Is ‘When Calls the Heart’ Really Resurrecting That Love Triangle?
Team Nathan or Team Lucas? For When Calls the Heart fans, that question was top of mind back in season 8, as Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) debated whether to pursue a romance with the handsome Mountie Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) or the suave saloon owner Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally).
Ultimately, Elizabeth chose Lucas, declaring her love for him in a dramatic, season-ending kiss. And she seemingly confirmed their future together by saying yes to his marriage proposal in the season 9 finale. But could the kind-hearted teacher be having second thoughts about saying “I do”? And has she since developed feelings for Nathan? Some recent developments suggest that When Calls the Heart is resurrecting a love triangle that bitterly divided fans the first time around.
The Elizabeth-Nathan-Lucas love triangle was a major storyline on ‘When Calls the Heart’
First, a brief recap. When Elizabeth first moved to Hope Valley to take a job as a schoolteacher, she fell in love with a Mountie named Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). After a long courtship, they got married in season 5. But their happiness didn’t last. Jack died in a training accident, leaving behind his devastated (and pregnant) widow. (In reality, Lissing had decided to leave the show, forcing When Calls the Heart to write off his character.)
Elizabeth’s grief was deep, but the birth of her son Jack gave her purpose. Gradually, she began to heal from her loss. And when two new (and single) men arrived in town in season 6, it was clear the show was setting things up for her to choose one of them. But would she go for another Mountie or take a chance on love with the more sophisticated Lucas?
When Calls the Heart likes to take things slow, and Elizabeth spent several seasons figuring out how she felt. At various points, both Lucas and Nathan seemed to have won her heart. But by the end of season 8, signs were pointing to her falling for Lucas. While Nathan was a dear friend, her feelings for him were tied up in her love for her late husband.
“I’ve realized that I’ve been trying to find Jack in you,” she told Nathan in the season 8 finale. “I’ve been trying to replace him.”
For Elizabeth, pursuing a romance with Nathan would have meant trying to recreate her relationship with Jack with someone else. She knew that wasn’t fair to Nathan or to herself. Nor was it the right way to honor her love for her former husband. Meanwhile, Lucas had shown, time and again, how much he cared for her and supported her dreams. And thanks to his patience and kindness, he’d allowed her to discover that she could love again.
Is Elizabeth falling for Nathan on ‘When Calls the Heart’?
When Calls the Heart did a lot of work to show why Elizabeth ultimately chose Lucas over Nathan. In season 9, their relationship continued to deepen, leading naturally to their engagement. But in season 10, something is off.
Elizabeth should be planning her wedding, but she’s been distracted and disengaged. When Lucas revealed he wanted to build her a house as a wedding present, she shut him down. She claimed she wanted to stay in her small cottage and remain neighbors with her best friend, Rosemary. But she didn’t consider how Lucas would feel about starting their life together in the home she and her late husband shared. Despite some sweet moments, there’s a sense of distance between them.
Meanwhile, the When Calls the Heart writers have given Elizabeth plenty of one-on-one time with Nathan. He’s offered advice about how to talk to little Jack about his dad. And in a cozy, late-night chat, he opened up t about his fears that he’ll never find love. Then there was Elizabeth’s panicked reaction (“I can’t do this again”) when she feared Nathan might have been hurt or killed while on duty in episode 9. Her anxiety and fear were so obvious that Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins) confronted her. He gently urged her to “give some thought to how you were feeling.”
Put it all together, and it’s hard not to suspect that Elizabeth has fallen in love with Nathan, even though she’s engaged to another man. For loyal fans who’ve long wanted the character in a relationship with another Mountie, it’s a vindication. But could When Calls the Heart really be preparing to have Elizabeth dump Lucas for another man?
Elizabeth may still marry Lucas
When Elizabeth let Nathan down in season 8, she explained that she’d let her grief over Jack’s death color her feelings toward the man who replaced him as Hope Valley’s resident Mountie. Meanwhile, Nathan had admitted that his guilt over not being the one who was leading the training mission that led to Jack’s death contributed to him developing feelings for his widow. At the time, Elizabeth and Nathan’s apparent feelings for each other were more about each of them dealing with the tragedy of Jack’s death than they were about the other person.
Now, two seasons on, Elizabeth and Nathan have gotten to know each other better. They have a real friendship, and it’s more believable that things between them could turn romantic. But is the show willing to throw all of Elizabeth’s history with Lucas away so she can be with Nathan? In many ways, it doesn’t make sense.
For one, the show’s creators made it clear when Elizabeth chose Lucas in season 8 that they wanted to move beyond the original Mountie-with-a-schoolteacher storyline. While When Calls the Heart does have a new showrunner for season 10, abandoning the core romantic pairing the series spent several seasons to establish would be a strange about-face, unless there were some external factors forcing major changes. (For example, if McNally decided to leave the show, just as Lissing did.)
There have also been several clues throughout season 10 that, once again, Elizabeth’s feelings for Nathan are tied up with lingering trauma over Jack’s death. Her son is now old enough to ask questions about his father. That’s prompted her to reflect again on not only what she’s lost, but also what Little Jack will never have. Her visit to Jack’s grave in episode 8 also demonstrated that he was on her mind in a major way. As the wedding grows closer, it’s impossible to ignore that she’s closing the door on her time with Jack.
Elizabeth’s complicated feelings are understandable. But it’s unfortunate that she (and the show) once again appear to be treating Nathan as an avatar for her grief. If they do end up together, it will be hard to shake the feeling that he’s just a replacement for Jack. And by teasing the possibility of a Nathan-Elizabeth pairing, When Calls the Heart is raising the hopes of fans who want to see them become a couple. At the same time, they’re angering those who are happy to see her with Lucas. The end result is that some viewers are going to end up very unhappy – and probably confused.
If Elizabeth has doubts about moving on with a new relationship, she needs to talk about that with the man she plans to marry – Lucas. And if the show’s ultimate plan is for her to end up with Nathan, it should be clear they have a genuine connection and their romance isn’t just about Elizabeth trying to recreate her past love. Otherwise, When Calls the Heart is just treading water.
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