Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back

I am one of the many SSD fans that would say the last movie, A Tale of Three Letters, was one of my least favorite of the whole series. So knowing this movie was filmed at the same time and is essentially a "part 2" of the last movie I was hoping it wouldn't be like the last one. Thankfully To the Moon and Back has everything we love about the POstables including a good road trip!

The letter story is engaging (although with a large plot hole, see the goofs section) and has a moral dilemma for Oliver and Shane to wrestle with although they come to an agreement much easier than they used to. It seems like that marriage counseling really helped! Also Oliver learns more about his biological dad and as usual he struggles with his emotions while Shane is there to lovingly help him work through them. And Rita and Norman complement the storylines with their own preparing for parenthood and we get some great one liners from Norman like we've come to expect of him.

I think what made this movie feel like the old ones again was because Charley wasn't more than an afterthought, her screen time is very limited, even less than her first appearance in The Vows We Have Made. I have nothing against the actress but to me Charley just doesn't fit well with the other 4, she is too much like an awkward 5th wheel. But in this movie she is really just the one to hold down the fort at the DLO while the other POstables are off on the road trip. And I love how this movie once again has our 4 POstables expressing their love for one other, they compliment each other so well and that family feel is back in this movie.

Really the only thing not to love about this movie is that so many storylines are left unfinished! With the exception of this movie and the last filmed together, for many years now each SSD movie has concluded as if it would be the last movie. And now with lead actor Eric Mabius's legal trouble (which happened after these movies were filmed) and Hallmark's lack of even the minimal promotion for To the Moon and Back it is looking pretty certain this is the final movie for our POstable. But there are MANY storylines that just beg for conclusions. If this is the last movie there will forever be an incomplete feeling, this is not supposed to be the end. So while I appreciate Hallmark's moral expectations of their actors I hope that somehow, someway we get at least one more movie and with all the same cast. I guess this is going to be the hardest test yet of our POstables and if we can "trust the timing" that everything will all work out in the end.

The Postables are back-and this time, they've got babies on board! I couldn't be more thrilled. Watching Oliver and Shane step into parenthood feels so natural, and Rita and Norman are just as perfectly suited for the role. These characters have grown so much, and it's heartwarming to see them embrace this next chapter.

The storyline in this installment was especially compelling-thoughtful, emotional, and full of those quiet moments that sneak up and wreck you. I absolutely ugly cried by the end. No shame. I was holding my breath, dreading the possibility of Oliver turning the mother in. These movies always hit you right in the feelings, and once again, they didn't disappoint.

In this franchise the viewer has to expect some quirkiness. There are a few scenes where that is taken to the point of what with most other movies would be juvenile silliness. With SSD it is part of the formula. The pregnancy reveal scene is such an example. The audience knew long before the characters acknowledged it. Another example is a stakeout in a huge RV apparently in a half empty parking lot with 4 people staring out the windows.

The movie spends some quality screen time dealing with Oliver and Joe's unusual situation. It deals with feelings including pent up anger. The situation is unusual, but the feelings could be about any subject in a real family. The conversation felt real.

I was personally unhappy with the whole moral dilemma regarding Camille. I don't want to make this a spoiler so I will just say I would have liked to see more about that outcome.

One of the most notable things about SSD in the past, at least to me, has been the importance of Oliver's faith and more recently Shane's too. Oliver frequently talked about how their lost letters are divine appointments and at least one episode, being lost at the lake, involves not just dependence on God, but a little miracle in the form of a rescue dog. This may be fiction, but there is never a coincidence when God answers prayer. All this to say, this aspect was almost absent from this movie.

What isn't absent is Shane's faith in Oliver. Like the previous movie where her climatic speech to Oliver brought me back to rewatch it often, Shane does it again here.

Any regular fan of this franchise is obsessed with the future of it. There are discouraging signs from the network, but there have been such in the past also. I was quite surprised not to have any clue this would be on until I did my regular Saturday evening check in with the listings. (I have been away from a TV for two weeks.) I have posted on social media that this franchise is "far and away the best thing Hallmark has going for it." They haven't "jumped the shark" yet, so I think it would be a bad move to discontinue it.

Since I did not enjoy the last SSD, I was not expecting much out of this one either. To my surprise, however, it was one of the best so far! The plot in general was very engaging, but I particularly appreciated the development of Oliver's emotional turmoil. Very much worth watching!

I just hope there will be one more movie because there were a few important unfinished plote lines. All the actors were great on their character roles. It was fun to see Ramon again hosting our Postables in his restaurant. Charly and her baby is the only character that I still can't figure out, as though they didn't really have a role on the movie.