The Way Home (TV Series 2023– ) Poster

(2023– )

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7/10
surprising in a good way - NOT the formulaic Hallmark family drama
spasticfreakshow18 January 2023
With the mother (Kat, played by Chyler Leigh - you'll recognize her as Supergirl's sister, but less annoying in this role) and daughter Alice both suddenly at loose ends, a surprising note arrives, which seems to be from Kat's mother Del (the lovely Andie MacDowell who elevates the show with her presence and gifted talents) telling her it's time to come home. Kat and Alice are displaced in short order and wind up in a small town where everyone knows everything, and you suspect that before long, everyone's problems will be sorted, like laundry that just gets done on a farm.

If this sounds like many other shows you've already seen, it's not. A bit of fantasy is woven into this family/small town 'drama' which makes the whole thing way less formulaic and more surprising than you can possibly imagine. Indeed, the fantasy element, combined with the picturesque setting, some decent writing and MacDowell's involvement, makes this watchable, even for folks who are NEVER-Hallmarkers. A family oriented show, sure, but...given the twist, I don't know WHAT to expect next, and that...is a VERY VERY good thing.
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9/10
Definitely worth watching!
feeko-6272620 January 2023
First.. I am going to politely disagree with the other reviews of The Way Home. To say after one episode you won't watch is being a little ridiculous.

Second.. I think if you have an open mind.. you'll be pleasantly surprised! Trust me!

Third.. I have to say as an avid Hallmark fan this one doesn't disappoint!

Fourth.. I adore both the cast and the premise!

Fifth.. I really like how truly authentic and original the storyline is.

Sixth.. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds!

Seventh.. Thank you, Hallmark for coloring outside the lines on this and making something organic and unique!
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8/10
Not your typical Hallmark show
jsvwmxc20 February 2023
Really good plot with a bit of mystery. Enjoying this new storyline from hallmark. I am not typically a hallmark person but am loving this series. Not hard to follow but don't skip any episodes otherwise confusion and questions set in and you will have to go back and watch lol. Has time travel involved which is interesting. I hope it doesn't give too much too soon. I've recommended to several friends. This is not your woman gets dumped or fired and goes back home to save family business type of hallmark show or anything like their other series. Don't miss this series! Watch it! I can't wait to see how it plays out!
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10/10
Something new and different for Hallmark
thewatcher7776 February 2023
I was so pleasantly surprised after my friend urged me to watch this and I did. This show is still heartwarming but it's also modern and fun and full of twists that keep you guessing in each episode. I still don't know how the story will connect us back to the woman in the white nightgown in the opening episode but I pick up clues in every new episode. I love that! I've been watching g the shows over again to get new clues each time. The acting and the writing and great and I can't wait to see where this show goes in this season and future ones. Don't cancel this Hallmark! You have something good.
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10/10
LOVE IT!!
luralisa20 February 2023
I love it because it has a degree of sentimentality. Andie MacDowell is an awesome actress! While watching, I think how awesome it would be to be able to go back in time and check out what your parents were like when they were young, especially if you had a sibling that died at a young age, and wished you had had more time with them. And the setting is wonderful, it is the type of place that I sort of grew up in, the farm like atmosphere, along with all the animals that come with a farm, and the drama that it brings to the show as well. But I think it's a great storyline and I hope there is a second season!!
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10/10
Best Hallmark Series Yet! Thank You for the Diversion!
sdw6131 March 2023
I honestly think The Way Home is the best Hallmark series I have seen and especially so in recent years. Hallmark has become more and more predictable. This particular series strays from that and it is truly refreshing. The ongoing mystery of the show and the cast makes for a full blown hit. I have looked forward to watching the show each week as well as to the upcoming 2nd season.

First, the storyline is very entertaining as it really is a mystery of what has happened with The Landry Family and friends from past to present. Where will the infamous pond take Kat and/or her daughter Alice each week? Who is involved in all of the years, what happened and how? Is the brother/son still alive and if so in what time frame? The time switch of the same characters adds a true interest that is not often seen in other series. Seriously, the show really holds your attention!

Also, the dynamics between the characters are very entertaining to watch. Elliot is by far my favorite with his quick wit, intelligence, sensitivity and very responsive facial expressions. I love him! He adds interest to the mostly troubled character of Kat. You look forward to seeing where their relationship may or may not go. Kat's daughter, Alice, and her mother, Del, do not disappoint with their storyline and their interactions with each other. Each week they seem to evolve more as the story continues.

Thank you to the actors, writers and ALL who is involved in this interesting show. You have made a successful series, no doubt!
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10/10
The best series I've ever watched on Hallmark. Utterly enthralling.
MichaelByTheSea30 January 2023
The worst thing about the show is that it's over too soon and you have to wait an entire week to watch the next episode. We've all been so spoiled with all the binge watching on all the streaming services, but the fact that I can't wait to see the next episode is why this is an easy 10 for me so far.

