Heartie Hot Topics: Broken Engagements & Male-Female Friendships
Let’s discuss “controversial/taboo” topics as seen on WCTH focusing on broken engagements and male-female friendships.
The hottest topics on the Heartie-verse threads are broken engagements and male-female friendships. And yes this is all related to Lucas, Nathan, and Elizabeth - The Love Triangle.
Broken Engagements - Is it Right or Wrong?
Male-Female Friendships - Where is the Moral Line?
Since the Season 10 finale disappointed and hurt fans say the broken engagement aspect and friendship between Nathan & Elizabeth are problematic for the show. I strongly disagree with that sentiment. Nor is Elizabeth’s friendship with Nathan the reason she broke up with Lucas.
Broken Engagements and Male-Female Friendships are not new to When Calls the Heart.
Broken Engagements:
The topic of broken engagements is not new to the show. They’ve broached the topic numerous times. Here’s a list of broken engagements:
Rosemary Coulter (neè LeVeaux) & Jack Thornton
In Season 1 when Rosemary came to Hope Valley she was on a mission to find Jack Thornton. She introduced herself as Jack's fiancé to Elizabeth. Despite her attempts to rekindle their relationship, Jack set the record straight and in short, told her they wanted different things in life.
Faith Carter & Peter Filmore
When Faith was introduced to us we learned as was a nurse in Hamilton. In a later season or episode, she comes to Hope Valley on behalf of the doctor she works for. In a conversation with Jack, Faith reveals she has a fiancé, Peter, and he wants her to return ASAP. He wants her to quit nursing altogether. Peter makes a trip to Hope Valley to retrieve Faith with an ultimatum - leave with him or their relationship will end. Leaving Hope Valley is not what Faith wants and she breaks off the engagement.
Faith Carter & Carson Sheppard (almost engaged but broke up)
This isn’t an engagement but rather a long-term relationship. They dated from Seasons 6-8. Faith and Carson considered marriage but ultimately decided to part ways. However, including their relationship in this post is important because it’s another example of a serious relationship ending.
Bill & Nora Avery (separated/divorced)
Bill and Nora broke up their marriage due to unresolved feelings due to her son dying. It simply did not work anymore. It’s a lot more complicated than what I mentioned, and I’m not encouraging anyone to leave when it gets hard, but my point is it happened. There was no emotional attachment to their relationship so I understand it might not have the same effect as the others mentioned. Nevertheless, the show decided to address and it was part of Bill’s storyline.
Fiona Miller & Unknown Fiancé in San Francisco
There isn’t much known about Fiona’s engagement or who her former fiancé is such as his name, etc. Fiona mentioned it in passing during a conversation in earlier seasons.
Elizabeth Thornton & Lucas Bouchard
Lucas and Elizabeth’s break up is perhaps one of the most controversial of all the ones I mentioned above. Elizabeth initiated the break-up citing that her heart was not following and Lucas quickly agreed. Later they have a phone conversation and seem to be on friendly terms. It was a seemingly mutual breakup even though Elizabeth initiated it…someone had to do it.
These broken engagements are broken because as a couple their paths diverged or were called in a different direction. But on the other side was something better. What can be better after a breakup? Let me lay it out the way I see it.
Rosemary & Jack:
Jack and Rosemary were childhood best friends and both their dads were Mounties and killed in the line of duty.
Rosemary stayed in Hope Valley after she stopped trying to pursue him and he set the record straight. She met Lee Coulter shortly after and immediately formed a connection. Rosemary & Lee were married by the end of Season 3. They have had so many beautiful moments together as a couple and have become a huge part of the community. They both made lifelong friends with the men and women of Hope Valley. Recently, they got pregnant despite fertility issues. Then in Season 10, Goldie was born. We saw them dive headfirst into being first-time parents with a newborn. Although the break up might have been difficult for Rosemary the grass was greener on the side. She found true love, and friendships, and became a mother.
Jack was the one who initiated the breakup but that does not mean he wanted to lose their friendship. For Jack, this broken engagement led to his lifetime love, Elizabeth Thatcher. Jack and Elizabeth had rough patches but ultimately they were stronger together. They ended up married near the end of Season 5. Tragically, Jack died in the penultimate episode of Season 5 with Elizabeth pregnant, unbeknownst to him. Later, Elizabeth gives birth to Little Jack Thornton Jr.
In short, Rosemary and Jack were meant to be with each other romantically. However, their breakup led to finding love and creating a family.
Faith & Peter:
Faith was engaged to Peter but he wanted her to be a nurse in the city because I guess it was more convenient for him. Plus, women did not have much of a say back then. Faith decided this path in life was not for her thus ending their engagement. She had come to love the little town of Hope Valley and found her calling as the in-house nurse. Hope Valley did not have a permanent nurse until Faith arrived to take on that role and responsibility. Her break-up led her down this path of continuing to pursue her passion as a nurse. She also found love with Dr. Carson Sheppard later down the road.
