Do we have any fans of the Hallmark series "The Way Home" here? I enjoyed watching it so much that I actually purchased Season 1 and 2 from Amazon Video to rewatch anytime I want, without the commercials, and to tide me over until Season 3 comes out in 2025. It's one of those shows that I can watch over and over and every time I notice a little something else to ponder about.

It has become so popular that both seasons will be re-run starting Monday, May 27th, Memorial Day, in an all day marathon with the the first 14 shows, and then the last 6 shows one per day for the rest of the week on the Hallmark Mystery Channel.

I love it for many reasons, but one I'll bring up in this group is that there is no mention of religion in it, so far anyway. 20 episodes, to date, and the closest we get to a religious symbol is a white cross marking where a fatal automobile accident happened. Everything else is very secular, but thoughtful.

Hallmark has been transitioning into more inclusive characters, world views and story lines, including same sex and interracial romances. It is a bold move for such an established network with a "family values" reputation, and that transition has actually caused some actors to leave Hallmark and go to a more "Christian values" network. Yes Hallmark still has lots of sappy Christmas movie reruns, but their newer offerings show glimpses of other types of holiday traditions, mysteries, and some time travel romances.

So far "The Way Home" hasn't included any holiday scenes. The small funeral services are secular, no churches that I've seen. Instead, it focuses on interesting mysteries, family drama, human nature, and it makes the viewer think about why people are the way they are.

I recognize some character flaws in myself and others I know, through the actions of the characters in the story. The show also tosses in some brilliant humorous moments, tear jerker interactions, flashbacks to past times, historical events, as well as a tiny bit of romance. It also features music from the 90s, which I was never a fan of before, but I've downloaded several of the songs, because they remind me of favorite parts of the story.

The "mystery" is represented by the "pond" which in the story is a portal to traveling back in time, to see what happened in the past and learning from it. Time traveling aside, the "pond" perhaps metaphorically represents how we can reflect on the past, and seek to understand why things are the way they are, what events have affected the human nature of those around us in the present, and how actions we take in the present might affect others in the future in meaningful ways.

So, all that said, do we have any fans of this show? If this is the first you've heard of it, even if Hallmark Mystery Channel isn't your usual go to channel for entertainment, or if time travel isn't your cup of tea, the story, the acting and the music might be enough to draw you in as is did me.

The story takes place in a fictitious town called "Port Haven" in New Brunswick, Canada. It's filmed in Ontario, with Canadian writers and actors, and maybe that's why it's a little different quality than shows set in the U.S.

I don't want to tell too much of the story, because each episode answers some questions toward the mystery and also presents new questions to be answered in the next episode, and I don't want to spoil the fun in wondering or "pondering" as the fans are calling it.

I just love this series, and can't wait until next season, which won't be aired until early 2025. It's surprising to see that lots of men are also watching it, which I've always thought Hallmark to attract mostly female viewers.

It's also fun to participate in the online discussions of the show, and read comments by people who can't stand the fact that there is a non-binary actor/character in the story and they refuse to use their preferred pronouns of they/them when talking about their role in the show. They threaten to stop watching Hallmark, and follow the Christian actors who have made a big deal about quitting Hallmark to go with the Christian values network. Yet, there they are still watching, and are interested in the show enough to comment on social media, haha!