Crown Media Jesse and Clara with Bill
Another major shakeup is happening in Hallmark’s hit series, “When Calls the Heart.” Last week, fans learned that Little Jack was recast for season 9. Now two main characters — Jesse and Clara — are leaving and won’t be part of season 9, according to a new sneak peek released Christmas weekend.
This article has spoilers for season 9, but only in terms of a scene that reveals Jesse & Clara are not part of the new season.
A Sneak Peek Revealed Jesse & Clara Left for a Homestead in Montana
A sneak peek that was shared on the Hallmark Channel over Christmas weekend revealed Jesse (Aren Buchholz) and Clara’s (Eva Bourne) departure from the series.
You can watch the video at this link. The reveal happens while Bill Avery (Jack Wagner) is spending time with Minnie (Natasha Burnett), Joseph (Viv Leacock), Angela (Vienna Leacock), and Cooper (Elias Leacock.)
Angela asks, “Where are Jesse and Clara?”
Joseph replies, “Homesteading in Montana.
Cooper asks, “Why did they move so far away?”
Joseph says that the opportunity was hard to pass up. Bill’s reading a letter from Clara while the Canfields eat breakfast.
Bill says, “Jesse’s digging another well since the first one dried up. Neither of us can remember the last time we saw a drop of rain, but our spirits remain high and we’re happy. Well, time to milk Mags, our goat. Please say hello to everyone, love Clara.”
The pair’s departure is a big shift from where the show left off in season 8, when Clara and Jesse played a central role in the storyline. The season 8 finale began with Nathan finding Jesse after he had disappeared overnight and was caught in the storm.
Jesse is finally back in town – and he looks like’s he’s just fine! 🤗 Clara is beyond relieved to have him home. As Nathan also arrives, Elizabeth tells him she needs to see him later. #Hearties @ArenBuchholz @RealEvaBourne
Jesse had lost the couple’s savings in an investment to Wyland that went south, but they got the money back in the finale. While they had a lot of arguments during season 8, they managed to work everything out and left Hope Valley to go on a second honeymoon.
So while season 8 didn’t end with a buildup to the couple leaving, their departure from Hope Valley is being explained as involving Jesse getting a great opportunity to homestead that he couldn’t turn down.
The Series’ Showrunner Had Hoped to Dive Deeper Into the Couple’s Marital Issues in Season 9
While the actors themselves haven’t yet shared why they left the series, it appears that it wasn’t part of early plans for season 9.
Showrunner John Tinker and his wife, Ronda Rich, did a Q&A about the show on Facebook on April 15, before the finale aired, and answered questions from fans about season 8. Around 25:45 in the video, Tinker talked about how what happened to Jesse’s missing money was going to be revealed, which happened later in season 8.
Tinker also talked about how he and Bourne discussed that they need to dive deeper into Jesse and Clara’s marital issues if the show is renewed for a ninth season.
Tinker said at the time: “If we have another season … yes, we absolutely have to do deal with that. The marital strife as it stands now … between the two of them is manageable, but it’s got to be addressed and it will be addressed. So please watch the show.”
Buchholz has not provided any hints about why he’s leaving on his Twitter account.
His last tweets as of the time of this article’s publication included a tweet in May thanking Hearties for the season. He signed it: “See you next year!”
He also retweeted a message from a fan who said they were a Heartie no matter what and that they would continue to support the show even if they were critical of some of the show’s choices.
According to IMDb, Buchholz doesn’t have any acting listings for 2022, and aside from “When Calls the Heart” in 2021, he also starred as Darren in a short film called “Whistle.” However, he’s an associate producer in 2022 for a short film called “Nurture.”
IMDb also does not have any listings for Bourne in 2022, as of the time of this article’s publication.
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