Faith and Peter’s break-up allowed her to continue pursuing her passion for nursing and a romance with Carson.
Faith & Carson:
Faith’s relationship with Carson encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. However, as Carson started to pursue higher education to further his career they went down different paths. Carson left to be a surgical resident and Faith became the town Doctor.
Faith and Carson’s relationship ending helped propel their careers forward. This doesn't mean they never loved each other but their paths diverged.
Bill & Nora Avery:
Bill and Nora’s break-up was mutual and they ended their relationship on good terms. Nora went on to pursue better things and Bll continued as inspector. He also had some flirty moments with Abigail and Molly.
Bill and Nora’s break-up did not slow or hinder their storylines. It propelled them forward. My point in bringing up this break-up is this has happened on When Calls the Heart and isn’t new as of Season 10.
Fiona and Unknown Fiance:
We never saw this relationship or break-up but based on the present day I can confidently say the grass was greener on the other side for Fiona. She is a smart woman with engineering skills incomparable to others. She is a telephone operator and that led her to Hope Valley. After being given the ultimatum by her boss she decided to quit the telephone company and stay in Hope Valley. She has pursued many business endeavors such as barber and getting into the oil business. She has been successful since then and is an integral part of Hope Valley as the roaring 20s approach.
Her break-up with her unknown fiance did not hold her back. It allowed her to pursue her passions, and dreams, and find her calling.
Elizabeth & Lucas:
Lucas and Elizabeth’s break-up is perhaps one of the most controversial of the ones mentioned above because of the high emotional connection for some fans. We have not seen the aftermath of the break up because that is what Season 11 will bring us. However, let me speculate just a little.
I believe the grass will be greener on the other side of this break-up for both of them, especially, Lucas. In Season 10 Episode 12, Lucas & Elizabeth had a phone conversation in which he revealed he had found his calling in campaigning and taking on politics. This is HUGE. Lucas would not have found his calling if pushed to decide between running for Governor or staying in Hope Valley for Elizabeth. Staying would not have been fair but going was harder. I am not saying this is going to be easy or painless. It’s not. It’s okay for Lucas to have a hard time with the break-up and to be hurt. That is realistic. After the breakup, Elizabeth has a newfound freedom to follow her heart instead of leaving Hope Valley, a place she has called HOME for so long and was called to be their teacher.
Male-Female Friendships:
Male-female friendships are not uncommon in the When Calls the Heart world. It’s COMMON. Here’s a list of male-female friendships:
Faith & Jack
Fiona & Hickam
Rosemary & Jack
Mei & Nathan
Nathan & Elizabeth
If done correctly, a strong male-female friendship is as intriguing and powerful as a female-female friendship. The list above is not comprehensive but it’s a good starting point for making my point. Here we go!
If you look at these friendships mentioned above the foundation is mutual respect. The start of these friendships did not begin with romance. They grew and thrived because each person nurtured it. Jack and Faith supported one another. Fiona and Hickam have always supported each other and often sought advice from one another. Rosemary and Jack were childhood friends and remained friends until his death. Mei and Nathan were close friends in Season 9. They bonded over their traumas and helped each other see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes all we need is a listening ear and extra encouragement, which Mei and Nathan consistently did for each other. Nathan and Elizabeth’s friendship began with bonding over being single parents and helping each other. Until Season 10, Elizabeth primarily was the one advising that friendship, but roles were reserved that season when Elizabeth sought his advice. They also continually challenged each other to look deeper than the surface and follow the desires of their hearts.
Summary
In summary, broken engagements and male-female friendships are not negative things. They are positive aspects of any show or movie. The broken engagements or relationships in When Calls the Heart led to greener pastures. It wasn’t always a straight path or easy to watch as a viewer but in the end, these characters found their callings and something better. That is not to say what they had in their former relationship or engagement was bad or that the other person is bad. It means those two people were not meant to be together romantically. Due to the recent climate on Twitter following the Season 10 finale, male-female friendships have come under fire. Specifically, Nathan & Elizabeth but that is only to place blame instead of looking at the facts. Male-female friendships are not uncommon and Nathan and Elizabeth are not the first ones on When Calls the Heart. I think it is important to remember just because a male and female are friends does not equate to cheating. Of course, boundaries are necessary but When Calls the Heart does not cross that line.
Questions for YOU!
In your opinion, has WCTH crossed boundaries with any of these topics?
Do you feel WCTH and Hallmark Channel have leaned into the male-female friendships on WCTH? If so, how?
Thank you for reading! Here is my post describing the deep-abiding friendship between Nathan & Elizabeth.