Hallmark/Heavy Nathan and Elizabeth
Fans of “When Calls the Heart” were overwhelmingly excited by the end of the latest episode in the Hallmark series. Nathan and Elizabeth finally took a big step forward in their relationship. But in recent interviews, Kevin McGarry and Erin Krakow warned that while there will be a lot of fun moments in the season finale for the two characters, it won’t be smooth sailing from here on.
McGarry Didn’t Feel Comfortable Saying Nathan & Elizabeth Are Definitely Endgame
In an interview with TV Guide, McGarry was asked if Elizabeth and Nathan are endgame. While Krakow and McGarry have been pretty definitive in their answers to this question before, McGarry hedged a bit in the new interview.
“I think that’s a safe thing to say, but you never know what will change,” McGarry said. “I think it’s safe to say we’re going to see them move forward as a couple. I’m leery of throwing around ‘endgame,’ I know it’s out there. I think they are, but you never know.”
It’s a shift from other interviews, such as when Krakow told Us Weekly: “I do think Elizabeth and Nathan are soulmates.”
However, in the same interview, McGarry assured fans that Nathan and Elizabeth will persevere in season 12.
“We’re not going to destroy anything that has been built in season 11,” he said. ” think we’re only going to strengthen it. It’s a TV show and the characters are going to be tested. But Nathan and Elizabeth are … going to go through a lot of these trials together and it’s only going to strengthen this newfound relationship.”
McGarry previously compared the characters’ relationship to “The Notebook.”
The Season Finale Will Show a ‘Glimpse Into the Future’ for the Couple
In an interview with TV Insider, Krakow assured fans that next week’s episode will be “a full episode to really enjoy the afterglow” of the duo’s big moment where they finally kissed and confessed their love.
McGarry said that because of what happened at the end of season 10, the writers decided to wait until the end of season 11 to get Nathan and Elizabeth together, rather than earlier.
“The right thing to do was elongate it,” McGarry said. “Elizabeth just got out of that relationship. And even though months did pass in between… In respect for all the people that wanted Elizabeth and Lucas, it was important to kind of space out those romances.”
In an interview with TV Guide, McGarry elaborated and said that next week is going to give a “glimpse into the future” for Nathan and Elizabeth.
“There’s a certain ease that they both have once this pent-up frustration, emotion, and friction is released,” he said. “They finally clear all that up and fall into each other’s arms. Because they’ve built their relationship early on trust, love, and friendship, it really falls into this easy partnership. They get to show their love and they don’t have to hide behind it and be awkward that they’re a couple.”
He added that one of the first things they’ll do as a couple is go to a wedding together.
Bad News & Tough Choices Await the Couple in the Season Finale
Despite the new phase of their relationship, Nathan and Elizabeth are going to face some problems in the season finale, including tough conversations and tough news.
“They do have a conversation about some things that happened prior,” McGarry told TV Insider. “There is room for questions and answers based on things that have happened in prior seasons that we do get to in episode 12.”
In addition, the finale ends on a cliffhanger with some bad news received at the end of the episode. McGarry told TV Insider it’s not a “sword hanging over” the relationship, but it is worrying enough to serve as a big cliffhanger.
“What does become a concern is news they receive at the end of episode 12,” McGarry said.
“You have to understand what the climax is at the end of this season…” he told TV Insider. “Tune in because I hope they’re able to deal with that news and move forward. And then if they are, I think it would be really fun to see the blended family start to really happen.”
The show’s co-creator, Brian Bird, also hinted about the cliffhanger in a late April interview with The Christophers Blog.
“I’m not going to deny that we have another cliffhanger coming…” he said. “We know that to sustain hunger for the show, we’ve got to leave them wanting more. We’ve got a beautiful, very interesting cliffhanger coming at the end of season 11, but I think closure on some powerful things is important in this season.”
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