‘Chesapeake Shores’ Season 6 Premiere Recap: Who Did Abby Call?
Fans had plenty of questions heading into the Chesapeake Shores Season 6 premiere. The fifth season of the Hallmark Channel series ended on a cliffhanger, with the fate of one character hanging in the balance and another’s romantic future up in the air. Fortunately, season 6’s first episode – titled “The Best Is Yet to Come” – wasted little time in resolving those storylines and setting things up for the show’s final episodes.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Chesapeake Shores Season 6 premiere.]
The ‘Chesapeake Shores’ Season 6 premiere reveals Connor’s fate
Chesapeake Shores Season 6 picks up immediately after the season 5 finale. In that episode, overworked lawyer Connor (Andrew Francis) suffered a major heart attack. In the premiere, his family is at the hospital, nervously waiting for news about his condition.
We didn’t think that the show would really kill off Connor, and it isn’t long before a doctor delivers the serious, though not devastating, prognosis. Connor is out of immediate danger, though he has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He’ll need to take time off to rest, which is a tall order for someone with his workaholic tendencies.
Margaret sticks by Connor’s side
Fortunately, Connor will have his family by his side as he heals. He’ll also have Margaret (Mariesa Crouse, taking over the role from Raylene Harwood). He tries to give her an out, telling her that if she wants to call it quits, he’d understand. But she’s not going anywhere, even though their relationship has barely gotten started.
Margaret – who is Connor’s paralegal – also pushes back when he tells her she’ll need to get another job while he recovers. Instead, she volunteers to step in to keep his firm running while he’s away. Sure, she’s also scheduled to take the bar exam in a month. But she seems completely unconcerned about taking on all the work at the firm while also preparing for the big test.
Megan declines the job at the Getty, but not for Mick
Meanwhile, Connor’s health scare has given his mother Megan (Barbara Niven) some clarity about her future. At the end of last season, she was torn between taking a dream job at the Getty in L.A. or going on a round-the-world trip with her ex-husband Mick (Treat Williams). But with her son in the hospital, she’s decided to stay in Chesapeake Shores.
While Megan is staying put (for now, at least), things are frosty between her and Mick. At the hospital, he tries to walk back his comments about not trusting her, but she’s not ready to hear an apology. Later, she makes it clear that she’s staying for Connor, not her ex-husband. It will be interesting to watch the Mick-Megan drama play out over the rest of the season and to see if they’re finally able to work through their differences and become a couple again.
David and Jess cope with a different family crisis
After Connor’s heart attack, all the O’Briens rushed to the hospital. But Jess (Laci J. Mailey) was noticeably MIA, at least at first. She wasn’t answering her phone because she was at home with David (Carlo Marks) dealing with another crisis.
Last season, David’s dad fled the country after being accused of wire fraud and money laundering. David doesn’t doubt his father’s guilt, but that isn’t making dealing with the situation any easier, especially once the media get wind of what’s going on. Plus, he’s worried that the rest of the family could end up being implicated in his dad’s crimes. He also gets a visit from an FBI agent, who makes it clear that if David gets any information on his father’s whereabouts, he needs to share it – or risk being named an accessory. We suspect David going to face a tough choice later in this season to either stand by his family or turn his dad over to the feds.
Abby and Evan go on a date
Of course, the big question for many Chesapeake Shores fans was whether Abby called Evan (Robert Buckley) or Jay (Greyston Holt) before Connor’s heart attack. The writers play with our expectations for a bit in the first part of the episode, with both men showing up at the hospital to support her as the family waits for news about Connor. Still, it’s no great surprise when we learn that it was Evan who got the message that she wanted “to give things a try.”
Except, he didn’t get the message, at least not right away. He’s a busy billionaire, after all, and people leave him lots of voicemails. When he shows up at the hospital, he doesn’t realize Abby has called him. That leads to a bit of confusion, which is eventually sorted out when Evan’s yacht drops anchor in front of the O’Brien family’s home. He whisks her away for a romantic date at sea.
Abby – who just happens to have a formal gown tucked away in her closet, apparently – and Evan spend the day on his boat, with the later getting the chance to show off his impressive cooking skills. The date ends with the two dancing, but there’s no kiss. Evan pulls back at the last second, telling Abby he doesn’t want to rush things.
“I tend to get carried away,” he says, adding that he bought his yacht earlier that day. His impulsive nature means his past relationships have flamed out quickly and he wants to avoid that with Abby.
“We’ll kiss when it’s time,” she agrees.
What else happened in the first episode of ‘Chesapeake Shores’ Season 6
Elsewhere in this episode of Chesapeake Shores:
- Bree’s (Emilie Ullerup) dad Mick has noticed the spark between her and ex-con Luke (Simon Huszar). First, he offers Luke, who’s working at the Bridge, a promotion. Then, he channels Liam Neeson and warns the younger man that if hurts his daughter, he’ll come for him.
- Kevin (Brendan Penny) and Evan’s loyal assistant/driver Mandrake (Wesley Salter) bond over their time in the military.
- Mick’s still popping those painkillers he was prescribed after his season 5 plane crash, (and hiding the bottle of pills from Abby), which could be a cause for concern.
New episodes of Chesapeake Shores Season 6 air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.
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