There is so much to cover from When Calls the Heart Season 7 Episode 8, it’s hard to know where to start.
Thankfully, main characters don’t often die in Hope Valley, so the likelihood of the person severely injured eventually mending is very good.
But Jesse and Clara continue to face stumbling blocks during their very short marriage, Henry needs to lay his business cards on the table, and Nathan needs to grow up and stop playing childish emotional games.
Let’s begin with Lucas’ business partnership with Henry.
Henry is playing a very dangerous game. He’s responsible for the livelihoods of others. Lucas recognized a while ago that Henry was hiding something about the financial stability of the company, but Henry has flat refused to share the details.
That leaves Lucas with little choice other than getting a subpoena to see what he has every right to view. And we know Lucas doesn’t need the money. It’s more of an annoyance that he’s in the dark.
But learning Henry told his employees that he couldn’t pay them due to financial difficulties unleashes an entirely different beast.
What’s so aggravating about all of this is that Henry is purposefully written to be mysterious. That’s all well and good when a character should get the benefit of the doubt, but every time he gets it, his actions circumvent that newly awarded trust.
Making matters worse is his passive-aggressive taunting of Lucas by attempting to make it seem like he’s earned trust in the first place. How dare Henry call out Lucas for not trusting him when Henry’s the one who won’t share business details with his partner, silent or not?
Lucas has asked kindly. He got refused. Even when asking Bill to help legally, Lucas wasn’t interested in getting Henry in trouble. He just wants to force Henry’s hand into sharing what’s going on. Lucas could have insight to offer Henry that would eliminate his financial stutter.
This needs to end quickly.
On the romantic side of things, Lucas is as even-keeled as ever. He surprised Elizabeth with a memento of their trip together by giving her an autographed copy of a Virginia Woolf book.
None of that is lost on Elizabeth, who took time to write in her journal how much she enjoyed the time they spent together.
But it was impossible not to note that she seemed too concerned about how their outing affected Nathan. She’s still torn about the two gentlemen, or so she says, but instead of enjoying the attention she receives from Lucas and appreciating the lengths he goes to woo her, her mind is always on Nathan.
Lucas offered her his binoculars for her class field trip, and the first thing she spots with them is Nathan leaning against a railing. The guilt on her face said it all — she’s more interested in Nathan than Lucas.
And that would be fine if she was willing to admit it outright and gently let down Lucas. But the more strained things become with Nathan, the more likely it seems she’ll keep Lucas on retainer, competing for her heart.
Nathan was eager to help when it appeared she and the class might get stuck in the woods, but he was also too quick to criticize her actions saving Emily and ultimately lashing out at her for even taking the trip in the first place.
Elizabeth: What is this really about?
Nathan: I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just. I’m going to put this as simple as I can, OK? My focus is on two things — raising Allie and keeping this town safe, and today, both of those things were put in jeopardy. So please, in the future, just let me do my job.
We get it. Nathan lashed out because he was worried that the two women he loved could have gotten hurt. But Elizabeth asked him directly what was igniting his anger, and he failed to answer directly in return.
Instead of saying he was hurt that she spent time with Lucas and is holding a grudge, he yelled at her about something that was, at best, adjacent to his actual feelings.
Even if he had admitted his jealousy stuffed inside of that rage, I would have given him more credit. But he was giving Elizabeth the cold shoulder well before the field trip, and it has to stop.
It seems especially petty when viewed through the lens of the happily married couples with whom Elizabeth is very close friends.
Jesse and Clara were finally leaning into their happy new life. Jesse prepared a special dinner for Clara with grilled cheese and champagne to share with her his latest good fortune — he got a promotion from Lee and will be managing his own timber block.
The world is their oyster. They’re young, happy, and in love. They both have jobs they enjoy, and Clara is beginning to ponder the addition of children to their blossoming family.
But his first foray into managing that block was met with disaster when he encountered a falling tree in the road as a result of the heavy winds. His absence sent a search party after him, and those good intentions fell sour as Lee was severely injured.
Rosemary was floored. She spent an entire day calming Clara not to worry only to discover her life could be changed forever.
And it’s hard not to wonder, will Rosemary ever get to go on a well-earned vacation?
When Lee shared his latest plans to take his wife on a whirlwind trip, she was highly skeptical. Every time they plan something to take them out of Hope Valley, something else comes along to keep them there.
Will she ever want to consider the possibility again after what befell Lee on the very day he shared the good news?
But I’m going to think positively. Leland has to recover. And maybe, just maybe, this health scare will be what prompts them to consider alternative ways to have the family they want so badly.
Every time Rosemary faces that she’s not a mother, she’s crestfallen. She wants to be a mother more than anything. It was even hard for her to care about Clara’s excitement at the prospect of a family because she doesn’t have one of her own yet.
I keep pushing the idea of adoption. It seems such a natural choice with the love they shower on Little Jack and with the care they’ve given to children not their own in the past.
But something was keeping them from making that leap. Will the sudden nature of Lee’s injury give them the motivation they need to embrace a future they think is out of the cards for them?
Rosemary: Carson, you are going to use all of your medical know-how, everything you have ever learned, to heal my husband. Do you hear me?
Carson: I hear you, Rosemary.
Rosemary: He is my life.
Jesse feels guilty for Lee’s accident. Can you imagine if Lee didn’t pull through? It would be catastrophic for Hope Valley. Jesse and Clara would find it difficult to move past it, and Rosemary would be devastated.
There are only two episodes left this season, and When Calls the Heart Season 7 Episode 9 is titled “New Possibilities.”
Any ideas about what those could be?
I’d love to know what you think about everything that happened on “Into the Woods,” so be sure to drop a line down below in the comments, and watch When Calls the Heart online if you want more of Hope Valley.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.