Another season has come and gone Hearties. Soon enough, we will be looking ahead to Season 12. But until then, let’s talk about Season 11. What were my thoughts about it? Did I like it? Where does it rank for me compared to other seasons? What were the highs and lows? Let’s get right into it!
For starters, there were a lot of things I loved about Season 11. I had more glimpses of the show I fell in love with than I’ve had since Season 7. The storylines did not feel oversaturated or overwhelming. Angst and drama did not leave me feeling exhausted or angry after every episode. On the contrary, most episodes left me feeling pretty uplifted and peaceful. There were character journeys that captured my interest and kept me hooked each week, which is great!
Like everything else in life, this season was not perfect. There were also plenty of things I did not like. Some of the storylines were painfully and unnecessarily slow. Some questions were never answered. Some major moments felt unearned. And of course, more depth and meaning could have been given to the storytelling in general.
This season is not nearly as bad as Seasons 2 or 9, nor is it as good as Seasons 3, 5, or 6. It offers some noteworthy moments but has too many slow, filler episodes to be considered “great”. Before you come at me for saying that, I want to clarify… My favorite episodes of When Calls the Heart are always the most emotional ones. Does the Season 5 finale make me cry? Yes! Is it one of my all-time favorites? Also, yes! Unfortunately, nothing in Season 11 had the same emotional impact.
I like it when When Calls the Heart tackles more challenging storylines. I like it when the stories, characters, and acting make me emotional. There’s just something that stirs my heart when the little town of Hope Valley faces huge obstacles and comes together to lean on one another for support. These emotional and challenging storylines will always be my personal preference. Others prefer the more feel-good aspects of the show. I completely respect that. I speak only for myself when I say that I would rather cry than laugh when watching this show.
If I’m completely honest, I think that Season 11 played it safe. Emotional moments were never allowed to linger longer than a scene or two. The violence was a mild G-rating at most. The romance was noticeably minimal. The conversations were brief and lacking in depth. The writers achieved what they set out to do, but they took the safest path to get there. I know many fans enjoyed the safety of predictable storylines and low-level drama, but I was hoping for more. Overall, this season was good, but it could have been great. I hope that Season 12 will take more risks and embrace depth in its storytelling.
Because of this, I would say that Season 11 ranks beside Season 4: unproblematic, entertaining, and nothing special. Like Season 4, Season 11, has a few, great episodes and scenes. As a whole, however, I would say that it, like Season 11, was average. Season 11 had the potential to be a new, fresh start for the show. It could have explored new and exciting territory. But no risks were taken. Like I said before, I was good. But it could have been great! That’s my general take. However, let’s get into the highs and lows of the season!
Best Storyline: Faith & Lily
I don’t think the writers of the show even realized how much fans would love that sweet story between Faith and Lily. It was a small story with a huge impact. Honestly, this direction for Faith’s character is pure genius. Instead of seeing Faith enter into another romantic relationship, we saw her exploring a new avenue. Not only was this a new, refreshing take on Faith’s character: but this story also had brilliant progression throughout the season.
Faith begins the season feeling lonely and stuck in a rut while her friends embark on new and exciting adventures. This concept hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting because it was so relatable. As a single woman with an average full-time job, it can be a painful and lonely experience to see friends moving on to exciting new stages in their lives. I understood what Faith was going through. I was rooting for her.
12 episodes later, the tables had completely turned. Faith’s care of Lily has given her new purpose and joy. She is committed to raising this sweet little girl and is now entering a new and exciting adventure of her own. Even the invitation to help Fiona in Nashville does not hold as much meaning for her as it likely would have before Lily came into her life. At the beginning of the season, Faith felt as though her friends had moved on without her. By the end of Season 11 however, the roles have been reversed. Faith has new priorities and responsibilities that neither Mei nor Fiona have yet experienced. This story was beautifully and perfectly done! My only critique is that it did not get enough screen time. More in Season 12, please!
Worst Storyline: The Resort
I don’t care what anyone says… I hated the resort storyline. It was boring, stupid, and ultimately meaningless. It felt like an unnecessary detour until the season finale, one that could have been resolved quickly or avoided altogether. It was utterly predictable (we all knew the resort would fall through), it did not bring about any character development, and its resolution was anti-climatic. It failed to strengthen the relationships between Lucas and Henry or Lucas and Lee; in fact, I would dare to say that it created more distance between them.
The biggest crime of this storyline is that it wasted the opportunity to explore Lucas’ character. We were promised that Lucas’ role as governor would be an exciting and new adventure for him. We would get to see him serve a bigger purpose, and follow his calling. Instead, the story was completely uninteresting. The thing that made Lucas interesting and mysterious in Season 6 was barely touched upon. No new layers of the character were revealed. A path that was loaded with potential ended up being bland and flat.
