Heartland Catch UP: Season 19 Episode 3 “Ghosts”

We are already 3 episodes in, Heartland fam! This episode took us on haunting trip down memory lane. Ready to go dive in? In this episode: Amy returns to Pike River, where every trail seems to whisper Ty’s name, while Lou and Gracie track a wolf and wrestle with trust. Katie finds her voice on the Hudson Wilds, Jack discovers a ranch hand in the unlikeliest place, and a surprise double-date getaway ends with a tense cliffhanger. Buckle up!

“You say Amy wasn’t interested. But what about you?” — Ashley

✈️ Ashley & Caleb’s Not-So-Romantic Getaway

At the top of the episode, Ashley and Caleb, blessed with some PTO and a kid-free week, pop in at Heartland unexpectedly, sharing their plans for a whitewater-rafting trip. But when Amy mentions she and Nathan are headed to Pike River for work, Ashley pivots instantly, inviting everyone to turn it into a couples weekend. She even volunteers Caleb’s plane to fly them there. And because saying no to Ashley is basically impossible, Amy and Nathan agree. Unfortunately, the getaway quickly morphs from relaxing to chaotic: the “cabin for four” is actually one room, one bathroom, and zero privacy, setting the tone for an awkward trip.

Once they are all settled in, the emotional landmines start popping. A hot-tub chat dredges up Amy, Ashley, and Caleb’s shared history, leaving Nathan on the outside looking in. The next morning brings more mishaps, including Caleb’s legendary snoring, Ashley walking in on Nathan, and a painfully tense lunch. When talk turns to how Amy and Nathan met, the truth about the Braeburn trip spills out, including Caleb trying to kiss Amy. Ashley is stunned, not because it happened, but because Caleb never told her. It forces an uncomfortable question into the open: does Caleb still carry feelings for Amy after all this time?

The tension follows the group into the evening, right up until Nathan receives the call about his father’s fall. Caleb immediately offers to fly him back to Hudson, ending the ill-fated retreat for good. With the men gone, Ashley and Amy finally talk honestly with each other. Amy assures Ashley that nothing ever happened, Ashley admits the omission hurts more than the past itself, and Amy confesses that bringing Nathan to Pike River may have been a mistake. But before any of those conversations find resolution, the episode cuts to Caleb’s plane mid-flight… and something goes terribly wrong.

🐴 Amy at Pike River: Horses, Healing & the Ghosts She Didn’t Expect

Amy heads to Pike River with Nathan to help a client, Dale, sort out a pair of mismatched search-and-rescue horses: Old Buster, who’s grieving the retirement of his longtime partner, and Ernie, a younger ex–barrel who hasn’t spent much time outside an arena. Dale assumes Ernie is the problem, but Amy quickly clocks that the issue lies with Buster, set in his old ways and refusing to let a new partner in. After a tense ride reveals Buster’s fear disguised as aggression, Amy turns to one of her signature solutions: a joint harness that forces the two to work together. By the end, Buster and Ernie are sharing a pen instead of fighting for space, a gentle reminder that sometimes healing requires being nudged out of the familiar.

Longtime Heartland fans will recognize that Pike River holds a significant meaning for Amy & Ty’s love story. Every part of the place brings up memories of her and Ty saving Will Vernon’s wild horses, riding those same trails together, even the motel and the church nearby. Throughout the episode, we see flashbacks of tender moments that Amy shared with Ty in her younger days. Then comes the moment that brings everything to a head: While they are out riding with Buster and Ernie, Nathan suggests stopping at a quiet little gazebo to enjoy the view. To Nathan, it’s just a pretty lookout spot, but to Amy, it’s the place where she and Ty decided to get married.

When Nathan leans in to kiss her, Amy instinctively pulls back. Later, she tells Nathan that her reaction wasn’t about him, but about memories she hasn’t fully faced. Nathan, solid as ever, doesn’t take it personally. In fact, after getting the call about his father’s fall and concussion, and getting into Caleb’s plane to rush back to Hudson, he selflessly suggest that she stay behind to process and make peace with the past instead of sidestepping it.

“Lou, you’re slipping back into your old ways. Careful how you handle this” — Jack

🐺 Lou & Gracie: Is Someone Crying Wolf?

Lou begins the episode knee-deep in ranch chores and contract stress when Gracie Pryce rides up (rifle in hand) with a problem no rancher wants to hear: some of Pryce Ranch’s cattle have gone missing, and Gracie’s convinced a wolf is to blame. Heartland’s herd is intact, but Lou already has Garland Foods breathing down her neck for a detailed one-year business plan (something Pryce Beef might also have been asked for). The last thing she needs is a wolf hunt.

The two women head out, and a round of target practice reveals an unexpected truth: Lou is the better shot, which rattles Gracie just enough to crack her polished exterior. But before they can track the wolf, Gracie gets a call that her father has taken a fall and rushes off. Back at the ranch, Lou’s old anxieties flare. Was the emergency real? Is Garland courting Pryce Beef behind her back? Was the wolf even real… or just a convenient distraction? Jack gently talks her down, reminding her how far she’s come from her headstrong, ruthless victory-at-any-cost days.

The next day, Lou spots the wolf, and when her rifle jams at the worst possible moment, Gracie bursts onto the scene and fires a warning shot that sends the animal running. In the moment that follows, Lou admits she’s ashamed for doubting her. And Gracie, surprisingly calm, reveals that she already submitted her one-year business plan to Garland last week. Far from scheming, she’s simply ahead of the curve, something Lou hadn’t given her enough credit for. The two of them may be rivals, they may be stubborn, and they may drive each other a little crazy… but they’re more alike than they’d ever admit. It seems like if Heartland and Pryce Beef are going to survive the pressures ahead, this uneasy partnership might become the most important alliance of the season.

🚩 Katie & River: Red Flags & Friendship

At practice for the Hudson Wilds, Katie struggles with spacing, speed, and riding close to the other girls, and River, in full first-year-captain mode, pushes her harder than she expects. After practice, River invites her for bubble tea, but Katie declines, pretending she has other plans. The next day, Katie plans to skip practice entirely until Lou nudges her to honor her commitment. Afterwards, when River calls for one last run-through, Katie finally cracks and calls her for embarrassing her in front of the team and tells her that if she doesn’t like her riding, she should just kick her off.

Later, River surprises Katie as she’s on the way to her shift at Maggie’s with an apology. River admits to Katie that she’s overwhelmed. She’s a new captain, facing big expectations, and is under the shadow of their tough-love former leader, Trish. She encouragingly adds that Katie is “coming along, in the arena, at least” and asks her to put in an effort with the other girls on the team. Katie confesses she doesn’t feel good enough for the team, with their “perfect hair and clothes and makeup.” River tells her to look in a mirror and just be herself. Looks like they won’t be rid of each other that easily!

🛻 Jack & Dex: A Rough Start and a New Beginning

Jack wasn’t looking for a new ranch hand this week, but one practically ran straight into him! After picking Katie up in Hudson, Jack walked out of Maggie’s to find a teenage boy aggressively smashing what he thought was his truck. The kid panicked and bolted. The next day, Jack caught sight of him again, only for the boy to take off again. But later, in a surprising twist, the teen, Dex Cashman, showed up at Heartland with an apology and a $100 bill. It wasn’t nearly enough to fix the damage, but it was enough to show Jack that this kid might not be all bad.

When Jack later confronted Dex at Archie’s Auto Repair, the truth finally came out: Dex hadn’t meant to damage Jack’s truck. He thought it belonged to a man who’d been harassing a waitress at Maggie’s, and he was trying to protect her. He also shared that he’d just been drafted in hockey, and a criminal charge could ruin everything. Hearing that, Jack decides that instead of calling the cops, he’ll make Dex buy him supper. While enjoying his free meal, Jack has a brilliant idea: if Dex wants to make things right, he can work off his debt at Heartland before he goes to rookie camp. Let’s see where this unlikely partnership goes!

Favorite Quote from the Episode:

“I didn’t know what kind of emotions this place would stir up, and now that we’re here, everywhere I look, I see his ghost.” – Amy

Let’s Discuss:

• Do you think Amy staying in Pike River was the right move?
• If you were in Nathan’s shoes, would you stay by Amy’s side and give her the time she needs to process her past? Or step back so she can work through her grief without the pressure of a new relationship?
• Are Lou and Gracie on the brink of a true partnership, or is this alliance destined to fall apart later in the season?
• Do you think that Caleb is really over Amy?

Don’t miss what’s next. New episodes of Heartland Season 19 premiere every week on UP Faith & Family! Start your free trial today!

Heartland Season 19 Episode Release Schedule:

Episode 1 “Risk Everything” Thursday, November 6, 2025

Episode 2 “Two Can Keep a Secret” Thursday, November 13, 2025

Episode 3 “Ghosts” Thursday, November 20, 2025

Episode 4 “Braving the Wilderness” Thursday, November 27, 2025

Episode 5 “Suspicious Minds” Thursday, December 4, 2025

 

Episode 6 “Under the Lights” Thursday, January 8, 2026 ***275^th Episode***

Episode 7 “Fall Down, Get Back Up” Thursday, January 15, 2026

Episode 8 “Lost and Found” Thursday, January 22, 2026

Episode 9 “Revenge” Thursday, January 29, 2026

Episode 10 SEASON FINALE “Forgiveness” Thursday, February 5, 2026