The season 11 finale of “When Calls the Heart” left Hearties stunned and sharing numerous theories about what the cliffhanger possibly could have meant. In the last scene, Superintendent Hargraves interrupted a romantic moment between Nathan and Elizabeth. He told Elizabeth that he needed to speak with her privately about something concerning her “late husband.”
Since then, fans have been wondering if Jack is coming back or if the news might involve Nathan’s accidental role in Jack’s death. Now, executive producers and the showrunner are dropping more hints about what fans can expect.
The Cliffhanger Will Present ‘Real Challenges’ for Nathan & Elizabeth
Co-creator and executive producer Brian Bird and showrunner Lindsay Sturman talked about the cliffhanger in an interview with Heart to Hearties.
Sturman started out by saying that Nathan and Elizabeth will have to grapple with the news Hargraves is bringing.
“Jack is a huge part of Elizabeth’s life and obviously Little Jack’s life,” Sturman said. “I think we wanted to … really keep alive that this is her past and this is something that both of them have to grapple with. Obviously, Hargraves is coming in with some important information that will lead to some real challenges that Elizabeth and Nathan can work through together.”
When asked if Daniel Lissing is definitely not coming back, Bird assured viewers that Lissing will not be returning to the show.
“No…. Hargraves said ‘your late husband,’” Bird said. “Nothing has changed about that.”
But he went on to share some more details about what went on behind the scenes when they wrote the cliffhanger.
“But this is a show which has caused collective gasps across the nation, across the Heartieverse in the past…” Bird said. “We love to tease people. It’s not meant to cause consternation, cause people to have heart palpitations. But this is what good shows do. They create talking points for their fans that can go on for a while after the end of a season… Jack’s memory is a huge part of Hope Valley… He’s always going to be at the center of any relationship that Elizabeth has in the future, and Nathan is connected to that as well. There’s a shared story history.”
Bird had similar comments in an interview with JLJ Media.
“Who doesn’t love a cliffhanger?” Bird said. “What really good show doesn’t do this at the end of every season? … Let’s give our Hearties something to chew on, something to buzz about.”
He went on to talk about some of the cliffhangers that “When Calls the Heart” has had in the past, including one early on when Jack was going to propose to Elizabeth, and walked up to the schoolhouse to see her “crush” from Hamilton down on one knee in front of her.
“Talk about a collective gasp across the Hearties,” Bird said. “We saw videos of people gasping… So we’re not gonna apologize for that. What I will say about Jack is that Inspector Hargraves was careful to say ‘your late husband.’ So Jack’s not returning to Hope Valley. There was no intention of that…”
Bird also explained how Jack’s at the core of the town, including Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship because of the circumstances that brought them together.
“Whatever this news is that we teased out on the cliffhanger will be important,” Bird said. “It doesn’t mean Jack is coming back. So if people take it like that, that’s on them.”
Later he added: “For Nathan and Elizabeth to truly move on with their relationship, they must unpack everything… Season 12, get ready. Get ready for something important to talk about. That’s what I’ll say.”
In an interview with Heart to Hearties, Erin Krakow (Elizabeth) also hinted a bit about the cliffhanger.
“I’m not going to tell them (Hearties) to be nervous, but it’s a cliffhanger,” she said. “…Hopefully it brings you back at the beginning of season 12 to see how we address it. I can tell you that we do address it. We come back and we find out more information about what that’s about, and that leads us right into our first episode of the season.”
The Journey Is More Important Than the Destination, Bird Said about Nathan & Elizabeth’s Future
When asked about the chances of an engagement or marriage between Elizabeth and Nathan, Bird told the Heart to Hearties interviewers that they should have patience.
“It took us five years to get to Elizabeth and Jack getting married,” Bird said. “…I’m not saying people are going to have to wait five years for Nathan and Elizabeth if that’s where the relationship is headed… But the pursuit is sometimes more powerful than the destination… There’s more to unpack…”
Bird had similar comments in his interview with JLJ Media.
“I still adhere to the idea that the journey is more important than the destination,” he said after speaking about Nathan and Elizabeth’s relationship and how it might go slower than some people want. “…They’re just now starting and they need to get it right.”
The Love Triangle Won’t Be Returning
In an interview with Heart to Hearties, Erin Krakow also spoke about Nathan and Elizabeth’s future.
“These are two people who have been in the friend zone for a long time and are only just starting to explore their romance together and find out what it means to be a couple,” she said. “So we will continue to lean into that and see what that looks like for them.”
She also made it clear that the love triangle was not going to be returning in any form. In fact, in the scene in season 11 where Janette confronted Elizabeth, Krakow wanted to make sure there wasn’t a chance for fans to misunderstand and think Elizabeth had feelings for Lucas still.
“I was very sensitive about not wanting to inadvertently reignite a triangle,” she said. “I know that has been challenging over the years… I was worried if Elizabeth displayed any signs of upset or jealous, that would in some ways make it feel like she had lingering feelings… I think any upset she was feeling was more about it being a surprise that Lucas never shared that information with her.”
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