Janette’s involvement was the one saving grace of this plot thread. She added the mystery and intrigue that was otherwise missing. Plus, I loved the scenes between her and Lucas, especially the final showdown. I think Lucas’ journey in Season 11 would have been so much better if they had focused on Lucas’ past with Janette, as well as his PSTD after the shooting. THAT would have been so much more interesting.
Best Episode: Season 11, Episode 6
This episode was the best of the season for so many reasons, but the main one is this… It felt like what When Calls the Heart should be from start to finish. There was a beautiful, over-the-top date between Hickam and Mei. Nathan and Elizabeth faced a very real threat together, and their relationship grew as a result. Lucas got a chance to shine in his role as governor. Higgins was a perfectly awful villain, who made everyone’s skin crawl with his seduction, threats, and gaslighting. All in all, it felt like the When Calls the Heart that I originally fell in love with!
There’s a reason why this episode had some of the highest ratings of the season. It was the closest thing to a perfect episode that we’ve had since Season 5. I hope that, come Season 12, most if not all future episodes meet this same level of quality. If that were the case, then Season 3 would have some stiff competition (and you all know Season 3 will always be my absolute favorite). Take notes writers! Episode 6 was a masterpiece. Can every episode be like that moving forward?
Worst Episode: Season 11, Episode 7
How is the best episode in years (Episode 6) followed up by the worst episode of the season? Maybe that’s exactly why Episode 7 fell so flat for me. Episode 7 certainly had its share of meaningful moments, especially with Tom Thornton back in town. But overall, it was anticlimactic and boring. Tom fell for an obvious scam and so did the people of Hope Valley. They were too blinded by their desire to be in the spotlight to see the clear red flags. The only one who had any common sense was Nathan, and even he eventually relented. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes… That’s the plot…
Overall, there weren’t enough meaningful moments to make this an interesting episode. The conversations between Elizabeth, Nathan, and Tom were all too short and too shallow. Nothing deeply emotional or impactful was hit upon when it probably should have been. With Tom Thornton in town, emotional scenes were ripe for the picking. And yet, we only scratched the surface of Tom’s grief and Nathan’s guilt. It felt like a missed opportunity. It was the least significant of the filler episodes in Season 11 (and there were quite a few filler episodes). It was great to have Tom Thornton back and I enjoyed seeing him, Faith, and Lily sharing a meal (while it lasted), but that was the only noteworthy moment of Episode 7. The rest was largely forgettable.
The Great, The Good, and The Bad
Now let’s talk about the specifics… What stood out about this season? What could have been better? What needs to change next season? Let’s talk about it! I want to hear your thoughts too, so please share them in the comments below once you’ve finished reading this post! Anyway, I want to talk about what was great about this season, what was good and what was bad. Please keep in mind, that these are just my thoughts and opinions. I am not trying to tell anyone what to think or believe. I am just sharing my honest thoughts. Let’s dive in and discuss it, shall we?
Season 11: The Great
1. Acting
One thing that stood out to me about this season was that all of the main characters got a chance to show their acting skills. Everyone had a moment or two in the spotlight. Mei (Amanda Wong) genuinely made me laugh in the season finale as she fretted about Hickam getting cold feet. We haven’t gotten to see much of her comedic side, and I thought that she killed it here. Lucas (Chris McNally) had a few intense moments as he started to spiral which highlighted the darkness he was feeling. The best moment however was when he talked Janette down from shooting him. That was a great piece of acting!
Allie (Jaeda Miller) and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) shared some very heavy, very emotional scenes. We’ve never seen Nathan cry, but we almost did here. Seeing him and Allie so emotionally vulnerable with one another was powerful, and some of the best acting this year! Faith (Andrea Brooks), Janette (Cecilia Deacon), and Joseph (Viv Leacock) also gave noteworthy performances this season! This is why I love emotional storylines; it gives the actors a chance to show their skills! While I wish we had gotten to see more moments like this in Season 11, the ones that we did get were great!
2. Cinematography
I can’t talk about the great aspects of the season without mentioning the stellar cinematography. From the very first episode, I could tell that the camera work looked different this season. New angles and locations were used, sometimes for dramatic effect. The flashbacks to the night of Lucas’ shooting were excellent! It was a new and edgy effect that the show had never done before. I loved it, and hope that they do it more in the future!
The moment I knew that the camera work had truly been elevated this season was when Lucas walked back to the town at the end of Episode 10. It is a stunning shot that tells us more than words ever could! It was so well done, and I applaud all of the crew members who made it happen! Well done!
