In its fourth season, The Way Home leaned into the attributes that made its previous years emotionally complex. Yet again, The Way Home sees its main characters, Alice and Kat Landry, jump through the pond into different time periods, this time, to piece together the mystery behind their relative, Fern Landry, and Elliot's mother, Tessa Cooper.
Although season 4 is still enjoyable, bringing the same intrigue to different timelines and character relationships, the presentation of the similar arcs fell flat in the extended series finale. So, what worked and what didn't in season 4?
As always, the dynamics of the Landry family are a highlight. Alice and Kat's relationships with each other, as well as Del, Jacob, and Elliot, remain the core of the story. The importance of family continued to be integral even when they were interacting with relatives in a previous timeline, such as younger Colton, both portrayals of Fern, and even each counterpart of Tessa.
Jacob finally stepping away from the harsh realities of his past and moving forward is also a positive element of the season, as he continues to battle the trauma he faced in his previous life to see a bright future with Abby Goodwin, a woman who represents the future, and closure by tying up the emotional loose ends of what Jacob had gone through before returning back to his original time.
Kat and Elliot's relationship also remains a high point, even if Elliot's inevitable marriage proposal in the series finale feels slightly more anti-climactic than it should. Elliot's proposal is not a shock, and rather than an emotional climax of their relationship, it feels more like a “finally” moment while waiting to see what else the series finale has in store.
The moment, which comes after a near-death experience, almost suggests there should have been something more to it, even if a small, quieter moment may be fitting for the couple and their history. Another detail that gets brought up but lost in the shuffle is the conversation between Kat and Elliot early in season 4 about their future having children. While they seem content to leave it on a note of something to discuss at a later date, the remaining episodes of the season never give any additional explanations for if that is something the couple plans to pursue or drop.
The long-awaited reunion between Del and Colton also lacks the emotional impact it should have. Del spent years having conflicting feelings about Colton, from the grief and tragedy that came from his early death, to the frustration and hurt over believing he had been having an affair, to the love she had for him their whole lives together.
However, for the majority of the show, Del had seemed stuck, unable to fully move forward in her life. Colton's death was a devastating blow to Del, especially as it became so closely tied to Jacob's disappearance and Kat's eventual separation from Del.
As Del healed her relationship with Kat and reunited with Jacob, her remaining feelings toward missing Colton became one of the biggest storylines she had. Yet, The Way Home does not even properly honor how Del's reunion with Colton encourages her to finally take steps forward. It is only through a conversation with Sam that it is revealed that Del finally agreed to sell Colton's old boat to Nick. This could have been an emotional scene that culminates in Del's moving on, with seeing the boat being used for something good, being bought by a man who is close to her family. A recognition and symbolism of moving forward.
Instead, while showing Del being happy with Sam is a nice moment, it is something that the series had all but confirmed was going to happen anyway. The boat, on the other hand, could have been a nice surprise that leans into nostalgia and letting go.
Meanwhile, the downfall of Alice and Noah is far too expected, given how season 4 practically writes them out of relevance. Instead, Max Goodwin becomes a far bigger pillar in Alice's life, as it becomes inevitable that Alice will break up with Noah, leading her into a relationship with Max. Yet, Noah was Alice's first present-day love interest, and the series finale did not even offer the chance to show Alice and Noah's break-up. This is yet another important character development that is only mentioned after it has occurred.
One of the strongest elements of The Way Home's narrative, that anything that happens will always happen, actually becomes a problem in its final episode, as it strips away any real sense of stakes or surprise. Instead, the series finale goes down a checklist of things the show has to touch on before the final credits roll. Details such as Elliot and Kat's engagement, Griffin giving Vick the letter in Tessa's name, Alice getting together with Max, and revealing KC as Jacob's child happen in a series of requirements to hit the remaining loose ends. Rather than an emotional gut punch that these characters have earned, each moment is expected and predictable, even if they are narratively satisfying.
There are occasional downfalls in the season's character development as well, mostly regarding Tessa and Fern. In Tessa's case, both counterparts to her character are fairly fleshed out. In her younger years, Tessa is initially a bit of a schemer, turned overwhelmed new mother who leaves her home out of love and desperation to not harm Elliot. Tessa's character development troubles come when seeing her as a grown adult mob boss.
Tessa does briefly explain how she ended up with the Landry family, but season 4 does nothing to justify the massive shift in the way the character was written. How did she get involved in this business? The Way Home is not interested in devoting a real amount of time to explaining Tessa's perspective, as she is mostly there to help tell the story of what it will mean for Elliot to get the answers he desperately needs about his mother.
Meanwhile, Fern, a vibrant and excited woman in her younger years, has almost nothing in common with her older counterpart, a version of the character who receives nearly none of the characteristics that she portrays as a young woman.
The Way Home's fourth season is all about building to something big and significant. But the results are nowhere near the emotional fallout of the mysteries of the previous seasons, which so closely intertwined Jacob's disappearance and the truth behind Colton's tragic death.
Instead, The Way Home's series finale comes across as being perfectly fine. While there are occasional plot lines and arcs that may not have been fully answered or resolved, that does not take away from how the series finale still works to give closure in its storyline. Everything from allowing Elliot to understand Kat's obsession with the pond through his own experiences staying behind to get to know his mother to giving Alice the chance to appreciate what home truly means is covered by the final moments of the show.
Yet, the fourth season almost promises more than it delivers in its series finale, giving a sensation that lacks a real presence of an epic ending to match the massive journeys these characters have taken over the last four seasons.
Is The Way Home's series finale perfect? No. However, the show as a whole tells a solid story about family, acceptance, and understanding. This Hallmark original series is easily re-watchable, as it offers a fun, emotional, and digestible approach to grasping the highs and lows of family trauma and the work they do to rebuild a broken foundation.
More than anything, from beginning to end, The Way Home is all about what it is to truly find your place, your people, and your home, and sometimes, that search leads you to unexpected places or back to the people you've known all along.
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