The love triangle on 'When Calls the Heart' is heating up, so ET asked the cast to select their pick for Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Thornton is officially in the center of a love triangle!
Hearties all over the world were left stunned after watching the When Calls the Heart season six finale, when we saw Elizabeth Thornton select Lucas Bouchard as her dance partner, only to lock eyes with Mountie Nathan Grant and appear torn over her decision. The episode ended with that massive cliffhanger and quite frankly, we’ve been thinking about it ever since.
Last week, ET exclusively visited the Vancouver set amid filming season seven, and we had to ask the cast the ever-important burning question: are you Team Nathan or Team Lucas!?
Kevin McGarry:
"Well, I will say Team Lucas has got a lot of great things to offer, but I might be a little biased when I say Team Nathan," McGarry said, smiling, proudly rooting for the character he plays. "Nathan can offer her security and strength...I think Nathan might need Elizabeth more than Team Lucas needs Elizabeth. I think Team Lucas can offer her a lot, I think Team Nathan can offer her a lot but I think Nathan needs Elizabeth to enrich his life, to function, to be a better person."
Chris McNally:
"I am Team Lucas, because I play Lucas," McNally declared with a laugh. "I feel like I need to root for Lucas at the end of the day. However, Kevin [McGarry] and I have this fun game going on where the whole cast received shirts that were either Team Nathan or Team Lucas... I requested a Team Nathan shirt and he requested a Team Lucas shirt, so we support each other when we wear the shirts, but I think at the end of the day, I have to root for my own character." But McNally added, jokingly, "Don't tell Kevin that!"
Andrea Brooks:
"This is such a difficult question!" Brooks, who plays Nurse Faith Carter, exclaimed before selecting Team Lucas. "I don't know if he's necessarily the better suitor but I think in terms of his character arc, it's been quite interesting. He kind of came into this town and we, as a town in Hope Valley, we didn't really know how to approach him or what his intentions were, and I think it's always interesting when someone comes in and they're not necessarily who you think they are when first confronted with them. I think it sort of taught all the characters to maybe hold off on judgment a little bit," she explained. "And, he's got the pocket watch, which is always very dapper."
But according to Brooks, there's one very important factor working in Nathan's favor: his experience as a guardian. "[Parenting is] something Nathan has far more experience in. You can see how this is the impossible dilemma!" she quipped.
Kavan Smith:
"Gosh, this is tough!" Smith, who plays Lee Coulter, exclaimed. "I'm gonna say Team Nathan, and I'm gonna say it's because of two things. Number one, I think the show was always about a Mountie and Elizabeth, so there is something about that that sort of rings true to the original incubus of this thing. Secondly... [Nathan and Elizabeth] kind of give each other the gears a little bit more. Not in a funny way, but they're kind of, they bicker a little bit. I kinda like that! A little friction, like he kind of puts her in her place a little bit and I don't think she's used to that," he explained.
But of course, Smith sees a lot of value in Lucas too, telling ET quite simply, "I love both!"
Martin Cummins:
"I like them both, but I gotta go with Lucas, I'm in business with him!" Cummins told ET, speaking on behalf of his character, Henry Gowen. "I think [Lucas is] sort of sweet and delicate... and also the artistic side of him, the writing," he continued. Cummins also complimented Lucas' fashion sense, calling him "slick!"
Pascale Hutton:
"Well, if you're asking Rosemary who she votes for, obviously she would say Nathan because Lucas rubbed her the wrong way at the very beginning when he brought in that darn piano that plays by itself and he didn't need Rosemary to sing... he robbed her of an opportunity!" Hutton said, laughing, speaking on behalf of her character, Rosemary Coulter.
"But, I would say, for me personally, when I was reading the scripts last season, I was always thinking Lucas. I was. I was always thinking Lucas and then I watched the season and I saw that final moment when Nathan walks out with his little puppy dog face and I thought, 'Oh, she belongs with Nathan! I was wrong all along!'"
