Episode list

Reverend Daniel Cooper arrives on Hope Island to reopen the Community Church and encounters rejection and distrust from some of the locals, especially from Alex Stone, the beautiful and feisty owner of the local tavern The Widow's Walk. Daniel also clashes with Brian Brewster, an arrogant and ambitious entrepreneur who wants to turn the Community Church into a Las Vegas type attraction to draw tourists to Hope Island. The island's one and only police officer Kevin Mitchum is devastated when he learns that his father Jake is showing the first signs of Alzheimer's.

Molly and Kevin's relationship hits a snag when Kevin implies that he may not want children. Daniel provides Kevin with a direct opportunity to test his parenting skill so that he can make a more informed decision on the matter. Another couple facing problems is Melinda and Mark. They got married when they found out Melinda was pregnant. Since then, they have been constantly bickering, about their parenting of now 18-month old Michael, their relationship and their general life together. Mark made the unilateral decision that their collective lives would be easier if he just spent time away, hence he has been away from his family for the previous 5 months working as a commercial fisherman. Melinda and Mark's problems may be a manifestation more of non-communication and fear than of not being in love with each other and their son. Meanwhile, a two-week old baby boy is abandoned on the Hope Community Church's doorstep. Daniel convinces Kevin not to report the abandonment until social service's regular visit to the island in eleven days hence while Kevin tries to locate whoever the mother. The islanders all help out to take care of the baby they have named Moses. But the tenth day has arrived and Kevin still has not found Moses' birth mother. And Daniel starts a non-audition choir at the church, which may be a problem since Brian loves to sing but can't sing and doesn't know that. The other choir members have to try and figure out a way for Brian to quit, especially since Father Mac and Daniel have agreed to a joint choir performance. Father Mac sees this as a competition as does Daniel's choir, but Daniel's choir knows how good and disciplined the Catholic choir is and thus they want to rid themselves of their weakest link. They leave the task to Molly, who doesn't want to hurt her father's feelings.

Daniel befriends a dying retired judge, but has difficulty giving him spiritual comfort after the judge confesses to a painful secret. After 17 years of silence between Ruby and Bonita Vasquez, Daniel gets them to start speaking to each other again, but mother and daughter end up constantly fighting. Alex and Molly hatch a plan to bring back to Hope Island the man who broke both Ruby and Bonita's hearts to get them to stop fighting.

Nub's discovery of an old journal belonging to Hope Island's founder Holloway Brewster turns the community upside down, as it hints of pirate treasure buried somewhere on the island. Daniel agrees to help Callie with her typing until her injured hands heal, which includes writing love letters with her internet suitor.

Brian is running for mayor of Hope Island, uncontested. Alex learns that his motive is to turn the island into one large real estate development. Because of this, Callie talks Alex into running against Brian. This move places Molly into a difficult position, both as a friend and an employee. On the friend side, Molly has to choose between voting for her father or her best friend. On the professional side, the Widow's Walk has been without a cook for a month already and Molly has been run ragged doing all the work, more of which will happen during the mayoral campaign due to Alex's absences and Callie's campaign plan. Molly is feeling unappreciated which may affect both her employment status and friendship with Alex. A savior may come in the form of Russian immigrant Boris Obolenski, who is new to the island. Boris is a Jack of All Trades including knowing how to cook for a large number of people. He unilaterally decides to take over service in the kitchen. He may have to do more work at the Widow's Walk depending on Molly. With the campaign, Alex realizes that one issue she faces is a dislike of public speaking which may be in direct conflict with being an effective mayor. However after the mayoral debate, Alex and Brian come to a compromise to achieve both their life goals. Meanwhile, Daniel hires Boris for his painting skill to paint the church exterior. From this job, Daniel learns the hard way that Boris is on the island waiting for his fiancée to arrive. Daniel later learns the full story behind Boris' stay on the island, the story and Alex's speech at the debate which leads to Boris' stay being a little longer than he first anticipated.

The Reverend Daniel Cooper reluctantly agrees to direct the annual play for Hope Island's Community Theater and has to deal with the needs and egos of the cast members. The unexpected arrival on Hope Island of Daniel's wife Stella, a stunning blonde Las Vegas showgirl, complicates matters even more.

Nub thinks that he's spotted a mermaid out in the water. Brian, whom he tells, wants Nub to speak to a psychiatrist. Luckily for Nub, Dr. Karen Dunbar, a psychiatrist, is vacationing on the island. She is there to get away from work, she who is questioning her commitment to her profession. Nub ends up helping Dr. Dunbar as much as she helps him. Meanwhile, Boris is not following Alex's menu and is making Russian food regardless of the wants of Alex or the Widow's Walk's customers. And talk around the island starts to focus once again on the man living out in the woods (and has been there for three years). Rumors have abounded as to his past, such as having mob connections, or being with the C.I.A., or being a test pilot, or being a bank robber. Besides his past, many on the island associate him with something akin to a boogeyman. The only person on the island with whom he has had any connection whatsoever since his arrival is Ruby, who only knows his name is Samuel and that he wants to be left alone. Daniel makes it his business to find out more about this mysterious bush man before others may take vigilante action against the stranger.

