If one thing is clear after The Way Home Season 2 Episode 6, it’s that now is the time to loop Del into the family travels.
If any of us had the chance to alleviate the pain that woman feels, we would do it in a heartbeat.
If you want a full episode recap, please click the link above. We’re going deep into Del’s pain and the what-if-ness of the whole situation below.
“How to Save a Life” was an incredibly dense episode that uncovered many new details, some of which I’ve got a bone to pick about.
However, the overarching theme of loss prevailed throughout the episode and needs to be explored.
Kat keeps telling everyone who knows about finding Jacob that she doesn’t think she can lose him again if it comes to that.
Yes, she can and will, whether now or decades later. People die, but it doesn’t mean we don’t do everything in our power to keep them around as long as possible.
Del has spent decades waiting for her phone to ring. When it does ring, it can be anybody from crackpots who need to get in on the true-crime side of things to a call from the police, telling Del the worst news of her life.
Is there any worse news than losing someone you love and holding out hope they’ll be found alive, not knowing what became of them? We all watch true crime shows that show families who live with that stress day in and day out, often their entire lives.
The call Del is really waiting for is the one in which her son, long gone, never forgotten, and still among us, calls to say he’s coming home.
What story is The Way Home trying to tell? Guessing from the title alone, it’s about Jacob coming home. But we also discussed during The Way Home Season 1 that it could also refer to Kat’s return home.
Either way, Kat was in the driver’s seat, and once she returned home, it opened the window for her to secure Jacob’s return home.
This family tragedy has defined the Landrys, and Kat can’t make all the decisions without Del’s input.
So far, Del Landry has made it difficult for Kat to talk with her about Jacob. The couple of times Kat almost bubbled over with what she knew, Del shut her down. But let’s be real. Del doesn’t know the extent of what’s happening, and if she did, the conversations would be many.
At what point does Kat stop worrying about her mother’s feelings or her own feelings in response to Del’s and bring Del into the loop?
If the shoe were on the other foot, Kat would be pissed to learn that Del held information back from her about Alice’s disappearance. Yes, this situation is very odd, but there are two time-traveling family members and one who spent time with her grandmother in the past.
Once Del realized they weren’t talking about pipe dreams and had actually located Jacob, she’d stop pushing away Kat and her crazy ideas.
As it stands, Kat is valiantly trying to help Jacob, but if she can’t save him, would it be right to deny Del the opportunity to send him a message of love and support?
It’s unlikely Del can take a dip in the pond since she’s an “outsider” in her own family, so she may not believe what’s happening right away, but all it takes to believe is seeing her daughter take a dip in the water without resurfacing.
Elliot gave Kat bad advice to leave Del in the dark. This is the same guy who no longer wants to be kept in the dark and who hates secrets — when he’s not the one keeping them. Check out our interview with Evan Williams for more on secret keeping.
The bottom line is that although Kat has Jacob at her fingertips, the odds are that he’ll slip through them again.
Unless we’re coming to the point of the story where Kat and Jacob trade places in time.
With so many people looking out for him in the past, will they be unable to get him to the pond? As he’s a wanted man for many reasons, the safest way forward for him is to go home to the future.
Kat is a long way off from having her My Katherine portrait painted, unless someone does it from memory. And I don’t see bringing on Kris Holden-Reid only to see his talent disappear in a puff of smoke.
The Way Home Season 2 Episode 5 teased a future for Kat and Thomas. Did this episode do anything to change that?
Thomas was revealed to be a wee bit of a criminal. He got Jacob caught up in his mess and is likely responsible for Jacob’s current predicament.
Yet, the spark between Thomas and Kat remains. He lied to her. Susana lied to her. Still, Kat comes alive in their presence.
Now that we know that Susana and Jabob are not “in love” but rather committed to a friendly love marriage of convenience to save her from Cyrus (who saw that coming?), separating the two won’t be difficult.
That was a sticking point when I last considered Jacob leaving the past. Even Elliot mentioned it; Jacob has spent his entire life in the past. Maybe he wants to stick around.
Returning to the future will make a lot of sense out of inconvenient facts, such as Jacob’s being wiped from history. Maybe he was wiped from history because he’s no longer a part of it. And Kat became history through that painting because she is.
Kat has wanted to save Jacob all her life. She wouldn’t hesitate to put herself in harm’s way to get him home, especially since she knows Alice is in good hands with Del and Brady. She wouldn’t want to stay in the past, but to lift the incredible burden of guilt she’s had all these years, she would.
How many seasons can they look for Jacob? They can’t exactly chase him through time.
Young Jacob’s story has to be coming to an end. He’s growing up, so how long can they use him in flashbacks? Returning to the present will ensure that one story closes while another opens.
If Kat gets stuck in the past, Alice can travel there to save her. And then, when Alice gets stuck, the journey can begin again.
Getting stuck in time doesn’t seem like a plausible story for too long, but Quantum Leap would beg to differ. And the story isn’t about being home; it’s about the way home. And for every lesson learned, another is before them. Returning home is at the whim of the pond.
What they’ve built so far in 1814 needs to be explored longer than another four episodes. The characters are rich and ripe with storytelling potential.
Can you think of a better dramatic twist than Del getting Jacob back only to lose Kat? It’s awful to think about, but it would create such an excellent spin for next season.
The scenes with Kat, Susana, and Thomas rushing through Goodwin’s house to save Jacob were thrilling and fun to watch. I’d love to see more from the past and how Kat influences the present.
Thomas saw Kat disappear into the pond, too, so he will be in on the Landry family secret. I imagine them all taking Jacob to the pond and Kat trying to go in after him, only to find she doesn’t make the trip.
Maybe it’s just me. Are you all as eager for Kat to get stranded in the past?
Quick round:
● Whether it’s Jacob’s shoe discovered under a handful of dirt after the field has already been tilled or the key under a pile of leaves A CENTURY LATER, well, those didn’t add up for me. Less of that, please
● I have always enjoyed Rob Stewart (Sam Bishop) when he’s popped up in anything, and he makes a fantastic love interest for Del. Let’s hope he sticks around.
● What happened to all of Alice’s friends?
● How IS Kat running The Herald all by herself? It must be a weekly paper.
This season is barreling right past us. What do you want to see as it continues?
Would you be interested in another season of The Way Home set in 1814?
While Thomas and Elliot are on my mind: Do you think Elliot and Kat have romantic or platonic love?
Hit the comments with your thoughts!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
