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Hallmark surprised viewers with a major plot twist on “When Calls the Heart.” The love triangle between Team Nathan and Team Lucas was upended, and fans were left unsure what to expect next. Some fans are thrilled by the changes, while others are gutted and threatening to stop watching the show entirely. Here’s a look at what happened and how fans are reacting.
Warning: The rest of this article will have spoilers for Season 10 Episode 11 of “When Calls the Heart.”
Elizabeth Broke Up with Lucas in the Penultimate Episode of Season 10
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Hallmark“When Calls the Heart”
A big shift happened in Hope Valley on the Sunday, October 8 episode of “When Calls the Heart.” The episode began with Elizabeth lamenting about fearing change, and being unsure what her heart was telling her about her plans for the future.
From there, everything between her and Lucas went downhill. Lucas was forced to run for governor in order to help save Hope Valley and other small towns from having their water diverted by the current governor. And Elizabeth originally said she would support him, even volunteering to go to his nomination with him and start campaigning together.
But after talking with Nathan, she realized that she couldn’t leave Hope Valley. So just before she was supposed to get on the train with Lucas to start his campaign, she told him that they needed to break up instead. This happened shortly after she told Rosemary that she was “so afraid of getting hurt again” and that she had made a choice that was “secure and comfortable and safe.”
Team Lucas Fans Are Gutted, But Some Still Have Hope
On social media, “When Calls the Heart” fans have been reliving the episode and sharing their thoughts. Team Lucas fans are gutted about what happened, but a few are saying that they don’t think Elizabeth and Lucas’ story is over yet.
In one public “When Calls the Heart” Facebook group, a fan wrote: “Could not be more disappointed! Choosing Lucas and now reneging. Looks like back to Nathan! I am probably done with this show.”
On X (formerly called Twitter), Team Lucas fans (who refer to themselves as LucaBeth) are similarly upset. One fan wrote that they feel like the show basically made the last two seasons meaningless.
They wrote: “I’ll never invest in a TV show again. It’s not bc L&E broke up, it’s bc their entire past is now moot. Tainted. E DID give him her heart. He WAITED for her. She ‘fell deeply.’ It took me 2yrs to get over J&E. I grieved & healed alongside her. This is a slap in the face. #Hearties”
Another fan wrote that it looks like the writers jumped the shark this season.
Another LucaBeth fan said that the characters don’t seem to line up with how they’ve been portrayed in the past.
They wrote, “So it may actually be over and to that I would say I’m shocked. This just doesn’t ring true to me. In that break-up scene that is just not the Lucas they have written for all these years. I could take a break-up if they were being true to the characters.”
Another fan referred to the storyline as “half nightmare half fanfic.”
But other fans aren’t giving up. One Team Lucas fan wrote a lengthy comment about why she thinks there’s still a chance for the couple, writing in part: “Elizabeth has pulled away from Lucas before….he simply waited for her to come back to him… They love throwing curveballs in this show… She will remember that Nate isn’t Jack and be OK….”
Team Nathan Fans Say They Saw This Coming
Team Nathan fans, meanwhile, are celebrating and saying that they saw this coming for quite some time. Back in season 8 when Elizabeth originally chose Lucas, she told Nathan that she couldn’t face the kind of hurt she experienced when her husband Jack died. Team Nathan fans have been holding on to this. When Elizabeth told Rosemary that she thought she made the right choice, but it was “secure and comfortable and safe,” many Team Nathan fans are saying this is proof of what they believed all along.
On X (formerly Twitter) one fan wrote, “She finally said the words that he was her safe choice. Goodbye Lucas; hello Nathan! Dying…”
Other fans say the show has been heading in this direction all along.
In one public “When Calls the Heart” Facebook group, one fan wrote: “FINALLY!! E finally got out of her head, heard her heart, and followed it!! So many happy tears, it took so long to get here.”
On X (formerly called Twitter), one fan said they had been boycotting the show for two seasons and are thrilled about the change in direction.
In a poll about the episode on Facebook, more fans voted for believing that Elizabeth and Lucas are permanently over, rather than thinking they might get back together at some point in the future.
One fan commented, “Lucas (Chris McNally) has been an engaging character but the romance with Elizabeth has lacked the passion of her love with Jack. When Nathan was in the hostage situation it was obvious that she had feelings for him, and the writing was on the wall that she had doubts about marrying Lucas…”
Some Fans Think Elizabeth Won’t End Up with Either Man
Not everyone thinks Elizabeth will end up with Nathan or Lucas. Some think she’ll be alone for quite some time, or find someone completely different.
One fan commented, “Not happy about the breakup but we all saw the writing on the wall. They made a lot of viewers mad last year and now they are happy where the rest of us are now unhappy and sad. It wasn’t very nice. Team Lucas fans are heartbroken as I’m sure team Nathan fans were last year. Bring on the 3rd guy. You know he’s coming.”
In a public Hallmark Facebook group, another fan shared a post that read: “In my opinion, no Lucas doesn’t mean yes Nathan. I think it was much more about leaving Hope Valley and her life there than it was about Lucas. Although she did say he was the one that was safe, which indicates that she knew that what Nathan did for a living would always have her worrying. my guess is that she won’t be with either when this season ends.”
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