Abigail Stanton played by Lori Loughlin is one of the beloved characters in When Calls the Heart. She portrays strong leadership and deep connections with the people of the town. However, in season 6, the character was abruptly written off from the show for Lori's involvement in the 2019 school admission scandal.
Since then the references to the character have been recurrent in When Calls the Heart episodes. Season 10 ended with a major cliffhanger with its finale showing Henry visiting Abigail finally.
Throughout, Henry is shown in touch with Abigail as she is helping him to deal with his troubled past and see the beauty of the world anew. Read further to know more about the character and what happened to her in When Calls the Heart.
What happens to Abigail in When Calls the Heart?
Abigail was the central character in the show in its first 6 seasons, however after the actor's involvement in the school admission scandal and off-screen legal troubles, she was abruptly written off from the show.
In the storyline, Abigail further leaves the valley to care for her ailing mother. Her graceful departure is explained through Elizabeth's narration who even after season 6 is seen to be in touch with her old friend. However, the show When Calls the Heart doesn't explore her life outside the Hope Valley.
After losing her son and husband to a coal mine explosion, Abigael is shown dealing with immense grief. She also investigates the case and later takes a stand against Henry for mistreating widows. When Bill arrives in Hope Valley, it warms Abigail up but their romance gets intervened by Bill's ex-wife soon. Elizabeth becomes her major support, and Abigail opens up a cafe with her help.
After the sudden passing of the town's mayor, she steps up as the interim mayor and contributes by making decisions for the betterment of the community. This leadership becomes the major part of the character's arc. Additionally, her character is marked by compassion and integrity. She forgives Henry and also helps him to work on his past deeds.
The season 10 finale of When Calls the Heart comes with hope for the fans
After the actor's scandal news, the show's producers declared that they won't be working together again. The actor also reprised the role in a spin-off, When Hope Calls in 2019. But recently, When Calls the Heart producer Brian Bird told JLJ Media that the actor might return and reprise her role as Abigail.
“Hope Valley is a town of second chances,” said Bird. “I believe it. This is where art and life kind of co-mingle.”
Although Abigail does not appear in the scene with Henry, the scene suggests strongly the return of the character. Between seasons 8 and 9 they both can be seen to connect over a call where Abigail is off the screen. Abigail's name still appears on the Hope Valley's cafe even when it is now run by Minnie. In the season 10 finale Henry opens up to Elizabeth about Abigail's support for him all the while. However, the scene suggests the character's return but how the Hallmark will be doing and when remains unclear.
On January 5, When Calls the Heart released its season 12 that can watched on Hallmark Channel.
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