When Calls the Heart Season 10 Episode 7 Review: Best Laid Plans
Carissa Pavlica
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If I were going to choose one word that describes When Calls the Heart Season 10 Episode 7, it would be subtlety.
Sometimes, you need to catch someone in the act of doing something you are guilty of doing yourself to realize it.
The funny thing is that I'm not sure whether the lesson was received or lost by everyone this time around.
First, the King of Surprises had another in store for Hope Valley when Lucas bought the town a radio.
It's hard to imagine a life so unconnected that it wouldn't even include radio since I'd guess most people living today grew up with that, at the very least.
But it was very surprising that our dear Mr. Bouchard went to all that trouble to buy the radio without a better understanding its mechanics and what makes it work.
Hope Valley certainly has nothing nearby, and you'd think a reasonable sales pitch would speak about the need for an antenna. Even when I grew up, you needed an antenna to catch stations near or far.
Thankfully, Fiona is one of the most capable people in town, and she researched it and created an incredible antenna using both steel and copper wire. She fully understands the mechanics of most things, and it was Fiona to the rescue for the town's entertainment.
She had to take that journey alone, though, since Ned, Mike, and Lucas shrugged off her helpful ideas to the point that you had to wonder if they did it only because she's a woman.
Faith's journey with a patient named Mr. Hunter solidifies that was the case, not by addressing the trio mentioned above but because Mr. Hunter refused to believe that Faith was a doctor. She had to bestow upon Mike a temporary medical degree for Mr. Hunter to follow her advice -- through Mike!
He was very mean to Faith. He doesn't think a woman can be a doctor.
Mike
Mike was telling everyone how mean the patient was and eventually rebuffed the fellow himself, all while seemingly doing the same thing to Fiona, a very good friend and former business partner, without realizing it.
It's probably a good time to mention that the women in Hope Valley are the story so that the men can seem a bit like Ken in the Barbie movie. They're window-dressing for the ladies to shine.
Mr. Hunter: Now you're saying this lady is supposed to be a pharmacist? What is wrong with this town?!
Mike: Nothing is wrong with this town, and I'm not a doctor. She is!
Mr. Hunter: [laughs] Good one, Doc.
Faith: I think I need to have a word with my patient. I'll tell you what's not funny. When you came in here, you were barely breathing, possibly hours away from death. You had low blood pressure, you were dehydrated, and you were probably dangerously anemic. Now, how do I know this? Because I am a good doctor, and I am your doctor. Now let me help you, and let Miss Sou help you because she is a good pharmacist.
Mike: And how about showing a little gratitude?
Mr. Hunter: I'm sorry, Miss Doctor.
Mike: Uh uh.
Mr Hunter: And Miss Pharmacist. Thank you both.
They bumble more often than not, and the good ladies in town must step in to remind them of, well, just about everything. And, lesson learned, they move on to the next bumbling adventure.
Joseph Canfield was stuck between a rock and a hard place once he realized that he needed to break away from Coulter Lumber to pursue his passion and calling.
Of course, the timing was less than stellar since Lee had also made a decision, and it relied heavily on Joseph's participation.
Joseph: Lee, there is something I want to talk to you about.
Lee: You know, it's funny you mention that because there's something I want to talk to you about, too.
Joseph: Oh?
Lee: Yeah. How would a partnership in Coulter Lumber sound to you? You and me, runnin' the show together.
Joseph: Lee, that's so generous. I, I don't know what to say.
Lee: Joseph, look. There's nobody that I would rather be partners with. [they shake hands and hug]
Once Joseph got a word in edgewise, Lee accepted his decision to pursue his calling without question. In fact, he fired him before Joseph had a chance to quit.
What hit me about the whole situation, though, was that I thought I heard Joseph and Minnie talking about moving to another town where he could pursue his vocation to its fullest.
Does that mean that the Canfields might be leaving town? I sure hope not, but it wouldn't be the first and surely not the last time characters move on from Hope Valley.
