SPOILER ALERT: This submit accommodates spoilers from “The Approach We Have been,” Season 3, Episode 2 of Hallmark’s “The Approach Dwelling,” which streams on Hallmark+.
Every part was developing Elliot (Evan Williams) within the Jan. 3 Season 3 premiere of “The Approach Dwelling” on Hallmark Channel. His surrogate household was reunited with their long-lost son and brother, Jacob (Spencer MacPherson). He and Kat (Chyler Leigh) lastly made time to decide to their relationship with one another and not using a time-traveling pond getting in the best way. When it comes to life targets, Elliot was knocking it out of the park. Whereas he and Kat took the following step of their relationship – transferring in collectively – within the season’s second episode, there are already some cracks beginning to present in one of many present’s central relationships.
“We’ve these three ladies, and we at all times apply previous, current and future thematically to them. This season is about Del questioning her previous. Alice is questioning her future and what that appears like, and Kat is questioning her current,” says Alex Clarke, the daughter half of the present’s mother-daughter showrunner workforce. “She’s such a doer. She’s very very similar to Del, and final season was about finishing the mission and getting Jacob residence. To a sure extent, it was additionally about giving Susanna what’s owed to her. On the prime of this season, these missions are performed. Jacob is residence. The ebook is printed beneath Susanna’s title. She’s performed all the issues, so she’s questioning who she is now and the place she suits.”
Kat promised Elliot that she was completed with the pond within the premiere episode after a remaining journey to the 1800s to get closure. Nevertheless, the pond continues to be a barrier between them, regardless of understanding that he can time journey together with her so long as they leap into the water collectively. The mysterious physique of water began sending Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) again to the Seventies, and Kat wanted to comply with to make sure that her daughter was protected. The determined want to seek out her daughter impressed Kat to harshly snap that she didn’t need to must “take care of” Elliot when he provided to come back together with her.
Courtesy of Peter Stranks/Hallmark Channel
“Pay attention, it was a aggravating second —she doesn’t have a filter,” Chyler Leigh says, defending Kat in a current interview. “She unfilteredly ended up saying, ‘No, thanks, you keep.’ That’s what she meant.”
Co-star and scene associate Williams backed her up. “We don’t need to neglect the truth that the pond has been accountable for tearing the household aside for 25 years. It’s a portal by means of time. It’s not an elevator. It’s not such as you get in and you already know the place you’re going,” Williams says. “You may find yourself getting misplaced in time endlessly. It’s not youngster’s play. It’s to not be taken calmly.”
The manager producers aren’t essentially making an attempt to excuse Kat’s habits, and teased that the second of stress is hinting at a bit extra occurring beneath the floor of the connection.
“Nobody stated Kat was good,” says present co-showrunner Heather Conkie. “When you consider it, she’s one of the vital flawed characters we’ve ever written. I believe she’s torn more often than not, however she does know in her coronary heart of hearts that her endlessly particular person is probably Elliot. He’s so regular, and he’s there for her. She’s gotten form of spoiled.”
“It does say a little bit bit about perhaps there’s resentment for one thing that’s effervescent up in a second with out anticipating it to,” Clarke says. “I believe that’s simply actual life. You say issues with out which means them. You say issues which can be form of impetuous and impulsive, and also you remorse it later.”
Kat apologized when she returned from her journey to the previous, and the 2 might simply transfer past the uncomfortable second, but it surely doesn’t change the truth that the pond nonetheless has the power to come back between them. As Kat begins one other journey, it might additionally convey up doubts about whether or not she’s actually completed with the previous, whether or not that’s the Seventies or the individuals she left behind within the 1800s.
“On the finish of the day, she’s an investigative journalist for a motive. It’s at her core. She has to seek out out why, what, and the way. I believe as a result of that’s innately ingrained in her, she will be able to’t simply let that go,” Leigh says. “It’s at all times these questions which can be at all times going to be there. It can at all times be a matter of, ‘However is there extra to seek out out?’ She does get introduced with that fairly a bit this season. She’s cussed as hell, so she’s simply going to maintain going to maintain discovering out till she will be able to’t anymore.”
Courtesy of Peter Stranks/Hallmark Channel
A kind of massive query marks for followers is Kat’s relationship with Susanna. The 2 have been in a position to say goodbye, even when it was rushed and dissatisfying, within the premiere. And it’s clear, particularly as Kat promotes the ebook she compiled from Susanna’s journals, that the connection continues to be very sturdy between the 2 of them.
“Susanna is a personality who was born within the fallacious time. Susanna can also be extremely proud, and she or he does love the place she is, however she additionally realizes that there’s this entire different world on the market the place Kat resides the place persons are extra free and far more in a position to love who they need to love,” Clarke says of the longing of their final scene collectively. “We’ve at all times stated these two characters are simply utterly in awe of each other — of how courageous, sturdy and unbiased they’re for varied causes. We needed to proceed that awe.”
“They type this — you possibly can undoubtedly say a friendship, but it surely’s actually like a relationship that I discover very lovely,” Leigh says. “It’s very touching, the power they alternate with each other. It’s undoubtedly heartbreaking, and who is aware of? Nobody is absolutely gone with time journey.”
And whereas Elliot isn’t conscious his girlfriend has developed a sensual relationship along with his ancestor, Williams is all concerning the Kat and Susanna lore and what it means for “The Approach Dwelling.”
“I’m pleased with the present for exhibiting us all these totally different varieties of affection. It’s nearly like each relationship within the present is a chance to indicate a distinct archetype of affection. I like that we are able to lean into the anomaly and the totally different varieties of affection that don’t essentially even want a label,” Williams says. “We present love as a spectrum, which I believe is each progressive and life like, particularly in a present that’s fantastical, that may be a time journey present a couple of pond — and having love be the grounding issue.”
It’s not as if Elliot doesn’t even have his personal points for the time being as nicely. His father, Victor (James Gallanders), can also be again on the town for the second episode. Elliot dedicated to “letting within the mild” on the finish of Season 2, however his father’s presence in Port Haven is a temptation to recede again right into a darker mindset, which might additionally spell bother in different points of Elliot’s life.
“It’s a enjoyable arc to start out off the season feeling like Elliot’s acquired all the things beneath management. Every part is on the checklist. He’s a linear sort of man, so the sensation of getting all the things checked off was superb — and left that room to fall when Victor exhibits up,” Williams says. “I’ve stated earlier than that one among my favourite issues about taking part in this character is taking part in a personality who falls. It was enjoyable to principally get pushed down the steps metaphorically when Victor exhibits up, as a result of all of that childhood stuff comes dashing again.”
So whereas Elliot and Kat could have began the season on the identical web page, and so they have the large journey of residing collectively forward, there’ll nonetheless be obstacles in the best way of their fortunately ever after. Clarke guarantees that Kat meant what she stated within the premiere although, and Elliot is the one she’s selecting…for now.
“Elliot has at all times been her anchor. I believe she’s going into this relationship very optimistic that that is what her current is, that is what her ‘subsequent journey’ is. Whether or not that pans out, we’ll see,” Clarke says. “Clearly, there’s going to be some bumps within the street, however I believe she’s very satisfied on the prime of the season that that is the following street to go down, and that is the current that she’s chosen.”