Hallmark Nathan and Elizabeth on "When Calls the Heart"
Some Hallmark viewers are still reeling from Lucas and Elizabeth’s surprise breakup at the end of “When Calls the Heart” season 10. But in a recent interview, the co-creator and showrunner shared that despite fan beliefs, season 10 actually didn’t bring back the love triangle. They also opened up more about who was involved in deciding that “Lucabeth” (as fans call the couple) should break up, noting that there are some details they simply can’t share publicly.
The Triangle Didn’t Return in Season 10 Because Nathan & Elizabeth Were Only Friends, the Creator Shared
Hallmark“When Calls the Heart”
The latest details about season 10 emerged in an interview on Heart to Hearties with showrunner Lindsay Sturman and co-creator and executive producer Brian Bird. At about 17:13 into the interview, they were asked if love triangles are popular in shows, and if that was a reason for bringing back the Lucas-Elizabeth-Nathan triangle. Bird replied that in his opinion, the triangle didn’t return this last season.
“Triangles are a tried and true tactic of storytellers going a long time back to, you know, Cleopatra…” Bird said. “These are not storylines that just emerged in Hope Valley. (But) I think… for season 10 there was no love triangle.”
He continued, explaining that Nathan and Elizabeth were simply finally becoming friends again.
“We were not returning to a love triangle,” Bird clarified. “Now whether there’s a future for Elizabeth and Nathan that’s to come, potentially. But the way I read Nathan and Elizabeth in season 10, just as a viewer, is Nathan and Elizabeth had gotten past the awkwardness between them and were becoming friends, right? And Nathan having these hard chats with Elizabeth and speaking into her. I believed he had earned the right to as her friend to ask her those questions. Because he cares about her.”
He did admit that maybe their relationship will change, but he didn’t make any promises.
“Now, whether ultimately that turns into love … we’ll have to see,” Bird said. “But I saw it as pure friendship myself… As Elizabeth was wrestling with her feelings about Lucas and … trying to deal with her own unresolved grief… Her conversations with Nathan were all about trying to find some balance and some equilibrium. So that that’s my take on the triangle.”
Sturman jumped in at 19:49 into the interview with her own thoughts.
“I would add that we didn’t want to do a triangle…” Sturman said. “I think Brian said that really eloquently… Elizabeth and Nathan became really good friends… The awkwardness was left behind and they just became friends while she was on a separate journey to figure out what was going on with Lucas… The show had done the triangle… Those stories have been told, so this was a totally different version of … Elizabeth’s relationship with Lucas and where that was going. And then this friendship and where is that gonna go?”
Interestingly, Erin Krakow seems to believe that the love triangle did return. In a recent interview, she said there’s a good reason to hope that Nathan and Elizabeth will have a romantic future, and Elizabeth’s feelings played into her decision to end things with Lucas.
The Big Plot Shift Was Needed for Some Reasons They Can’t Talk About Publicly, Bird Said
At about 10:50 into the interview, the Heart to Hearties hosts also asked Bird and Sturman who should get the credit for the big shift in the storyline in season 10 that led to the breakup. Bird began by saying that all shows take detours from time to time.
“The show is ever evolving…” Bird answered. “If we could go back and look at season one, if anybody has watched all the way through, the show was a completely different show in season one. And the show was a completely different show in season two. Most television shows go through an evolution in their storytelling and they have to find themselves. And sometimes there are … story detours that take us in a new direction, but that doesn’t mean those detours can’t come back to sort of the main channel of the storytelling…”
He then added that many different people had a voice in the changes this season.
“So in terms of the decision-making process, as I said… this is not me alone, this is not Lindsay alone in a vacuum making these decisions,” Bird said. “The network has a voice, the producing team has a voice. But just know … that we don’t take … any of these decisions lightly.”
He added that they made some decisions based on reasons that can’t be shared publicly.
“We know the impact that it can have on the Hearties,” Bird said. “We don’t do it for any reason other than it’s necessary for reasons that we might not be able to talk about. But we also believe that it’s still the best path forward. And two years ago, when we made a big switch right in the storytelling, or sort of were unpredictable, it was valid. Those were valid decisions at the time. They’re valid decisions now as well. They’re important decisions for the future of the show. So that’s my best answer.”
At 12:28 into the interview, Sturman added that writing for TV involves a team, not just individuals.
“I think TV writing really is … a team sport,” Sturman said. “…You pull in a group of writers because they all bring different aspects. And some people love to write dialogue, other people love to do the big story arcs, but as Brian was saying… everything about a season is really many people … weighing in and just trying to find … what story to tell and what’s the best way to tell it.”
Bird Said He Doesn’t Recant Any of His Past Statements About the Show
At about 29:19 into the interview, the hosts noted that some fans have expressed distrust based on past statements from the creative team, and asked Bird to share why they can still trust them.
“We had two seasons of a wonderful love story between Elizabeth and Lucas,” Bird answered. “Now in season 10 it started to evolve… It wasn’t just about the romance, it was more about the full consequences of that relationship on both Lucas and Elizabeth. So I don’t recant anything I said in season 8 because it’s true. We spun the show into two full seasons of that relationship… That love story between Lucas and Elizabeth was valid then and it was valid all the way up until those two characters realize that life is taking them in different directions, which is very real. I’m sure we’ve all had love affairs in our lives that didn’t pan out right at the end of the day. That doesn’t mean any of that was illegitimate…”
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