Their loss would be profound, so seeing what the future holds for them will be interesting.
Speaking of moving on, Madeline St. John had quite the secret up her sleeve. She's seemingly been bamboozled into marrying a smarmy "gentleman" in the wake of her husband's death.
Bill said earlier in When Calls the Heart Season 10 that something didn't feel right about her situation, and he was right. But being engaged to another man never even crossed my mind.
Bill has fallen for Madeline, and that discovery will hurt him. But so many others have recognized how he feels and witnessed the two of them together that I fully expect an impromptu posse to begin gathering evidence to the contrary of what Mr. Montegue revealed.
She said her goodbyes and wasn't all that subtle about it, so hopefully, her cries for help will be heard, springing a team into action.
Bill: Do you think you can give me a hand loadin' this stuff up?
Nathan: Anything for love.
Bill: Love? Who said anything about love?
Elizabeth and Nathan exchanged a knowing glance when they helped Bill load items onto his wagon to take the cabin to "spruce it up," and they exchanged another when Nathan asked Faith to dance once the radio started playing.
Faith and Nathan have decided to keep their relationship firmly in the friend zone, so that second glance didn't make much sense.
Some of you have surmised that Faith and Nathan can't have a romantic relationship because she doesn't want to have children, an issue she ran into with Carson, as well.
Faith: Nathan, nothing's changed since we last tried -- with us. I know that you're trying, and I appreciate that. There's something in the way. There has always been. I wish things could be different, but they're not.
Nathan: Faith, I'm - I don't know what's wrong with me.
Faith: There's nothing wrong with you. It's just the way it is. I've missed having you as a friend.
Nathan: I miss that, too.
Faith: We're good that way. You make me laugh, and I like your dog.
Nathan: Really? I guess I like him, too. Yeah. So, um, where do we go from here?
Faith: Back to the way things were.
Nathan: I'd love that.
Their conversation (referenced in the When Calls the Heart quote above) was too opaque for me to fully understand what's happening, though.
This is the part that throws me: "There's something in the way. There has always been. I wish things could be different, but they're not."
What does that mean? That sounds like something much different than not wanting children. Do you think I'm reading too much into it, or is there more to this story yet to be uncovered?
In happier news, Molly Sullivan's daughter Rosaleen returned, and the opportunity for her to move past the tragedy of her father's death is a real possibility if Elizabeth has anything to do with it.
In many ways, Rosaleen's life has been indelibly marked by that tragic day. She wants to give back to the world, but things keep holding her back.
Whether it's a boyfriend who doesn't want her to work, her inability to fund her education, or her desire to shield her mother from pain, Rosaleen could allow life to pass her by.
But the one person she hates the most in the world is the same who desperately wants her to leave the pain behind, and with his heart in the right place, he aims to offer her that option.
As soon as Henry Gowen overheard Rosaleen and Molly talking, I knew he would find a way to fund her education, and he did just that by creating an anonymous scholarship.
Elizabeth, though, believes this will not allow Henry or Rosaleen the much-needed healing they deserve. She's right about that, but getting either of them to engage in a discussion will take a little work.
Elizabeth: I know it's you behind the scholarship.
Henry: Lucas.
Elizabeth: You need to tell Rosaleen.
Henry: I'm just tryin' to do something good here, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: I appreciate that. What are you afraid of?
Henry: That if she knows it came from me, that she will not accept it. And I need her to be OK more than I need forgiveness.
Rosaleen may have her heels dug into the sand where Henry is concerned, and it's with good reason. But it ain't called Hope Valley for nothin', folks, and it sure seems to me that we're about to see some of that hope spring eternal as Rosaleen and Henry find a way to move on from the past.
You've heard from me. What about you? What hit you about this episode? Share your thoughts below, and if you got here before seeing "Best Laid Plans," you can watch When Calls the Heart online and then come on back to chat about it!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
