Well, did you have a good weekend? It was pretty eventful after being so quiet. Two NEW movies, two new episodes! After such a stretch, we got Hallmark overload!
And did you notice that VERY special guest star who was visiting in Brookfield? More like he was on official business, but you know, tomato, tomahto. š It’s funny. When this episode of When Hope Calls dropped on Hallmark Movies Now back in September, Nathanās demeanor and air of confidence was a sharp contrast to the meek behavior we’d seen from him in Hope Valley during Season 6 of When Calls the Heart. But after watching last night’s episode of WCTH, (and a few before that too,) that boldness and authoritative attitude fit right in.
So have fun listening to Rachel and me gab about Gabe! (See what I did there?) š Not to mention we giggle about the gold. I’ll be back later this week! This is Hooked Heartie, signing off! May your heart let your hope blossom!
Happy Friday, #Hearties! It is Friday, right? Iām losing my sense of days here! I gotta say though, I am so glad everything was all set and ready to go for our series before this broke out. This is āthe little show that could, but itās been through enough! Itās high time it had a break.
But anyway, with time escaping me, I still remembered that itās Friday so I can do round two of Season 7ās #FaceOffFriday. I tell you though, it is getting harder and harder to rate and score these men on their interactions with Elizabeth! In Season 6, they were so separate. Now they converse with each other so often, and Elizabeth has interchanges with them at the same time quite a bit. But once again, Iāve done my darndest. Soā¦LETāS GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!
E4: SWEET AND SOUR (By the way, STILL canāt get over the timing of this episode!)
LUCAS:
+1 Continually reading her chapters & returning them
+1 Trying to share excitement about character dynamics
+1 Very patient with constant interruptions
+1 Elizabeth got flustered and made sure she said goodbye
+1 Offer to help Nathan spread the word. (This was edgy since he did it to look good, but he saw it thru)
+1 Asking after Baby Jackās health
+1 āYou deserve nothing less.ā
NATHAN:
+1 Brought Allie to school to see Elizabeth
+1 Elizabeth got flustered and made sure she said goodbye
+1 Took her suggestion to warn elderly quickly and eagerly
+1 Accepted Lucasās help even though he was clearly annoyed
+1 āDespite our mutual feelings for the town, I appreciate the help.ā (I know Elizabeth isnāt here in this, but itās all about her, he lays it all out on the table, and it was REALLY big of him!)
+1 Elizabeth called him back, obviously wants him to stay and chat
+1 Her excitement at Nathan helping Gowen and his admiration for her sticking by him.
+1 His compliment about her loyalty to her friends
+1 He doesnāt add a ābutā even when she gives him the opportunity
E5: AN UNEXPECTED GIFT
LUCAS:
+1 āTwo of my favorite peopleā
+1 Marveling so sincerely about Jackās growth
-1 Threw Nathan under the bus and let him embarrass himself in front of Elizabeth
+2 Wave to Elizabeth and he waved first
+1 Showing the magic trick
+1 Teaching Elizabeth the trick
+1 Playing darts with Elizabeth
+1 Elizabeth āadmitsā to having feelings for him
+1 Brought her flowers
+1 Told her to enjoy them and she deserved them
NATHAN:
+1 Saying how much his horse likes Jack
+1 Shaking Jackās hand
+1 Acknowledging her hard work
+1 Saying heāll do something nice for her
+1 Small smile and gaze at Elizabeth
+1 Bigger smile when she smiles at him
+1 Wave
+1 Got Lucas away from Elizabeth (Honestly, I was going to dock him for lying, but heās been so mousy that I admired him stepping up)
+1 Pulled the āshow meā play
+1 Elizabeth āadmitsā to having feelings for him
+1 Brought her flowers
TODAYāS TOTALS:
Lucas ā 16, Nathan – 17
ACCUMULATED TOTALS:
Lucas ā 33, Nathan ā 33.
Whoa! This is seriously eerie! That about sums up how Iām feeling at the present moment! I think they really are neck-in-neck. And funny thing, last time we did this, the scores were the exact same numbers, just switched. Boy! These people sure know how to keep us on the edge! I guess weāll just have to wait a couple days and see who gets the advantage this time. And in the meantime, here are a couple things for you to enjoy. First, the recap of episode 5!
And secondly, check out this awesome shot I just happened to get because I randomly paused the TV at a lucky moment. Talk about neck-in-neck!
Okay, Iāll see you Monday! Stay healthy! Stay sane! This is Hooked Heartie, signing off! May your heart let your hope blossom!
Hi, everybody! This is going to have to be a quick one, but I wanted to make sure you got your dose of When Hope Calls today. There really isn’t much to say that Amy and I didnāt chat about in the podcast. So enjoy! I hope it helps the cabin fever. Stay safe! Stay healthy! And don’t give up hope! š
AND! Donāt forget to come back on Friday for the second #FaceOffFriday of the season! It’s going to be quite the doozy! These Elizabeth and Lucas encounters, plus the Elizabeth and Nathan interactions are getting blurred, and it’s definitely much harder to define them. But I’ll do my darndest to award points fairly and objectively. See you on Friday! Until then, have a good week, okay?
This is Hooked Heartie, signing off! May your heart let your hope blossom!
