‘When Calls The Heart’: Lori Loughlin Back? Is Abigail Stanton Returning to Hope Valley?
When Calls The Heart former star Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin) was written out of the script in Season 6 of the Hallmark frontier show. There has been no mention of her since then.
But recently, Hearties have seen signs they hope are pointing to a return to Hope Valley for Lori Loughlin as Abigail.
When Calls The Heart: Abigail Stanton Left to Care For Her Ailing Mother
Two years ago, Lori Laughlin who portrayed Abigail Stanton on When Calls The Heart got caught up in the nationwide college cheating scandal. Hallmark stopped airing the show until they decided how to proceed.
WCTH returned a few weeks later and showed Elizabeth writing in her journal that Abigail left Hope Valley to go back East to care for her sick mother.
Hearties have been clamoring for Lori’s return since, and recent signs may indicate this might happen. There has been no mention at all of Abigail Stanton since producers wrote her off the show, but lately, her name cropped up in conversation.
In the most recent episode of When Calls The Heart, Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins) told Ned Yost (Hrothgar Mathews) he has “nothing but regret” when he looks over and sees Abigail’s name above the cafe.
In a previous airing of When Calls The Heart, Henry told his son he met a woman who believed in him, but she went back East to care for her mother. Faithful fans believe he referred to Abigail Stanton, although he never said her name.
Hope Valley is known for forgiveness and second chances. Will Lori Loughlin get a second chance as Abigail from the producers?
WCTH: The Door is Open For Abigail’s Return
Abigail Stanton was written out of out of the script When Calls The Heart but not killed off. So, it is possible Lori’s character could return to Hope Valley.
Recent mentions of Abigail give fans hope that the network is thinking about bringing her character back. Even if it’s not Lori Loughlin who plays the part, they hope good things are in store for the actress.
One of the co-creators of When Calls The Heart, Brian Bird, did an interview last October. He discussed Lori Loughlin and her character, Abigail Stanton. Brian said the decision to take Abigail out of the show was difficult, but the other option was to cancel.
Brian said he believes in second chances, and Hope Valley is the place for that. Were his words prophetic? Filming for When Calls The Heart Season 8 was nearing the end, having started during the summer of 2020. Does Abigail Stanton’s name coming up mean they are considering bringing Abigail’s character back?
When Calls The Heart: Will There Be a Season 9?
There has been much speculation as to whether Hallmark renewed When Calls The Heart for another year. The season premiere alone achieved over 3 million viewers. That made WCTH the most-watched original scripted series to date for the network. Brian Bird has encouraged Hearties to show their support.
Viewer ratings have been high this season, with the April 18th episode the most watched of the year to that point. Signs are looking good for a renewal of the fan-favorite show, set in Canada. Although When Calls The Heart has only two episodes left, the hasn’t been an announcement for renewal yet. Followers of the scripted show remain hopeful.
There is much for Hearties to be optimistic about as Season 8 of When Calls The Heart comes to a close. Recent mentions of Abigail Stanton may indicate her return to the show. Whether Lori Loughlin gets the call to play Abigail remains to be seen. Also, viewer ratings are high, and fans hope the network will soon announce another year of their beloved series.
Come back to Soap Dirt for the latest When Calls The Heart news.