The Season 9 premiere of Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart is only two weeks away, and fans have been speculating on social media about what will happen to the residents of Hope Valley.
In a recent interview on the Everything About Hallmark podcast, actress Andrea Brooks told Hearties they can expect to see her character, Dr. Faith Carter, grow in strength and maturity this season.
“It’s a year of adulting,” she said. “She will be standing on her own two feet.”
The end of Season 8 saw Faith reeling as her love interest, Dr. Carson Shepherd (played by Paul Greene), left Hope Valley to pursue his dreams of becoming a surgeon.
In her interview, Brooks talked about how emotional those scenes were but said time apart will be good for them.
“There was so much uncertainty in that relationship,” she said. “They were right for each other, but it was the wrong time. They are from different generations. They have different outlooks on life.”
Future connections
Brooks touched briefly on Faith’s friendship with Nathan Grant (played by Kevin McGarry), who also dealt with heartbreak at the end of Season 8. She talked about a scene in which the two commiserated, saying it was more a touching moment between friends than a prelude to romance.
“It’s just a gentle reminder of what this show is about, and that is checking in with your fellow community members,” she said.
Though she couldn’t give away too much about Season 9, Brooks did say that Faith has a connection with one of the newcomers to Hope Valley.
Three new characters are joining the cast of When Calls the Heart in Season 9. Actor Matthew James Dowden will play Arthur Gilchrist, Chris Cope will portray Geoffrey Lewis, and Amanda Wong will play Mei Suo. Hallmark has not released much information about the new characters other than to hint that Mei Suo and Nathan Grant might pursue a romantic relationship.
Faith through the years
Brooks also talked about Faith’s growth through the years on the series. Faith joined the cast in Season 2 as a nurse from the eastern city of Hamilton. She was the only medical professional in Hope Valley until Dr. Carson Shepherd arrived in Season 4. Faith eventually went to medical school, and she and Carson worked side by side in the infirmary.
Brooks said Faith would continue to evolve in the coming season.
“She tends to make sacrifices for her career,” she said. “So I think she needs to do a little work there.”
Season 9 of When Calls the Heart will premiere on Hallmark Channel on Sunday, March 6 at 8/7c.