Coming up with theories is a Ponderers’ specialty, but The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 just debunked three huge ones for teen Colton’s storyline.
In Season 1 of The Way Home, fans learned Colton died in a car crash in 2000, unable to cope with the grief of his missing son, Jacob. While everyone assumed he’d died following a freak carnival accident in 1999, he’d actually fallen into the pond and accidentally grown up in the 1800s. Pretty tough for any dad to guess, right?
Things got more complicated when a teenage version of Colton was introduced in Season 3, with daughter Kat and granddaughter Alice able to visit him in 1974. To make matters even more confusing, Colton was revealed to be a time traveler in Episode 2.
We’ve spent the rest of the binge-worthy TV show wondering what on earth any of this means, and The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 has finally given us answers. However, answers mean discounting three popular fan theories. Warning: spoilers ahead!
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 proves Colton didn’t know Jacob’s real identity
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 9 tells us Colton only ever used the pond twice – once accidentally stumbling upon Elijah and Jacob (seen in Episode 8), and once to rescue Jacob from the fire.
When he recounts his experiences to Alice, he tells her about how he met his “founding family,” meaning he genuinely had no idea who Jacob really was.
In his defense, there was never any reason for Colton to suspect anything. In Episode 8, we already knew Jacob had been to see Colton thanks to Susanna’s sketch, but now we get to see it play out for ourselves.
A soaking wet Colton arrives at the Landry house dazed and confused, with Elijah and Jacob introducing themselves. Thanks to Susanna giving Elijah a copy of the Almanac, he learns it’s 1814, playing off that he doesn’t know what’s going on.
We also see what actually happened while Susanna was sketching, with Colton saying, “The time I spent here is equal to the time I’m gone.” Where does this come from? “It’s something my Grandma used to say.” Fern… we know you know more than you’re letting on.
Colton tells Jacob they’ve built something that will “last for generations,” asking him to plant as much rye and potatoes as they possibly can this year and the next (think: the year without summer isn’t too far away).
HallmarkWhen Cyrus later turns the town against the Landrys and burns down the farm, Jacob and Cyrus are inside when the roof caves in. Knowing he doesn’t die, Kat refuses to save Cyrus, with a figure dragging Jacob about and saving his life. The figure? Teen Colton, who has seemingly returned. “This is all my fault” he exclaims before fleeing.
We now know why Colton thought this. On his 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 – here’s where Colton suggests he 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.
While Colton suspects Alice of (rightly) being a time traveler, finding himself in the 1800s was enough to throw him off Jacob’s scent. Finding out Colton didn’t actually lie about Jacob’s whereabouts for the entirety of their marriage should have been a comfort for Del, but we’re only just starting to unravel her issues. In fairness, you’d think he’d put two and two together as a possibility.
Colton didn’t try to find his brother
Thanks to Grandma Fern’s 1965 riddle – and us already knowing Colton’s older brother went missing that same year – it was widely assumed he might have first used the pond in order to try and find him. However, we now know this wasn’t the case, first jumping in as a kid to try and save Evelyn.
HallmarkColton 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.
Growing up together, both Colton and Evelyn were hooked on Fern’s stories, but after nothing happened, Colton started to believe Port Haven was right – maybe his grandmother was crazy.
There was no mention of Colton’s brother at any point in the episode, so we’ll have to assume Colton genuinely doesn’t have any idea what happened to him. He only time traveled twice to the 1800s, and he was traumatized enough by the last visit to never do it again.
Whether we get any answers for Colton’s missing brother in Episode 10 (or Fern’s riddle, for that matter) remains to be seen.
Colton didn’t travel forward in time (but did break the rules)
Fan theories have been circulating wondering if Colton broke the golden rules of time travel: you can’t travel forward in time, only to the past. By traveling solely to the 1800s, The Way Home confirms this version of Colton is from 1974 as told. However, he broke the rules in another way.
HallmarkThis all comes back to his visit to Elijah and Jacob in 1814. By telling them how to prepare for 1816’s Year of No Summer, he inadvertently told them their future. He told Fern what happened in the hopes she’d be pleased, but she was angry. “You told them their future… you broke the rules,” she told him.
After Rick’s death, Colton tried to use the pond to save him, believing the pond will always take you where you need to go. The pond didn’t work, with Colton convinced this is because he broke the rules. As far as we’re aware, he was confined to 1974 from then on.
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.
For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.
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