Chyler Leigh on the Journey and Impact of 'The Way Home' Final Season
Updated: Jun 18
As The Way Home approaches its series finale, star Chyler Leigh is reflecting on the relationships, memories and moments that made the Hallmark series so special to her.
The drama follows three generations of women connected by a pond that allows them to travel through time, exploring love, loss and second chances. Speaking with Barbara Campos during the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Leigh described the end of the series as an emotional and bittersweet chapter.
“I won't just miss the characters or the show in and of itself, but the family,” Leigh said. “We really are a family now.”
The actress explained that the close-knit bond among the cast and creative team extends well beyond production. Leigh, who lives in Nashville, says she still makes a point to visit her castmates and the show’s creators whenever possible.
“We go to the showrunner’s house all the time and just have dinners and get together as much as we can,” she said. “The friend group, the family group that’s been developed over all this time is really incredible.”
A Farewell to the Pond
While fans may expect Leigh to miss her castmates most, one of the hardest goodbyes came from an unexpected place: the show’s iconic pond. “Ironically, the pond,” Leigh said when asked what she will miss most.
“There was a magic to it. I did have my own little moment of thanking the pond. I thanked her and said goodbye. It was really hard.”
The body of water serves as the centerpiece of the show’s time-travel storyline, but filming those scenes was not always easy.
“Some of those days were so hellish,” Leigh admitted. “Absolutely freezing water where the temperature of the water was colder than the temperature outside.”
Despite the challenges, the actress says she developed a deep connection to the location.
Lessons Beyond Time Travel
The series explores family, generational relationships and second chances. Leigh believes one of the show’s most meaningful messages centers on women supporting one another.
“I think women celebrating women is so important,” she said. “We all have so much to learn from each other.”
Leigh also spoke candidly about not having her mother in her life for more than two decades, sharing how the experience has shaped the way she values female friendships and chosen family.
According to Leigh, fans frequently tell the cast that the series has become a way for families to reconnect. “We’ve heard those stories,” she said. “People say, ‘Normally I don’t get together with my mom,’ or maybe they’re going through a rough patch with a sister, aunt or niece, but they’ll still get together and watch the show.”
If Time Travel Were Real...
Of course, no conversation about The Way Home would be complete without discussing time travel. When asked where she would go if she could travel through time herself, Leigh didn’t hesitate.
“1692 Salem,” she said with a laugh. “Just gotta do it.”
As for traveling into the future? “Absolutely not,” she said. “I don’t want to know what happens.”
The fourth and final season of Hallmark’s The Way Home is set to air Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.
Full Interview: Chyler Leigh
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