We’ve officially turned the corner into storyline shattering territory! The Garrison gang has arrived in Hope Valley, and that only means trouble in When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9.
Long gone are the days of learning the Charleston and accidentally being invited to a mobster’s party after going to the pictures. When Calls the Heart now has two huge problems on its hands – the Garrison gang and “heiress” Ava.
The former has had an investigation into its alleged involvement in the 1907 Great Train Robbery for some time. Even Little House on the Prairie alum Melissa Gilbert was brought in for good measure, which only resulted in Sonny escaping from jail.
The binge-worthy TV show also hasn’t revealed Ava’s true identity, but luckily for us, When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9 answers them both. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Rosemary tries to uncover Ava’s identity in When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9 kicks off with a major bit of news for Bill and Nathan — Sonny Garrison has escaped from prison. We already know this, however, as his cronies arrived in Hope Valley in Episode 8.
Rosemary reluctantly agrees Ava – the “talk of the town” – was great in the play, though doesn’t go as far as warming to her. Elizabeth still thinks Ava’s stories are hard to believe, but Rosemary is now putting it down to her natural theatrics. Nathan approaches, telling Elizabeth he and Bill are going on a stakeout. He doesn’t know when he’ll be back, asking if Allie can stay in the meantime.
In the mercantile, Elizabeth and Rosemary overhear a telegram arriving for Ava. A man called Elmer Petersen has reported missing luggage that is exactly the same as the kind she picked up. The train station makes her phone to confirm the luggage is in fact hers, with Ava taking some offense to it.
Back at Rosemary’s office, she tells Elizabeth she knew she was hiding something. While Elizabeth thinks the luggage situation isn’t hard proof, it’s one too many inconsistencies in Ava’s story for Rosemary to believe. Rosemary takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of things as Bill and Nathan are busy.
We cut to them staking out a woodland lodge, splitting up when the trail runs cold. In the meantime, Sonny reunites with last week’s mystery man who we learn is his cousin. “You got it?” Sonny asks, with the man revealing a map locating Lovers Tree. Lucas heads to the stable, strategizing how to take down McGinty with Henry’s help.
He advises Lucas to stop negotiating and make an executive order without the Cattlemen’s approval or legislation. Henry says Lucas will likely lose favor and votes – and potentially his governorship – but he’ll get the park. “Okay, let’s see if we can make him disappear,” Lucas responds.
Our mystery man gets Allie and Oliver in trouble
Minnie and Joseph take Angela for a tour of the blind school’s campus. There are issues even before the trio set off, with Angela forgetting to pack something. Minnie says if Angela wants to prove she can live by herself, she needs to be responsible. When they get there, they meet a Schwartzmann student called Clementine, who instantly makes them feel at ease.
At the saloon, Edie and Lee get acquainted when she checks in. Edie apologizes for what’s happening for McGinty, saying she’s coming around to Hope Valley’s way of thinking. “Perhaps someday we’ll be on the same side,” Edie says.
Lucas arrives, flustering Edie. She explains she’s in town because of Ernie’s potential involvement with the Garrison gang, with Lucas asking her out to dinner. Edie says she’s open to a “working dinner” while Lee watches on in disbelief.
Our mystery man approaches Allie and Oliver in the cafe, saying he couldn’t help overhearing the pair, who know a lot about the local area. He shows them a map drawn by “Jake… no Jack… Jackson,” claiming he wants to find a tree where his parents carved their initials. They offer to take him there in return, with the guy rudely hitting Molly, who’s been watching the entire thing, on the way out.
Back at the saloon, Rosemary asks Mike if Ava’s case is still in her room. Lee says they confirmed it was hers, but they didn’t look inside. When he asks what’s going on, Rosemary suggests asking Ava – who is only just behind them, sensing something is up – if she’d like to put her trunk in storage.
Essentially, this would act as legitimate cover for them to secretly search it. Mike says they don’t have storage, with Lee putting his foot down for letting Rosemary in Ava’s room. Instead, Rosemary tries a different approach – searching her room from the outside.
Ava comes clean about her past
However, they find Ava climbing out of her window with said trunk when they get there. While Rosemary and Elizabeth decide their next move around the corner, Ava throws the trunk into a wagon below and slips back into her room unnoticed.
Back inside, they confront her, but Mike brings the trunk back in before either can ask a question. Lee is suspicious of Rosemary, but Elizabeth asks to talk to Ava. “I suppose now is as good a time as any” she responds.
