‘The Way Home’ Recap: ‘Lose Yourself’

3/18/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 208 of ‘The Way Home’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

There are a great many reasons that fans tune into the hit Hallmark series, The Way Home. For some, it’s about the characters because the Landry family and the people around them feel real and make decisions we can relate to. For others, it’s about the plot because this is at its core, a juicy time travel story and there are those of course… who tune in for the fascinating commentary regarding grief and how we fight through it. But of the many reasons that each and every one of us tune in, there’s one above all that we share in. Specially the fact that this series always knows how to surprise us in some form or fashion, as was evidenced by this week’s episode of the show.

A feat that ‘Lose Yourself’ accomplished by way of some juicy storylines. One of which, brought Kat’s emotional battle to an abrupt stop. For despite her best efforts in 1814 to help Jacob remember the life he accidentally left behind, to reconnect at last, the trauma of that moment was buried deep in his mind and all that mattered to him was his life in the past. To the point where he scolded Kat and basically sent her on her way with little closure. A move that left Kat stunned. Simply because it taught her a great deal in a short time. Such as the fact that we cannot change the fact that we will lose people along the way, sometimes to circumstances other than death, and that closure isn’t always a possibility for us and that’s a hard pill to swallow and it will be interesting to see how that truth impacts Kat down the line since none of her issues are resolved in the slightest.

But there were bigger fish to fry in this episode. For instance, the friction between Kat and her mother continued to grow here, because of the fact that Kat was lost in the past and lost in her grief and that kept things icy and that brought up a lot of past emotions for Del. Because she had been here before with Kat and she thought Kat and finally moved past some of her issues. Granted, there are complexities Del knows little of, this was enough to offer up a trigger point regarding her own unresolved traumas and the past, and that was amplified by an offer from the Goodwin family to buy the farm. Because it put her in a tough place, a crossroads involving legacy and her own freedom and wants. Which in turn spoke to how the past controls us and prompts us sometimes into inaction in the name of legacy and honor when we should be worried about living in the now and forging our own legacy.

Both storylines, really did bring forth surprises since we didn’t think Kat’s journey would hit such a quick wall, nor did we ever think we’d see Del actually contemplate a sale, but while those two storylines would have carried this story from beginning to end with plenty for us to chew upon, there was one more that offered up some suprises. Which is one that involved dear Alice. Who decided it was high time to go back in time and learn about what happened back at the mansion in ‘07 since that photo looked so awful, and what she learned, was that the Halloween party that took place there, was critical to her family’s development. Because this was a party where younger Kat and Elliot discussed running away together, since she had split with Brady. But he wasn’t done with her, so that led to a brawl between two suitors, one that ended with Kat in a great deal of pain.

Which allowed for Alice to begin to understand what choices gave rise to her existence, along with a lesson we all should learn about our parents. In that, they are flawed people, who made mistakes and will continue to do so even in adulthood. As evidenced by the ending of this story and THAT moment between Kat and Elliot in present day. Just because… they’re people and people are flawed and foolish and do our best to get by and that was the perfect way to wrap up an episode full of twists and turns that seemed to be designed to pivot the story toward resolution of a core central theme. Specifically, facing the past and resolving it. Because it hangs so heavy over everyone in this story, and they need to find peace, and it will be interesting to see how the show moves everyone toward the process of resolution, as we inch toward the end of season two of this magnificent series. Until next time.

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