Heartland Season 18 Episode 2 Recap: Caleb’s Return, Amy’s Risky Rescue, and New Romantic Tensions!
Another episode of Heartland has arrived, and this one was packed with all the elements that make this show so special to all of us – family drama, emotional twists, and the unmistakable bond between humans and horses.
In this episode, we saw Caleb return to Hudson and help Amy with a new client horse that ends up taking them on a risky adventure. Meanwhile, Lou was forced to work with Nathan Pryce on a firebreak, Logan had to come to terms with his and Miley’s class differences, and Lyndy was excited for new chicks to hatch.
Want to know more? Then keep on reading this recap of Heartland season 18 episode 2!
Horse-saving adventure
The episode kicked off with Amy meeting her latest client, Daryl Pender, who needed help with his Icelandic horse, Loki.
The issue? Loki won’t come in from the field or let anyone near him with a halter. And to make matters worse, Daryl only gave Amy a few days to fix the horse before he was headed to Calgary for a big meeting with Equine Majesty, a Cirque du Soleil show with horses. Talk about pressure!
Fortunately, Caleb arrived back in town for a visit just in time to help Amy with Loki since Tim had stolen Logan for a few days to work at the rodeo school.
No time to read the recap? You can now listen to a podcast-style video version of it here:
Early in the episode, we saw Caleb send Amy a text with a location telling Amy to meet him there, and to Amy’s surprise, it was a small airport and Caleb flew in on a Cessna.
It turns out that he’s already got a new gig since his move to Kelowna in episode 1708 – flying supplies from Hudson up north (he’s been learning to fly for about a year now). So, seeing that Caleb arrived back in Hudson a little early to see some friends, Amy offered Caleb to stay at the ranch and managed to talk him into helping her with Loki.
It took some time and effort from both Amy and Caleb, but Loki was doing pretty well with the halter until his owner, Daryl, showed up and tried to halter Loki.
This made Amy think that there is a deeper problem here and that the issue isn’t with Loki at all – it’s with Daryl. Especially since Amy suspected that Daryl might have lied about Loki’s age and the fact that Daryl raised Loki from a foal.
It was also clear that Loki doesn’t trust his owner, so Amy and Caleb decided to dig into Daryl’s past and see what they can uncover about Daryl and Loki.
With no record of Daryl as a horse owner, they initially came up empty-handed. But then Caleb stumbled upon an article about three stolen Icelandic horses in Canada – one of which was clearly Loki.
And this discovery set them on a mission to locate the other horses.
After Amy asked Caleb to do a flyover search to see if the other two horses are at the ranch Daryl is renting nearby, Caleb spoted the missing horses and Caleb and Amy decide to save them.
First, they called the cops to inform them about Daryl and the stolen horses, and then, after Caleb convinced Amy to go despite it being dangerous, in true Heartland fashion, they set off on horseback to help the police and block the other, smaller road to Daryl’s rented ranch, so he can’t get away.
Caleb stood in the road, forcing Daryl to stop his truck. Meanwhile, while Daryl was distracted, Amy unhooked the horse trailer, successfully saving the horses and proving once again that they’re willing to take risks to do what’s right.
This adventure of theirs really felt like a throwback to one of Caleb and Ty’s old shenanigans, and it was so nice to see. Ty might not be here anymore, but his spirit is still alive and well in his friends and family, who honor him daily with their actions.
Rekindled relationship
One of the highlights of this episode for me was the rekindling of Amy and Caleb’s friendship that came from them working together with Loki and their horse-saving adventure.
From the moment Caleb literally flew back into town, there was an ease between Amy and Caleb that seemed to be lost for a while after Caleb kissed Amy in episode 1706.
And when Amy asked Caleb to stay at the ranch and help her with Loki, we saw the two of them slip back into their old friendship. They even talked about each of their dating lives after Caleb saw Amy talk to Nathan.
Caleb asked Amy about her relationship with Nathan and if they are a thing now, which Amy denied, of course. And in return Caleb told Amy about the disastrous date he went on last week.
Amy: “Did you?”
Caleb: “It was a disaster.”
Amy: “Explain.”
Caleb: “Okay, well, she asked me to tell her about myself. And I started with, “I’m a recently divorced single dad, making a career change, pretty much starting my life from scratch.””
Amy: “How did that land?”
Caleb: “Oh, terrific. Really, really terrific. Right up until she got an emergency text from her sister, and had to run. I pretended she hadn’t just told me that she was an only child.”
Amy: “Ohh! That bad, huh?”
Caleb: “Yeah”
Amy: “Well. I’m glad you’re at least getting back on the horse.”
Caleb: “Back on the horse? Dating feels a lot more like getting stepped on by a horse. But you know what? I think I’m ready for it, and it is kind of exciting.”
Amy: “Just never stop being so open and honest. You could teach a course to a lot of men out there. Not to name any names.”
