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Could Lori Loughlin Return to When Calls the Heart?

The actress portrayed Abigail Stanton.

By Rachel CarringtonPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Lori Loughlin as Abigail Stanton

From 2014 to 2019, Lori Loughlin played Abigail Stanton on the successful Hallmark drama series, When Calls the Heart. The character was a fan favorite, doling out weekly doses of wisdom as the town's mayor and best friend to schoolteacher Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton.

In 2019, though, Lori Loughlin was arrested in a college admissions scandal that dominated the headlines, and her character was written out of the series as taking care of her out-of-town mother who was ill. The reason left an opening for the actress to possibly return.

On May 22, 2020, Loughlin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and is due to be sentenced in August. Based on the terms of the plea deal, Loughlin will spend two months behind bars. She will also pay a fine and be required to perform community service, but it's unknown whether or not this will preclude her from returning to acting.

Will she be welcomed back to the Hallmark Channel?

Many fans of When Calls the Heart, known as Hearties, have been missing the character, and the question of whether or not she could return to Hope Valley has been presented to Executive Producer Brian Bird. In a July 2019 interview, his response that gave fans hope.

"In Lori’s case,... our take on that is that we love her, we support her, we always want for ‘When Calls the Heart’ to be a home that she can come back to if she’s able to resolve these things. But justice and mercy are flip sides of the same issue, in my mind, right? They can’t exist without each other. And so, while the justice system has to have its say…there is deep love and mercy for her as a human being, and we want nothing but the best for her, and whatever outcome comes.”

In an earlier interview with From the Desk's Kurt Manwaring, Bird said that Hope Valley will always be a place of second chances.

Some of the fans have asked what will happen to Abigail’s character, and shared their opinion that Hope Valley should be an example of forgiveness and grace. As Lori’s friend, I could not agree more, and Hope Valley will always be a place of second chances.

Why Abigail Stanton Should Return to Hope Valley

Lori Loughlin's character played a major role in the success of When Calls the Heart. She has been there for the major developments in Elizabeth's life, including Elizabeth's marriage to Constable Jack Thornton, Jack's subsequent death and Elizabeth's struggle with being a widow, the birth of Elizabeth and Jack's child, and her first steps in moving forward in a life without her husband.

Abigail Stanton was the first person to believe that Henry Gowen, the town's villain, could be redeemed. In spite of his part in the mine collapse which resulted in the death of many miners, including Abigail's husband, she offered her compassion and support to a man no one trusted. That support has made a difference in the man he is today.

Clara Stanton, who was married to Abigail's son before his death, was welcomed to Hope Valley by her mother-in-law, Abigail Stanton, a woman she'd never met. Abigail gave her a place to stay and a job and treated her as family. So much so that fans were disappointed that Abigail couldn't be present at Clara's wedding to Jesse Flynn this season.

Most of all, Abigail Stanton has become a woman girls can look up to. After the loss of her husband and son, she started her own business and went on to become the mayor of Hope Valley. And her presence is noticeably missed.

Though When Calls the Heart has continued to succeed without Lori Loughlin's character, there is a void that has yet to be filled, possibly because Abigail Stanton could only be played by one actress.

While there's no way of knowing if Loughlin will be able to return to the series, there is no doubt that it's what fans are hoping for.

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About the Creator

Rachel Carrington

I'm an avid writer and reader. I've had over 53 novels published and over 2,000 articles. Here I review movies, TV series/episodes, books, and write about entertainment. www.rachelcarrington.com

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