Recap: Believing - Season 5 - Episode 1

Abigail makes arrangements to testify for Henry’s defense in Cape Fullerton. Elizabeth still cannot believe Abigail is going through with the testimony, citing Henry as corrupt. Abigail explains that Henry has done some good and she is only a character witness. Elizabeth is surprised to see that Bill is also going on the trip with Abigail, only he will be testifying for the prosecution. Meanwhile, Bill reaches out and asks Lee to step in as a substitute sheriff while he is out of town for the next couple of days. Lee reluctantly agrees.

Elizabeth’s sister, Julie, makes a surprise visit to Hope Valley. Julie lets her sister know she has found her calling: teaching! She reaches out to her sister for help. Elizabeth lets her younger sister know that teaching is not a profession to be decided on a whim, and Julie takes offense to the accusation. Julie tells Elizabeth that she is going to prove to her just how badly she wants to be a teacher and that starts with being Elizabeth’s apprentice at the school.

Clara and Jesse meet for their date and Jesse is shocked to see her in tears. Clara tells Jesse that today would have been her wedding anniversary with Peter, and maybe she is not ready to move on, just yet. Jesse tells her to take the time she needs, but to not give up on a future they might have. Jesse asks if this is really a break-up and she promises him it is just a break.

In Cape Fullerton, Abigail meets with Henry’s attorney, Archie Reid. He fills Abigail in on the trial, so far. Henry’s attempted murder and bribery charges were already dropped, but the misappropriation of funds charge won’t go away. Archie explains that he is going to need Abigail to humanize Henry to the jury. Her testimony will follow Bill’s.

After a handful of patients go to Carson complaining about stomach pains, he tries to find the common link to their illness. Turns out they each saw a traveling “doctor” who sold them a magical mixture promising to cure them of all their ailments. Carson tracks down the traveling salesman, Lou Bellmore, and buys a bottle of the “medicine,” himself. When he asks about the ingredients, Lou stays mum, declaring it a secret. Carson brings the bottle back to the clinic to examine it, and realizes the magic potion is arsenic. He demands Lee do something about it. Unfortunately, arsenic is not illegal to administer, no matter how much Carson believes it should be.

Julie walks into the saloon and finds Jesse sitting alone. He offers up a chair next to his table and she obliges. The two engage in small talk and he fills Julie in on his current relationship status. Clara walks in on Julie and Jesse getting chummy, and runs out before Jesse can spot her.

The next morning, Julie takes a seat to start observing her sister teach. She is impressed with Elizabeth’s teaching style and relishes in the joy when Elizabeth asks her little sister to help by handing out supplies. Elizabeth gets a big smile when she sees how quickly the students warm up to Julie. The joy is short-lived when Opal begins complaining of a stomach ache and is rushed to Carson’s medical clinic. It turns out Opal was taking the same arsenic tonic as his other patients.

Later that evening, Abigail visits Henry in jail and wants to know why he committed his crimes. He tells her that growing up he had nothing, so if he wanted something, that meant stealing. He tells Abigail that for all the bad things he has done in his life, he must have done something right to earn Abigail’s trust.

When the sun goes down, Carson spots Lou’s wagon in the city center and decides to steal it. Meanwhile, at the saloon, Rosemary and Lee are enjoying a date that is quickly interrupted when Lou shouts out that someone stole his wagon. Lee immediately suspects who might have done it and pays Carson a visit at the clinic. Carson quickly confesses that he took the wagon, hid it in the woods and has no intention of bringing it back. Lee has no choice but to arrest the good doctor. Lou tells Carson he will drop all the charges if he just returns his wagon. Carson refuses and Lee is forced to place him in jail. Lee also arrests Lou for being a nuisance to the community and places both men in the same cell.

Elizabeth receives a telegram from her mother and learns that Julie never let her parents know about her trip to Hope Valley. Julie tells her sister that she knows her parents would have stopped her from making the move if they knew. Julie also accuses Elizabeth of not believing in her, just like their parents.

Back at the jail cell, Carson voices his anger with Lou for selling his patients arsenic. Lou defends his actions and says he and Carson are not that different; both men want to cure people of their ailments. Carson sets Lou straight saying he practices legitimate medicine, and the type of potions that Lou sells can potentially be lethal. He points out that Lou is actually hurting people by selling them arsenic, which makes Lou think about his actions. The next morning, Lee is happy to see that both the men have reached an understanding. Lou will stop selling the arsenic, and Carson will recover his medicine wagon. Lee releases both men from jail.

Back in Cape Fullerton, Abigail takes the stand in defense of Henry. It gets heated when the prosecutor accuses Henry of buying the testimony from Abigail, so she would say kind things about him. Abigail denies the charge, telling the judge that if he is going to judge a man like Henry, he has to judge the whole man. She reminds him that Henry took a bullet for Bill and even risked his life to bring Abigail’s daughter home. She pleads with the court to believe in the power of redemption and in second chances. When the judge reaches his verdict, he pronounces Henry guilty as charged. He sentences Henry to ten years in jail. The judge then makes a stunning announcement: he’s commuting the sentence to time served and issuing Henry parole instead. The judge warns Henry he has one last chance to live a law-abiding life.

Back in the classroom, Julie is pleasantly surprised when Elizabeth announces to the classroom that the other Miss Thatcher will be reading to them. Elizabeth tells her sister she believes in her and in her teaching dreams.