Season 18 is in full swing, and this new episode brought us face-to-face with the harsh reality of ranch life that was teased from the start of the season: drought.
The episode saw Jack and Tim race against time to save the ranch and their cattle business as tough conditions pushed them to make even tougher decisions about the future.
Meanwhile, Tim’s health became a point of concern for Katie and Jessica, while Logan and Lisa were struggling with uncertainty and doubt as well.
Ready to dive into this new episode? Then keep reading this recap of Heartland season 18 episode 3!
The drought crisis
The drought that’s been slowly creeping in from episode 1801 became a full-blown crisis in this episode.
The well had started to run dry, so the family was forced to start conserving water any way they could – shorter showers, cautious water usage, the works.
But it quickly became clear that conservation alone won’t save the ranch. If they can’t get more water soon, they’ll have no choice but to sell their cattle, a decision that would devastate Jack and Tim and destroy the family’s legacy.
Luckily, Tim had an old buddy from his rodeo days, Dougie, who owns a water drilling company, so Tim called in a favor in hopes that they could drill a new well before they run out of water completely.
Don’t have time to read the recap? Listen to the podcast-style video version of it here:
But, the first attempt at finding water and, therefore, a suitable place for the new well, was a bust.
As the situation became more dire and Heartland’s well officially ran dry, everybody started realizing the gravity of the situation. Amy even had to call her clients to pick up their horses, and they had to move their own horses to Fairfield, Lisa’s stables since there was not enough water to water the horses.
And after another unsuccessful drilling attempt, Tim and Jack had no choice but to start seriously talking about selling their herd since they couldn’t afford to bring in water tankers for the cattle for longer than a week.
So, while Tim started calling auction houses to find the best price for their cattle, desperation and anger led Jack to throw a Hail Mary and do something unorthodox – try using a divining rod to find the best place for the well.
Early in the episode, Jack was talking about how his grandfather used a divining rod to find a place for their current well. He even tried finding the old rod in the cellar with no success. So when things got really bad, Jack picked up a branch from a fallen tree to use as his very own divining rod and tried his hand at finding a spot for the well.
At first, it didn’t really work; Jack even told his horse, Blue, about how stupid he felt doing it. But then, by some miracle, Jack’s gut instinct kicked in, the divining rod he was holding started to work, and he found a spot worth digging.
P.S. I loved Katie’s explanation about divining rods – that they are not magic; it’s actually all about the diviner and how well they know the land since the rod itself is just an outlet for their intuition. It showcased Jack’s connection to the land so beautifully.
Dougie, of course, hesitated beforehand, not wanting to take any more of their money for trying yet another spot with no success, but Jack’s instincts told him to drill. And just when it looked like the spot Jack found would be another failure, Jack’s faith – and the family’s trust in him – paid off. Jack told Dougie to keep drilling, and suddenly, water started gushing out of the ground.
It was a huge win for the family, meaning that the ranch was saved.
But not only that, it also marked the start of a different kind of relationship between Jack and Nathan Pryce.
Jack and Nathan’s tentative truce
What am I talking about? Well, let me tell you!
In a surprising turn of events, Jack and Nathan’s relationship took a step toward reconciliation in Heartland season 18 episode 3.
At the beginning of the episode, Jack and Nathan had a conversation while they both were out riding and surveying the land.
It started off tense due to the lingering animosity over Nathan getting the Garland Foods deal. But as Nathan revealed that Pryce Beef is also struggling with the drought and lack of water, Jack realized that they’re facing the same uphill battle.
So, later, when Nathan found Jack trying to use the divining rod to find water, the two shared a moment of understanding.
Jack apologized for his initial hostility and got real about Heartland possibly having to sell their herd.
Hearing this and seeing Jack stumble upon a possible spot for a well, Nathan offered to cover half of the well-digging cost if Jack’s intuition really led them to water. After all, the spot Jack found for the well is on the land Heartland leases from Nathan.
And even though Nathan was skeptical about them even trying to drill in the spot, Jack told him that: “when it’s your last shot, you take it, no matter how wild it is.”
So Jack caught up to the drilling rig, and the whole family, plus Nathan, gathered around to see the rig in action and then to celebrate their win after the rig hit water.
It was a pivotal moment that not only tied their ranches together quite permanently, meaning that some kind of truce will have to be established between Heartland Beef and Pryce Beef, but it also ended up showing a softer side of Nathan to Amy.
After the last two episodes of tension between Amy and Nathan, the two seemed to finally come to some sort of understanding as they watched the water gush out of the land. The tension was released, and Amy and Nathan even shared a hug to celebrate finding water.
Things started to look up, not just for the ranches, which had alleviated some of the water storage they both were dealing with, but also for the relationships the Heartland family members have with Nathan Pryce.
Now, I’m interested to see if this means that Amy will give Nathan another chance. I mean, there was a scene of Amy and Nathan dancing together in the season 18 trailer, so that seems pretty likely. But we will have to wait and see how exactly that comes about.
