Things still seem lopsided in Hope Valley.
When Calls the Heart is the Hallmark Channel’s longest-running series. When dramas last that long, they run into issues balancing characters and storylines as the cast grows.
While When Calls the Heart Season 12 improved significantly over the last season, it still has several issues to work out.
While many episodes were still community-focused, several characters were only pop-up characters and didn’t receive much of their own storyline.
The series also added several new characters new characters as well to their already massive cast.
Let’s discuss the best and worst of When Calls the Heart Season 12.
Best Episode: When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 11 – Having Faith
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 11 was the most moving since it demonstrated a mother’s worst fear.
Diabetes was so different 100 years ago with limited treatments, and insulin was only being tested. It was a leap of faith to try it on young children, and Elizabeth had to convince the doctor to give Little Jack a chance.
“Having Faith” showed how far Hope Valley would go to assist Elizabeth and her family. Some were small gestures like providing meals and a listening ear.
However, Mike and Mei canceled their vacation and traveled to Toronto to appeal to the doctor and retrieve the insulin.
I also appreciated how the rest of the town rallied to get enough test subjects in Hope Valley so Faith could administer the insulin locally to Little Jack since they needed their own clinic.
No one was going to let him down. He was one of them, and watching how the children strived hard to cheer him up made me cry.
Maybe that’s because nowadays, older kids don’t give young ones the time of day. Things were simpler 100 years ago, and sometimes that was better.
Worst Episode: When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9 – Buried Treasure
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 9 grated on my nerves. It had the potential to tie many of the arcs together, but everyone felt isolated instead.
The best part was watching Woody Garrison with Oliver and Allie. He wanted to please Sonny but didn’t want to mess with a Mountie cadet or a Mountie’s daughter.
Molly also had some great lines, such as when she noticed the kids with Woody and informed Elizabeth. It was the most she had been used in ages. I suspect that, having a daughter, she naturally worried about teens.
Seeing the town rally together to find the kids was great, even if Elizabeth, Allie, and Oliver held their own.
The problem came later because no one remembered Lucas had reservations at the cafe. First, I still think he would have helped to find Allie and Oliver. He’s fond of them.
But he seemed so isolated, and they were lucky he was a good sport about the makeshift meal.
More importantly, what would have been the point of Ava’s storyline if she hadn’t been connected to the Garrisons or McGinty?
Revealing that she came to Hope Valley to hide from a con artist, unrelated to either arc, was a waste of time.
No matter how much Hallmark and I like Tiera Skovbye, we didn’t need any more new characters.
Best Elizabeth and Nathan Moment: Going Undercover Together on When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 7
I’m not a passionate Nathan and Elizabeth shipper, but watching them undercover made me appreciate their connection more.
In my review of When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 7, I mentioned that their undercover gig reminded me of Timeless, which also endeared me to them.
Danny and Diane Demarco were fun aliases, and watching them keep their stories straight was hilarious.
While Trudy Davis was entertained, Toddy Davis apparently thought they were lying and kept looking for a clue.
Usually, there is time to prepare identical stories, and they had to wing it, as they had to with their improvised duet.
“Dance the Night Away” allowed Nathan and Elizabeth an epic date night with ritzy romance, and she finally experienced life with one of his cases. She also witnessed the reasons why he fell in love with her. This was written for the fans.
Character Who Got Shafted: Henry Gowen
Henry seems to have been relegated to giving advice, and he’s so much more than that.
I was hopeful he would be used more when he and Joseph decided to start the hazelnut business together. Still, we only saw them in business for one episode because it was demolished when Lucas returned to town.
Supposedly, he still managed the business, but we never saw it.
Henry noticed Emily’s business sense and mentored her, but again, it was a blip on the radar. I had hoped to see this develop over time since Henry has grown from being isolated to becoming fond of the children.
He’s worked in many businesses and seemed so proud of Emily that I hoped she would become their apprentice. Henry needs to be seen in different ways.
