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‘When Hope Calls’: Unraveling episode 1.01 ‘New Hope’

When Hope Calls endears fans with the premiere episode now streaming on Hallmark Movies Now.

It’s finally here! When Hope Calls is now available on Hallmark’s streaming service Hallmark Movies Now. This is the first original series for the subscription service.

‘New Hope’ is the title of episode 1 as well as the name of the orphanage recently opened by sisters Lillian and Grace in the town of Brookfield. As with any new adventure there are naysayers and a few bumps in the road. Thankfully, there are also many friendly faces in town to support the sisters.

Fan Fest will help unravel each episode of When Hope Calls as we revisit the story line and its character developments.

Let’s take a closer look at When Hope Calls episode 1.01 ‘New Hope’.

photo courtesy of Taylor Albers at Crown Media Family Networks
Grace (Jocelyn Hudon) and Lillian (Morgan Kohan) in When Hope Calls
Photo Credit: Crown Media Family Networks

New Faces

The episode introduces viewers to the townspeople of Brookfield. There is Joe who runs the General Store. Ronnie is opening a hotel in town, the Royal Brookfield Hotel. We meet Pearl who is skeptical about the orphanage.

Back at the New Hope Orphanage, we have sisters Lillian and Grace and housekeeper Eleanor. Children fill the house with laughter, questions, and healthy appetites. Sofia is a young orphan who seems particularly attached to Lillian.

Mountie Gabriel makes his return to town after a recent absence. Tess Stewart is a local ranch owner who spars with fellow rancher Ken Newsome. Tess has a son named Chuck who works on the ranch but also has a degree in veterinary medicine.

Tensions

Lillian and Grace are obviously very close but they have just recently reunited. The sisters were orphaned at ages 5 and 7 with Lillian being the elder sister. Lillian was adopted and grew up in Brookfield. Grace was not adopted. When the two sisters turn Lillian’s childhood home into the orphanage it is not surprising that Grace stumbles upon reminders in the home of Lillian’s different experience growing up.

Rancher Ken Newsome accuses Tess Stewart of stealing his cows and then selling them. Ken claims that Tess wants to control Brookfield. There is also a rift between Tess and Lillian. Tess blames Lillian’s family for the loss of her husband.

Pearl and other townspeople are skeptical about the orphanage opening in Brookfield. They make remarks about the the children’s histories and suggest they do not belong at the hotel grand opening party.

photo courtesy of Taylor Albers at Crown Media Family Networks
Chuck (Greg Hovanessian) in When Hope Calls
Photo Credit: Crown Media Family Networks

Mishaps

Hotel owner Ronnie forgets to put a date on the grand opening sign. When he adds the date and time, 7 pm sort of looks like 1 pm and confuses the folks in town.

Lillian and Gabriel share a moment when the Mountie offers to help her with the bag of feed that is leaking. Gabriel’s trusty horse Apollo is gobbling up the feed that has fallen to the ground. As Gabriel and Lillian chat, Lillian points out that Apollo has stationed himself on the boardwalk.

Grace ventures out to purchase a dairy cow with the hope of saving the orphanage money on milk, cheese and butter costs. Her negotiations with Tess Stewart are amusing but effective. Still she ends up with a dry cow. Chuck investigates using his veterinarian skills and determines that the cow named Virginia has a rotten tooth. Chuck pulls the tooth allowing Virginia to eat again and produce milk.

Mysteries

It is not clear what actually happened to Tess Stewart’s husband. When Tess talks to hotel owner and brother-in-law Ronnie, she eludes to information she does not want Mountie Gabriel to uncover.

After a fire erupts and destroys the town store and infirmary, Tess blames the volume of paint, kerosene and coal oil that Joe kept at the store. Gabriel, however, expresses doubts about the origins of the fire.

Heroics

The whole town jumps in to fight the fire. Grace takes all the children, not just the orphans, back to the orphanage to keep them safe from the fire.

Lillian stays behind to help. She risks her life when rescuing Dr. Wilson from the infirmary. She is knocked out by a falling beam when she returns to salvage Dr. Wilson’s bag. Mountie Gabriel pulls Lillian from the burning building.

Heartwarming moments

The orphanage hosts a warm meal for the entire town after the long night of fighting the fire at the store. Ronnie offers Joe a room at the hotel after the loses the store to the fire.

We learn that Sofia lost her mother to illness. She wrote her mother a letter but she passed before she could read it. Sofia struggles with guilt over not writing the letter sooner. Grace comforts her and Sofia gives the letter to Lillian telling her how much she loves her.

Pearl has a change of heart when she sees her daughter playing tag and having fun with the kids at the orphanage. She is also grateful for the hospitality that Grace and Lillian offer the town when in need.

Losses and lessons

While the town rallies together to fight the fire, losses are inevitable. The store and the infirmary go up in flames. They lose their doctor when he goes to Clearwater for medical treatment for injuries incurred in the fire.

The town learns that they misjudged the orphanage and should never have judged them in the first place. Grace tells Sofia that even when things go wrong, there is usually something else unexpected to help make things better.


The premiere episode of Hallmark Movies Now original series When Hope Calls was chock-full of introductions. Brookfield is home to many new friends and stories yet to be told.

Fans are treated to 2 new episodes this week followed by one new episode arriving weekly through October 25th.

Come back soon when we revisit When Hope Calls episode 1.02! Engage with fellow fans using hashtags #WhenHopeCalls and #Hearties.

Learn more from the cast here!

 

 

 

 

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