'When Calls the Heart': Lucas and Elizabeth's Breakup, Explained

Elizabeth Thatcher and Lucas Bouchard did not have a happy ending on Hallmark's When Calls the Heart. The Season 10 finale of the Western romance drama was filled with an emotional roller coaster. After initially getting engaged in the Season 9 finale, Erin Krakow's Elizabeth and Chris McNally's Lucas went separate directions by the end of Season 10. Considering Elizabeth's blossoming romance with Kevin McGarry's Nathan, the love triangle only grew more complicated.

Showrunner and executive producer Lindsay Sturman tells Entertainment Tonight why the engagement between Lucas and Elizabeth didn't work out, pointing out a few different factors were in the way. "Everything we saw was real," Sturman shared. "The love between Elizabeth and Lucas was always real and authentic. But as the wedding drew closer, Elizabeth started to face down what this momentous step would mean for her, and as the threat to Hope Valley became more and more real, what it would mean for Little Jack?"

"All this is happening as Hope Valley is in peril, and the world is crashing down around Lucas, Elizabeth, and the rest of the town, forcing Lucas to step up to save the town," Sturman continued. "Elizabeth always knew deep down that Lucas had the capacity to be a hero, even before he saw it in himself. Their paths start to diverge as he is forced to step up onto a bigger stage to save Hope Valley, and Elizabeth realizes that the life she wants is very different. Her whole world has been, and perhaps always will be, Hope Valley."

Elizabeth and Lucas did connect via phone, with Lucas telling her that he's found his calling (he's been running for governor to try to stop his opponent from destroying small towns). Elizabeth tells him she's proud of him. It's clear that the two still care for one another, but it just wasn't the right time for either of them. The finale ended with Elizabeth and Nathan sharing a moment, only to be interrupted and told that something's happened to Lucas. The newly-elected governor was attacked, but fans are left wondering what happened.

It's possible that whatever happened to Lucas could bring him and Elizabeth closer again. However, it seems like her relationship with Nathan is only growing. Season 11 has been able to film during the actors' strike because of an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, so hopefully, it won't be long until the new season is here. The Season 10 finale only brought on more questions, and that love triangle is just getting even more complicated.