When I published my review for the adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath, that post became my 750^th published article! Since then, I’ve been trying to find the right topic to write about to commemorate the milestone. My most recent re-cap of When Calls the Heart has, within a 24-hour period, become the most popular article I’ve ever written on 18 Cinema Lane, garnering over 8,000 views and counting! Since my readers have an interest in When Calls the Heart related content, I decided to create a list of the top ten characters I’d love to see return to the show! With the arrival of Rosaleen Sullivan, I wondered which other characters could come back. As the show is now is in tenth season, it wasn’t difficult to think of characters to include on this list. From characters debuting in one of When Calls the Heart’s seasonal films to beloved faces who have spent years in Hope Valley, here is my list of the top ten characters I’d love to see return to the show!

1. Tom Thornton

I have mentioned in the past how Tom Thornton is my favorite character from When Calls the Heart. He was even included in my “Flaming Hot…5 Reasons Why” Tag post! Tom returned to the show in season five, attending Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding. But so much has changed since then, with Tom losing his brother and becoming an uncle. Since the end of season five, I have wondered how Tom has dealt with life after receiving both good and bad news. I also speculated how his life might have changed since his story was last included on the show. It would be nice to see Tom find true love again and maybe even get married on When Calls the Heart! With season ten still on television and season eleven on the horizon, only time will tell.

2. Carson Shepherd

Ever since Carson left Hope Valley, I feel like Faith’s story has been put on hold. While her career seems to be thriving, she hasn’t moved forward in the relationship department. There’s still so much left unsaid between Faith and Carson. I don’t feel like their conflict ever truly got resolved. Even though Hope Valley already has a doctor in town, it would be nice to see Carson and Faith work together again. Maybe they could rekindle their relationship as well.

3. Phillip

Phillip was one of Elizabeth’s students. He left Hope Valley in order to receive eyesight saving surgery. Since then, Phillip or his father have never returned to town. I always wondered if the surgery was a success. I also wondered what became of Phillip and his family. Did Phillip’s father remarry? Did Phillip remain an only child? Erin Krakow and Niall Matter, the actor who portrayed Phillip’s father, Shane, have worked together on several Hallmark projects. If Phillip couldn’t appear on the show, Niall could reprise his role as Shane. This way, Shane could give viewers an update on his son through dialogue.

4. Walter

Walter made his Hope Valley debut in the movie, When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas. In that film, he was a traveling salesman, struggling to make money. Since the movie’s release in 2019, Walter hasn’t returned to Hope Valley. He hasn’t been brought up by any of the characters either. I do wonder if he is still a traveling salesman or if he found a new calling, similar to Joseph Canfield’s story. If Walter were to come back to town, the audience would receive some closure to his story.

5. Christopher and Rachel

In season eight, it was revealed Henry had a son named Christopher. That season showed father and son reconnecting. But Henry was not the only character Christopher connected with. Fans saw Christopher and Lee’s niece, Rachel, falling in love. The younger couple stayed on When Calls the Heart for one season. Early in season nine, Henry learns Rachel and Christopher plan to get married in the near future. However, these wedding plans haven’t been brought up since last season. Though Lucas and Elizabeth’s wedding will, hopefully, take place in season eleven, I hope Rachel and Christopher consider getting married in Hope Valley. Maybe they could be the first couple to host either an outdoor wedding or a Christmas wedding!

6. Dottie

Dottie was one of the original residents of Coal Valley, losing her husband in the coal mining tragedy that took place prior to the show’s events. Over the course of the series, Dottie started her own business; a dress shop where Rosemary worked before creating the town’s newspaper. As the dress shop expanded outside of Hope Valley, Dottie left town to manage those stores. Because of her departure, the dress shop closed and became the ice cream parlor and pharmacy. Since Rosaleen Sullivan came back to the show, it would be nice to see Dottie return. I remember Dottie, Mollie, and Florence were good friends in When Calls the Heart’s earlier seasons, so it would be wonderful to see them reunite!

7. Hattie

Hattie is another student of Elizabeth’s that disappeared. When she and her mother moved to Hope Valley, Hattie was grieving the loss of her friend. During her time as a student of the Jack Thornton School, Hattie was one of the children who first brought up Hope Valley’s ice cream parlor. But she mentioned the ice cream parlor back in season five and since then, the story seems to have forgotten Hattie exists. I haven’t seen Hattie on the show in a long time. Plus, none of Elizabeth’s students bring Hattie up either. If Rosaleen can receive closure on her story, I think it’s only fair for Hattie to receive closure for her story too.

8. Cody and Becky

Cody and Becky were introduced to Hearties in the film, When Calls the Heart: New Year’s Wish. Since their introduction, Abigail adopted the siblings and the family lived in Abigail’s Café. Because of Lori Loughlin’s involvement in the infamous college admissions scandal, not only was Abigail written off the show, Becky and Cody were written off the show as well. Before this happened, Becky was attending college and Cody was still enrolled at the Jack Thornton School. Even if it was just for one episode, I would like to see Cody and Becky revisit Hope Valley. From what I remember, Cody and Robert were close friends. So, seeing them go on an adventure together would serve as a potential story for a future episode!

9. Laura

Besides Rosaleen Sullivan, Laura was one of Elizabeth’s first students back in season one. In recent seasons, Laura was not only attending college, but she was also babysitting Jack Jr. While watching this current season, I realized Laura hasn’t appeared in any scenes. Elizabeth didn’t mention her either. I’m curious about Laura’s whereabouts and how her story turns out. If both Laura and Rosaleen appeared on the show together, maybe the show’s fans could witness a school reunion in the future, especially since the Jack Thornton School never hosted a reunion before!

10. Charles Kensington

As I was creating this list, I thought about all the characters who could create drama in the town. The first character that came to mind was Charles Kensington. A childhood friend of Elizabeth, Charles came onto the show in season two. He only appeared in that season, never brought up or shown on screen again. I would love to see how his life turned out after Elizabeth refused his offers. An interaction between Charles and Lucas would be very interesting as well.

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen