The Way Home Season 4 Episode 2, titled “Blinded by the Light,” sent Kat and Alice to two very different and distinct time periods—the 1920s and the 1970s.
While Kat was dazzling Lingermore with feathers. frills, and a forbidden flask, Alice was getting spiritual and channeling her inner hippie.
The walls of Lingermore have seen it all, and honestly, so have Kat and Alice.
They’ve seen Lingermore on the good days and bad days, and while it’s always been a key to the story, it seems that the Goodwins may play a more pivotal role in everything than we initially suspected. They’ve always been a part of the larger story, but now, they may have a direct connection to the Landry story.
That being said, let’s break down everything that the second episode of season 4 had to offer.
1920s
Kat arrived in the 1920s hoping to find Tessa or, at the very least, information on her or confirmation that she existed in this timeline.
Instead, she hit the town with Fern, bonding and experiencing the prohibition era firsthand. A night on the town is seemingly just what Kat needed to break her out of a funk. When’s the last time she went to a party this grand?
There were several crucial developments, but right off the bat, we learn the origin of the nickname Kitty Kat— Fern figured that Kat looked like something “the cat dragged in” when she first emerged from the pond in the ’20s.
Fern doesn’t really ask too many questions, seemingly very aware of the pond’s rules and its capabilities. She knows she can’t ask about the future, in the same way she understands that the pond magic always has its reasons.
And it’s a sentiment she sticks to both in the ’20s, when Kat is visiting, and in the summer of 1976, when the pond brings Alice. I admire the consistency, as it proves that Fern wasn’t the loopy person everyone made her out to be.
During Kat’s 1920s shenanigans, we learn that, like Kat, Fern works for the paper, managing the society pages, which is fitting considering her bubbly personality. That woman was meant for stardom, which is what attracts her to Grayson Goodwin, Evelyn Goodwin’s eventual grandfather. I particularly enjoyed Fern’s disappointment upon learning that Kat represents what women’s fashion is in the present. A t-shirt and jeans looked rather dark and dreary next to Fern’s grand and colorful wardrobe choices.
As Luis Goodwin told us in the present, Grayson was hoping to bring Hollywood to Port Haven to put it on the map, which we see pan out during one of his glitzy parties. And the star of his proposed film?
Fern Landry, who, if all goes according to his plan, will soon be Fern Goodwin. And since she accepted his proposal that very evening (which you could see hit a chord with Kat as she awaits the day Elliott drops down on one knee), it seems like a sure thing.
Though Kat has her hesitations, which she doesn’t hold back from Fern. Namely, is Grayson a good guy? Because the side-deals he was striking with the “ratty” Augustine brothers made her think otherwise, though Fern seems to have her blinders on when it comes to Grayson, likely because she wants the life he’s promising her. She definitely lives in a world of hopes and dreams, but there’s also a part of her that is grounded that she doesn’t fully let anyone see.
Either way, I’m pretty sure Fern is aware that whatever Grayson is up to with the bootleggers isn’t exactly good, though she’s choosing to look away because it affords her this lifestyle.
I knew those tunnels would come into play the moment Luis mentioned opening them up to the public on The Way Home premiere, and now it’s clear that there’s plenty of secret hiding down there, or, as Evelyn told Alice in the ’70s, time is frozen down there.
What we do know about the tunnels is that five men went in, but only four came back out. Is that the truth? And could one of those men who perished in the tunnels be Grayson?
The 1920s introduced another man who will undoubtedly be vying for Fern’s heart—Clifton Kane. Their meet-cute at the paper oozes chemistry, but things get a bit more complicated when it’s revealed he’s the new temperance officer in town who blew the lid on Grayson’s party and shut it down for illegal booze.
And because of Kat, he’s now living on the Landry farm, which brings him even closer to Fern’s orbit.
By the end of the episode, Kat asks Del who the father of Fern’s children was, with Del informing her that it was never clear. Kat recognizes the story Fern told about the sailor as the movie Grayson was pitching, which means that she was never fully forthcoming about his identity—could it be Clifton Kane or Grayson Goodwin? And if it is the latter, does that mean that the Landry line merged with the Goodwin one at some point?
We’ve been under the impression that Max and Alice will go on to have a child named Casey, but Casey informed Alice that’s not the case… could it be because the Goodwins and Landrys are related?
Or does Clifton Kane play a larger role in this whole story? Is Clifton Sam? I’m clearly spiraling here.
Anyway, before Kat’s adventures in the 1920s come to an end, for the time being at least, as she seems very sure that she’ll be back in no time, she tells Fern to ask around for Tessa Augustine, which doesn’t ring any bells for her. However, the name Tessa Cooper, her maiden name found in the passport tucked away in her luggage, sparks a very different reaction from Fern, who clearly has heard of her and knows more than she’s letting on.
Oh, I’m already so eager to jump back into the pond again. I’ve never felt the draw more.
As for Elliott, it’s clear that aside from his late uncle Rick Augustine (and honestly, there was no body, so do we know he actually died? Maybe he’s Sam?), he broke the mold when it came to men in the family line. Good for him.
There’s also one mystery lingering that doesn’t get a further mention in the episode, but it was enough to give me pause. When Kat arrives, Fern mumbles something to herself along the lines of “don’t think you’re the one, you’re a girl after all.”
Kat overhears it and questions, “The one for what?” but Fern changes the topic, and it’s not brought up again… for now, at least.
What could Fern be referring to? Is there a reason Fern says the future is all she cares about? Has she been waiting to meet Kat for some reason?
1970s
The 1970s had a way different vibe for Alice, though she wasn’t exactly clear as to why the pond brought her there. Though a short meeting with a much older Fern, who declared her the most clueless time traveler, reminded her that the pond always has a purpose, so she just had to stick around to find hers.
And that’s when she ran into Evelyn Goodwin after not seeing her for two-years. Admittedly, it was nice seeing these two back together, though things were much different as Evelyn had a husband now, Ashley.
Shortly after, Alice ran into Colton Landry, and the trio was back together, but it was more evident than ever that the foundation had changed.
And it wasn’t long before things went sideways.
Neither Colton nor Alice was very impressed by the “poet,” who Colton flagged as a phony taking advantage of Evelyn’s kind heart and money.
Though Evelyn didn’t want to hear it, she knew he was right, but there was also something larger at stake—she was pregnant.
As she shared the news with Alice, it became clear why the pond brought Alice to this moment, as she was needed for moral support, and necessary to remind Evelyn that she was going to be a great mother no matter what path she chose for her future—Ash or no Ash.
This is also a huge moment for Alice to witness, as it’s one that directly leads to Max’s existence, who is now her best friend and possibly the father of her future children. The verdict is still out on that one, but there are very clear vibes, right?
Aside from being there for Evelyn during arguably one of the biggest moments of her life, and promising she’d try to come back to support her in any way she could, Alice also had a necessary heart-to-heart with Colton.
She refused to sing her original songs for anyone, hiding behind the tunes that her grandfather created instead, but when else can you test out your new material without judgment if not in front of your future grandfather, who is your teen bestie?
This is the safest space there will ever be.
And Colton is upfront with Alice, informing her that the song isn’t “really her.”
And if anyone truly knows her, it’s Colton.
He encourages Alice to face how she feels and write her love song, the same way he wrote his for Del, which will hopefully help her realize her true feelings, be it for Noah or Max.
Is this the catalyst that sets her on a different journey? One to reaching her full potential?
I love how the past and present influence each other in ways that are so deeply connected.
The final moments of Alice’s time in the ’70s reveal the moment Griffin Landry returned to Port Haven on a motorcycle, placing him in the timeline where Elliott’s mother exists in the photo taken with Del and whoever she ripped out, which she later confirms was Griffin.
Did Griffin and Tessa fall in love that summer? Is that why Colton told Del to put that night behind them, especially after Tessa left baby Elliott on their doorstep (or so they thought)? She’s being extremely cryptic because of a promise she made with Colton, but now the pact is actively hurting Elliott. This poor man is just looking for answers, and Kat is jumping into ponds through time portals just to get them for him, so the least Del can do is tell him all that she knows.
It’s telling that we haven’t seen a glimpse of Griffin’s face until this point, kind of proving that the signs point to Sam, though, again, I’ve spiraled in so many different directions at this point, I’m not even convinced that’s what’s happening.
Del’s responsibility for Elliott has been something she’s lived with for many years, as they’ve both treated each other like family since the beginning, but they’re now starting to break down the reasons as to why.
She finally comes clean to Elliott, telling him that while she doesn’t know what happened to his mother, she knows who “took her.”
In a flashback, Del tells Colton, “We both know there’s more to Tessa leaving,” as Colton advises, “We don’t know for sure.”
What are they not telling us about Griffin? Even if Tessa fell in love with someone else—Griffin or another man–I don’t think that would ever be enough to convince a woman to leave her child in a basket by the water. She must’ve had a good reason, but I’m hoping the reveal isn’t too heavy. For that reason, I’m sticking with my theory from The Way Home premiere that Tessa was a time traveler who abandoned baby Elliott because she needed to return to her time.
With both experiences in the 20s and the 70s connecting back to the Lingermore tunnels, it’s likely the truth we’re all seeking lies somewhere buried deep within the rubble. What do you think they’ll find?
The series continues to excel by giving us just enough to keep us satisfied, while also raising brand new questions in the process.