The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 has finally revealed the biggest mystery of all

Why did Colton think the Landry Farm fire of 1816 was all his fault? We finally get an answer in The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9… and then some.

Newsflash: Colton is a time traveler. It’s something we learned in Episode 2, but why and how he’s been using the pond has remained a mystery. Thanks to Susanna’s sketches, the Landrys figured out he’d been to visit his own son in 1814.

Here’s the thing – we currently don’t know if Colton knows Jacob is in fact his grown-up son from the future. A head-scratcher, isn’t it? The end of Episode 8 saw Colton pulling Jacob from the Landry fire, saving his life.

He left that episode of The Way Home muttering about the fire being all his fault, but what did he mean by that? Thankfully, The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 delivers the goods. Warning: spoilers ahead!

The Landrys deal with the fire aftermath in The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9

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It’s the next morning, and Kat and Jacob sit looking at the burned wreck that is Elijah’s house. Neither of them can get over the fact Colton was there the previous night and saved Jacob’s life. They agree one of them needs to stay and help Elijah put the pieces back together, with Jacob deciding it should be Kat – he has things he needs to attend to at Goodwin Vineyard. “Just let me do what I have to do” he tells her, not understanding why Jacob’s job seems to be so important.

Jacob returns to the present day, telling Elliot, Alice, and Del what happened. They discuss how Colton thinks it is all his fault, though Jacob confirms the blame lies firmly with Cyrus. He swears Cyrus will “live to regret it,” adding he isn’t dead to him though he might be to the others.

“If Colton felt guilty for whatever reason, maybe that explains what family history he chose to share and what part to withhold,” Elliot adds. Jacob tells Elliot about Kat’s plans, saying she’s there with Susanna and Thomas.

Alice asks what Colton looked like, trying to figure out when this all happened in Colton’s timeline. Jacob says he was wearing a black suit, prompting Alice to think Colton had gone there on the day of Rick’s funeral. Del becomes increasingly frustrated after Alice says Colton never explained, asking her to go back to 1974 to get answers. Jacob is researching the vineyard, which appears to be prone to fires rendering the wine undrinkable.

The clock holds its own secret

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There’s clearly tension between Kat and Thomas as they start to clear up. They each explain how the other wouldn’t ever be able to tell if something like this took their life in other timelines, prompting Kat to believe they “can’t cheat fate.” In the present, Elliot accidentally knocks the clock off the mantle, discovering a secret compartment in the wooden frame. He opens it, finding what looks like a thin golden handle inside.

At the vineyard, Louis says how proud he is that the “founding families” are building his dream of a winery together, having just installed a state-of-the-art irrigation system. While Louis asks him to fill out paperwork in the office, Jacob is keeping a close eye on what keys are needed for the tank.

Alice arrives back in 1974, learning Colton’s been invited to San Francisco to record a new demo. Trouble is, the producer also wants Alice there, who says she can’t go. She’s shocked to learn Evelyn is also planning on going, saying it’s her “ticket outta here.” Colton reveals to Alice how much he hopes the journey leads him to Del, not having heard from her since she left. Alice tries to grab a ride with Colton, but Evelyn insists she stays put, saying they need to talk.

Alice apologizes for what happened at the pond in Episode 8, but Evelyn says she was right – it’s clear how much Colton is still under Del’s spell. She’s convinced going to San Francisco will mean she can break the spell, saying she’s still in love with him.

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Evelyn has plans to get an apartment and hold fancy dinner parties, while Alice is more concerned with the pair graduating from school. “You’ve never really been on my side, have you?” Evelyn replies. Convinced following her dreams is the way to go, Evelyn leaves.

A girl turns around to quote T.S. Elliot and says to Alice “Be the one to open the door. Fix things. Life’s too short for regrets.” Kat catches up with Susanna, who says Cyrus still hasn’t regained consciousness. Susanna reveals she’s writing a book about Port Haven’s history like Kat suggested, unable to reconcile the events of the fire with the town she used to know.

She says she doesn’t feel safe, clarifying that if Cyrus dies, his sons will come to take over and cast her out. If he lives, she remains his possession. Kat encourages her to get Cyrus’ real behavior down on paper and change his will. All of a sudden, a voice shouts that Cyrus is awake.

Colton’s time travel past is more innocent than it looks

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Alice spots Colton jumping into the pond, but getting nowhere. “What are you doing in that pond?!” she calls out before the screen turns to black.

We pick up with Susanna at Cyrus’ bedside, with the doctor telling her he’ll likely never be able to speak again – smoke inhalation has damaged his lungs permanently. Cyrus spots Kat listening from the hallway, but is unable to say anything.

Back at the pond, Colton explains how Fern told him never to go into the pond until he was older, fully believing the stories she used to tell him. He reveals he first jumped into the pond in 1965 to try and save Evelyn, but nothing happened.

That’s when Colton’s thinking changed, believing the pond was merely dangerous for kids. However, on the last day of school (the day Jasper promised him the gig at Coyle’s), he angrily threw his backpack in the pond after a fight with his mom.

When he tried to get it, he fell in, ending up where we saw him last episode in 1814. He explains he met his ancestors – suggesting Colton fully believed Jacob was of his time – telling Alice he knew how to help them through the Year of No Summer thanks to Jasper’s folk songs. He told Fern what happened in the hope she’d be pleased, but she was angry. “You told them their future… you broke the rules,” she told him.

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He wanted Evelyn to know about the pond’s truth, having believed Fern’s stories as a child too. Knowing she was leaving for Morocco, he told her with an invisible ink message in the Alice books. She never read them, and then Del arrived in town.