Happy Friday! I bet I know what youāre thinking: āKami, you PROMISED to deliver #FlashbackFriday!ā I know, I know! Things did get busy yesterday, and Iām sorry. But in my defense, Iām only a day late. And besides, with posting one day late, Iām able to include the S7E4 recap with the blog! It was only released this morning. So thereās one good thing.
By the way, I confused someone with my use of episode numbers. So from now on, to dispel any puzzlement, Iām not going to include the Christmas movie in the numbers. It will be strictly the season run, starting with āA Moving Pictureā being Episode 1. So hopefully that helps you wonderful readers and listeners follow along better.
So! Welcome to #FlashbackFriday. Since it is the end of Kevin McGarryās birthday week, my Hooked Heartie tradition is to review his favorite moment of his character. I was lucky enough to be able to ask Kevin what his favorite Nathan moment is thus far. Given the fact that this is only Kevinās second season on the show, there arenāt as many to choose from. Also, since Nathanās story has only just started getting deeper, that narrows the field even more. So weāre not flashing back very far, but itās such a great moment that I donāt think anyone is going to care.
Kevinās favorite Nathan moment so far is when Nathan is forced to arrest his father at the barbecue in front of the whole town. There are two reasons Kevin mentioned for his choice: 1) The storyline was one he ācould really sink [his] teeth intoā. 2) That moment was such a powerful one for him to portray; itās the kind of dramatic moment performers love to act out.
We already talked about this moment in the recap, but this is the perfect time to really delve into Nathanās thoughts and reasons for his actions. First of all, what a performance! Kevin was fabulous this whole episode. As for this particular moment, can you imagine how much was racing through Nathanās head? We all saw how angry he was when his father showed up in town, and the great lengths he took to keep Allie away. The Mountie instincts and past history were not exactly a formula for welcoming dear old Dad with open arms. He fought against every effort Archie made, and called him out on every excuse. Only after Allieās sweet and insistent list of reasons she should meet her grandfather did he relent even the tiniest bit. And even then, Nathan was still hesitant, double checking if his father had TRULY quit. But he did invite Archie to sit with him and Allie at the town picnic, so he was VERY slowly warming up.
Then, just when the sun started breaking through, the thunderclouds roll in with a vengeance! Can you imagine Nathanās rage? He let his guard down the tiniest bit, and according to Nathanās feelings, he was betrayed! The fuming in his face is unmistakable. Heās trying to hold his emotions in and remain professional, but without much success. Heās seething as he stomps into the middle of the picnic, and slams Archieās glass of lemonade down, then hauls him off. Not only is he angry because he thinks his father lied for the umpteenth time, but it pains him to know end that now Allie is involved. Then rub salt into that barely-healing wound when all this drama happens in front of the woman for whom Nathan is falling fast! His heart is broken, and he is livid. Heās on the verge of tears when he tells his father he wants so badly to believe him. And thatās why heās also angry with himself, almost as much as he is with his father.
Kevinās performance in this scene really is fantastic, and he pulled us as an audience down the path of discovery with him. Happy birthday week, Kevin! And everyone, we have something to look forward to amidst all the chaos and fear: a return to Hope Valley and Brookfield ! Itās almost worth being cooped up for, and those trips always make us feel better. So Iāll see you Monday for #MondayMusings on When Hope Calls! Thenā¦Friday brings with it another #FaceOffFriday! Exciting!
Icing on the cake: here is the S7E4 recap I promised. Have a blast with it! This is Hooked Heartie, signing off! May your heart let your hope blossom!
Happy Hump Day, Hearties! Or should I say, āHappy birthday!ā Because today is a big day for a certain Heartie favorite! Itāsā¦……………..
KEVIN MCGARRY!
Photo credit: mydevotionalthoughts.com
Yes, TODAY is Kevin McGarryās big day! Not tomorrow like so many of us thought! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN! And the day after St. Patrickās Day with that good Irish name! How appropriate! I had the great honor and VERY comedic privilege of chatting with Kevin to commemorate the occasion. So if you want the inside info on Kevin, Nathan, and Mitch (Kevinās Heartland character), youāve come to the right place. Pull up a chair, sit back, relax, and ENJOY!
*However, I would advise you to use the restroom first; and donāt eat or drink anything during the interview, or youāll have quite the mess to clear up when you spit it out from laughing. And if you MUST multitask while listening, you might want to avoid noisy jobs, because you donāt want to miss a moment! Itās the perfect comic relief for a stressful situation like this one in which we all find ourselves.
Buuuuuutā¦before I post the link, I canāt help but add one more thing. We werenāt able to ācelebrateā this last year because we were on the hiatus. But two years ago today, Jack and Elizabeth were getting married on our TVās. Does anybody else find it the tiniest bit coincidental that the anniversary of the wedding episode just HAPPENS to land on Kevinās birthday? Is it a sign? You decide. š
Photo credit: Crown Media
While youāre deliberating, Iāll be back on Friday with a #FlashbackFriday of Kevinās favorite Nathan moment! And my husband is, thankfully, working from home now, so that is a promise! Happy birthday again, Kevin! This is Hooked Heartie, signing off! May your heart let your hope blossom! Oh, and hereās the link! š
Photo credit: mydevotionalthoughts.com 
Photo credit: Crown Media