Hallmark Nathan and Elizabeth on "When Calls the Heart"
Brian Bird, co-creator and executive producer of “When Calls the Heart,” opened up in an interview after the season 10 finale, revealing when the choice to change the love triangle was made — and who made the choice. He also shared some advice for broken-hearted Hearties who wanted to see a future with Lucas and Elizabeth.
They Chose the Path That Gave Them the Best Storylines for the Show’s Future, Bird Said
In an interview with James Lott Jr. of JLJ Media, Bird opened up and shared his honest, transparent thoughts about why Lucas and Elizabeth’s relationship ended. For some fans, the change in season 10 was unexpected.
At just past the hour mark into the interview, Bird said that, ultimately, they needed to choose the path that gave them the most storylines for the show’s future.
“There’s multiple levels to decisions like this…” he acknowledged. “On the broadest level, it’s: ‘What do we believe gives us more story to tell?’ … [We’re] going to err on the side of, ‘How do we continue to have seasons and have …. lots more stories to tell?'”
He acknowledged that he used this same reasoning when Elizabeth chose Lucas two seasons ago, but things have since changed for the characters.
“And I said exactly that same thing when when Elizabeth chose Lucas two years ago, and I wasn’t wrong,” Bird said. “They’re two really good seasons… Their love was real, we’re not erasing that… He (Lucas) was a man of the world, raised by wealthy parents and sort of traveled… He lived a bigger life. So domesticating that man seemed very rich to us and it was. And we got good mileage out of that, good storytelling… Season 8 and 9 were real; they’re meaningful…”
They Decided to Make the Big Shift About Halfway Through Season 10, Bird Shared
HallmarkLucas and Elizabeth on “When Calls the Heart.”
Bird surprised some fans when he said that they didn’t decide to make the big change until about halfway through working on season 10. Showrunner Lindsay Sturman was part of that decision, but not the only factor.
“It wasn’t a decision made really early in season 10…” he told JLJ Media. “It evolved over … at least the first half of the season, until this sort of the light went on for … Lindsay (Sturman) and her team. And then of course we all had to bless that.”
He said they had to really look at what was in the core of the characters and proceed based on what was best for them.
“There is no path forward in this show if Elizabeth leaves Hope Valley…” Bird said. “Her whole purpose is … lighting fuses under new generation of students to become amazing citizens… But Lucas, this guy was destined to be a big shot… He’s a leader in this community; he’s starting to step up to much bigger things. And it just occurred to Lindsay and the team and to us that if this town is threatened by something bigger than whiskey runners or bandits… It needs a man of the world to … tackle that. And we wanted the equivalent of a mine disaster without all the death… We wanted the stakes to be big.”
All heroes make great sacrifices, he added, and this was part of Lucas’ story.
A Committee of People Were Ultimately Involved in the Decision to Break Up Lucas & Elizabeth, Bird Added
Bird told JLJ Media that the big choices for the show were made by a committee of contributors, not just one person. The showrunner, for example, didn’t make decisions about the love triangle by herself, he shared.
“The foundation is carefully laid for reasons that I can talk about and some that I can’t…” Bird acknowledged. “It is a business full of human beings. None of the choices are ever done in a vacuum. There’s a creative committee with a lot of stakeholders and that includes writers, producers, the network, and the cast. Everybody has a voice in these decisions and no one person makes these decisions. Lindsay (Sturman) was … the pilot of the plane in season 10 and season 11 but … she wasn’t making all the decisions. She was executing the decisions that were made sort of by … a collective group, who all have the best interest of the show and the future of the show in mind.”
Bird Said No One Feels Mistakes Were Made This Season or in Previous Seasons
HallmarkNathan and Elizabeth on “When Calls the Heart”
At about 12 minutes into the interview, Bird said that people involved with the show don’t feel like they “messed up” — not in season 10 or in previous seasons.
“We’re not gonna say we messed up, because we don’t believe that…” Bird said. “Sometimes we find inspiration that we had no idea existed before we found it.”
At 17:14, Bird emphasized that they never had any desire to play with anyone’s emotions.
“We don’t want to toy with anybody’s emotions, but by the same token, we also believe in doing what’s best for the future of the show,” Bird emphasized.
He asked Disappointed Hearties Not to ‘Forsake Your Fellow Hearties’
At about 14:29 into the interview, Bird said they do sympathize with everyone who feels hurt by the show’s changes.
“For those who were hurt, we feel bad that they were hurt, we do, we sympathize…” Bird said. “Everybody has a right to those feelings. We don’t want to invalidate their feelings. … (The) profound loss that some people feel is real; we’re not trying to deny that at all… All we can say about that passion is that if you didn’t care so much, you would be silent… We are deeply grateful and humble for all that reaction. Some of it hurts honestly on our side, but also some of it feels fantastic.”
At about 19:40 into the interview, he shifted gears and asked disappointed Hearties to stick around.
“I just want to say to all those Hearties out there who are feeling … out of sorts or sad … absolutely your opinions matter, but don’t forsake your fellow Hearties over it…” he said. “Don’t leave the world of the Hearties, the family of the Hearties, and walk away from that, because you need that just as much as we all do. We all need each other… Dysfunctional families sometimes do break apart but we’re not there and we’re not letting it go there.”
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