A Return to Hope Valley: Disentangling My Thoughts on When Calls the Heart

Baby, I'm BACK! Today, I'm disentangling my thoughts about When Calls the Heart and the new "Granton Era" we're about to embark on.

Hi, friends & #Hearties— I’m BACK! And it feels so good to be sitting here with you all again. I am so excited to chat about When Calls the Heart again and hope you all stick around as I share my thoughts about this upcoming season.

I have to confess that I have a lot to disentangle here.

A Little Intro

For some of you who are new, I discovered When Calls the Heart in the fall of 2015 while on maternity leave. I binged the first two seasons on Netflix and then changed my cable provider (which actually was cheaper than what we had) so that I could watch When Calls the Heart live. As a fan, I covered the show through tweeting and then I covered the show on Hallmarkies Podcast (Seasons 6-7) and Hearties Hotline (Season 8).

I took a break from Hearties Hotline after Season 8 (summer of 2021) for multiple reasons. The most important reason was because my personal life was evolving. My kids were getting older and both were busy with extracurricular activities. On top of being a wife and mom, I also work a full-time corporate job. Running a podcast is not for the weak of heart! I was spending upwards of 10 hours a week prepping, watching, recording, editing, creating, and promoting.

I was also extremely frustrated with the show for multiple reasons. The constant bickering online, the disparaging and rude comments made towards me and my co-host, and the policing of comments by some fans were exhausting to deal with. What was fun was no longer fun, and I needed a break from the show. I found my way back for Season 10, albeit, begrudgingly, in the summer of 2023 and slowly, I remembered why I loved the show so much.

As Far as Elizabeth Thatcher-Thornton’s Men Are Concerned…

Let’s Talk About Jack Thornton

I’ll be the first to say that I loved the Elizabeth and Jack storyline. It’s what got me hooked on When Calls the Heart in the first place. And I cried watching the Season 5 finale, which goes to show you how invested I was in that relationship and story. Understanding that it was the actor’s choice to move on, I accepted that decision and decided to give the new era of When Calls the Heart a chance.

• Side note: A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of chatting with Daniel Lissing about his Christmas movie, Catering Christmas. He was so charming and absolutely lovely. I’m also stoked to see his new Christmas movie with Erin coming out later this year!

Let’s Look at Lucas Bouchard

When Lucas Bouchard walked on to the screen, I was immediately intrigued by his character. He was so smooth— almost too smooth. I found him a bit mysterious and didn’t know if he would be the “bad guy” turned “good” or if he was just misunderstood, or what. However, as the seasons progressed, I found myself comparing him to Roy Gardiner from Anne of the Island (which is my favorite book) by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucas, while charming and grandiose, seemed to lack a deep, kindred spirit type of connection to Elizabeth. She never seemed to truly appreciate his gestures and that became more apparent in Season 10.

I would have liked to see a more dynamic character growth arc for Lucas over Seasons 6-10, but it does seem as though we might see this with Lucas’ new position as governor.

• Side note: Some of you who know me, might find this quite comical. I had a realization that I have married a Lucas as my husband is a bearded, tea drinking, sleight-of-hand card trick guy. Not to mention my oldest when she was little said that Lucas reminds her of dad. My husband LOVES to hold this over me as he knows I much prefer Nathan. Hah!! The difference is that my husband has never been one for grand gestures. ;-)

And Finally, Nathan Grant

Oh, Constable Nathan Grant. Prior to Season 6, I fell in the “not another Mountie” camp only because I thought that Hope Valley needed a little shaking up. Once the season started, I felt very neutral about both Nathan and Lucas because I wanted to give the storyline a fair shot. As season 6 progressed, however, I noticed that there was a spark between Nathan and Elizabeth. They seemed to understand each other as single parents and were very in-tune with their instincts regarding Mountie matters. By the end of Season 6, I was fully “Team Nathan.”

Nathan and Elizabeth’s relationship is complicated. There has always been a push and pull between them. And if you watch, Elizabeth seems to always be drawn towards Nathan, even when betrothed to another. Despite the challenges of the past few seasons, I am curious to see how their relationship will develop in the upcoming Season 11. All roads at this point are headed towards Nathan and Elizabeth declaring their relationship “official” and I am here for it.

My Hot Takes on Lucas Vs. Nathan

I could go on for hours on this. But here’s my hot take about Lucas and Nathan, specifically in Seasons 8 and 9. The writers did BOTH men a disservice by how their characters developed from Seasons 6 and 7 to Seasons 8 and 9. Essentially, Lucas turned into a “yes man” when it came to Elizabeth and Nathan became the town’s punching bag. Watching this unfold was extremely frustrating as a viewer. I want to see dynamic arcs for characters.

I loved the whole “mysterious” Lucas arc and I wanted to see his layers unravel. But instead, we still know nothing deep about his character. For Nathan, I did not appreciate how his character became more cynical and some of the words coming out of his mouth did not match the character that Alfonso Moreno (Showrunner from S5-7) created. Quite honestly, most main characters in Seasons 8 and 9 were totally out of their characters, and that includes Elizabeth, Lee, and Rosemary!

All that being said, I personally believe that the aftermath of the “teams” could have been resolved quickly had the storytelling in Seasons 8 and 9 been cohesive with the rest of the series. I think that we can all agree that the “triangle situationship” lasted way too long.

My Hopes for Season 11

I want to see compelling stories that are rich with emotional depth. I want to see the characters stretched without losing who they are at the core. I also want to see more moments where Elizabeth is with her students, as that is where I feel she shines most. I want to see how Lucas will grow and the challenges he’ll face as the governor. I also want to see some Mountie action from Nathan.

I’m excited to see how Rosemary and Lee handle parenting little Goldie, who by the way is a little darling! And I am, of course, most excited to see where the #GrantonEra takes us.

If you’ve made this far, thank you for taking the time to read! I understand that some of you may not share the same sentiments as me. And I respect that! If we all had the same opinions, life would be boring. I just ask that if you disagree, just be respectful. Kindness is always free.

Let me know in the comments what other deep dives you want me to take on When Calls the Heart.

Until then,

Kaycee