Caleb: “I think I’ll stick with flying for now. One new career change at a time.”
It was so nice to see them talking openly about their personal lives. And it was also an interesting contrast between how Nathan doesn’t share much with Amy about his personal life.
And their adventure to save the stolen horses cemented their connection even further.
By the end of the episode, it was clear that the bond between Amy and Caleb was stronger than ever. And the hug they shared was so sweet.
So, who knows, even though Amy told Caleb in season 17 that her feelings towards him are platonic, maybe there still is a chance that that could change in the future.
Or maybe even has already changed for Amy given all the looks and conversations they shared in this episode, one even being a late-night chat with Amy in her PJs and Caleb in nothing but his underwear after Amy ran into him while getting water since he was staying on their couch.
Building a firebreak
While Amy and Caleb were dealing with all that, Lou stepped up to prove her place in the ranching team by volunteering to help build a firebreak on Heartland’s property line.
But her determination to stay involved in the day-to-day operations of the cattle business led her to an awkward surprise – Nathan Pryce himself showed up to work alongside her. And given the bad blood between them over the Garland Foods-gate, things got tense quickly.
Lou, stubborn as ever, insisted on doing the heavy lifting even though Nathan offered to take on the more physically demanding job of putting chains on the stumps and let Lou man the tractor.
The physical strain of the task left her exhausted, but she refused to show any weakness in front of Nathan and was back at it the next day.
However, during their breaks, one of which was sharing some jerky just like when they were teens (that we learned about in episode 1707), Lou started to overcome some of her animosity towards Nathan and his business practices.
Seeing Lou’s new horse, Stetson, giving her a bit of trouble every time she rode up to their job site, Nathan asked her to ride Stetson, and when he returned, he told Lou what the problem was – Stetson has a sensitive mouth, which means that Lou needs to loosen her grip on the reins when she slows down.
And although, at first, Lou didn’t like Nathan’s advice since it was also a subtle lesson in learning to let go of control, she did end up accepting it, which helped to change Lou’s view of Nathan a bit.
And Lou also opened up to Nathan about the pressure of living up to the expectations of lifelong ranchers. As well as questioned Nathan about his intentions with Amy, advising him to be honest and open with Amy if he truly cares for her or to leave Amy be if Nathan can’t be that person for her. Which further cemented the slight turn in the relationship between the rivals.
READ NEXT: Heartland season 18 episode 3 Recap
I personally really loved seeing Lou work so hard with Nathan, really showing that she can be a real rancher, too. And although her stubbornness towards Nathan did come off as a little annoying, it was also very understandable since Nathan’s business did cause them to lose their main client and, therefore, lose a lot of money.
It will be interesting to see if Lou’s view towards Nathan will change after working together for days. It probably won’t go as far as Lou defending him to Jack and Tim, but I hope we will see at least a little change of attitude towards Nathan Pryce in Lou.
Man of mystery
Speaking of relationships, in this episode, Amy and Nathan’s possible romance took another complicated turn.
First, when Nathan showed up at Heartland during dinner to drop off a check for his share of the bulldozing for the firebreak.
During their exchange, Nathan also brought up the date Amy turned down at the end of the last episode.
Amy didn’t hold back and told Nathan that she can’t be with someone who doesn’t open up to her or share his past with her – a point that hits close to home for her after her experience with Finn.
And even though Nathan tried to counter that by telling Amy that he doesn’t like to dwell on the past and just wants to live in the present, Amy still maintained that she just can’t be with someone who doesn’t open up at the current stage of her life.
Amy: “You’re a man of mystery, Nathan.”
Nathan: “What does that mean?”
Amy: “You shut me out a little.”
Nathan: “About what? My ex? Because that’s water under the bridge.”
Amy: “I don’t know, you don’t… you don’t tell me anything. You don’t share your feelings, open up about your past.”
Nathan: “You can’t live in the past.”
Amy: “No, but you can talk about it.”
Nathan: “I’d rather focus on the here and now, stay present.”
Amy: “And if that’s what works for you, then… who am I to judge?”
Nathan: “But it doesn’t work for you.”
Amy: “I guess I’m just at a stage in my life where I don’t have the time or energy to be unraveling mysteries.”
Later, after Lou’s heart-to-heart with Nathan about Amy, he showed up at the ranch, seemingly ready to talk to Amy and make amends. But when he saw Amy and Caleb sharing a warm hug after their adventure of saving the horses, Nathan quietly rode away.
So, it looks like Nathan might be second-guessing his chances with Amy, especially after that conversation and seeing Amy with Caleb. And he should be. Amy won’t be around to wait for Nathan to decide to open up forever.
However, I do wonder if maybe a bit of jealousy might just be the push Nathan needs to finally talk to Amy about his past and what he’s feeling. There might still be a chance for all you Nathan and Amy shippers out there!
