‘When Calls the Heart’ Aftershow: Chris McNally on Lucas’ Old Friend, Elizabeth & Nathan, and the Shooting (VIDEO)
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for When Calls the Heart Season 11 Episode 4 “Along Came a Spider.”]
Lucas (Chris McNally) gets a very unwanted blast from his past, one he’d not exactly been truthful about, when his old “friend,” Jeanette (Cecilia Deacon), comes to Hope Valley on When Calls the Heart.
Sure, they’ve gotten into trouble in the past, but she insists she’s just there representing a group of investors interested in the hotel. Lucas doesn’t buy it and spends the episode trying to get Jeanette to leave and keep her from interacting with anyone, especially his ex-fiancée Elizabeth (Erin Krakow). But Jeanette does make sure to introduce herself to Elizabeth just before she leaves. So how much was Lucas not wanting her around about him knowing her tactics and how much was it him not wanting the reminder of who he was?
“I think it’s definitely both. Lucas knows Jeanette well and does not trust her and I don’t think he fully believes her reasoning for being in Hope Valley,” McNally tells TV Insider as part of our weekly When Calls the Heart aftershow, Heart Beats. “There’s definitely the fact that he is reminded of the life he used to lead in the past, and he’s made great efforts to change his ways and has made quite a bit of progress. And so this blast from the past is inconvenient at best for him.”
Ricardo Hubbs / Hallmark Media
Elizabeth is also a factor because he does still care about her and her feelings, McNally continues. And he doesn’t disagree with her assessment in the episode that part of what led to the end of their relationship is that Lucas puts her on a pedestal.
“He cares for her more than anyone he’s ever met, and I think that one of his faults is placing her on that pedestal and viewing her in that way,” he explains. “That’s not to say that he doesn’t also see her grounded, but I think subconsciously, he does lift her up and envision her there and hence all the grand gestures and trying to do everything in his power in the past, to show her how much he cares for her.”
Right now, Lucas is not exactly content to just be friends with Elizabeth, but “he always puts [her] feelings first, and her happiness is the most important thing to him,” according to McNally. “But so far in Lucas’s journey, there’s no one else that ticks that box for him and that he feels the same way about her even close to. So I think it’s tough, but it’s what it is.”
He also confirms that “Lucas is very aware” of what’s developing between Elizabeth and Nathan (Kevin McGarry). “I don’t think he’s surprised by it. I think that internally he knows that when it wasn’t right with Lucas and Elizabeth that Nathan would be next or would be the final choice,” he admits.
As for who shot Lucas and whether he believes Pike’s confession, his character “wants [the investigation] to go away and move on,” says McNally. Until there’s new information, “he’s considering it case close because he has to compartmentalize. He’s very stressed out this season. … He’s just got so much on his plate.”
But McNally is enjoying seeing Lucas under that pressure because “as we progress through this Season 11 storyline, the amount of weight and pressure and stress that’s added on him and sort of chipping him away, you just get to see sides of Lucas that you haven’t seen before—some for the better and some for the worse. It’s an interesting perspective that we get to see for the first time.”
Oh, and as for those people who think Lucas might actually really remember what happened the night of his shooting and is covering it up? “As far as I’m concerned, he’s not lying,” says McNally, but adds, “I also don’t think he’s too eager to try and remember and go down that path because he has so much on his plate. If it comes back, then I think that’s helpful. He really did smack his head and has nothing to offer.”
Watch the full video interview above for more from McNally, including whether Lucas misses who he was with Jeanette, how he feels about her bid on the hotel, Lucas and Elizabeth, Lucas and Nathan’s dynamic this season, whether he trusts Edwin (Erik Gow), and the investigation into his shooting.
When Calls the Heart, Sundays, 9/8c, Hallmark Channel
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What's been done to Lucas this Season is truly unforgivable. There is no way destroying a good man just to set up a repeat of the show's main love story can EVER be okay, and I know they won't because this is the love story they apparently always wanted to tell from Season 6, but the writers and producers should be ashamed of themselves for all this deception and cruelty!
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He has nothing to worry about, Nathan is the reason little Jacks father & Elizabeth husband died. Elizabeth would be considered a hu$$y during those times(and today) for dating multiple men, leading guys on, flipping between guys, etc. Elizabeth didn't mind Jack's grand gestures, example buying the land for a house, but Lucas is a "bad" doing the same, encouraging her career, a hot air balloon ride, omg!
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Agree with your point about the grand gestures. The story with Lucas and those gestures was that he was trying to figure out how to show her that he cared for her, it was all he knew. They had started to show Lucas growing to understand she didn’t need all that, and that it was the little things that mattered. Then it turned on a dime.
