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After the way season 8 ended, many “When Calls the Heart” fans have been wondering if Paul Greene will be returning as Carson for season 9 on the Hallmark Channel. Andrea Brooks, who portrays Faith, recently answered that very question during an interview before the season 9 premiere.
Brooks Said That Carson Is ‘Mentioned’ & Their Breakup Was a ‘Noble, Mature Decision’
In an interview with ET Online, Brooks said about the start of season 8: “Faith is still very much dealing with and digesting that…fizzle out between Faith and Carson. Now that she’s working alone… it really makes her think back to Carson… By no means is it finished, she still has a lot to contend with.”
When asked directly if we’ve seen the last of Faith and Carson, she said: “There are still loose ends that need to be tied up… She definitely has a little bit of a broken heart that needs mending. So you’ll see Faith confronting that this season in a really honest way.”
She added, “They’re chasing their own dreams right now. I don’t know what that means for the future. but at the moment they’re focusing on themselves.”
So will there be any cameos from Carson in season 9?
Brooks said, “He is mentioned so you’ll have to wait and see!”
In an interview with Everything About Hallmark, Brooks shared that she really felt their last scene together in season 8 was done so well, and added that the timing between those two characters just wasn’t right.
“The way that we worked on that scene… When it (the stagecoach) pulled away, we weren’t sure if he was on the coach…” she recalled. “It was meant to be a moment of suspense because that’s (s) hard. That was a hard season, that was a hard breakdown, and there’s something kind of devastating… (when you’re) working towards this thing and it’s just not quite jiving…”
For the characters, she said, “it was a noble, mature decision. … that is the right solution for them at that time. What the future holds, I have no idea…”
Greene’s Fiancee Was Pregnant During Filming
Greene’s fiancee, Kate Austin, was pregnant during filming for season 9, which might have contributed to the actor’s not being on the set. None of the teasers or behind-the-scenes photos have shown Greene, and Greene himself has not shared any photos from the season 9 set.
Greene, 47, and Austin, 42, celebrated the birth of their baby, also named Austin, in December.
Greene told People at the time: “Our little guy Austin is born! We are tired but beyond happy!… He is a super healthy little boy, and we are thrilled… Kate was amazing through it all.”
Austin was born at St. John’s Santa Monica in California. He weighed in at 8 pounds and 2 ounces at birth after what Greene described as a “four-day marathon.”
In a podcast interview with Chris McNally in June, Greene talked about whether or not he was returning to the series for a ninth season. He said that he hadn’t spoken with showrunner John Tinker at that time, so he didn’t know what was in store for his character Carson.
“I haven’t personally spoken with John,” he shared. “We just never know what’s going on. … I mean, we think we know, but there’s a lot of … even if I did know, I probably wouldn’t share it at this point because I haven’t been cleared or whatever. … I can’t clearly say I’ll be back next year and I can’t clearly say that I won’t.”
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