Nub’s claim that he’s seen a mermaid brings visiting psychiatrist Dr. Karen Dunbar into his life, helping them both more than expected. Meanwhile, Boris ignores Alex’s menu at the Widow’s Walk, and growing fear about a mysterious hermit in the woods pushes Daniel to uncover the truth before rumors spark trouble.

You Can't Look at the Sea Without Wishing for Wings

Cameron Daddo

Suki Kaiser

Duncan Fraser

Haig Sutherland

Beverley Elliott

Gina Stockdale

Allison Hossack

David James Lewis

Veena Sood

Matthew Walker

Max Peters

Bill Corcoran

Julie Sayres

From Stem to Stern

In a Bit of a Tight

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.

Look One Way and Row Another

Molly and Kevin struggle when Kevin questions having kids, while Daniel pushes him to try parenting by caring for an abandoned newborn.  As the island rallies around the baby, Daniel’s new choir faces its own dilemma: how to gently remove Molly’s tone‑deaf father before a joint performance with the polished Catholic choir.

Each Tub Must Stand On It's Own Bottom

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.

It Takes a Voyage to Learn

Nub’s discovery of the founder’s old journal sparks a frenzy over rumored pirate treasure, while Daniel helps Callie by typing her messages—including the love notes meant for her online admirer.

Dear, Dear Bread and Beer, if I Were Rich, I Wouldn't Be Here

Alex challenges Brian’s unopposed mayoral run after discovering his development plans, leaving Molly caught between her father and her best friend. As the campaign pushes Alex to confront her fear of public speaking, Daniel uncovers Newcomer Boris’s personal story during a church‑painting job.

The Whole Kettle of Fish

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.

Daniel wants to buy motorcycle parts left to Father Mac, who hopes to use them for his own rebuild. Kevin and Molly, nudged by Alex, are quietly wishing for an engagement, though Kevin’s proposal attempts keep falling apart. Meanwhile, everyone is focused on Nub, who becomes seriously ill after cleaning a pigeon‑infested barn. They’re praying for his recovery, and Nub fights to pull through so he can someday drive Brian’s new 1958 Eldorado 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.

Sailing Under False Colors

Boris’s dance classes draw Molly and Kevin prepping for their wedding and Dylan hoping to impress Rebecca, with an unexpected twist for Father Mac. Meanwhile, Roy’s drinking costs him his boat and forces him into counseling. Daniel, out of his depth, teams up with someone experienced to help Roy admit his alcoholism and confront why he drinks.

Ships That Pass In The Night

Father Mac reluctantly agrees to care for Mrs. Hamilton’s talkative parrot, Dee‑Dee, and quickly finds she’s more trouble than expected. Meanwhile, Kara Sommers visits her mother Jo before pursuing a spot in the space program. Jo is proud until she learns Kara’s background check may expose a secret from her own past, prompting her to seek Daniel’s help on how to handle it.

Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning

The Hope Island bachelor auction triggers chaos: Brian secretly buys himself, Daniel gets stuck minding Ruby and Bonita’s shop where a keepsake is stolen, and he also buys Father Mac for Alex, forcing her to face her painful past. Meanwhile, Daniel scrambles to find a job for Kenny before he’s institutionalized.

Batten Down The Hatches

Daniel's refusal to perform a ritual for Hope Island's fishermen is blamed for a bad fishing season. Boris 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.

Don't Give Up the Ship

Callie, Alex, Bonita, and Ruby prepare to award the first Hope Island Humanitarian Award, while Brian tries to sway the vote with obvious gifts. At the same time, Cory’s worsening behavior—fueled by diabetes, his parents’ failing marriage, and their clashing parenting styles—pushes Daniel and Father Mac to intervene.

