson assured Grace that he would be all right once he got some much needed iron into his diet, the little boy still wouldn’t eat much. That was until Grace was inspired by a comment made by Rosemary – during preparations with Fiona for the upcoming Founder’s Day Festival – to make flapjacks. The pancakes were a hit!

What did you think of the episode? Do you think the introduction of Spencer might be a way for Lee and Rosemary to have a child? Did you think that Lucas was bad news or were you relieved to learn the truth? Please share your thoughts on the episode below.

[Photo Credit: Hallmark Channel]

The season finale of season 6 of When Calls the Heart will air on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, June 2 at 9/8c.