The star of the hit Hallmark Channel series opened up to ET about her character's romances and the show's future.
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart ended on a major cliffhanger, as love and lives hang in the balance. Star Erin Krakow is breaking down the emotional finale and giving fans hope for season 11.
Season 10 of When Calls the Heart proved to be a rollercoaster. In episode 11, beloved school teacher Elizabeth Thornton (Krakow) was in tears as she came to terms with her true feelings, and respectfully broke off her engagement to Lucas (Chris McNally) just as they were set to hit the campaign trail in Capital City.
Then, during Sunday’s season 10 finale, Lucas was elected governor but found himself in a bit of danger when an unknown figure unexpectedly approached him. Word travels fast, and just as it appeared Elizabeth and Nathan (Kevin McGarry) were about to connect, they were interrupted by Bill, who urgently called upon them to aid Lucas.
Krakow sat down with ET's Deidre Behar back in June -- before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike -- and opened up about the surprising developments that have unfolded in Hope Valley.
Reflecting on the ending of Elizbeth's relationship with Lucas, and the burgeoning spark of romance between her and Nathan, Krakow explained, "I think it's a really good authentic, challenging, emotional story. And it may be tough on some of our fans, but what I really appreciate about it is it's a story of two people who still have a very deep love for one another."
"I think that they were just being true to what was in their hearts, and you can't argue with that," Krakow said of Elizabeth's split from her dashing, political-minded fiancé. "They are being true to their authentic self, so, I mean, I think it was the right move."
According to Krakow -- who also serves as a co-executive producer on the series -- Lucas and Elizabeth's mentalities had always been very distant, and in the end, the difference between them proved insurmountable.
"Lucas always had these big dreams and grand gestures. His wanting to surprise Elizabeth with a house on a hill somewhere and Elizabeth wants to stay in her modest Row house and be close to her community. When thinking about political aspirations, Lucas is really intrigued by that... he is excited about moving to the big city and making these changes for the town, for the community. Elizabeth doesn't really share those dreams," Krakow reflected. "That is totally OK, because they can be individuals who still really care about each other but aren't necessarily meant to be together forever."
"And then I think that there is just maybe something happening in Elizabeth's heart that she can't quite deny as much as she once tried," Krakow added, referring to her feelings for Nathan.
Despite Lucas being in jeopardy -- and his new political position -- Krakow said the show isn't going to be writing off his character.
"We're not gonna lose Chris McNally," she stressed. "I mean, he's fantastic. I can't imagine that. Our show just grew and changed when we brought in Kevin and Chris."
When it comes to the possible romance between Elizabeth and Nathan, Krakow cautioned, "We take our time with any this. We are intentionally being as respectful as we can, but it's really important that Elizabeth has love in her life and we're on that journey."
"I absolutely think it makes sense and I think that everybody deserves a happy ending," she added. "So that's what we're after."
As for the forthcoming season 11, Krakow promised that the question of Lucas being in jeopardy -- and other questions raised by the surprising finale -- won't keep fans in suspense for too long.
"I can say that the good news is that those questions will be answered," she shared. "And pretty much right away, so we're not gonna have to wait too long in season 11 to get those answers."
"The Nathan and Elizabeth journey may be a bit slower," she added, "but we will be dropping hints as much as we can."
Check out the video below for more on season 10 of When Calls the Heart.
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