Is Abigail (Lori Loughlin) Returning to ‘When Calls the Heart’? Season 10 Finale Offers Fans Hope

When Calls the Heart Season 10 ended on a serious cliffhanger, and we’re not just talking about the situation with Lucas. “Starry Nights” featured a major call-out to a long-missing character that many fans would love to see return to the Hallmark Channel show. But could Lori Loughlin really reprise her role as Abigail Stanton in When Calls the Heart? The season 10 finale – and some comments from one of the show’s producers – suggest it’s possible.  

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the When Calls the Heart Season 10 finale.] 

Henry visited Abigail in the ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 10 finale 

Lori Loughlin played Abigail Stanton in the first six seasons of When Calls the Heart. But early in season 6, the character was abruptly written off the show due to Loughlin’s involvement in the college admissions scandal. 

Since then, references to Abigail have continued to pop up from time to time on When Calls the Heart. Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) has kept in touch with her old friend. The show also revealed that Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins) continued to correspond with Abigail and that he even reconnected with her off-screen during the gap between seasons 8 and 9. Her name still appears on the sign of Hope Valley’s cafe, even though the restaurant is now run by Minnie Canfield (Natasha Burnett). 

Then, in the season 10 finale, Henry – who has spent the past several seasons wrestling with his guilt over his role in the season 1 mine disaster – opened up to Elizabeth about how Abigail helped him see the beauty in the world again. 

“I think she would really have appreciated who you are now,” Elizabeth tells him. 

Henry’s last scene in “Starry Nights” sees him pulling up in front of a house with A. Stanton written on the mailbox. He knocks on the door and someone answers. “Abigail,” he says. 

‘When Calls the Heart’ producer is hopeful Lori Loughlin might return to the show

Abigail did not appear in the scene with Henry. But it’s the strongest signal that the character might return to the show someday. While Hallmark has previously indicated it would not work with Loughlin again, When Calls the Heart executive producer Brian Bird told JLJ Media (via YouTube) that he was hopeful that the network would eventually relent. 

“Hope Valley is a town of second chances,” said Bird. “I believe it. This is where art and life kind of co-mingle.” 

Bird has previously expressed his desire to have Loughlin back as a When Calls the Heart cast member. While Loughlin hasn’t commented on whether she’d be open to rejoining the show, she has returned to acting since her brief prison stint. One of her first roles was playing Abigail in a 2021 Christmas special for the When Calls the Heart spinoff series When Hope Calls. However, that aired on Great American Family, not Hallmark Channel. 

As for whether that scene with Henry was a sign that When Calls the Heart fans might be seeing more of Loughlin as Abigail in the future, Bird wouldn’t say. 

“That scene made the cut … this is an ongoing conversation,” he said. “I can’t promise anything. I can’t spoil anything … it’s a place called Hope Valley and I have a lot of hope.” 

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