Most Improved Character: Bill Avery
When Calls the Heart Season 12 was a good season for Bill.
He and Rosemary’s partnership was so successful that they teamed up again to solve the mystery about the Garrison gang and the gold coin.
It was amusing because Bill is usually by the books, and Rosemary finds answers no matter what. However, their partnership thrived, and they were entertaining when they gave Nathan his new persona.
Bill even got a second chance at love when an old work friend Georgie McGill (Melissa Gilbert) came to town to assist with the case.
It had been long since the series explored Bill’s love life, and he had been more than a fun uncle or a caring friend.
It was refreshing to see him and Georgie explore long-buried and unresolved feelings for one another. Jack Wagner and Melissa Gilbert worked beautifully together, and we hope she returns as Georgie next season. Bill deserves more happiness.
Character That Continues To Get Misused: Lucas Bouchard
Hopefully, the When Calls the Heart writers will return to basics with Lucas Bouchard. While he gets things done, he doesn’t belong in politics.
He fights for people and bettering places. He’s not cutthroat.
I hated that we spent almost half a season with Lucas and Lee as rivals when they ultimately wanted the same goal.
At least someone remembered that Lucas was fond of and would listen to the children. I was so relieved that he took Allie’s concerns to heart and developed a new proposal for the park.
It hurt that his governership was recalled as his plan for the National State Park went through. But Lucas learned who he could rely on. I only hate that we had two years of a political arc.
The question remains if Edie will return next season. While I enjoyed her with Lucas, is there space for her on canvas?
Best Recurring Character With a Storyline: Fiona Miller
It was terrific to have Fiona return for several episodes. However, her return was mixed.
Final has always been self-assured, so while it was true for the time, it didn’t seem easy to process that she would get married to better her standing and career.
While this was a vital arc, we hated that she barely discussed it with her closest friends and spent more time with Elizabeth, who had also broken an engagement.
Fiona also seemed happier working the radio show with Rosemary and addressing critical issues. While Fiona had never been close to Rosemary either, their relationship made more sense career-wise.
They had similar goals, and I was relieved that Fiona had decided to head up her own show. Hopefully, we’ll see her again. She’s a force!
New Character We Hope Returns in Season 13: Oliver Garrett
We had three successful new characters, but bringing Oliver back makes the most sense. He fits in seamlessly with the other characters.
His backstory was heartwarming, and I hope the series touches on it more. It needs to be addressed – he felt like he had to escape since he didn’t want to be a farmhand forever.
Oliver never became carefree or childlike until coming to Hope Valley. Many foster kids still feel that way, that their only purpose is to work.
Therefore, hopefully, the series delves into his family history, newfound friendships, and blossoming romance with Allie.
That won’t be very easy since he strives to please Nathan and protect her at all costs.
Overall Grade: B-
The current season improved over When Calls the Heart Season 11 because the series felt like Hope Valley again by coming together as a community.
They surrounded Elizabeth, Nathan, and the children whenever a crisis arose, whether Allie and Oliver were in danger or Little Jack was sick.
The problem was that most of the storylines still involved Elizabeth, Nathan, or Allie. Sometimes, Rosemary or Bill were involved. The rest of the town was hardly key players.
It still felt lopsided in terms of story arcs. When Calls the Heart has a massive cast and lacks storyline equality.
It felt like we had way more of Rosemary than we did of Lee that season, and she works the best with him to even her out.
Faith barely had anything to do after her emotional arc last season when she gained guardianship of Lily.
I wanted to see more of how they adapted to each other. Hopefully, with the new diabetes clinic, we’ll see Faith in action.
They need to address that before Season 13 because fans also want stories about the Canfields, Mike and Mei, and Faith and Lily.
Some of the best moments were the family arcs, as Elizabeth helped Allie through her teenage angst and the Canfields adjusted to Angela’s graduation.
Over to you, Hearties. What were your favorite parts? How would you grade the season?
Please share your thoughts below.
When Calls the Heart returns in 2026.
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