I have found all the characters quite fascinating and the show honors them by providing a fair representation of their very different points of view. Just as you're wanting to feel a bit critical about a character, you begin to empathize with why they are behaving the way they are.

And I've always been a sucker for time travel stories. The great Richard Curtis movie "About Time" may be my favorite time travel movie in part because it has the same sort of focus on family and personal relationships.

I have been so moved by each episode that I have cried repeatedly during each episode.

Sadie Laflamme Snow is fascinating to watch as teen time traveler Alice, Chyler Leigh is believably distraught as her mother, and Andie McDowell is surprisingly edgy as the cold, heartbroken matriarch of the family. Evan Williams is also fun as the oft embarrassed Elliot.

The only thing I wonder about is whether or not they will be able to keep up this high level of quality, and whether this would work over another season. But, in the meantime, I'm just really enjoying the ride.
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10/10
It Made Me Put My Phone Down
lunarrainbowpro29 March 2023
This series is so entertainging its shocking, and makes me wonder if I may be missing out on other great Hallmark series. Normally, I only watch the movies because Hallmark movies follow a formula that doesn't disappoint. This series does not follow that formula at all. It was a huge risk-to-reward and the payout was huge! Overall, the Hallmark channel is headed in the perfect direction. This past Christmas season had some of the best feel good movies with unbelievable casting. Bruce Cambell was amazing in My Southern Christmas! The future of Hallmark may very well be a strong competitor to Apple+
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8/10
7.5 cautiously optimistic
mccabe-shannon11 February 2023
I just read a review because it wasn't "realistic". Umm. Hi. Time travel story. Not going to be realistic. Suspend reality and just enjoy.

What IS real is the family relationships. Sure again suspend a bit of reality. They go for a visit and surprise the mom/grandma and all the sudden the next morning the girl is enrolled in school?

Ok some things just don't make sense and when you find those sometimes it's hard to pay attention to the rest.

I think it's beautifully cast.

I have been a big fan of a few of the hallmark tv shows and while this isn't like the most exciting for me I think it has potential. But also I'm worried that like where do you go from there...

I'm excited to see where it goes.
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7/10
Way better than the normal hallmark trash (for the most part)
Jacksonbarely24 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Very intriguing and surprisingly ground for a time travel show. All the actors are pretty tolerable, although the grandmother sound kind of forced at times. The actress who plays Alice is very underrated in my opinion. It usually takes itself pretty seriously but at times there is some refreshingly subtle comedy. Like any time travel show it can be a bit confusing but it could be worse. The typical hallmark troupes show through every once in a while (grandmother has a mint two tone OBS Ford and everyone's on love with somebody) but out of context it'd hardly noticeable. It would be a 9/10 but there's some very forced alphbet people that are pretty obnoxious.

Season 2 update: This show left the rails. It makes no sense. The dialouge and plot are starting to slip. Sadie Snow and both versions of Elliot are basically carrying the show.
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10/10
It's so heartwarming
gen-1083029 January 2023
I really like it!

The characters are complex and likable. It's so nostalgic, and I love it! Small home town, mistery, family drama. It's about forgiveness, trauma, redemption, reconnecting. The psychology and mystic of this all was very well thought.

The story is very intriguing. Give this one a try. I hope te next episodes continue to unfold a lot more to what happened.

Sad that I won't be able to binge watch it! Chyler Leigh is so traumatized but you feel empathy for her. The grandmother, she is complex, but warm and nurturing, I love the science teacher... and the daughter, Alice, what a special actress. You will love Alice by the second episode. So sweet!
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7/10
Some acting good, some pretty bad (Andie McDowell I'm looking at you)
klack-2300917 March 2024
This show is fun to.watch especially seeing characters played at different ages. The younger actors are good and their story lines make sense but the older characters are annoying and their motivations make no sense. It doesn't help that some of them are absolutely terrible actors - ie. Andie McDowell. I don't know if the writers mean her character to be an absolute harridan and nasty bully to her daughter, but she sure does come across that way. She is so nasty that you are stressed when she is interacting with her granddaughter because you think she's about to snap and you're thinking she is just so two-faced. But luckily her airtime isn't that much and you can even fast forward over without losing any important plot. Yes, the plot is drawn out but that keeps the suspense going.
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4/10
Redundant storyline.
momsipadonly3 February 2024
Season two starts to just be nothing than a repeat of season one. You can't find a reason to turn it on and watch. Never a resolution to anything the same conflicts in relationships that don't really solidify into anything. I wish the writers could find other more interesting things to do with the pond then just be looking for one boy find him, and then move onto another interesting Journey through the pond maybe a new characters journey. It's just so repetitive it's just hard to watch over and over the same thing ?. Relationships are the same. They're not close they're closed. They're not close again. It's just a bit too much.
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10/10
One of the best series
vjf3618 February 2023
Hallmark hits out of the park. The acting and cast are fantastic. Story line is so well written and flows so creatively from one episode to the next. Each time I watch N hour I can't wait for the next one. McDowell has done an incredible job and every scene she's in she amazing. The actress who plays her daughter is excellent as well haven't seen her in much but I think moving forward she will be acting a lot more. I am so happy that this series is the way Hallmark movies were in the past. The new movies shows etc seem to carry messengers about todays political climate. It's refreshing to see Hallmark is going back to its roots. Viewers want to be entertained not reminded about political and sole issues. I hope more of these types of series are in the future.
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9/10
Awesome storyline
stephekel28 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This was a great surprise from Hallmark. Previews made me put it on record if I wasn't available. Not disappointed!! Scary that going back in time can actually affect the way you thought your history was. So many twists and a little bit of paradoxical stuff. The acting was great, the original story line was great. It made you think with each episode...what will it do to the next one. I wish I would have recorded them all and just binge watched as this was a show with cliffhangers you hate. While I figured out (in my own mind) after 4 episodes what happened to little bro, it still took the whole series for it to come to fruition. I hope there is another series to finalize the family dynamic.
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9/10
BEST New Family Show on TV period!
jngarber51028 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Love, love, LOVE this show!!! Surprised a show of this caliber is on Hallmark without being sappy. All the mystery, drama & heartstring feel goods without the hokie!

Andie MacDowell, Chyler Leigh, Sadie Laflamme-Snow, Evan Williams, Jefferson Brown & Alex Hook offer up believable performances of enduring friendships, & solid family ties all the while secretly, even to each other, hiding a time travel portal that they've only just begun to explore without ever knowing when they'll arrive in time. The story lines incite hope, trepidation, fear & joy all the while leaving us wanting for more, more MORE!

Beyond excited it's renewed for another season!!! Can't get here soon enough!
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10/10
NOT a typical Hallmark movie
heidi-9763625 April 2023
This is a FUN series. It's got a bit of everything, love, drama, romance, fantasy, secrets and beautiful scenery. Unlike other Hallmark movies ("girl meets boy" formula) this is about time travel, family relationships and family love. The story takes place in an enchanting little town filled with colourful houses and grassy meadows which is the perfect setting for this family/fantasy drama. I found the story to be very well written, heartwarming with just the right amount of suspense.

It can be a bit slow in parts but if you're looking for a series where you can laze the day away in the beautiful countryside this is it. GOOD ONE HALLMARK!
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9/10
I want to see more
lorrainedesormeaux26 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It looks so good I can't wait for the 2nd episode, we don't know if she goes back that's what we have to learn, how does she control where she goes, was the witch her grandma, there's so many questions that need to be answered and I hope the best friend and the mom get together as much more than friends I hope they make it interesting the rest of the story, the young girl is a good actress. I hope that eventually the mom travels back maybe they can travel together to a past of her mom it would make it interesting there so many stories that could come out of this I hope the story writer gets very good ideas it would make the program interesting.
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10/10
The Way Home does grief justice
shirleyshani11 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As a family therapist who specializes in grief, my favorite TV moments are when shows touch on these topics and do it well, making them both authentic and relatable. That's when I get excited enough to discuss them.

Jacob's (Remy Smith) disappearance leaves Del (Andie MacDowell) Colton (Jefferson Brown) teen Kat (Alex Hook and Chyler Leigh) with what professionals call "ambiguous grief": when the circumstances of loss are unclear and there is no closure. The ambiguity is like a big pile of "buts" "maybes" & "what ifs" that often doesn't allow for grief to enter the rooms of our lives. It's hard to grieve a loss that we cannot acknowledge, or that we're not sure even happened. In this case, not knowing what happened to Jacob creates tension between the hope that he may still be alive ("A Landry never gives up hope") and the will for closure ("when a family member died, they would write down the date, close the book and move on").

The Landry family unit was extremely close before Jacob disappeared. I'm sure they had their fair share of less-than-ideal moments, but all-in-all, they were close and had no trouble expressing their emotions. After Jacob disappeared, they fell into a pattern of silence and disengagement and stopped communicating emotions other than anger. They could not recreate the puzzle of their family unit. While this is by no means a testimony to all, or even most families, it is not uncommon.

In popular culture, we often see a linear process of moving on from grief. However, that linear process doesn't exist, because grief is not about moving on from, it's about moving on with. It's not about getting over, it's about integrating our grief into who we are after a loss. The Landry family shows us the complexity of grief in ways that other shows have not.

The cast portrays it authentically and genuinely, Jefferson Brown is a wonderful, vulnerable Colton, Andie MacDowell is as iconic as ever as both younger and older Del - the first innocent, happy and in love, and the latter hardened by pain and shut down. Alex Hook is an emotional, expressive teen Kat, who portrays the multiple losses she experienced and her trauma bond with Brady well. Also, her resemblance to Chyler Leigh, who portrays adult Kat, makes her a casting brilliance. Chyler Leigh always portrays grief and vulnerability well, but this time she really exceeds even my already high expectations. Last, but by no means least, Sadie Laflamme-Snow, is brilliant in her first lead role, carrying the story and cast. She shows us one can grieve people one never met. I am beyond curious to see where her path leads.
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10/10
Amazing!!
whitneypaige-2270126 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I am completely biased I am sure because I am Kat's age and my daughter is Alice's age. I just love this show!!! When they go back in time to Kat being a teenager and living in that time period takes me back so much. I love the story lines and surprises! Unpopular opinion.....I wish some how Nick and Alice were able to have something more than the short little of what they had back then. Not suggesting at all they should have anything in the "now" time but I just loved their little coupling. I'm not into any of the guys she has been interested in. I give this show ten stars for how amazing it is!!! Can't wait to hear more and more. I did although predict the little boy went in the pond as soon as Alice did for the first time.
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1/10
mediocre story with mediocre acting
pbdavis-9768624 February 2024
Though this series contains some interesteing plot twists, McDowell's acting is terrible and many of the storylines are banal and derivative. The dialogue is uninspiring and the story unbelievable.

The actress who plays Alice is very talented and she kind of carries the show but the rest of the actors seem checked out. The small town setting is cloying and the pond scenes are repetitive. The characters are not well fleshed out and have zero chemistry. The uninspired dialogue is jarring and flat and the whimiscal bits of advice come across as shallow and stilted. Though the storyline had potential the poor acting and lack of originality get in the way. Dont waste your time.
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10/10
Absolutely amazing show
eltonmenezes17 April 2023
Time travel movies and shows are one of my favorites but not so for my family. However this show has changed that view and my mom loves it especially.

I can't wait for season 2 and I hope that comes out this year itself.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I'm saying this is hallmark because it's so classy and on a different level. Not the cliché kind of movies.

The beginning was just an awesome hook. I would have really loved if there was a theme song but the shows have enough of a hook to keep you interested.

Hopefully they make each show 1 hour because 40 mins is way too short

Keep it up and awaiting a new season and many many more to come.
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10/10
Excellent! Something for everyone.....
carmylita2 February 2024
Wow! I have skipped this show for quite a while because it was branded Hallmark. I have been so disappointed in Hallmark's far too predictable shows. They drip with too much sappy writing, and same old plots different actors. This show is anything but that!

When I saw Heather Conkie's name, attached to this, it can't be anything but excellent. I'm a huge Heartland fan, and she's behind that, as well as this, enough to make me change my mind and give this a chance. Wow! I'm glad I did! Awesome! Don't stop, what you are doing is really good. I got hooked after the first episode.

I love Andie MacDowell, as an actress, she is always excellent at what she does. The other actors are new to me. All excellent choices for the parts, as well as excellent actors. It was really great seeing some of the heartland actors here, hoping they will stay should the show continue.

This is a time travel show. A genre I haven't had a lot of experience with. But I am really intrigued by this show and the whole premise. It keeps your interest, and sometimes on the edge of your seat. If this were a book, it's a real page turner.

You can't slack on this show, better put don't let your mind drift, or you may have trouble figuring out what time era they are in. Very complex. Very interesting. Give this a try and don't let the Hallmark brand stop you from watching this most excellent series.
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10/10
Totally Out of Left Field and Utterly Amazing
iheartthenyg25 March 2024
I watch a lot of TV, both on streaming and cable, but The Way Home is by far one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE SHOW! It completely came out of left field! I didn't expect a show this well done to come from Hallmark! While I love their movies, they are often very predictable. This show is the farthest from that! I loved Chyler Leigh in Supergirl and Not Another Teen Movie and saw that she was starring in a new show on Hallmark so I had to check it out! I'm so glad I did! This show is everything I love about history, sci-fi, and drama all rolled into one! I wish the seasons were longer, and we didn't have to wait a year to see each season, but it's so worth it!! I can't wait for the season 2 finale next week and season 3 in 2025! Seriously, go check it out! You won't be disappointed!
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10/10
Spectacular Second Season
hppsrrf1 April 2024
It's not often that I enjoy the second season of a series, but I enjoyed this season better that the first. I'm only sorry that I have to wait until next year for the next episode. The addition of the new characters has created a more rounded show and added multiple storylines. I love the historical aspects of the show and the interweaving of the families through the multiple timelines. I wish that there was more time spent in the other timelines. It would be nice to have a two hour season opener and a two hour season finally. Overall, I am impressed with the uniqueness of the show and look forward for what is to come.
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