How ‘When Calls the Heart’s Season 12 Finale Set Up Charlotte Thornton’s Return in Season 13
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[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 12, “Must Be Gold.”]
The When Calls the Heart Season 12 finale ended on a major cliffhanger: Elizabeth (Erin Krakow), Nathan (Kevin McGarry), Little Jack (Hyland Goodrich), and Allie (Jaeda Lily Miller) have left Hope Valley. For how long, no one knows, but their journey out of town could mean the return of a notable character in the When Calls the Heart universe.
Earlier in the finale episode, Elizabeth receives a letter from Charlotte Thornton (Brooke Shields), Jack Thornton’s mother and Little Jack’s grandmother. Charlotte is now running a boarding house in Cape Fullerton and tells Elizabeth about a brand-new insulin lab in the city. Elizabeth is peeved over the letter and thinks Charlotte is trying to say that Elizabeth is “putting her grandson at risk by not dropping everything to follow her.”
Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) tries to settle Elizabeth’s nerves by saying that Charlotte is just trying to make sure Little Jack is getting the best care for his diabetes. Elizabeth admits that she doesn’t want to leave Hope Valley, but she will to ensure Little Jack’s health.
Eike Schroter / Hallmark / Everett Collection
Later, in a terrifying moment, Elizabeth has trouble waking up Little Jack. Faith reveals that this week’s supply of insulin wasn’t properly refrigerated in transit, so his injections haven’t been effective. A new shipment is being rushed from Toronto, and that’s when Elizabeth remembers the insulin lab in Cape Fullerton.
Elizabeth then brings up the possibility of not waiting and just going to Cape Fullerton now, which Faith (Andrea Brooks) thinks is Elizabeth and Little Jack’s best option.
“I want to tell you there’s nothing we can’t do for Little Jack here, but after you showed me that letter from Charlotte, I called this new lab. And the truth is, they just have things we don’t have yet,” Faith explains. She points out that the insulin lab has the blood glucose tests that would have revealed Little Jack’s problem early.
“Maybe, for now, it’s best for you to be closer to a lab if you can,” Faith says. Elizabeth knows she has to leave right away in order to help Little Jack get the care he needs. Little Jack asks Elizabeth if they’ll be staying in Cape Fullerton. “We’ll see. At least for some time,” Elizabeth tells her son.
Elizabeth and Little Jack leave in the middle of the night for Cape Fullerton. In the final moments, Nathan and Allie join Elizabeth and Little Jack. They’re a family now. “Where you go, I go,” Nathan says to Elizabeth.
With Elizabeth, Little Jack, Nathan, and Allie headed to Cape Fullerton, it makes sense for Charlotte to return in the now-confirmed Season 13. The letter from Charlotte was a huge hint that we’ll be seeing her again. Charlotte was last seen in Season 3 of the show, so it’s been a full 10 seasons since her last appearance. While Shields and Hallmark haven’t officially confirmed Charlotte’s return, the Season 12 finale set the stage for Charlotte’s comeback.
What did you think of the Season 12 finale? Do you think Charlotte will return in Season 13? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
When Calls the Heart, Season 13, 2026, Hallmark Channel
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