Tim’s health scare
Amidst all the chaos of the drought, another serious concern arose: Tim’s health.
In the first part of the episode, Tim was acting off when talking to Jessica. And then he got dizzy after dropping Katie off at Maggie’s.
Katie, worried about her grandfather, wanted to tell Jessica about Tim’s dizzy spell, but Tim told her not to say a word. This left Katie in a tough situation – she saw that something was wrong with Tim and wanted to say something so Tim would get checked out, but she also didn’t want to betray Tim’s trust and for Tim to be angry at her for telling on him.
In fact, she was so torn that Katie ended up confiding in Jack about what to do. She didn’t name any names, of course, but she still got some valuable advice from her great-grandfather.
Katie: “I know I’m supposedto listen to, and respect my elders and all that, but what if I know that something an adult is telling me is wrong? Is it ever okay to disobey?”
Jack: “Well, that’s a serious question. Any more specifics you want to share?”
Katie: “I can’t. Not yet, anyway.”
Jack: “Well, then. Adults get it wrong all the time. Now, you’re a bright, wise young woman with a good heart, so I’d trust it.”
Katie: “Even if it means I could make someone I care about mad at me?”
Jack: “Depends very much on the situation, but maybe.”
So, taking Jack’s advice about trusting her gut to heart, Katie decided to tell Jessica about Tim’s dizziness. And just in time, too, because, right after that, Tim’s health took a more serious turn when he got so dizzy that he collapsed in the barn.
Jessica was the one who found him and insisted that he see a doctor. And she had her work cut out for her since she had to confront Tim about his refusal to take care of himself.
But in the end, Jessica got Tim to confess that he’s been scared it might be something serious like CTE, a degenerative brain condition, that might have developed from all the falls he took during his rodeo days. Then she promptly reminded Tim about the advice he had given her not long ago – to not live in fear and to face problems head-on.
Fortunately, this storyline concluded on a lighter note.
At the end of the episode, we saw Jessica and Katie (since Tim apologized to her about making her keep his health a secret from Jessica) anxiously waiting for Tim outside the clinic, only for Tim to emerge with an unexpected diagnosis: reading glasses.
His dizziness and blurred vision, it turns out, are due to stress and too much screen time, a relief to everyone – though Tim wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of looking like Jack with his new glasses!
It was great to see Jessica back on Heartland, and this arc once again reminded me how much I love Tim and Jessica as a couple. They not only balance each other out, but they force each other to talk about things, which is always a good thing and something people in healthy relationships should be doing.
Lisa’s confidence crisis
Speaking of Jack, in this episode we also finally saw the return of Jack’s wife, Lisa.
This time around, Lisa’s storyline took a more personal turn as she faced doubts about her place in the racing world.
At the start of the episode, we saw Lisa tell Jack about an exciting new opportunity – Fleet Equine, a fancy racing magazine Lisa reads religiously, reached out, wanting to profile her and Fairfield in a feature article.
And after some encouragement from Jack, despite her concerns about her horses not doing too well in races lately, Lisa agreed to the interview.
The interview started out well, but then it took a turn.
The interviewer, Hope, asked Lisa about how she’s planning for her retirement since there’s a rumor going on in the racing world that Lisa might be retiring soon. A comment that threw Lisa off completely since she hadn’t even considered retiring, not anytime soon, anyway.
To make matters worse, Hope also implied that one of Lisa’s new horses, a filly she’s really excited about, might have genetic predispositions for injury. Something that Hope found out after writing an article about a genetic study in which the filly’s sire, AceBeatsKing, was one of the stallions they studied.
Feeling shaken, Lisa cut the interview short, telling the interviewer that although she appreciated Hope choosing her for the article, Lisa didn’t think that the magazine’s readers would be interested in reading about someone like Lisa – someone old-school.
But later, after a conversation with Jack about the real reason Lisa walked out of the interview (that all the talk about DNA studies made Lisa doubt her methods of choosing horses since she uses her instincts rather than science to pick which horse to buy) during which Jack assured that her proven instinct would trump science any time, Lisa decided to face her fears and ask Hope for another meeting.
This time around, Lisa was open and honest, which led the interview to turn out much better.
Hope: “I get that.”
Lisa: “I thought that people would want to read about someone in the midst of great success, but after considering, I don’t think that’s true, because racing horses involves great failure, even for those of us who are successful. I question my instincts all the time. My horses lose, and I don’t want to hide that.
Hope: “The vulnerability is refreshing. What is success for you, then? Sounds like it’s not just winning or making money.”
Lisa: “Success is loving the job, which I do, even when it’s exhausting. Success is building a healthy, loving environment for my horses, loving them like a family member, not just an asset, and I think that’s what makes great winners. And no blood test can tell you if a horse has heart. Sometimes a human can, if they’re paying attention.”
Hope: “Lisa, I’m so relieved to hear you’re not retiring, because honestly, I think the racing industry needs you.”
So, by the end of the episode, Lisa’s confidence in her instincts had returned, the filly won her first race and it was Lisa’s time to encourage Jack to trust his instincts about there being water in the spot he found.
