<p id=”par-1_47″>Hallmark Channel is headed back to Hope Valley. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/when-calls-the-heart/?swcfpc=1″><em>When Calls the Heart</em></a><em> </em>returns for its 12th season on Jan. 5. The latest chapter of the frontier-set show will surely deliver more of the cozy, heartwarming drama, gentle humor, and sweetly romantic moments fans have come to love. </p>
<p id=”par-2_87″>What can Hearties expect from the new episodes? Hallmark has shared some details about the coming season. After finally declaring their love for each other in season 11, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/elizabeth-nathan-get-cozy-when-calls-the-heart-season-12-premiere-photos.html/”>Elizabeth and Nathan</a> will embark on the next stage of their relationship. Lucas and Lee team up on a new project as the former tries to move forward after the dramatic events of last season. And Rosemary will put her investigative skills to work as she and Bill try to find out who is responsible for a train robbery. </p>
<p id=”par-3_27″>As we look forward to the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-season-12-premiere-date-revealed.html/”><em>When Calls the Heart </em>Season 12</a> premiere, here are some of the things we’d love to see in the new episodes. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-short-courtship-for-elizabeth-and-nathan”>A short courtship for Elizabeth and Nathan</h2>
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<iframe title=”Preview – A Brand New Era – When Calls the Heart” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/OXUf8tCOW3o?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-4_90″>Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) are finally a couple, much to the delight of many fans who’d been longing to see Hope Valley’s schoolteacher in another romance with a Mountie. The couple’s new romance will undoubtedly take center stage in season 12. But will it be a long courtship or a short one? A trip to the altar seems inevitable for the pair, especially considering that Elizabeth has already broken off one engagement. Our hope is that wedding bells start ringing sooner rather than later for the couple. </p>
<p id=”par-5_118″>Elizabeth was married once before, but her time with her first husband was tragically cut short, so fans have never really seen her as a happily married wife and mother. We’ve witnessed her long courtships with both Jack and Lucas. While Elizabeth and Nathan certainly deserve time to enjoy their newfound happiness, it would be more interesting to finally allow her character to move forward to a different stage of life. An engagement – or even a wedding – by the end of the season opens the door to stories that explore Elizabeth and Nathan’s life together as husband and wife, their efforts to blend their families, and perhaps their decision to welcome a child of their own. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-new-love-interest-for-lucas”>A new love interest for Lucas</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/WhenCallstheHeartSeason12Lucas.jpg.webp&strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Lucas, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 12″ class=”wp-image-3758484″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Chris McNally as Lucas in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 12 | Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Jeff Weddell</figcaption></figure>
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<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chris-mcnally-teases-new-love-interest-lucas-when-calls-the-heart-season-12.html/”>
Chris McNally Teases New Love Interest for Lucas in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 12 </a>
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<p id=”par-6_103″>Elizabeth’s happiness with Nathan came at the expense of her former fiancé <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-calls-the-heart-star-chris-mcnally-movies-tv-shows.html/”>Lucas (Chris McNally)</a>, whom she dumped at the end of season 10 just days before their wedding. The newly elected governor went through the wringer in season 11 as he recovered from an assassination attempt, navigated the heartbreak of seeing Elizabeth move on with someone else, and faced obstacles in his efforts to develop a resort near Hope Valley. At the end of the season, he discovered that his one-time flame Jeannette (TK) had actually orchestrated the shooting that nearly killed him. The resulting scandal threw his political future into question.</p>
<p id=”par-7_97″>What’s next for Lucas? Our hope is that he catches a break in season 12, both professionally and personally. At the end of last season, he agreed to work with Lee (Kavan Smith) to create a national park near Hope Valley, though he also said he’d need to spend more time in Capital City to make that plan a reality. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like McNally is leaving Hope Valley for good. In an interview with <a href=”https://www.swooon.com/1155372/when-calls-the-heart-lucas-new-romance-season-12/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Swooon</a>, he said he’d still be around in season 12 and hinted that his character might have a new love interest. </p>
<p id=”par-8_40″>“Well, there is one of the new characters that’s coming to town who represents a fairly strong opposition to Lucas, and I think within that is a spark of chemistry, and we will see where that goes,” the actor said. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-new-character-moves-to-hope-valley-permanently”>A new character moves to Hope Valley, permanently</h2>
<p id=”par-9_48″>One of the charms of <em>When Calls the Heart </em>has always been the side stories involving the town’s many residents. Over the years, we’ve seen characters come and go. And while goodbyes are always hard, the arrival of new faces helps breathe new life into a long-running series. </p>
<p id=”par-10_128″>For season 12, we’d love to see some new characters make their home in Hope Valley. The last major addition to the show’s cast came in season 9, when Mei Sou (Amanda Wong) moved to town. Prior to that, Minnie and Joseph Canfield (Natasha Burnett and Viv Leacock) and their family put down stakes in season 8. While adding new characters could mean reduced storylines for some old favorites, it also has the potential to move the show in interesting new directions. In the season premiere, Nathan takes a new Mountie trainee (Jacob Shoemay) under his wing. Will the new cadet make the town his permanent home? We’ll have to wait and see, but his arrival could open the door for a new generation of Hope Valley stories. </p>
<p id=”par-11_22″><em>When Calls the Heart </em>Season 12 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. Episodes stream the next day on Hallmark+. </p>
<p id=”par-12_16″><em>For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to </em><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWmTM34h0-P7FcCwuA6h6sw/videos” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel</em></a><em>.</em></p>