Season 11: The Good
1. Secondary Storylines/Characters
One thing that surprised me about this season was that I enjoyed the adventures of the side characters more than the main plot threads. Faith and Lily’s sweet story, Angela and Cooper Canfield strengthening their bond, or Bill buying Little Jack a pony, I found myself enjoying these smaller stories more. They were sweet, charming, and emphasized the bond that the Hope Valley community has with each other. And yet, they did not rob the main storylines of precious screentime. The season did not feel burdened with too many storylines. Each of the secondary took enough time to be impactful but did not overstay their welcome.
Of course, not all of the secondary storylines were perfect. I thought that the subplot involving Joseph and his brother Jacob came in with a roar, but went out with a whimper. Cutting all contact with Joseph and leaving the church felt like a major overreaction on Jacob’s part, especially since the situation could have been fixed by a simple conversation. As I mentioned before, I also found the choir storyline to be a bit shallow. Surely the people of Hope Valley have more sense than that, especially since they’ve been scammed multiple times in the past. Anyway, I did enjoy most of the subplots, and I thought they were a step in the right direction. If this is how the subplots play out in Season 12, we are in for a good time.
2. Callbacks
Whether it was a reference or a cameo, Season 11 did well to bring lots of nostalgia to Hope Valley. Janette’s arrival, Tom Thornton’s return, callbacks to Dylan Parks, and Fiona’s finale appearance were all fun and welcome callbacks to past seasons. There’s nothing I love more than when When Calls the Heart embraces its rich, long-running history. References to Jack, Lucas’ past, and Elizabeth’s early years in Hope Valley will never fail to make me happy. It might be nostalgia bait, but it always works on me.
The reason why this category falls under “good” and not “great” is because I believe there were too many cameos and references. Seeing Tom Thornton again was great, be it brought the main storylines to a screeching halt and turned into a major detour. Likewise, I felt like there was too much focus on Hickam’s sister, Maisie. Maisie was fun and refreshing early on, but after a while her abrasive personality started to get on my nerves. I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to like her or hate her. I have already mentioned before that I loved Janette, but I wanted a meatier dive into the history between her and Lucas. We were given vague references, but no clear picture of what their life looked like before Hope Valley. With Janette now in prison, it is probably too late for further exploration, which is a shame, and a wasted opportunity.
Season 11: The Bad
1. Pacing
Whether or not you loved Season 11, you can’t argue with one thing; the story pacing could have been better. It was something I really struggled with, both as a viewer and as a content creator. There are only so many times I can say “I hope things start to pick up next week.” Quite frankly, it was exhausting. I know some enjoyed the slower pace this season, which is fine. For me, however, the snail’s pace took away from my enjoyment of the season and did not leave me eager to watch it again.
And no, I am not just talking about the slow burn between Nathan and Elizabeth. While I will admit that the progression of their relationship was far slower than it should have been, other storylines such as the investigation or the resort suffered from the pacing as well. With 12 episodes to work with, I expected the writers to make good use of every single episode. Because every episode counts. Every scene counts. Every line counts. That’s how good screenwriting is done. And unfortunately, so much of Season 11 was used to “fill the time” until the finale. This approach makes me question whether or not 12 episodes are good for the show. Back when the show had only 10 episodes (sometimes less) every episode and every scene had the matter. With 12 episodes, the plot is stretched thin to fit the runtime, like butter over too much bread.
2. Repeated information
Along the same lines, this season suffered from a constant repetition of information. Countless scenes were used to drive home the same 3 points; Nathan and Elizabeth like each other. We get it. Pike is innocent. We get it! The resort is a bad idea. WE GET IT! So many conversations were repeated when once would have been more than enough. When Allie wants to meet her father, Nathan refuses. We saw the same conversation play out three different times. The only difference between them was the time of day.
Janette wanted Lucas to revert to his old life. We saw that conversation play out three or four times. Something about Pike’s arrest seemed fishy. How do we know that? Well, Nathan and Bill talk about it, then talk about it again, then Rosemary and Nathan talk about it, then Bill and Rosemary talk about it, etc. I know I’m probably preaching to the choir right now, but I have a simple request for Season 12. STOP REPEATING INFORMATION! The Hearties are smart. You only have to tell us once. We can keep up.
Cutting out repetitive scenes frees up time for those deep conversations and meaningful moments that we are all looking for. 12 episodes is more than enough time to tell a compelling and meaningful story. We just need the unnecessary or redundant scenes to be trimmed. That alone would free up so much screentime.