It was so nice to see Lisa back at the ranch! And I also absolutely loved her arc in this episode.
I love learning more about Lisa’s business, and this episode gave us just that while simultaneously proving, once again, what a good businesswoman Lisa is.
I always love it when the women of Heartland are showcased outside the roles of being a mother or a wife, and Lisa’s storyline was just that. She’s a formidable force in the racing world in her own right, and now, after the interview, the whole world will know it.
Logan’s struggles with pressure
Finally, Logan also had a very emotional episode since his determination to make a name for himself hit a snag.
As the episode began, we saw Logan working with Tim’s horse, Cobra, but progress was slow, and Logan got more frustrated by the minute.
Amy noticed Logan’s frustration and questioned his motives for thinking about entering the colt-starting competitions. Especially since Amy wasn’t sure it was the right path for Logan since she was worried that Logan was putting too much pressure on himself, and therefore, he would start cutting corners while training horses.
It all came to a head when Logan tried a new technique he saw a trainer from Texas doing online – first, tire the horse out, and then it will be too exhausted to fight you when you do the actual work with it.
Amy saw the technique for what it was: a shortcut, not a sustainable way to help Cobra overcome his anxiety. But Logan didn’t see it that way, and they ended up getting into a fight over how Logan feels like he has to make a career from nothing because he doesn’t have the same legacy to build on that Amy does.
The next day, after Logan apologized for getting angry, Amy made him go on a ride with her. Eventually, they ended up at the old jumping course, where Logan finally opened up to Amy.
Logan: “I don’t know why I said all that.”
Amy: “No, I get it. You feel under pressure. Like you have to hit certain milestones, and accomplish goals by a certain age.”
Logan: “Yeah. This year’s just extra tough, you know? This is the same age as my mom was when she had me. Which means in two years, I’m gonna be the same age as she was when she…”
Amy: “I get it. I understand, Logan. I do.”
Logan: “There’s just so much I wanna do, you know? I wanna make her proud. Have a career, and buy a house, and a truck that doesn’t break down the second it hits a pothole.”
Amy: “And you will do all those things. Right? Logan, you have accomplished so much. And I’m proud to see how far you’ve come.”
Logan: “I wanna ask Miley to marry me. And not in five years. Like, soon.”
Amy: “How soon is soon?”
Logan: “I don’t wanna waste any time, Amy. It doesn’t make sense. I know. Just…”
Amy: “It makes perfect sense, Logan. You feel like the world is wild right now. It’s unpredictable. But what doesn’t make sense to me is why you have to keep your fears to yourself.”
Logan: “I thought I could just grit my teeth and get through it. That’s probably why I’m having so much trouble with Cobra. He’s anxious. I’m even more anxious.”
Amy: “Well, at least you found a way to connect with him.”
Amy finally had a clearer picture of what was really going on with Logan – about how his need to succeed stems from the fact that he’s the same age his mother was when she had him, and in two years, he’ll be the same age she was when she passed away, which is why he doesn’t want to waste any time and have it all now. So, with this newfound awareness, she encouraged Logan to try and connect with Cobra through their shared anxiety, and it worked.
With Amy’s help, Logan managed to finally get Cobra to trust him, and by the end of the episode, he saddled the horse successfully, showing that he’s learning to handle the pressure in a healthier way.
Amy even told him that she actually thinks that he’d be great at colt-starting competitions, he just has to do it his way. And advised him to stop living like he’s running out of time and start living in a place of hope.
Amy: “I actually think that colt starting might be a good fit for you. Just do it your way. Don’t put the clock first.”
Logan: “I think I could be really good, eventually.”
Amy: “Can I give you one more piece of advice? You’re not walking the same road as your mom.”
Logan: “Yeah, I know. I just… I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Amy: “I get that. But it doesn’t mean living like you’re running out of time. It means living in a place of hope.”
This story arc between Logan and Amy was really nice. I love to see Amy mentoring Logan and helping him through tough moments.
And hopefully, in the future, we will see Logan take Amy’s advice to heart and live with a more hopeful look towards the future instead of counting each day he didn’t reach his goal as a failure.
Final thoughts on Heartland season 18 episode 3
This episode truly got us experiencing some serious highs and lows.
From Tim’s health scare to Jack’s intuition finally leading them to a new place for a well, the episode really tested our characters.
But, as always, they came together in the face of crisis and found a way to push through.
So, with the ranch’s future in a more secure place for now, it will be exciting to see how the rest of the season unfolds.
What did you think of this episode? Are you hopeful about Jack and Nathan’s growing truce and what it means for Nathan’s relationship with Amy? And what did you think about the things that the rest of the characters went through in this episode?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Promo for Heartland season 18 episode 4
The next episode of Heartland will be called “Into the Unknown,” and it will see Jack making a surprising decision after Hudson’s rumor mill gets the better of him. While Amy will be working with a polo pony and will start seeing a new side of Nathan in the process.
