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After season 11 episode 9 of “When Calls the Heart,” some Hearties fans who love Lucas are up in arms about his depiction in the episode. Chris McNally gave a powerful performance of his character slowly succumbing to increasing pressure, but some fans are concerned that the storyline about Lucas might be taken in a negative light.
This article will have spoilers for season 11 episode 9 of “When Calls the Heart.”
#GiveLucastheRoom Trended as Fans Defended Lucas’ Angry Outburst
The episode, called “Truth Be Told,” aired on June 2, 2024. Part of the storyline focused on the mystery of who shot Lucas after he won the election for governor. The plot also involved Lucas’ attempt to build a resort in Hope Valley to bring much-needed jobs to the town. But Lucas’ attempts began to unravel after a mysterious figure spread rumors that caused contractor after contractor to refuse to bid on the resort project. With only Montague (rumored to be involved in his shooting) and Jeanette Aucoin left, Lucas decided to seek Montague’s bid.
Because Montague tried to essentially destroy Hope Valley in season 10 and disrupt the town’s access to water, Rosemary broke Lucas’ confidence and published a story about Montague bidding on the resort. The episode showed Lucas storming into Rosemary’s office, in front of Lee, and yelling at her about what she had done.
But some fans were quick to point out that his anger is understandable after how much he sacrificed.
The show also portrayed Hope Valley residents pushing back against Lucas’ questionable decision to involve Montague in the first place.
Lucas fans tweeted #GiveLucastheRoom on X during the show to defend the character, and the hashtag quickly began trending.
On X, Nikki shared that #GiveLucastheRoom hit more than 11,000 tweets, and all the other tags they were using (#GovBouchard and #CMcNally) trended too.
Nikki wrote: “#GiveLucasTheRoom was picked up as trending, at one point, across the entire United States!”
Other fans shared that X’s AI, Grok, wrote an accurate description of why fans were rallying with #GiveLucastheRoom.
Grok’s description included a note that “They are using the hashtag #GiveLucastheRoom to encourage the show’s community and the character Elizabeth to give Lucas a chance to explain himself and to support him through his current struggles.”
One fan tweeted, “Buckling my seat belt for the darkest days #GovBouchard is going through and looking forward to the dawn! #GiveLucasTheRoom to rise! #CMcNally is one heck of a talent.”
One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that McNally is doing a phenomenal job portraying what’s happening with Lucas.
One fan wrote: “Hate the new direction. Loving how its managed to up his game as an actor. Killing it 👏👏👏👏.”
The Trend Was Also a Response to People Saying Lucas Was Shady
The trend was also started by fans who wanted to support a character they feel is misunderstood. Ever since “When Calls the Heart” leaned heavily into the Lucas vs. Nathan triangle, some Team Lucas and Team Nathan fans have sometimes made negative statements about the other character that are highly debated. This sometimes included the belief that Lucas was “shady” after his introduction in season 6, even though the mysteries of his character were later explained. Some fans worry that season 11 has reopened some questions about his character.
On X, one fan posted: “The divisions & the teams run so deep for people who watch or watched WCTH. My hubby was doing a small job for a very nice women today who still watches, and she told him Lucas was always shady. Unbelievable! I can be unbiased, but some cannot. I am not pointing fingers at all.”
Another person replied, “It really is tragic what has happened. The retcon has only made it worse…”
And another person added: “I agree it was unnecessary. And sad. Unbelievable they retconned the show so that the people who always thought Lucas was shady now feel vindicated.”
Jimmy Reno, a journalist who recently interviewed Chris McNally, shared on X that Lucas’ character is definitely not ruined.
He wrote, “#hearties to those saying L is being ruined and written as shady that’s not true per CM. He told me, ‘Lucas is a kind, intelligent, and ethical man. If there were morally ambiguous choices made in his past, these choices were always for a purpose greater than himself.'”
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