I continue to maintain that there were many more stories of interest with Lucas and that going back to a Mountie was just a re-do of a story already told.
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When she said Lucas was the easy choice I found that ridiculous based on exactly what you're saying. She's attracted to Nathan when he's "mountie Nathan" and being reminded of Jack. He has come across weird and creepy to me. It's his personality and bc he stalked her and dated her all while being there to "keep an eye on her".
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The writing this season is despicable. I'm glad Chris is able to accept it and do his job but for many hearties it was a bridge too far. Lindsay Sturman destroyed a legacy.
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This lazy character assassination of Lucas reeks of pure desperation to give legitimacy to Nathan and Elizabeth. When Lucas and Elizabeth were together the former show runner didn’t trash Nathan to pull up Lucabeth, but the new one is frantically trying to erase Lucas’ true character in an effort to make Nathan and Elizabeth look more palatable.
Once again, Lucas is held to a higher standard than Nathan who for years was deceitful with Elizabeth about his involvement in Jack’s death but was given a pass by everyone on and off the show. Nathan and Elizabeth will always have a toxic foundation and this revisionary history of Lucas’ character will not fly with his fans.
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I flipped to last night’s episode right when Elizabeth “slipped” into Nathan’s arms. There is no chemistry between those two. Still giving brother sister vibes. Lucas deserves so much better than Elizabeth. She and Nathan both are acting like grade schoolers. And, yes, it appears they are trying to twist who Lucas is. Not sure I’ll bother with this season if they keep rewriting history.
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I am so upset the way Elizabeth is treating Lucas this season. It seems like all it took was Ally babysitting and Little Jack leaving a seat by Lucas and going to sit with Ally and Nathan in the church and Elizabeth is suddenly interested in Nathan! What? When Elizabeth chose Lucas and she met him on the bridge she told him, "Thank You for waiting for me!" She never kissed Mounty Jack like this. When she had the "private reading" with Lucas in the library, she never kissed or wooed Mounty Jack like that. My point is, Elizabeth had declared her love for Lucas and was finally acting like a woman in love! Now with Elizabeth breaking up with Lucas, we are back to the sideway looks, slight giggles, and smiles like when she was falling and Nathan caught her! Elizabeth should NOT go back to acting like a 16 year old puppy love girl making googly eyes with Nathan. Elizabeth and Lucas should have been a done deal! You may lose a lot of viewers over this if Elizabeth and Nathan are the couple. I would have loved to see Fiona and Nathan together. Also, if Kayla Wallace's career skyrockets in the new Taylor Sheridan's show she's a part of, it's likely Kayla and Kevin may not be part of WCTH...WHAT THEN! It could be a possibility! STILL TEAM LUCAS
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I had to smile when I read previous comment about disliking Lucas, beause I feel that way about Nathan.
What I would like to me ntion is that with Jeanette coming to town it is just too similar to when Rosemary came to town. Another
flamboyant woman with an eye.for Elizabeth 's man; sashshaying around. Elizabeth still loves Lucas. She needs to get back with him.
Thank you.
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I agree with everyone who feels Elizabeth should be with Lucas not Nathon.... just don't feel the love and romance between Nathon and Elizabeth.... but I sure do feel the love and romance with Elizabeth and Lucas. He is very romantic with Elizabeth... and he loves Little Jack! We are in season 11 now and you can tell Lucas still loves Elizabeth... he always said he just wants to see her happy.. not happy with Naton. Plus he never has made an effort with little jack. Loved seeing Lucas with Jack his Buddy. Plz do not ruin the series. Let Elizabeth see that she really is in love with Lucas....I like Nathon heading towards Faith Carter. I still hoping for Mounty Jack to be alive and come back... but till then Lucas and Eliabeth❤️❤️❤️
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I am Team Lucas. . He is perfect for Elizabeth. Nathan is NOT....why change up the story??? He seems so desperate (Nathan). UGH I'm really upset with this story line....
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A very disappointing storyline in Season 11 for Lucas and Elizabeth. I'm only watching the show because of Lucas.
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Never liked Lucas from the start. Still can't stand the actor. Don't watch any of his movies either. Glad the writers broke the 2 of them up. He wanted to be Governer why isn't he in the capital. He's not a good man, his past shows that and when they first brought him on, he was up to no good then. You don't have to buy love.
Nathan has better chemistry with Elizabeth. And I really don't think he got Jack killed. I see they are on posting Lucas fans.
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