Yellowstonemay have made Westerns popular again, butWhen Calls the Hearthas been going strong for 12 seasons all on its own.The Hallmark Channelrecently posted a new trailer on X (formerly Twitter) for the long-running Western romance. The series is inspired byJanette Oke’sbook of the same name and follows Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), who arrives in the coal mining town of Coal Valley as a school teacher. Throughout the seasons, she experiences love and loss as she searches for her heart’s desire. The new trailer is short but shows the romance between Elizabeth and Mounted Police Officer, Nathan (Kevin McGarry), following the former’s love confession in Season 11. The trailer shows the two having a conversation in town.
“I just got dating advice from my daughter,” Nathan confesses, decked out in his Mountie uniform. The trailer flashes back to his aforementioned daughter, suggesting he go out and have fun. The 15-second spot concludes with a romantic montage between Elizabeth and Nathan, portending good things to come for them in the upcoming season.When the Heart CallsSeason 12is the first time that the couple is out in the open. Up until this point, they had been engaged in a classic will-they-won’t-they back and forth, a common trope in the romance genre.
Nathan and Elizabeth Have Been the Focus of ‘When Calls the Heart’ For Some Time
For a series as long-running asWhen Calls the Heartandits spin-offWhen Hope Calls, there have to be many surprises to keep it interesting. When Elizabeth first comes to Coal Valley, she is a fish out of water. A daughter of an elite eastern family, she comes to the mining town for her first teaching assignment. She has to adapt to frontier life and eventually marries Jack Thornton, only to lose him to death. Nathan enters the picture in Season 6 and though the two had a rocky start, there appears to be smooth sailing for Elizabeth and the Mountie in the future.
They started as a case of unrequited love, as is the case in many romances. While Nathan professed his love for her, she did not feel the same. Things change seasons down the line, which is integral for any romance — couples can’t get together immediately. Even after over ten decades on the air, feel-good television needs conflict to keep it interesting. Now that Nathan and Elizabeth are together, perhaps there will be even more twists when the series airs.
Viewers can catch the Season 12 premiere ofWhen Calls the Heartwhen it airs onthe Hallmark Channelon January 5 at 9 PM ET.
