Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men completes the Three Wise Men trilogy with a heartwarming and emotionally compelling ending. I thought I’d prepared my tear ducts properly, but I wasn’t even close to ready for the last ten minutes of the movie, and how every actor delivers their best performance to date. This trilogy is so special, and to have three incredible films that are full of this much heart is an accomplishment that’s going to remain as a part of the network’s legacy.
With the original movie that started it all and the sequel, Three Wiser Men and a Boy, words came easy to me. But here, I’m struggling a little, and I think it’s because I don’t always know how to deal with goodbyes and endings. Stephan’s anxiety is what I’ve always related most to, but Taylor’s arc this season came straight for my throat, and funnily, my brother’s wife is also due any minute now as I type this review. So as I sit here trying to find my way to honor this trilogy, I’m realizing that in this field, it never gets easier talking about something we love.
And I’ve adored covering this trilogy from the beginning. It’s something I’ll have on replay every holiday season, which isn’t something that happens with how many movies we get every year. Still, I’ll try.
Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men Is All Heart
The second movie focuses carefully on the Brenner brothers’ careers and inner demons, making it relatable for us, too, but the third is all about the changes that are terrifying, no matter how old we get. And if that’s not a comforting message, then I don’t know what is.
There’s nothing scarier than having to step away from our comfort zones, and there’s something especially sad about having to move away from the home where we grew up. It doesn’t matter if Taylor’s the only one still living with their mom because the house holds more than enough memories for each of them. It’s home. It’s where they’ve always returned to. And in a lot of ways, it’s bittersweet for us as we watch them have this one last Christmas while they’re all in the same place, knowing that even bigger changes are coming because of Taylor’s job offer.
Speaking of Taylor, the growth that Tyler Hynes continues to show while simultaneously still allowing him to be flawed and well…a dummy (affectionately), is everything. To work so hard and then suddenly get the very thing you’ve always wanted, only for it to come with a huge move, isn’t an easy thing to process. So many people would question the position he’s in, and pair those factors with the revelation that his ex-girlfriend is the one who put in a word for him, and it all becomes that much more convoluted.
Still, it’s so easy to appreciate the fact that Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men doesn’t make him wobble between the two women, nor does it pit them against each other in any capacity. Ali Liebert’s Fiona is back, but she’s gone just as quickly, understanding that Taylor’s in a committed relationship now. And that committed relationship is so much more beautiful because Caroline and Taylor continue to be so perfectly suited for each other.
The brief angst that we get also makes their relationship that much more exciting because it gives us the kind of love declaration that’s brimming with honest vulnerability. Taylor wears his entire heart on his sleeves as he publicly bares it all to Caroline, making it abundantly clear that she’s not only the best thing in his life, but the most important risk he’s ever taken. The risk he’ll keep taking because with her by his side, everything’s a little easier, which makes his entire arc that much rewarding as someone who’s put in the work to get to where he is today.
And then there’s Stephan, plus every beautiful stepping stone he and Susie take to finally make their way down the aisle. Their mom plays a huge role in their life, so for her to be the one to tell of Susie’s dad in his attempt to belittle and crush Stephan is so fitting. It’s a reminder of how much she’s endured and how her resilience throughout the entire trilogy has been the heart of the story.
Single moms are rarely credited for how much they do just to keep their heads above water, and theirs not only raised three honorable kids, but she continues to be their heart even as they’re grown. She continues to welcome everyone in the Brenner home, opening it up to ensure that no one else feels the loss she did. And in many Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men is the ultimate love letter to her. Plus, having Roy officiate? I sobbed.
Anxiety, OCD, and mental illnesses aren’t easy to live with. We can’t turn them off with an on/off switch, nor do they go away when we find love. But when you know that you’re loved just as you are? It makes bearing all our crosses a little easier. And the way both Susie and Barbara have loved Stephan has been so incredible to watch on a network like Hallmark. Additionally, in the same way that Taylor does, it’s so incredible to see Stephan fight for their relationship and make it clear that their love is his greatest gift. It makes them a comfort couple through and through, which is something I’ll always take.
Paul Campbell’s performances have also been so refreshing throughout this trilogy. As both a writer and an actor, it’s so apparent how deeply he cares about the character because it shows.
Lastly, everything that we get with Luke and Sophie becoming parents again is perfect. It’s incredible to finally have Sophie in the picture throughout Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men, and it’s especially stunning to see how the relationship between fathers and sons impacts Luke so closely. The belief that he may become like his father with three kids in the same way that their dad is so achingly realistic, and it’s admirable that the series would include it in the narrative.
In more ways than one, this story is all for the parents, and watching Luke grow more comfortable in his role as a father while simultaneously dealing with such a relatable fear continues to add nuance and layers to the overarching theme. In addition, everything we get with Thomas and the boys again makes the narrative that much more honest, which in turn makes the humor feel more earned. Because that’s the beauty of this trilogy: one minute we’re laughing, and the next we’re sobbing. It’s all just so lovely, and credit where it’s due, how Andrew Walker continues to make each of the movies better with his performance is no small feat.
Hallmark’s Three Wisest Men is special. There’s no other way to put it. The trilogy shines because of every unique dynamic and incredible performer, and this last film adds so much heart that it’s hard to put it all into words. It’s comforting to watch something that’s genuinely so funny and so full of heart. It’s refreshing to get real, honest joy around the holidays. It’s not every movie that the network releases that’s suitable for every kind of viewer, but the Three Wise Men trilogy is one for the ages.
Three Wisest Men premieres on Hallmark+ on November 16.
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