But alas, Hutton sees the good in both gentlemen. "I think they both complement her in different ways which is what I think the struggle is, but I would say right now, I would probably think I'm leaning more towards Nathan because not just the look he gave, which of course pulled at our sympathy strings, but the look she gave in return which was one of like, a little bit of longing and a little bit of, 'Oh, maybe I made the wrong choice.'"
Eva Bourne:
"Well, I love them both, but I think better suited is Lucas," Bourne, who plays bride-to-be Clara Stanton, concluded. "I think they have this connection over writing and storytelling and that's something that's vitally important for Elizabeth, so they connect on a different level than Nathan."
As for the Mountie, Eva sweetly says he and Elizabeth have a "beautiful friendship."
Kayla Wallace:
"How could you choose?! It's so almost even with me!" Wallace shared, after being asked who she thinks is the better suitor for Elizabeth. "I'm on Team Nathan because Elizabeth gets along so well with Allie and I would love to see a mother figure for Allie. So I think that's the one point over for Nathan why I would be Team Nathan, but Team Lucas is a close second."
However, Wallace also has a soft spot in her heart for Lucas, telling ET, "I love that he challenges her and it's so unexpected. He's sort of this bad guy type who has a heart of gold, but it's unexpected, so that's exciting."
Aren Buchholz:
"That's so tough, they're such good characters and such good guys," Buchholz, who plays groom-to-be Jesse Flynn, lamented. "After being with Jack [Thornton], I think it would be nice to see her with Lucas, she's been with a Mountie... I think the chemistry between them, the mysteriousness of him, I think it goes well for the new storyline."
But on the flip side, Buchholz gives a shout-out to his pal, McGarry, telling ET, "I love Kevin and what he does with the role and the character, it's great, but I'd like to see Lucas, Team Lucas all the way!"
Paul Greene:
"I am Team Lucas," Greene stated. "I can't imagine her going through the heartbreak of losing another [Mountie]. That's the risk, there's a little more risk there, that's why I'm leaning towards Lucas."
But Greene points out that Nathan is a "pretty heroic" character, so he also understands why Elizabeth could wind up going for him. He added, "They're both really funny, and so different."
Jack Wagner:
Wagner, who plays town judge Bill Avery, stayed true to his character's unbiased perspective and answered quite diplomatically. "I'm gonna give you two votes. I have to, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. Making his case for each, Wagner said, "I love that Nathan has Allie. There's a little family thing there. I also love that Lucas is a saloon owner and charming. I think it gives Elizabeth, 'Oh, this is really yummy, oh that's so nice too,' right? So all women kind of like that little mystery and also that strength in family. That's where I stand."
As for who the actor feels has the competitive advantage? He votes for Mountie Nathan. "He's got a red serge and she kinda digs red, that's all I know... Lucas has to step his game up, he's against the odds here and he will, he will."
Erin Krakow:
Krakow, a co-executive producer on the series and the actress who plays the woman at the center of it all, Elizabeth Thornton, is torn, to say the least. "I'm not gonna be a tiebreaker because I'm gonna tell you both! I really think both characters would be good for Elizabeth, for various reasons. I also think they're both risky choices."
"I'm Team Nathan because I think he really listens, he has experience as a parent, he's gonna understand on a personal level what it's like for Elizabeth to be fearful about him being a Mountie, kind of a double-edged sword there, and he's very handsome and funny and the list goes on."
As for the slick-talking saloon owner, Krakow tells ET, "I'm Team Lucas because also handsome and funny, he is a new energy for Elizabeth and he's, I guess a little bit more of a bad boy, that's kind of exciting, and he's still good with a kid although less experienced and he's very generous. My goodness, he made her a library. Did I mention they're both handsome and funny?!"
FINAL SCORE:
LUCAS: 8
NATHAN: 6
Where does your loyalty lie? Tweet me and let me know: @DeidreBehar!
RELATED:
