‘When Hope Calls’: Unraveling episode 1.07 ‘Surprise’
Grace’s birthday party is not the only surprise in Brookfield this week.
When Hope Calls returns with episode 7 titled ‘Surprise’. Lillian is giving out invitations to Grace’s surprise birthday party. Her plans almost get derailed when Grace says she does not want a party and agrees to work late at the hotel that evening helping with the Mendelson family party.
Young Fred tries his hand at a couple of different jobs for his school project. Gabriel makes progress on the whereabouts of the missing robbery money. Sam and Lillian work together to prepare a special gift for Grace.
Finally, Fred steals our hearts and several scenes in the episode.
.@jocelynhudonx @MorganKohan @RJHatanaka and @GregHovanessian are back with a brand-new episode of @whenhopecalls! Stream it TODAY #Hearties, exclusively on https://t.co/6XX5ZMHoP0! pic.twitter.com/qMYqXEQiwM
— Hallmark Movies Now (@HMNow) October 4, 2019
Let’s take a closer look at the events on the latest episode of When Hope Calls.
Mysteries
One mystery is quickly solved this week. Fans were sad about Sam leaving the orphanage after being a suspect in the train robbery despite his innocence. We all wondered if Sam was leaving town for good. This week we find Sam in town with a new job in woodworking.
Gabriel continues to pursue the whereabouts of missing bank officer Mike Sinclair and the bank teller Russell Meeks. The mountie receives a tip about a Meeks sighting in Benson Hills. Gabriel tracks the bank teller to a cabin and interrogates him. It appears that Meeks is not behind the theft, but he does have significant intelligence to share with Gabriel about Sinclair’s unlawful practices.
Meeks discloses that Sinclair was altering the record books to cover up money that he stole from the bank. The teller also tells Gabriel that Sinclair was involved with shady loan operations. We learn that Sinclair invested in businesses and then extorted increasing amounts of profits from the business owners. Could Sinclair be the investor behind the hotel? We know that someone is demanding more profits from Ronnie and that is how he received a broken nose.
Finally, there is one more mystery. Can someone tell me how to get some pie from Pearl’s Bakery??
Tensions
Things are awkward between Lillian and Grace as Lillian tries to prepare a birthday celebration for Grace that her sister does not want. Lillian struggles to understand why Grace does not want a party.
There seems to be some jealousy brewing between Sam and Gabriel over Lillian’s attentions. Gabriel learns he is not the only one that Lillian invited to the party. Gabriel tries to step closer to Lillian while she is working with Sam. Sam swiftly blocks Gabriel’s path with a long piece of lumber.
Gabriel arrives late to the party after searching for Russell Meeks. The mountie looks disappointed when he spies Lillian and Sam through the window of Grace’s party at the hotel. Sam and Lillian are standing together and smiling. Gabriel enters the party and is greeted by Lillian who offers him a slice of cake. Now Sam looks on with reservation as Lillian and Gabriel enjoy a moment together.
A mare at the Stewart ranch is about to deliver its foal. Tess is concerned when her veterinarian son leaves to help another family with their goat. Tess shows even more frustration when Chuck says he is also going to town and she assumes it is to visit with Grace.
Chuck makes a blunder when he asks why Fred chose to shadow the job of server at the hotel. He asks why the boy would not aim higher and want to shadow a doctor or lawyer. Grace is hurt at the suggestion that her job is not important.
Chuckles
There are so many funny moments this week on When Hope Calls. Many involve little Fred.
Fred’s first choice of “try out a job for the day” is working with Grace at the hotel. The little fellow accidentally breaks dishes and does not realize that wiping cutlery on his pants is not actually “cleaning” it. We all know that Fred has a major soft spot for sweets. When he serves a female patron a slice of pie, he says “That’s good”. The woman then notices a bite has been taken out of her pie, so Fred’s comment was based on his own taste test!
Gabriel wants to buy Joe’s best chocolate at the store for Grace’s birthday. When he only has his second best chocolate in stock, he offers it to Gabriel and begins to say he is sure Lillian will still like it, assuming the gift is for Lillian. Gabriel stops him and almost appears to blush.
We all know Ronnie is all about the bottom line. He makes a point of clarifying with Fred that he will not actually be paying him for assisting at the hotel that day. The joke’s on Ronnie, however, when Fred pays himself with the customer’s pie. Ultimately, Ronnie lets Fred go from the serving job for the day, but Fred finds new “employment” at the Stewart ranch.
At first, Tess is grumpy about Fred coming to “work” at the ranch for the day. When she walks away, Fred asks Chuck. “What’s wrong with her?” Chuck mistakenly thinks Fred is talking about the mare and explains that the horse is pregnant. Fred hilariously replies in shock, “Your mom is having a baby?”
Warm Fuzzies
Tess tries her best to resist little Fred’s charms but ultimately to no avail. Even when he opens the gate allowing the cattle to escape, she apologizes for fussing at him and shows him how to help correct his mistake. She even gives him a horseback riding lesson and Chuck’s boyhood cowboy hat. The adorable pair share a cool drink on the porch before Chuck takes him back to town for the party. When Fred leaves his coat behind, Tess makes sure one of the ranch hands will return it to the orphanage the next day.
Grace cries when she is surprised with the gathering at the hotel for her birthday. She is emotional but joyful at the display of love for her.
Hearts are aflutter when Chuck gifts Grace with a picnic basket for her birthday and suggests they go on another picnic. Grace thanks him with a kiss on the cheek. The children enjoy celebrating the romantic gesture.
Sam and Lilian successfully restore the wood on Grace’s music box for her birthday. Grace had kept the childhood gift from her parents with her all those years as an orphan. Naturally, it had a lot of wear and tear. Sam takes the restoration one step further and actually makes it play music again.
Lessons Learned
There is much wisdom to glean from episode 7 of When Hope Calls.
Lillian finally understands why Grace has trouble celebrating birthdays. As an orphan, birthdays were a reminder of family she had lost. After she sees the Mendelsons celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ben’s parents, Grace learns that she can let herself celebrate being with her sister again and all the children and friends who care so deeply for her.
Chuck sees the error of his ways about the comment to Grace about Fred choosing to be a server for the day. He later tells Fred that the server job is an “essential” part of running the hotel and that one of his favorite people is a waitress.
Sam makes a thoughtful comment about the two “different” kinds of wood that Lillian used to repair the music box. Lillian claims there was not enough of just one kind of wood. Sam explains that the differences in the different grains actually highlight one another. Could he also being talking about him and Lillian? Hmm . . .
Come back for more heartwarming drama and adventure on When Hope Calls. New episodes are available on Fridays through October 25th on Hallmark Movies Now.
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You can also revisit events from episodes 1 – 6 here:
Writer, interviewer in metro Atlanta. Always ready to talk TV and movies. Wife, mom, special needs advocate.
