It’s been a long wait, but Hearties got their holiday wish. When Calls the Heart returns earlier this year and premieres in January instead of the spring.
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 1 promises our Hope Valley residents many new changes. Elizabeth and Nathan deal with the news Superintendent Hargraves delivers and their blossoming relationship.
Nathan also trains a new Mountie cadet, Oliver Garrett, while Elizabeth deals with the fact that Jack and Lily are beginning school and some of her other students are graduating soon.
Speaking of legacies, Lucas, Lee, and Rosemary must find a way to participate in the National Parks project, and Lee is working part-time in National City.
Our favorites look front and center this season, and we can’t wait.
Superintendent Hargraves’s Surprise Visit Affects Elizabeth and Nathan
Nathan’s guilt never ends.
Erin Krakow and Kevin McGarry hinted that Jack (Daniel Lissing) does not return from the dead, so Hargrave’s news will affect their relationship differently.
According to the When Call the Heart Season 12 Episode 1 spoilers, Elizabeth receives a sentimental surprise. That makes it sound like Hargraves brings Elizabeth something of Jack’s that will make him even more of a hero and make Nathan more uneasy.
However, this is a natural conflict for them since Nathan has often struggled to live up to Jack’s legacy. It’s become more challenging as Little Jack grows older, asks more questions, and looks up to his late father.
This works better for them than the contrived conflict that Nathan was to blame for Jack’s death or bringing Jack back like a soap opera.
Nathan’s struggle to want Elizabeth and Little Jack to honor Jack but also to move on with him is real.
Spoilers Hint That Hargraves Also Sends Nathan a New Recruit
We suspect that the Superintendent visited for another reason since the spoilers and the promo tease that Nathan trains a new Mountie cadet.
Jacob Shoemay (A Million Little Things) plays Oliver Garrett. We don’t know much about him, except other photos suggest he may be paired up with Allie.
It will be interesting to learn why Hargraves thought Oliver needed a mentor and why he thought Nathan would excel at teaching him.
Nathan always assumed Superintendent Hargraves disliked him. Maybe he grudgingly respected him, and giving him a recruit was his way of showing that.
Perhaps Oliver needs some guidance and someone to believe in him. Nathan has excelled at that after raising his niece.
It’s also possible Hargraves thought Nathan would fail at this assignment, but hopefully, he wouldn’t put another Mountie in the way as collateral damage.
As One Generation Graduates, Another Begins School
The spoilers tease that Angela Canfield is set to schedule this year. In When Calls the Heart Season 11, she discussed with her friends attending a college for the blind in Hamilton.
I’m excited the Canfields have a story again because the story of the oldest child leaving the nest is always relatable, no matter what time period.
Angela’s story is extra relatable because she wants to attend a college for the blind so she can fit in more, but Minnie isn’t ready to let go of her daughter yet.
As the older students prepare for their senior year, a new batch of students start school. It’s Little Jack’s and Lily’s first day of school, and they look so small and nervous.
They’ve both had the older children babysit them, but they almost look terrified of them now. Will they handle the transition from daycare to school together and come out stronger ahead?
Additional fun spoilers concerning the children hint that they’ll discover comic books for the first time. I didn’t realize comics were published in the 1920s, and I can’t wait to see what the older ones looked like.
Lucas, Lee, and Rosemary Must Compromise for the National Parks Project to Happen
Lucas and Lee have joined forces to create a National Park near Hope Valley. The problem is that Lucas wants to do most of the planning and campaigning in Capital City.
From her expression at the end of When Calls The Heart Season 11 Episode 12, Rosemary didn’t seem pleased with Lee being apart from her and Goldie. We doubt her feelings have changed much.
Rosemary is opinionated and the head of the family, so Lucas must convince her to let Lee accompany him.
Rosemary isn’t mean, but it took years for them to have a family, so she wants the three of them to experience all of Goldie’s firsts.
However, it’s a delicate balance because Lucas and Lee want to create the National Park to be a legacy for Goldie and other children.
Those reasons matter to Rosemary, but will it be enough to sway her and compromise her beliefs?
Over to you, Hearties. What are you excited about seeing in the Season 12 premiere?
Are you looking forward to seeing how Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship evolves or more of Lucas’s National Park project?
Let us know in the comments below.
When Calls the Heart Season 12 premieres on Sunday, January 5 at 9/8c on the Hallmark Channel and debuts on Hallmark+ the next day.
Watch When Calls the Heart Online