HEARTLAND: Episodes 18.1 and 18.2

"Back in the Saddle!"

NoneLightModerateHeavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

What You Need To Know:

The beginning of Season 18 of HEARTLAND, streaming on UP Faith & Family, returns to the daily struggles of the Heartland Ranch family. Amy weighs the consequences of starting a new romance, while Lou tries to combine her enterprising ideas with others’ more seasoned ranching experience. In “True Grit,” the family contends with neighbor Nathan, who’s not only undercutting their prices, but pursuing a romantic relationship with an unsure Amy. In “Bird’s Eye View,” Amy’s friend Caleb returns in time to help her deal with a troubling new horse, while Nathan and Lou are forced to work together at the borders of their properties.

“True Grit” and “Bird’s Eye View” provide a strong moral worldview. Characters may encounter the consequences of wrong choices but handle them by protecting family values and committing to hard work. Persevering no matter the circumstances and doing what’s right instead of focusing on oneself are key to the themes of these first two episodes. That being said, “Bird’s Eye View” features partial nudity, which doesn’t add to the story and only escalates romantic tension. Therefore, MOVIEGUIDE® believes HEARTLAND is worthwhile for the whole family but advises discernment for young children.

Content:

(BBB, S, N, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Strong moral or Biblical worldview emphasizing the importance of loyalty to family, perseverance, protecting one’s heart, believing the best about others, doing the right thing especially when it is hard, and supporting family members’ interests, some immoral elements such as adultery being mentioned, one of the heroes asks another to use his employment position to spy on a neighbor, some lying and selfishness, light disrespect when a woman raises her voice and argues repeatedly with her father and grandfather about how to run their business;

Foul Language:
No foul language;

Violence:
No violence;

Sex:
No sex;

Nudity:
Partial male nudity in Season 18, Episode 2 when one character stumbles upon another in his underwear while getting up in the night;

Alcohol Use:
No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
None; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:
Some light immorality such as lying, pressuring an employee to spy on a neighbor and rival, selfishness, and light disrespect toward elders in Season 18 Episode 1, and the main characters encounter a villain who turns out to have stolen horses in Season 18, episode 2.

More Detail:

HEARTLAND, streaming on UP Faith & Family, returns with the first two Episodes of Season 18. The series maintains a strong family focus without losing its trademark charm in character relationships or beautiful Canadian scenery. In this Season, Lou takes her first steps into a true partnership with her father, Tim, and her grandfather, Jack, as they fight to keep Heartland Ranch prosperous. In the face of fierce business competition and romantic advances toward Amy from their neighbor, Nathan, the family must persevere without forgetting to value what matters most.

HEARTLAND remains an entertaining and loveable drama for all ages in its 18th Season. The dialogue keeps the characterizations consistent, and each cast member uses mannerisms and tone to keep the performances grounded. The editing in HEARTLAND Season 18 is off to a fantastic start, with camera shots strategically placed to tell viewers the story engagingly. The timely use of emotional music is just as appealing to listen to as seeing the well-captured scenery.

HEARTLAND’s “True Grit” and “Bird’s Eye View” offer plenty of entertainment in the usual grounded storylines involving life surrounded by working animals. However, characters battle interesting personal trials that viewers of all ages can find relatable, even if they don’t live on a beautifully filmed Canadian ranch! What makes these trials so enjoyable to watch are the moral ways the heroes strive to handle them.

For example, in “True Grit,” Amy is willing to explore a potentially romantic relationship with the family’s least favorite person. However, she chooses tact in interacting with him instead of choosing deception. Alternatively, in “Bird’s Eye View,” ranch hand Logan struggles to make ends meet to impress his girlfriend’s parents and decides to work hard rather than lash out in self-pity.

HEARTLAND’s episodes “True Grit” and “Bird’s Eye View” maintain a strong moral worldview, building on a solid thematic foundation of caring for family and working hard despite difficult circumstances. While HEARTLAND remains free of most questionable elements, there are some cases of immorality. For example, in “True Grit,” one character appears to justify adulterous actions, and this perspective is one of the factors that leads to closing the door on romance with that character.

Meanwhile, in “Bird’s Eye View,” another character is partially nude during an entire scene for nothing more additive to the story than romantic tension. With this in mind, MOVIEGUIDE® believes HEARTLAND is worthwhile for the whole family but advises discernment for young children.


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