Growing pains
Now, let’s move on to Logan’s storyline in this episode.
On Heartland season 18 episode 2, we saw Logan really struggle with his place in the world.
After his girlfriend Miley asked Logan to lunch with her parents at the Polo Club, he was hesitant, but ultimately, Tim encouraged him to go, telling Logan that he should be proud of who he is and how hard he works for everything he has instead of being ashamed of it.
But then his truck broke down on the way to the Polo Club, and Logan’s frustrations boiled over.
He told Miley that he feels like he’s constantly spinning his wheels, never getting ahead.
Miley, of course, tried to comfort him, but Logan’s insecurities about their different backgrounds got the best of him, leading to a tense moment between the couple.
Tim, of all people, stepped in to give Logan a reality check, offering sage advice about staying true to himself and his dreams no matter what others might think. And later, Tim even pitched Logan a new direction that might help Logan become more financially stable.
To boost Logan’s confidence and morale, Tim suggested that Logan consider doing colt-starting competitions as a way to make some real money while using all the skills he has learned while working with Amy. Tim also suggested that Logan train on Tim’s rodeo school horse, Cobra, and offered to cover half of Logan’s truck repair, showing that he believes in Logan’s potential.
I didn’t know that I needed this close relationship between Tim and Logan in my life until now, but now that it’s here, I really dig it. Tim is slowly becoming a real mentor for Logan. And the fact that he has accepted Logan as part of their family and treats him accordingly is even more touching.
Writing class dilemma
Also, in this episode, Katie’s love for creative writing continued to grow when she impressed her teacher, Jasmine, during a class discussion.
Afterward, Jasmine invited Katie to join the rest of the group at a wine bar to continue their literary conversations. But Katie, still underage, had to make up an excuse not to go since Jasmine didn’t know that Katie was not 18.
And after Lou encouraged Katie to take every opportunity to engage with the group, not knowing that all the people in the writing class are older, Katie is left to figure out ways to join the group without revealing her true age.
It will be really interesting to see if Katie ends up figuring something out or if she will just decide to come clean about her age to Jasmine and ask to have the group go somewhere where she can join them after class.
A lesson in patience
Finally, let’s talk about Lyndy’s storyline in this episode.
In this episode, Amy’s daughter had a heartwarming arc about having to patiently wait for some chicks to hatch.
At the start of the episode we saw Jack showing Lyndy the eggs that are soon going to turn into chicks. And from then on Lyndy’s anticipation over the eggs hatching kept her glued to the incubator.
She even considered sleeping in the living room to watch over them.
And just when it seemed like the eggs might not hatch and Amy started worrying that she will have to have an uncomfortable conversation with her daughter, the chicks finally arrived, much to Lyndy’s delight.
The episode ended with the whole family gathering around to celebrate the new life at Heartland, marking a sweet and hopeful moment to close out the episode.
Final thoughts on Heartland season 18 episode 2
One of my favorite moments in this episode was the one between Lyndy and Caleb.
After Amy axed Lyndy’s idea of sleeping in the living room to watch over the eggs, after all, Caleb was occupying the couch, Lyndy asked Caleb about her dad, and Caleb had quite the story to share with Lyndy about that time from season 11 episode 18 when they went to get back Jack’s longhorn.
Lyndy: “You were friends with my dad, right?”
Caleb: “Best friends, actually. You know, Lyndy, your dad was the kind of guy who would always do the right thing, even when it was very, very hard. He made everybody around him better. But he also had a mischievous side.”
Lyndy: “Really?”
Caleb: “Mhmm. Yeah, we used to go on all kinds of crazy capers together.”
Lyndy: “Like what?”
Caleb: “Like what? Well, there was this one time, this bad man, he tried to steal your GG’s prized longhorn. Well, your dad and I, we decided that we were gonna get him back, in the middle of a very cold winter night. Lyndy, you should have seen us. I roped that longhorn, but the ground was so frozen, we both slipped, fell on our butts, and he dragged us around the pen like a couple of rag dolls. No matter what we did, we just couldn’t get our feet under us. It was like rodeo on ice. We should have won buckles for bringing that bad boy home.”
I absolutely adored how openly Caleb talked about Ty and how he shared both Ty’s good side and his more mischievous one.
It was just so precious to see! And it also helped grow the bond not just between Caleb and Lyndy but also between Caleb and Amy, as later, Amy thanked Caleb for sharing that story about Ty with Lyndy.
What did you think of this episode? Are you rooting for Amy and Caleb, or do you think there’s still hope for Nathan? And what were your thoughts about the other storylines I shared in the recap?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Promo for Heartland season 18 episode 3
The next episode of Heartland will be called “You Can Lead a Horse to Water.”
It will see the family facing the hard reality of the drought and hunting for the best spot to build a new well. While Katie will be worried about Tim’s health.
