The Heartie Corner: Expectations vs. Reality
Volume 2 of The Heartie Corner explores Expectations vs. Reality as it pertains to When Calls the Heart.
Lately, expectations vs reality has been tugging at my heart. It’s hard to believe we are only 2 weeks away from Season 11 and as April 7th gets closer, I want to check my expectations at the door so they don’t ruin the reality. I want to enjoy this season without constant disappointment. Settle in your cup of tea and comfy blanket while I discuss my thoughts on expectations vs. reality.
Expectations
When it comes to When Calls the Heart I have learned to expect the unexpected. The Season 8 finale taught me that lesson the HARD way. And it was a painful wound open for YEARS. I expected Nathan to be the one Elizabeth picked so that became my focus. I missed certain parts of the story related and unrelated to the love triangle because I had my rose-colored glasses on. I was devastated when Elizabeth broke his heart (and mine) and then proceeded to run into Lucas’s arm. Still to this day watching that season is like a gut punch.
High or unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment, anger, etc. I have spent two years nursing the wounds my high expectations caused in Season 8. I have no desire to experience that again and will not fall victim to the disappointment following my high expectations. That is why I am changing my mindset for Season 11.
Tempering Expectations
Based on promos, Season 11 appears to be one for the books! In a good way. The overall tone and style seem more freeing and evident of the changes coming in Season 11. This excites me because of all the potential joy and happiness it will bring! From the videos, pictures, and cast interviews it sounds like Hope Valley is embracing the roaring 20s. This brings a lot of potential good storylines along with the ones continuing from Season 10.
It’s no secret I am a huge Nathan & Elizabeth fan so you can imagine my excitement when viewing these promos! This season my goal is to temper my expectations regarding that storyline and others.
Season 10 was a good practice run for tempering my expectations but despite my efforts, I still managed to set them which led to ultimate disappointment related to Nathan’s storyline. The thing is I wanted Nathan to find love in Season 10. When I started the season I thought it HAD to be one of the two single prospects, Faith or Mei. I wasn’t overly excited for either option if I’m being honest, but I was putting my best foot forward and trying to support him with Faith. As quickly as that sparked tried to start a flame it went out. It was not meant to be between them and that’s okay! Despite being handled with the utmost care and consideration, their “break up” chat left me feeling defeated. It felt like yet another failed attempt at romance. Strike 3 for Nathan. Was he out for good? At least that’s what I was thinking at the moment.
Here’s a good old-fashioned list of things I am doing to temper my expectations for Season 11:
Stop over-analyzing every promotional picture or video.
Limit pre-judgment or prediction of a scene based on limited knowledge.
Use an open-minded approach to the season, characters, and storylines.
Expect the Unexpected.
Slow down and savor the moment or scene.
HAVE FUN! - This is the most important one!
Don’t get me wrong, I love to analyze a scene or photo as much as the next person! I don’t think I’ll ever stop but my goal is to limit how often I do it. Sometimes I get caught up in the moment and realize I am setting myself up for disappointment in the future. I don’t want to unintentionally set unrealistic expectations or pre-judge a scene only to end up disappointed.
My goal for Season 11 is to watch open-minded and expect the unexpected. To say I have zero expectations would be a lie. Instead, I have a “Would Be Nice” List. The “Would Be Nice List” is full of storylines that would be nice to see BUT if it doesn’t happen it’s not the end of the world nor will I be devastated.
Lastly, I want to savor every scene by living in the moment. I am going to watch with limited distractions or device usage. I have so much fun conversing and interacting with my fellow Hearties and Team Nathan fans. However, I can feel pressure to post or churn out content when it’s not necessary or constrained by real-life responsibilities. So my goal is to slow down and savor the promo or preview. Let it sink in while I form my opinions since I’ll likely be on the floor, then post when I have time. This goes for episode reviews too!
Reality
The harsh reality is the story will rarely go exactly how I want. I’m not only talking about Nathan & Elizabeth. I’m referring to all the characters and storylines. I have set unrealistic expectations for each character over the years.
The reality is that writers, producers, network executives, etc have a job to do. We have repeatedly been told longevity is the ultimate goal for the show. Who doesn’t want that, right?! Nevertheless, they have to make decisions and change the course to ensure they meet their goal of longevity. I don’t always agree with how they have done it every step of the way because it has caused deep hurt. But my job is not to agree or disagree. If I don’t like it I don’t have to consume it. Another harsh reality I suppose.
But since I have decided to consume When Calls the Heart I will tolerate their reality. So to do that I must temper my expectations using the guidelines I set for myself in the section above.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, our (the fans) reality likely does not align with the network’s reality. And that’s perfectly fine! The network’s reality is what matters because they have the final say. I am clinging to joy, hope, happiness, and whatever else in the storylines they show this season. This doesn’t mean I love or enjoy every storyline but I am clinging to the ones that give me joy. I strive to maintain a grateful attitude and enjoy it while it lasts!
Question for YOU!
Are you tempering your expectations as we approach S11? If so, how? If not, why?
Thank you for reading along! In case you missed it here is a link to my Season 11 Plans!
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I'm the type of person who will scrutinize and deep dive into every single detail and did so from the time I found WCTH in 2015 through Season 8. Boy, did I feel burned after Season 8 though! This time around, my philosophy is to have low expectations and to have fun! While I am loving all of the little promos (especially of these Nathan and Elizabeth ones!), I'm also tempering my expectations so that I'm not disappointed later. :)