All the Characters Who’ve Left When Calls the Heart Over the Years
Since its debut in 2014, When Calls the Heart has become one of the Hallmark Channel’s most cherished series. Hope Valley has lost a few main characters over the show’s 11 seasons, including ones that Hearties will never forget. Read on to discover who’s left When Calls the Heart and why they exited the drama.
When Calls the Heart is Hallmark’s historical drama series following the residents of Hope Valley (previously known as Coal Valley), a small town in Western Canada. The series is based on the Janette Oke book and the original 2013 Hallmark movie by the same name. It centers around Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to high-society life who moves to Hope Valley to teach her first classroom.
The beloved series returned for its 11th season in April 2024 with a bang (literally). In the Season 11 premiere, it was revealed that Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) was shot but survived his wound. After the incident, Hearties were worried that the show was writing Lucas off, especially after Elizabeth called off their wedding and relationship in the Season 10 finale.
“We can assure everyone that Lucas is back for season 11. He’s a huge part of Hope Valley and always will be,” showrunner Lindsay Sturman clarified to Entertainment Tonight in October 2023. “But there’s definitely a cliffhanger and a few mysteries packed in there, and it will all be revealed next season.”
While Lucas is safe, one fan-favorite When Calls the Heart character might not be: Kayla Wallace’s character Fiona Miller. In Season 11, it’s revealed that Fiona is away working with her sister and the other Suffragettes, but with much work still to be done securing women’s rights, she will not be returning to Hope Valley right now. It’s unknown when and if Fiona will return.
Erin Krakow told TV Insider in April 2024 that Wallace had a scheduling conflict with another project. The actress was recently cast in Taylor Sheridan’s new Paramount+ series Landman.
“We love Kayla Wallace. We would love for her to be in every episode. Kayla had a really incredible opportunity on another TV series that films out of town. We’re excited for her,” she explained. While she said, “We are hoping that we’ll be able to have Fiona back for some episodes,” Krakow didn’t know for sure. “Who knows? But yeah, we truly, truly over the moon thrilled for Kayla.”
As we wait to learn Fiona’s fate in Season 11, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at the biggest cast exits on When Calls the Heart that Hearties are still not over.