When Hope Calls season 1 recap: All to know before season 2 arrives

When Hope Calls season 1 is a Hallmark period drama series that was the first original program to premiere on the Hallmark Channel's digital streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now, on August 30, 2019. It subsequently aired on the Hallmark Channel and has been picked up by the Great American Family network for a second season.

Centered around themes of family, community, and faith, When Hope Calls season 1 is set in 1916 and follows Lillian and Grace, two sisters who reunite as adults after being separated at the ages of seven and five, respectively. The sisters set up an orphanage in the western Canadian town of Brookfield but face resistance from the local people, as society, in general, rests on the cusp of modernization.

The show is a spin-off of the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart, which is based on a book series by Janette Oke titled Canadian West. Comprising 10 episodes, each approximately 40 minutes, When Hope Calls season 1 is helmed by Alfonso H. Moreno and stars Morgan Kohan and Jocelyn Hudon as the leads.

The first episode of When Hope Calls season 2 arrives on PureFlix on Thursday, April 3. The entire season will premiere on Great American Family on Sunday, April 8 at 6 PM ET.

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What happens with Lillian and Grace in When Hope Calls season 1?

Newly reunited sisters Lillian and Grace are seen at the beginning of When Hope Calls season 1 at their newly established orphanage in Brooksfield. The duo faces unwelcoming neighbors, especially Tess Stewart, who has unresolved issues with their family.

However, Tess’s son Chuck, the town veterinarian, finds himself falling for Grace after he treats her cow. Romance also blossoms between Lillian and Constable Gabriel Kinslow.

The town soon comes together in the event of a devastating fire. After the tragedy, the town's residents help the sisters rebuild, as more characters are introduced, such as nurse Maggie Parsons and handyman Sam. The love life of the girls brings more challenges for them, especially with Tess trying to orchestrate scenarios to separate Chuck and Grace. On the other hand, Gabriel grows jealous of Sam's increasing closeness with Lillian.

At the end of When Hope Calls season 1, Grace decides to leave her sister and the orphanage and travel to London to work for a charity. Chuck follows suit and leaves Brookfield, though his intentions aren't clear. Lillian stays as the sole person in charge of the orphanage and continues her relationship with Gabriel.

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Exploring the cast of When Hope Calls season 1

The cast of When Hope Calls season 1 is led by Morgan Kohan and Jocelyn Hudon, playing the roles of the sisters Lillian Walsh and Grace Bennett. They were previously seen in the 2018 Hallmark movie, When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, a holiday special feature of the original series, When Calls the Heart.

RJ Hatanaka and Greg Hovanessian debut as the romantic interests of the two sisters, Gabriel Kinslow and Chuck Stewart. When Hope Calls also features an ensemble of supporting cast members, some of whom are listed as follows.

• Wendy Crewson as Tess Stewart, owner of a local ranch and Chuck’s mother
• Hanneke Talbot as Maggie Parsons, the new town nurse in Brookfield
• Marshall Williams as Sam Tremblay, a drifter who works as a handyman at the orphanage
• Neil Crone as Ronnie Stewart, local hotel owner and Chuck's uncle
• Lori Loughlin as Abigail Stanton, a friend of Lillian
• Isaak Bailey as Christian, an inhabitant of the orphanage
• Michael Copeman as Ken Newsome, an unfriendly neighbour
• Liam MacDonald as Vincent, one of the orphanage’s older inhabitants
• Kate Moyer as Sophia, an inhabitant of the orphanage
• Riley O'Donnell as Helen, one of the orphanage’s older inhabitants, who is searching for her grandfather
• Kim Roberts as Pearl Mayfair, a baker in Brookfield
• Elizabeth Saunders as Eleanor Winters, the housemother in the orphanage

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When Hope Calls season 1 is currently streaming on Hallmark Movies Now.