Twenty Sailors Around a Buttonhole

Kevin must pass an obstacle course to make sergeant, but he’s out of shape, prompting Brian, Nub, and Molly—each with their own ideas—to train him. Meanwhile, Marcus Griffith arrives seeking his birth mother, unknowingly Ruby, and works as a substitute teacher while preparing to reveal the truth. At the same time, Daniel struggles with the church’s mounting debt, which threatens to shut it down.

A Sailor Who's Lost His Leg Doesn't Miss His Boot

Zabar, the hypnotist that Alex hires to perform at the Widow's Walk, causes chaos on the island: Daniel is compelled to tell the truth to help find a missing $1 million lottery ticket, accidentally revealing extra secrets and giving Molly and Kevin unasked‑for wedding advice. Kevin later blurts out an embarrassing truth while under hypnosis, and Brian unknowingly gets hypnotized just by watching the show.

Everyone Must Row with the Oar He Has

Kevin spots what he thinks are smugglers on Hope Island, and Nub sees them too. Against Kevin’s wishes, Nub and Brian decide to capture the smugglers themselves to protect Brian’s business. At the same time, Steve Kramer—Dylan’s long‑absent, war‑photographer father—returns claiming he’s ready to settle down with Alex and Dylan, though he may be fleeing his own troubles. His arrival leaves Daniel unsure of his place in the Stone family.

Promises Made in a Storm Are Forgotten on a Calm Sea (1)

Steve, feeling recovered from his work, proposes to Alex—partly prompted by noticing Daniel’s interest in her. Daniel, however, suspects Steve may not be as healed as he claims. Although Alex has dreamed of this proposal for a decade, she hesitates before choosing what she believes is best for herself, Dylan, and Steve. Meanwhile, Boris creates an over-the-top, Hollywood‑style video—funded by Brian—to impress his family in Russia and promote Hope Island, though the life he portrays is far from the truth.

New Skies Call for New Duties (2)

Nub panics over his mother’s visit, leading Brian and Boris to convince the whole island to pretend he’s the mayor. While Daniel is stuck at home with measles, Callie ropes him into writing an article with Father Mac. Alex is excited to learn Dylan is gifted—until she realizes it may mean leaving Hope Island for a mainland school.

A Rising Tide Takes All Boats

Molly’s ex, Peter, returns just before her wedding to Kevin, stirring unresolved feelings. Bonita’s new salon struggles to attract clients, prompting a risky promotion. Grieving his late wife, Charlie begins neglecting his health, and Daniel steps in to support him through his despair.

Never Burn Your Tongue on the Admiral's Broth

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's reaction to being reunited with his ex-wife, Susan, who is arriving for their daughter's wedding.

It Blew So Hard It Took Two Men to Hold One Man's Hair On

Molly and Kevin’s new life together as newlyweds becomes complicated when a now‑bankrupt Brian moves in with them. Meanwhile, Daniel’s parents visit Hope Island. After reconciling with his ailing father, Daniel is forced to make an important decision about whether to take over his father’s ministry — a choice that would mean leaving both Hope Island and Alex.

Abandon Ship

Hope Island is an American television show that originally aired on PAX TV in the 1999-2000 season. It was based on Ballykissangel, a popular drama that aired on the BBC One.  -  Reverend Daniel Cooper arrives on Hope Island to reopen a church that has been abandoned for decades, hoping the quiet assignment will help him move past a personal tragedy. Met with skepticism from the island’s residents—especially innkeeper Alex Stone, who has long turned away from faith—Daniel struggles to find his place. With the help of Alex’s young son Dylan, a lonely boy who becomes his unexpected ally, Daniel begins restoring both the church and his own sense of purpose. As he earns the trust of the island’s quirky community, he must confront the past he tried to escape and discovers the possibility of healing, belonging, and new love.

-

The series ran for 22 episodes, and focused on the residents of Hope Island, a small island in the Pacific Northwest with a population of 1,998.

You Can't Look at the Sea Without Wishing for Wings

Seasons1

Season 1 Episodes22

Cast11

Crew2

Discussion

Episode Summary