Final Thoughts
I want to voice my honest thoughts with all of you here because I want all of the issues I have mentioned to be addressed in upcoming seasons. Like all of you, I want the show to be the best that it can be. My standards never exceed what I know that show is capable of. I just want to put my thoughts out into the world in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, it will bring about some positive changes to When Calls the Heart. That’s why I am honest about what I feel. That’s why you can be too. So please, share your thoughts and critiques. Express your hopes for the show. Speak out about changes that you would like to see made. We all love this little show, which is why we want it to meet its full potential.
Before finishing my Season 11 review, I would like to list a few things that I want to see in Season 12. I also want to hear what your hopes are for next season! Don’t forget to share them in the comments below. I can’t wait to read your thoughts!
I want to see Nathan and Elizabeth sharing romantic scenes at different, more beautiful locations. I’m getting bored of the front porch.
I hope that Season 12 has higher stakes and scarier villains. Hope Valley needs to face a REAL threat, not just a financial crisis.
Seeing more romance in general would be nice. And not just kissing. I want the stunning dates, the deep conversations, and the sweeping scenes. I want this for all of the Hope Valley couples.
It would be interesting to see Lee in Capitol City with Lucas while Rosemary stays behind in Hope Valley. Seeing the two of them dealing with being apart would be different and interesting.
Rosemary and Bill were fun, but give me Nathan and Bill again! They are just the best team, and I want to see them teaming up again!
Can we have Faith dealing with a serious medical emergency? She has yet to show her skills as a doctor. I want to see her in action.
I want to see more exploration of Lucas and Nathan’s complicated relationship. I don’t need them to be best friends or even friends. I just need to know more about where they stand.
Finally, I want Nathan and Elizabeth to have a really good story. No more slow-burn nonsense. No more fluff and “dancing” around each other. I want them to face their challenging past and a challenging future. No one does those angsty, emotional scenes like they do. With deep, thoughtful storylines, they will finally be allowed to shine.
What were your thoughts about Season 11? What are your hopes for Season 12? Share them below!
Here are my thoughts - I'll start with the positive. I loved seeing Tom back in HV. It brought a connection to Jack and the past relationship he had with Faith. While I enjoyed all the music the storyline was kind of dumb. The Allie and Nathan story was good. She's getting older and some of this history just needs to be addressed. And who hasn't had a teenage that thinks they know what's best for them even though it's not? I also loved loved loved the added comedy that Bill and Rosemary brought. Some of the looks on their faces made me laugh and Bill's one liners always get me! The who done it mystery was refreshing. It really get me guessing and I truly had no idea for many episodes who the shooter was. While getting there was a bit redundant, the actually story line was good.
Now for the negative- I disagree about Faith and Lily. I'm not a big Faith fan anyway. Her crying scenes make me cringe. Lily is adorable but I find myself fast fwd when I rewatch. The whole Resort story was dumb. I understand that they needed this as part of the shooter story but so much didn't make sense. Like why Lucas needed to stay there the whole time? To me the worst story line was Mike and Mei. It was just rushed and I wasn't invested in them at all. And for them to have so much attention in the finale brings me to my last point. That was one of the worst finale's I've seen. The cliffhanger was built up before the show and then it left me feeling empty. My first words were, "well that was dumb". We all know Jack is dead and more than likely it will be something anticlimactic.
Now my views on N/E. These 2 are such tremendous actors. I felt the finale made them look silly and goofy. N and E chemistry is real but that finale was lacking. We went all season with very little romance and then the writers tried to pile it all on the last episode. No thank you! That's not who N/E are. Yes they love each other but they are both grown adults and don't need stories written like they are teenagers again. Just my opinion.
Over all, one of the best seasons we've had in awhile. I would love to see more comedy, Tom come back for a relationship with Faith. Rosemary shining bright with her wits again. More Nathan and Bill moments. Give me a blended family and less love struck teenagers and I'm happy.
Until season 12, see ya Hearties!
The acting this season was great. I loved the callbacks. But the repetition of information made the season feel slow en superficial. They could have done so much more with Lucas and his PTSD and his history with Jeanette. Also Tom Thornton’s return had potential for a far more impactful storyline. And I would have loved to see more of Bo and Mike meeting him for the first time.
I hope for next season they give Lucas a very good storyline. Although that is always difficult as a storyline centers around politics. But seeing him get more confident en reach his potential would be great to watch. But it seems like he is going back to Capital City. I hope they make it work. I want to see the season 6 Lucas again, more confident and happy. It seems Fiona also has a storyline outside of Hope Valley as she is fighting for women’s rights. Could their storylines intertwine? Not necessarily romantically. That is if Kayla joins WCTH for season 12.
I also hope that we get a moment where Lucas and Elizabeth are both in a great place and they acknowledge that their relationship was meaningful and neither one could have reached the place where they are without the other.
As I understand it Jack is going to school next year. That promises to be a great storyline to.
So there is a lot to look forward to.