What really happened to Jacob? How does a time-traveling pond actually work? And will the Landry family ever know peace? Maybe we’ll find out in The Way Home Season 3 Episode 3 – here’s when it’s on.
If you want the historical element of When Calls the Heart and the modern-day element of Virgin River wrapped up in one, look no further. In fact, Hallmark goes one further with the new TV show thanks to its time-travel portal in a pond (yes, really).
Essentially, there are three important characters to follow – Del (played by Andie MacDowell in the present timeline), her daughter Kat, and Kat’s daughter Alice. Ever since Alice accidentally found out the pond’s secret in Season 1, they’ve traveled to the 1800s, 1990s, and 2000s so far.
Now, the 1970s is set to take center stage, introducing a new dynamic in the form of teenage Colton. But what’s set to unfold in the next episode of The Way Home Season 3?
What time is The Way Home Season 3 Episode 3 out?
Episode 3 of The Way Home Season 3, titled ‘Live and Let Die’, will stream on the Hallmark Channel on January 17, 2025, at 9/8c.
We don’t yet know who pushed Alice into the pond at the end of Season 3 Episode 1, but we do know this means she ends up in 1974 – along with adult Kat.
Episode 2 left us with two shocking cliffhangers that could change the show as we know it: Elliot’s uncle Rick died immediately after the summer party in Episode 1, and teenage Colton has also been using the pond to time travel.
Of course, this is The Way Home, and we have absolutely no idea with either of these things mean yet. But from the looks of the Episode 3 teaser clip, Del has had enough of everyone interfering with her past.
The official episode synopsis reads: “Alice and Kat get a lesson in asking the right questions; Del rails against changes to the family dynamic; Elliot tries to understand his father.”
How many episodes are there?
There will be ten episodes in The Way Home Season 3, matching Seasons 1 and 2 respectively.
That being said, we’ve only got confirmed release dates for the first eight episodes, with the last two still outstanding. It’s unlikely there would be a hiatus in between if we look at the release strategy Hallmark tends to follow.
This is the earliest any season of The Way Home has aired so far, though the binge-worthy TV show is sticking to its January-March window.
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The Way Home Season 3 release schedule
Season 3 debuted on January 3, 2025, and is expected to wrap up in early March.
The full schedule looks something like this:
- Episode 1, ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’: January 3, 2025
- Del, Kat, and Alice learn how events of the past have shaped their family’s present. Alice learns a secret that affects her relationship with Elliot.
- Episode 2, ‘The Way We Were’: January 10, 2025
- Each member of the Landry family meets with challenges and new adventures as truths and revelations come to light.
- Episode 3, ‘Live and Let Die’: January 17, 2025
- Alice and Kat get a lesson in asking the right questions; Del rails against changes to the family dynamic; Elliot tries to understand his father.
- Episode 4, ‘I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song’: January 24, 2025
- Romance is top of mind as Alice, Kat, and Del reflect on love in their past, present, and future; Jacob struggles with his memories.
- Episode 5, ‘Reeling in the Years’: January 31, 2025
- Episode 6, ‘TBA’: February 7, 2025
- Episode 7, ‘TBA’: February 14, 2025
- Episode 8, ‘TBA’: February 21, 2025
While dates for the last two episodes haven’t been confirmed, we can expect them to be:
- Episode 9, ‘TBA’: February 28, 2025
- Episode 10, ‘TBA’: March 7, 2025
What you should expect in Season 3
Obviously, The Way Home Season 3 is set to continue the Landry family finding out more about their collective past, now merging with a 1970s timeline. Alongside this, there’s the mysterious reappearance of Del’s son Jacob – and we don’t really know what’s what with him yet. If we’re lucky, we’ll finally get some more clarity on how the time-traveling pond actually works.
The core time-travel flashbacks will now take place in the 1970s, introducing teenage Colton three decades before his eventual death. It’s currently unclear if it’s just Colton and Alice who will connect, or whether Kat and Del will emerge from the sidelines. Del and Colton’s early relationship is explored though, and she’s got a bigger connection to Evelyn than first thought.
It goes without saying that the most mind-boggling part of The Way Home in its entirety is Jacob’s subplot. When we first meet Del back in Season 1, she’s convinced her son died after being missing since 1999. By the finale, Kat figured out that he followed their family dog to the pond, fell in, and went back to 1790.
As you do! We’ve had a few time jumps in the present since then, so by the time Kat works out where adult Jacob is, it’s 1814. He arrives home in Season 3 to an absolutely shocked Del – but Kat knows this isn’t his own choice to leave… he’s being forced to. In a nutshell, he’s now on the run from potential jail time… but there’s been a nine-month time jump since he arrived back home.
Essentially, we’ve got no concrete answers at the moment. Del is being accused of lying, and there’s a bunch of malicious letters through the door that may or may not be related to what’s gone on.
Then there’s the pond itself. By now, it shouldn’t be a mystery that for some reason, the pond is a gateway for time travel. Alice figured this out completely by accident when we first met her, but other than testing out a few theories, she doesn’t fully understand how it works.
Don’t forget the baby left by the pond in the very beginning, either. “We can confidently say that it is kind of a driver, but we often put something at the beginning that will drive us into another season. We’re tricky that way,” showrunner Heather Conkie explained to Variety.
You can find The Way Home Seasons 1-2 already on the app, with Season 3 streaming weekly. For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.