Kevin McGarry on Why Nathan Didn’t Speak Out Sooner on WCTH

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Kevin McGarry, who portrays Nathan on Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, spoke out about Season 8 Episode 8 in an interview that aired right after the episode ended. He revealed his take on Nathan’s timing and whether or not Elizabeth can ever forgive him.

This article has spoilers for When Calls the Heart Season 8 Episode 8.

McGarry Said Nathan Never Had a Good Time to Share His Revelation About Jack

McGarry and Chris McNally, who portrays Lucas, spoke with Jim Halterman from TV Insider about Episode 8. McGarry revealed that he didn’t think there was ever a perfect time for Nathan to share those revelations about Jack.

In Season 8 Episode 8, Nathan revealed the truth about his background with Jack when he and Elizabeth were part of a big town festival celebrating Bill’s time as a Mountie, just before Bill had to turn in his uniform. The whole scene is a little uncomfortable because the town’s trying to have a celebration for Bill, and Elizabeth insists on talking to Nathan right there, even yelling over the band. When Bill rides away, they start up again. Nathan tells her that he turned down a promotion, despite really wanting to leave Hope Valley, because Allie’s made roots here.

And then he finally reveals what he’s been hiding about Fort Clay and should have told her a long time ago.

Nathan said: “At Fort Clay, I was the one that was supposed to lead the training mission, not Jack. I was disciplined for an earlier incident and your husband… Jack replaced me. I’m sorry Elizabeth, there was never the right time to tell you. I wanted to…”

McGarry told TV Insider that Nathan probably could have chosen a better time than he ultimately did, but it became tougher and tougher as he developed feelings for Elizabeth.

McGarry said:

Oh, I don’t know if there ever was a good time. … The very first time they met, he gave her a sum of money basically… He had to give a sum of money to Elizabeth but he never really mentioned Jack. Nor I think at that point, he didn’t know her and it was just kind of … clearly a touchy subject. And then as he found he was developing feelings for her, I think throughout the season, it was like, ‘How do I tell her this?’ And I think this is why he was so tongue-tied. You know, he found himself being attracted to her while knowing … feeling so guilty at the same time. … It came out the way that it did, for sure there could have been a better time to do it, but what a dramatic time to do it, really.

The “sum of money” McGarry is referring to in the quote above is the pension from Jack that Nathan gave Elizabeth the first time they met. He said: “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I never served with your late husband. But by all accounts, he was…he’s an excellent Mountie.” After that, he handed her Jack’s pension, which Elizabeth said she had forgotten all about.

He’s Not Sure if Elizabeth Will Forgive Nathan

McGarry then said that Elizabeth is going through a lot, and this was a big burden to share with her.

I don’t know. I think this is a big thing moving forward, to see if she can forgive him. I mean, Nathan blames himself… And now we gotta see if Elizabeth agrees or if she’s able to get over it. But… It’s not something light to dump on her. And you know, she’s already going through so much as it is, let alone… He could have been alive if I went instead.

In a podcast interview the week before with Hallmark’s Bubbly Sesh, McGarry said there was something special between Elizabeth and Nathan.

There’s some kind of electricity or spark there, but there’s a lot of outside factors pushing them away… For the Team Nathan fans, I think their storyline is: Are these factors going to get in the way? And we’ve all had relationships like that, you know, where this could’ve been a thing for sure, if this didn’t happen or this didn’t happen. And I think that’s kind of their storyline. I’m not saying it don’t happen or whatever. But I do think, had she not been married to a Mountie before, that’d be a big thing that I’m sure she’s struggling with, with opening up her heart to Nathan at this point. Yeah, I think … there’s something there for sure. … But are the outside, external factors gonna kind of get in the way and block what might be something great?

You can learn more about the podcast in Heavy’s story here.

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