The Way Home Season 3 rejects popular fan theory with this character’s shocking death

The time-traveling pond is now taking the Landry family back to 1974. We don’t know all its secrets, but The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2 has killed off a popular fan theory… literally.

Del, Kat, and Alice are routinely confronted by their past, present, and future. In previous seasons, this has taken them back to the 1990s and the early 1800s, but Season 3 is focusing on 1974 – when teenage Del met Colton for the first time.

After hearing her voice on an old recording, Alice has found herself back there too. While Kat watches on from a distance, she gets to know the teenage versions of Colton, Del, and Evelyn and is quickly introduced to Colton’s friend Rick.

It’s inferred the TV show will be setting the pair up as love interests, sending fans’ minds running about a long-unsolved storyline. But thanks to some shock information in The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2, the popular theory has fallen apart.

Elliot reveals Rick died in The Way Home Season 3 Episode 2

With Alice (thankfully) making it clear she didn’t have eyes for Colton in the Season 3 premiere, she was quickly set up to spend more time with Rick. The Way Home is full of twists and turns… so what if Alice and Rick are the unidentified couple jumping into the pond, and the mystery baby is theirs?

Hallmark

Let’s rewind a second. Seasons 1 and 2 gave us two outstanding questions – the identity of the baby abandoned by the pond, and the couple who once jumped into the pond, proving two people could time travel simultaneously. They certainly look like Alice and Rick from behind… but there’s a problem.

As of Season 3 Episode 2, Alice and Rick have only just met, meaning it would need to be a while before any romance heated up. Rick is Elliot’s uncle, with Elliot Kat’s love interest in the present-day timeline. He reveals Rick died after the summer kickoff party in 1974. “My dad walked away and Rick didn’t,” he says.

While we don’t know exactly how – we’ll assume it’s a drunk driving accident given how much alcohol was consumed on the beach – this means Rick was killed immediately after the set-up in Season 3 Episode 1. Therefore, we can reasonably assume there was no romance, no baby, and definitely no jumping into a time-traveling pond.

Hallmark

Admittedly, there is a very small time window where this is feasible. But given the complexity of the storylines The Way Home Season 3 has set up for itself, it’s too far-fetched to hold up. This means it’s back to the drawing board for Season 3 theories… and we should be looking at Colton.

Not only does Rick’s death kaibosh the baby theory, but it doubles down on teenage Colton’s importance. “Colton would’ve gone with him, but he walked me home instead,” Alice replies to Elliot in Episode 2. “You saved Dad’s life,” Kat adds.

In the final scene, Alice heads back to the pond to find Rick in 1974, only to find teenage Colton emerging from the water. This further breaks the unwritten rules of time travel the binge-worthy TV show previously put in place – but why is he there, and what does he know?

You can find The Way Home Seasons 1-2 already on the app, with Season 3 streaming weekly. For similar vibes, check out Virgin River Season 7, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, and shows if you like Virgin River.