Ava comes clean – she’s not an heiress and her parents certainly aren’t traveling. She promises to pay the tab back “one way or another,” explaining she was once the ‘plant’ of mentalist/con artist Clive Maxwell.
Clive would pick a mark for Ava to “butter up,” later using that information on stage in his act. When Ava realized she confronted Clive, who threatened to call the police on her. She explains she’s in Hope Valley because Clive wanted to try a new pickpocketing scam, getting Ava to faint while items were stolen on stage. Their mark turned out to be Pinkerton, leading Clive to blame Ava for the robbery.
As a result, she ran. Ava had heard about Hope Valley from Elizabeth’s book, saying it “sounded like the most wonderful place.” Elizabeth says Ava should do the right thing to make everything “go away.” We pick up with Allie, Oliver, and Sonny’s cousin, who gets nervous when he spots Oliver using a Mountie-issued compass to guide them. “Just forget you ever met me, kids” he says, snatching the map back just as Sonny emerges from the clearing.
Sonny says they have no choice but to “finish the job” with Oliver around, with Oliver immediately recognizing him. “Sonny Garrison, that’s your face on the wanted posters,” Oliver says, with the criminal responding “Ain’t you smart.”
Sonny Garrison puts Hope Valley in danger
“Help us dig something up and everybody goes home happy,” Sonny tells Oliver while holding Allie prisoner. While they move off, Allie takes the bow out of her hair to place it on a tree, letting people know where to look for them.
Lucas apologizes to Lee for the park taking so long and compromising their friendship in the process. He says he thinks he’s found a way around the problems, “but it’s gonna cost me.” When Lee asks about Edie, Lucas says he hopes she sees that he’s doing the right thing.
When Elizabeth comes looking for Allie at the saloon, Molly tells her she saw Allie and Oliver talking to one of Mike’s customers. Mike says a Woody Garris checked in, with Molly recalling what he said on the phone the other day. The three work out the connection to Sonny Garrison, with Henry confirming who Sonny has just escaped. Mike, Elizabeth, and Henry take off in search of them, with Molly staying behind in case the kids return.
Allie, Oliver, Sonny, and Woody reach the tree and start digging, with their rescue party approaching on horseback. Bill and Nathan reunite, piecing together how Ernie might have been involved. Their theory is that he merely happened upon buried gold, never telling his niece, nor being connected to the Garrisons at all. Elizabeth gets to Allie’s bow first, while Oliver finds a chest as he digs. Sonny notices the lock is already broken, with the chest completely empty.
Sonny turns on Woody, who says he’s only followed instructions. Allie and Oliver convince them either Woody or Jake had already came back to dig it up, never intending to share with the others. Elizabeth arrives quietly, with Bill and Nathan filled in by Henry further down the path.
Sonny gets arrested and Ava leaves town for good
Elizabeth approaches the group when Allie tries to make a break for it. They present Elizabeth as their teacher, while she uses a bell under the guise of warning off animals to alert the others to their location.
Sonny won’t let any of them leave, which only gets worse when Woody accidentally uses his name. Elizabeth says she and half the town know who they are and help is on the way – if he wants to escape, he’ll be faster on his own. Oliver tackles Sonny while the rest of the group run, with Nathan arriving in the nick of time to strike Sonny to the ground. Bill gets Woody as Nathan places Sonny back under arrest.
Back at the station, the team congratulates themselves for a job well done, with Nathan particularly commending Oliver and Allie. They’re met in the saloon with applause, with Rosemary asking Nathan to help Ava’s situation.
Lucas and Edie meet for dinner at the cafe, with Mike and Mei forgetting to shut shop. Lucas shares the news about the executive order, which Edie respects professionally. On a personal level, she tells Lucas he’s “declaring war,” with McGinty finding some way to take his revenge. All that seems to matter to Lucas is still having Edie’s friendship.
Angela tells Minnie she doesn’t want to go to Schwartzmann, losing confidence in her ability to take care of herself. Minnie tells her to try it, reminding her of the community she felt while visiting. Ava makes her way to the courthouse under police escort, with the Pinkertons agreeing to wipe the slate clean as long as she testifies. She leaves town for good, with Rosemary telling her Hope Valley is always there if she needs a home.
When Calls the Heart Season 12 is airing weekly on the Hallmark channel. Catch up with its episode release schedule and how to watch outside of the US. You can also check out the best Hallmark TV shows of all time.
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