‘When Calls the Heart’: Full Timeline of Elizabeth & Nathan’s Relationship Through the Seasons
Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow) and Nathan Grant’s (Kevin McGarry) journey to love on When Calls the Heart has been seasons in the making. The characters have had the ultimate will-they-won’t-they slow burn on the Hallmark Channel period drama.
Elizabeth and Nathan first crossed paths in Season 6 in the wake of Jack Thornton’s (Daniel Lissing) untimely death in Season 5. Slowly but surely, Elizabeth and Nathan built a bond, one that teetered on romance from the moment they met. But life can throw curveballs when you least expect it, so Elizabeth and Nathan’s romance didn’t really get off the ground until Season 11.
But the wait was worth it. All that pent-up love culminated in a passionate kiss at the end of Season 11. Nathan never shied away from his feelings for Elizabeth, but Season 11 saw Elizabeth professing her love for the man who’s been such a constant in her life.
Season 11 marked a new chapter for Elizabeth and Nathan’s love story, and we can’t wait to see what Season 12 has in store for these two Hope Valley residents.
Hearties, scroll down to get a full relationship timeline of Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship from Season 6 to now, and watch the full video of Krakow and McGarry breaking down Elizabeth and Nathan’s biggest moments (so far) above.
Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship timeline on ‘When Calls the Heart.’ (TV Insider)
Elizabeth & Nathan Meet (Season 6, Episode 4)
Nathan Grant came to Hope Valley in Season 6 after Jack Thornton’s tragic death in Season 5. During their first meeting, the new Mountie delivered Jack’s pension to Elizabeth. Right away, there was a spark between Elizabeth and Nathan.
“Everyone knew that he was great, had something special, and was going to bring a lot to the show, and we were right because he is all of that,” Krakow said about McGarry.
McGarry admitted that he knew when he joined When Calls the Heart that “there was a possibility of [Nathan] becoming the love interest, but I knew definitely he was going to be a love interest at the time.”
Krakow added, “Nathan and Lucas were very much brought on to be new love interests, plural, for Elizabeth.”
Nathan Nearly Leaves Hope Valley (Season 7 Christmas Special)
Nathan was offered a promotion that would force him to move out of Hope Valley in When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas. There was a moment when it seemed like Nathan’s run in Hope Valley was going to be short-lived, but Allie convinced him to stay.
McGarry said the decision of whether to stay or go “crossed in mind,” but Allie’s words made him reconsider and stay in Hope Valley “because he saw how much she wanted to be there and how much she loved the town. I don’t think in his heart he wanted to.” We can all thank Allie for Nathan sticking around!
Nathan Gets Jealous (Season 7, Episode 9)
When Lucas really became a contender for Elizabeth’s heart in Season 7, Nathan showed his jealous side at times, especially when Lucas and Elizabeth went to Union City together. That’s when the love triangle really started to ramp up.
“I will say I wasn’t really into the like Team Nathan, Team Lucas, pitting teams against each other, but their passion was very exciting and energizing for the show at the time,” Krakow said about the fan reaction to Elizabeth’s love triangle.
Elizabeth Realizes Nathan's Alive (Season 7, Episode 10)
Elizabeth already endured the loss of her first great love, Jack, so the thought of possibly losing Nathan was almost too much for her to bear. Elizabeth ran into Nathan’s arms when she saw that he wasn’t dead following the transfer of a prisoner that went awry.
“I think Elizabeth has obviously experienced a lot of trauma, so it was pretty triggering because she really cares about Nathan,” Krakow explained to TV Insider about this defining Elizabeth and Nathan scene. “It was in that moment that maybe she realized just how deep those feelings were, so there was a lot of relief finding out that he was alive and maybe that was the start of a different kind of thinking for her.”
Elizabeth & Nathan's First Date (Season 8, Episode 1)
Okay, so first date might be a bit of a stretch, but it counts in our mind! Nathan wanted to take Elizabeth out, but their plans kept on changing.
“We get interrupted a lot,” Krakow quipped. McGarry added, “That’s our M.O.”
Krakow recalled watching this episode back and thinking “this is just heartbreaking because Kevin does this sad puppy dog look so well.”
Nathan Professes His Love (Season 8, Episode 2)
Nathan went all-in with Elizabeth in Season 8 and declared his love for her. Elizabeth recognized that Nathan wanted their relationship to turn romantic, and she put up a wall around her heart. She told Nathan that he wanted “more” than she could give him and couldn’t risk losing someone she loved like she lost Jack. Nathan offered to quit the Mounties to stay out of danger. Nathan told Elizabeth that he loved her, but she couldn’t say it back.
“I don’t think he was ready for it,” McGarry told TV Insider. “I don’t think that’s what he thought Elizabeth was going to say.”
Krakow added, “I think that being with a man like Nathan in the profession that he was in was just too much and the potential of losing him, the potential of getting swept up in this next great love so soon after Jack’s death, I don’t think she was ready for it.”
Nathan's Jack Thornton Secret Revealed (Season 8, Episode 8)
Elizabeth and Nathan hit their lowest point when Elizabeth learned how Nathan was connected to her late husband. Nathan was supposed to lead the Fort Clay mission, not Jack. Jack went in Nathan’s place, which led to Jack’s death.
“It was shocking for a lot of fans, especially the idea that Nathan had anything to do with Jack’s demise,” McGarry said. “But I always thought it was the right move because there was a reason why he was there.”
Nathan didn’t have anything to do with Jack’s death, it was just a twist of fate that connected them all forever.
Elizabeth Breaks Off Engagement to Lucas (Season 10, Episode 11)
In the midst of Elizabeth and Nathan’s highs and lows as friends, Elizabeth had a relationship with Lucas. She accepted his proposal, but when he was contemplating moving out of Hope Valley, that made Elizabeth pause. Elizabeth didn’t want to move to Capital City and ultimately broke off her engagement to Lucas.
“Elizabeth was really kind of wrestling with what she really wanted in life and who she really wanted and was having doubts and feelings and concerns and started maybe thinking about what it might be like if she wasn’t with Lucas forever,” Krakow told TV Insider.
Elizabeth & Nathan Kiss (Season 11, Episode 11)
Elizabeth and Nathan finally kissed in the penultimate episode of Season 11.”I mean, it was time,” Krakow admitted.
McGarry pointed out that “the ball has been in Elizabeth’s court for the last three seasons,” and it was time for these two to finally get on the same page.
The kiss certainly did not disappoint!
Elizabeth Declares Her Love for Nathan (Season 11, Episode 11)
In the same scene as their first kiss, Elizabeth professed her love for Nathan in a beautiful monologue. “Elizabeth had a lot she needed to say and so much of Season 11 was spent with Elizabeth being unsure if Nathan even still has feelings,” Krakow pointed out.
After the will-they-won’t-they dance between them, Elizabeth was honest about her feelings. “I think Elizabeth had another realization after the hostage situation that life is short and also that Nathan is clearly waiting on her to open up,” the actress said.
McGarry commended When Calls the Heart’s “great writers” and noted that Krakow “did contribute a little bit to that monologue.”
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services