Daniel is hoping to purchase classic motorcycle parts that were bequeathed to Father Mac three years earlier, Father Mac who wants to keep them to rebuild a motorcycle for himself. With a little prodding on Alex's part, both Kevin and Molly, without each knowing what's in the other's heart, are hoping that they'll get engaged. Kevin is looking for the right moment to pop the question, but all his proposal plans get thwarted. But more than anything, everyone is hoping for a quick and speedy recovery for Nub. From cleaning out a pigeon infested barn, Nub contracts a potentially life threatening respiratory ailment due to the strong concentration of contaminated bird droppings. All hope that the best medical attention and some prayers will work in Nub's favor. Nub does whatever he needs to to survive if only to be able to drive Brian's newly acquired 1958 El Dorado convertible.

Harry asks Alex out on a date. Ruby Vasquez and the Angledogs, Hope Island's resident matchmakers, conspire to set up the newly-divorced Reverend Daniel Cooper with the just-dumped Delores McMaster. Kevin tries to make extra money to buy Molly's engagement ring by becoming an annoying door-to-door salesman under the guidance of Brian Brewster, much to Molly's dread and disapproval.

Boris is holding a series of dance classes. Some of the islanders have specific reasons for taking the classes: Molly and Kevin want to learn to dance for their wedding, and Dylan wants to learn so that he can ask his classmate, Rebecca, to the school dance. The classes have an unforeseen consequence for Father Mac. Meanwhile, Roy, a local fisherman, has his boat impounded for issues surrounding his drinking problem - a problem he does not admit to - and is ordered to take 20 hours of counseling. With the only Alcoholics Anonymous program located on the mainland, Daniel, who does not have any experience doing alcohol counseling, offers to hold the counseling sessions for Roy. Daniel quickly learns that he is in over his head and enlists the assistance of someone on the island who has some experience in this area. The two need to make Roy admit that he is indeed an alcoholic and to get him to talk about why he drinks.

Non bird lover Father Mac is asked by one of his parishioners, Mrs. Hamilton, to look after Dee-Dee, her talking gray parrot while she's away. Father Mac has more problems with Dee-Dee than just her incessant talking. Meanwhile, Kara Sommers has returned to Hope Island for a short visit with her mother Jo before heading to Houston. Kara is in line for a spot in the space program as a food scientist aboard a shuttle mission. Jo, the local baker, is excited for her daughter until she hears that a complete background check on Kara needs to be done. Jo is hiding a secret past, one that she has never told her daughter and one that she vows is solely guilt by association. But Jo is not ready for this information to be made public and asks Daniel for his assistance and guidance in the matter.

The annual version of the Hope Island School's bachelor auction is taking place. To save himself the embarrassment of previous years when he has been bought for a pittance, Brian, using Boris as his front, buys himself for $100. With his winning bid for Brian, Boris wants something out of his slave. Ruby and Bonita buy Daniel, who they want to mind the store for them while they make a day trip to the mainland. During Daniel's watch of the store, someone steals Ruby's prized memento. And against atheist Alex's wishes, Daniel buys Father Mac for her to help her clean out her attic. Sitting among all of Alex's old possessions, Father Mac feels that Alex needs to come to terms with her father's memory. Her father walked out on the family when she was six, which was mostly the reason for her losing her religious faith. Meanwhile, Kenny's mother recently passed away. He has run out of money left to him by his mother and does not understand the need to live within the means of his social welfare cheques. Kenny, who has a fondness for old movies and flowers, will be institutionalized unless Daniel can find him a job on the island. Finding him a job may not be a problem, but Kenny holding the job may be more of a challenge.

Daniel's refusal to perform a ritual for Hope Island's fishermen is blamed for a bad fishing season. Boris Obolenski runs away to escape the KGB agent he saw in a dream. Nub runs away from the fishermen who wants his secret for catching fish. Daniel's rabbi friend Arnie struggles through a crisis of faith and runs away to Hope Island.

Callie, Alex, Bonita and Ruby sit on the committee that will be awarding the first ever Hope Island Humanitarian Award. Brian, wanting to be remembered as the first recipient - as in his mind, everyone remembers the first - but also wanting the $1,000 cash prize, provides gifts to each of the committee members (and stamps them in such a way that they could only have come from Brian). Meanwhile, Cory - who used to be a friend of Dylan's - has been acting out of late, including bullying Dylan. His behavioral problems started when he was diagnosed with diabetes, but has escalated with the decline of his parents marriage, which has led to his father moving out of the house. In dealing with Cory's behavioral issues, his parents are on extreme opposites, Gwen (his mother) who provides unconditional coddling due to his medical situation, while Frank ( his father) believes in tough love. Both Daniel and Father Mac try to assist the family, in both Frank and Gwen's relationship issues as well as Cory's behavioral issues, which they see as separate but related. Ultimately, Cory has an important message for Father Mac from the other side.

