Just when we think Elizabeth Thornton’s heart is being pulled in one direction it goes in another. She and Lucas Bouchard have been sharing some touching, open and honest moments on When Calls the Heart in recent weeks, but Nathan Grant has not given up on his feelings either. This week, he dropped by Elizabeth’s place, leading to an intimate and symbolic moment between Nathan and Elizabeth on the Hallmark show.
As the penultimate Season 8 episode aired this week, one eagle-eyed fan took a look at a scene through the eyes of a longtime fan, connecting it to how Elizabeth used to behave around her mountie husband, Jack. During the episode -- and we have to get into spoilers to explain this -- Nathan came over to drop off Florence’s wedding bouquet, as she felt Elizabeth should have it. When he got to Elizabeth’s home, the school teacher ultimately opted to have him stay a while and to warm his red serge by the fire. This is something she often did for Jack.
Obviously, this scene was not a major part of the episode and most people watching probably took more from Elizabeth getting dibs on Florence’s wedding bouquet, traditionally meant to indicate the person who will be married next, than they might have from the serge scene. However, not one viewer, who bothered to ask the question that blew up online: Is this the first time the serge is in her house since Jack?
A lot of fans latched onto the post, either talking about their love for Nathan in general or sharing exclamatory feelings such as “oh my heart!” Others commented about whether or not this scene will be called back to in the Season 8 finale, which is impending.
I wonder if they will make a thing of it? Will she first be startled to see him there in uniform? Will she talk about later to a girlfriend or Lucas? I am so curious!
Some of the fan theories took things even a step further, claiming they hope that Little Jack will see Nathan as a father figure and maybe call him “daddy.” It is true that Elizabeth keeps a mountie toy around and has shared information about Jack with little Jack, but I’m not sure the show would go that path. I really feel like if Nathan is Elizabeth’s choice, that shouldn’t be influenced by a tender moment from her little one. It should happen because Nathan is her person.
Meanwhile, last episode, Lucas ultimately decided to give Elizabeth a little space. She was busy trying to get her schoolroom ready to please the superintendent and seemed distracted while it was very clear Lucas’ focus was on where things stood with himself and Elizabeth. After weeks of great communication and cute dates, there’s been strain, and understandably so. Elizabeth seemed sad when Lucas made the call, but if her heart is being pulled elsewhere, they both deserve better.
As things stand, it seems like When Calls The Heart is pushing Team Nathan, but just a few weeks ago, I really felt like the show was pushing for Team Lucas. A lot can happen in one episode and it seems that a lot of Elizabeth’s reservations about Nathan being a mountie may be falling by the wayside. A faction of Hearties online seem to agree:
Hopefully the choice will be coming soon. When Calls The Heart will air its season finale this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, only on Hallmark. Though there's no word on Season 9 yet, it seems there are a lot of directions the show could still go in, even if Elizabeth finalizes her decision. For a list of the other TV finales coming up, take a look at our full guide.
