Is Lucas (Chris McNally) Leaving ‘When Calls the Heart’?

Big changes could be coming to Hope Valley and When Calls the Heart. The small town’s future is at stake because of a scheme to steal the valley’s water, and it looks like Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) might be the man who can save everything. But will stepping up to protect Hope Valley come at a huge personal cost? And could it lead to one of the show’s stars leaving the series for good? 

[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for When Calls the Heart Season 10 Episode 11.]

Lucas agrees to run for governor on ‘When Calls the Heart’ 

Early in season 10, Elizabeth (Erin Krakow)’s aunt Agatha (Karin Konval) told her niece that Lucas might be destined for greater things than running Hope Valley’s saloon and hotel. It turns out, she was right. Lucas’s rousing, off-the-cuff speech exposed the territorial governor’s involvement in a plot to steal water from Hope Valley and other small towns made him a rising political star. Days later, the governor’s opponent drops out of the race, and party leaders approach Lucas to step in as a candidate.  

Hope Valley appears to have found the champion it needs in Lucas, and his fiancé Elizabeth is proud to see him step into that role. But things get more complicated when she realizes that if Lucas wins the election, he’ll have to move to Capitol City — and that his wife will be expected to join him there. 

Elizabeth realizes she can’t leave Hope Valley        

With the election just weeks away, Lucas throws himself into his campaign. An increasingly anxious Elizabeth watches from the sidelines. She was already showing some signs that she was getting cold feet before the wedding. Now, she’s also facing the prospect of leaving Hope Valley behind as well. Nathan (Kevin McGarry) – the man she rejected in favor of Lucas – confronts her in an emotional scene at the schoolhouse.  

“Be honest with yourself? Is this what you want?” he asks her. 

She replies that she wants Lucas to win the election, and that she’ll be going on the campaign trail with him. But at the last moment, Elizabeth balks. Just before she and Lucas are about to board the train, she tells him she can’t go with him. And it’s not just about the election or the possibility of Lucas becoming governor.

“I really wanted to make this work,” a tearful Elizabeth says. “No matter how hard I tried to convince myself…”

“Your heart isn’t there,” he says, before adding that he’s suspected for some time that Elizabeth was having second thoughts. 

“I wish you all the happiness in the world,” he says, and then boards the train. 

And just like that, it seems like the wedding is off and Elizabeth is single again. Meanwhile, Lucas is on the fast track to becoming governor. 

Is Chris McNally leaving ‘When Calls the Heart’?

There’s still one episode left of When Calls the Heart Season 10. Based on the episode synopsis from Hallmark Channel, we’ll find out who becomes governor in the finale, titled “Starry Nights.” Intriguingly, it also says that Elizabeth will be by Lucas’s side on Election Day. That suggests there’s a chance they reconcile after their difficult conversation in the Oct. 8 episode. However, it could also mean she’s by his side as a friend, not as his future wife.  

Hearties who love the Elizabeth-Lucas pairing will surely hope the show finds some way to bring the back together in the finale. But given how we left things between Elizabeth and Lucas at the end of episode 11, it’s hard not to wonder if When Calls the Heart is setting up McNally’s exit from the series. 

If Lucas becomes governor, he’ll have to move to Capitol City. And with his engagement to Elizabeth apparently over and the wedding seemingly canceled, he’ll have nothing firmly tying him to Hope Valley. In this scenario, Lucas moves on to a bigger stage, just as Aunt Agatha predicted. Meanwhile, Elizabeth stays where she is and possibly embarks on a romance with Nathan. Lucas’s story ends on a heroic, albeit bittersweet, note as he saves Hope Valley while also losing the woman he loves.  

What’s next for ‘When Calls the Heart’? 

At this point, there’s been no official announcement that McNally is leaving When Calls the Heart. Though all signs currently point to Lucas becoming governor, ending his relationship with Elizabeth, and leaving Hope Valley behind, there are still other directions the story could go. 

There’s a chance Lucas will lose the election and remain in Hope Valley, though perhaps not as Elizabeth’s partner. But that seems unlikely, because if Balfour is re-elected, Hope Valley won’t survive. Plus, would Lucas really want to stay in Hope Valley, where he’s surrounded by memories of Elizabeth? 

Another possibility is that Lucas wins the election but reconciles with Elizabeth. Together, they must figure out a way to balance his responsibilities as governor with her desire to stay in Hope Valley. (For example, he conveniently handles most of his governor duties during the months-long gaps between seasons.)  

Whatever happens, our hope is that we get some answers about what’s next for Lucas in the season 10 finale. While it would be sad to see McNally leave, having him go out as the man who saved Hope Valley would make the exit slightly less painful. But, with When Calls the Heart already confirmed to return for season 11, we might have to wait a while to find out what the future holds for Lucas, Elizabeth, and the rest of the town’s residents. 

The When Calls the Heart Season 10 finale airs Sunday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. 

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