Kevin is one step away from making the grade to sergeant. All he has to do is complete the obstacle course in a set time. However, Kevin is not as fit as he used to be, and Brian and Nub take it upon themselves to be Kevin's trainer. However, Molly thinks that she has the secret weapon to help Kevin in meeting this goal. Meanwhile, Marcus Griffith has come to the island looking for his birth mother. He takes a job as Hope Island School's replacement teacher while he waits to tell his birth mother who he is. The problem?: Marcus is a black man, and his birth mother, Ruby, is white, something he didn't know before coming to the island. Another problem on the island is the Community Church's books and Daniel's inability to understand the accounts or to deal with the deficit. The church is several thousand dollars in debt. He has to come up with the money soon or the church may again close.

Zabar, the hypnotist that Alex hires to perform at the Widow's Walk, figures prominently in the lives of many of island residents. Zabar places Daniel under a post-hypnotic suggestion under which he is to tell nothing but the truth. Zabar does this as a favor to Alex, Brian, Bonita and Ruby as Daniel misplaced the $1 million winning lottery ticket he bought for the foursome, the suggestion in the hopes that Daniel will remember what he did with the ticket. Beyond the wanted information of the ticket's whereabouts, Alex, in charge of monitoring Daniel's post-hypnotic suggestion, inadvertently learns of some additional information lodged in Daniel's psyche. Also while under, Daniel provides some unwanted pre-marital advice to Molly and Kevin. This advice is on top of the problems that they are already facing with their wedding, namely where to hold the service as Catholic Kevin wants Father Mac to preside, whereas Molly wants Daniel to preside. In addition, while Kevin is under Zabar's hypnosis, he tells a truth to the whole island that embarrasses Molly. One other person that goes under hypnosis is Brian, although he, or anyone else including Zabar, doesn't know that he fell under while he sat in the audience watching Zabar perform.

Kevin witnesses who he believes are smugglers on Hope Island. Unfortunately, Nub also sees them. Much to Kevin's chagrin, Nub and Brian, thinking the smugglers will affect Brian's business on the island, decide to take matters into their own hands by apprehending the smugglers on their own. Meanwhile Steve Kramer, Dylan's biological father, shows up unexpectedly, he who Dylan idolizes. A war photojournalist, Steve has not seen Alex in four years but states he has quit work to be with her and Dylan. Steve and Alex never married since he decided traveling the world for work was more important. As much as he seems to be running toward Alex and Dylan, he may also be running away from something. Another person affected by Steve's arrival and wants is Daniel, who now does not know where he fits into the Stone's lives.

Steve is feeling recovered enough from his work stresses that he asks Alex to marry him. He does notice Daniel's interest in Alex which may have spurred his quickness in asking her. Regardless of his own feelings for Alex which he is not ready to tell anyone let alone Alex, Daniel sees some behavior in Steve that may be hiding how recovered he is. The proposal is something that Alex has dreamed of for ten years, yet she is wondering why she hasn't yet said yes. When she makes her final decision, it is based on what she feels is best for her, Dylan and Steve. Meanwhile, Boris wants to send a video-gram back to his family in Russia showing them how good his life in the United States is. Brian decides to finance the production as Boris allows him to use it also as a marketing tool for advertising Hope Island as a vacation resort to Eastern Europeans. With Brian's money, it becomes a Hollywood styled production. What is also straight out of Hollywood is the fabricated story Boris is telling his family through the video.

Nub dreads the arrival of his mother, opera diva Laetitia Barton. Brian Brewster and Boris get everyone on Hope Island to pretend that Nub is the mayor to impress Laetitia. Callie persuades Daniel, who is quarantined at home with the measles, to collaborate on an article with Father Mac. Alex is thrilled when Marcus tells her that Dylan is gifted, until she learns she may have to leave Hope Island for her son to attend a special school on the mainland.

A week before Molly and Kevin's wedding, Peter Gibson, Molly's high school sweetheart and first love, returns to Hope Island on the news of Molly's impending nuptials. Kevin can tell that Peter still has feelings for Molly, even if Molly can't initially see that. Molly knows that she loves Kevin and that he is the one that she wants to marry, but she can't understand why she can't stop thinking about Peter. Meanwhile, Bonita has the grand opening of her beauty salon, but customers are few and far between. Charlie thinks that all she needs is someone to advertise her good work - someone who she will provide free hairdressing services to if they advertise the salon - however Bonita's skill as a hairdresser needs to be good for this plan to work. And after one of Daniel's sermons, Charlie decides to commit a passive suicide by not taking his high blood pressure medication as he would rather be with his wife Anna, who passed away eleven months two weeks and four days prior. Daniel tries to convince him not to do so.

Hope Island braces for a coming storm while Molly and Kevin prepare for their wedding rehearsal. Everyone also braces for a storm of a different kind, that of Brian Brewster's reaction to being reunited with his ex-wife Susan who is arriving for their daughter's wedding.

Molly and Kevin's new life together as newlyweds is made complicated when a now bankrupt Brian Brewster moves in with them. Daniel Cooper's parents visit Hope Island. Daniel's reconciliation with his father forces him to make a very important decision, whether to take over his ailing father's ministry which would mean leaving Hope Island and Alex Stone forever.