After Rick died, Colton believed he could time travel to stop the accident from happening, claiming the pond “always takes you where you need to go.” Instead, he found Cyrus setting the Landry house on fire, believing it was his fault because of what he’d told them about the crops.

Colton says he wanted to try jumping one more time before he left town, but he thinks nothing works anymore because he broke the rules. When Alice asks why he told her, Colton replies he believes she’s a time traveler too.

“I’m not a time traveler, but I believe you are,” she responds. In 1816, Susanna strikes Cyrus a deal. To give them both what they want, Susanna says she wants to be Cyrus’ voice while keeping his health a secret, running Port Haven as she sees fit. He’s bewildered, but reluctantly agrees.

Del returns and Evelyn’s heart is shattered

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When Alice and Colton walk back, they find Del on the porch. Colton immediately asks Del to marry him with Alice watching on from a distance, and Del agrees. Present-day Del gets another ominous letter, interrupted by Alice telling her what she’s found out.

Del is still upset Colton time traveled at all, and then is more upset when she learns Colton “freely” told Alice the truth. Alice argues he was traumatized by the whole thing and didn’t want to share that with Del. Alice asks why Del came back the day of their engagement, with Del saying they’ll talk about it later.

We cut to the engagement playing out in close range, with Del later revealing her dad is in financial trouble. It’s why she was sent to Port Haven in the first place, and her family weren’t exactly pleased to have her back. “Money is who they were, and without it they just changed,” Del says of her parents who have lost everything. She adds they stopped seeing her and became consumed with what they’ve lost, but now they’ve lost her too.

Kat finishes with Thomas for Elliot

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Kat tells Thomas about Susanna’s deal, explaining he can never jump forward in time through the pond. If they want to make things work, Kat has to stay in 1816 for good. She explains “people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.”

Kat believes Thomas was for a reason, teaching her exactly what she wants from love. Thomas asks if Elliot is here forever, with Kat replying “nobody should know their future.” They reluctantly accept things can’t work, with Thomas saying he will take a ship to meet family in New York instead.

While present-day Del listens to Colton’s recording, Evelyn, Del, and Colton reunite in 1974. Evelyn asks if he’s finished packing from San Francisco, with Del none the wiser. Colton now says they’ve got better things to think about, downplaying the opportunity. Evelyn is crushed by their engagement news, fighting back tears while telling them “you two were meant to be.” Elliot approaches Jacob, saying he needs his help to do something. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” he adds.

Elijah tells Kat they need to step away from the house altogether, with Kat determined she can somehow fix things. As she cries outside, Elliot arrives, kissing her passionately. He explains Jacob brought him to 1816, who has already gone back.

Kat introduces him to Elijah, and Elliot gets stuck into helping. Thomas arrives back at the farm, seeing Elliot and Kat together. They lock eyes briefly from a distance, acknowledging each other before going their separate ways.

Susanna saves Landry Farm

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Alice finds Evelyn in 1974, who is heartbroken. She’s convinced she has nothing left to dream of, being left completely alone. Alice begs to differ, saying she has a big, beautiful life ahead of her. “I was always on your side,” Alice adds.

Susanna arrives with locals and supplies to help fix the house, insisting Cyrus has sent them himself. Kat knows the truth, with Susanna saying her first act in Cyrus’ name had to be for them. She wants to be Port Haven’s hero, saying she’d have to withhold her chapter on Cyrus if the book ever got published. Kat emotionally introduces Elliot and Susanna, equally relieved that Susanna isn’t being coerced to make decisions.

In the present, Alice tells Del she convinced Evelyn to go. Cutting to 1974, Evelyn visits Colton and Del to say goodbye, saying Lingermore is theirs for as long as they need it. Evelyn tells Colton that because she’s his best friend, she has to let her go. “You have dreams to chase too, don’t let anybody stop you,” she adds, looking straight at Del. “I guess you owe me one, Delilah.”

Alice and Max share their first kiss

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Alice finds Max in the cafe, talking about Evelyn’s pendant on his keys. Max talks about how close he was with Evelyn, explaining how she got married young and it turned out badly, causing her to drop her married name.

Max says he wasn’t able to pick up when Evelyn called him the night she died, not being able to handle her getting ill. “I’ll regret that for the rest of my life,” he adds. Alice tells him the advice Evelyn once gave her, though she says she gave it to Del. Max said it’s exactly what Evelyn said in her final message. The pair kiss, each immediately retreating when they do.

Kat comes back, listening to Alice flipping out over why she might have kissed Max. They put it down to feeling right rather than being guided by a “pre-ordained destiny.” Alice says Evelyn could easily have been her best friend, just like teen Kat was to her in 1999.

Kat recalls memories of the pair then, saying they once played MASH with Elliot… but Alice doesn’t remember it. “Or… that hasn’t happened for you yet,” Kat says. They find Kat’s diary entry that confirms she was once there.

Del asks if either of them has seen Jacob, with Kat adding he must have taken the truck. Del finds Jacob’s laptop open to information about the winery wildfires, all the while Jacob has broken into the fuel tank and begun to set the vineyard alight. Del arrives to stop him, telling him he has to let go of the past. She manages to convince him to get back in his truck and leave, but CCTV has picked up the whole thing.

The Way Home Season 3 is currently airing on the Hallmark Channel. Catch up with who the mystery couple could be as well as the best Hallmark movies and best Hallmark TV shows of all time.

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