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Erin Krakow Would Be "So Happy" If Lori Loughlin Returned to 'When Calls the Heart'

From Good Housekeeping

  • Just a few months ago, Lori Loughlin finished serving a two-month sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal.

  • Shortly after the news first broke in March 2019, Hallmark Channel cut ties with Lori, who was currently playing Abigail Stanton on When Calls the Heart.

  • They cleverly wrote Abigail off the show, but fans — and the show's cast and creator — remain hopeful that she'll return to Hope Valley.


Hearties still haven't fully recovered from Abigail Stanton's sudden departure on When Calls the Heart — and understandably so.

After news broke that Lori Loughlin, who played Abigail on Hallmark Channel's hit show for six seasons, was involved in the massive college admissions scandal, the show took a month-long break to figure out how to best move forward. Eventually, the show came back and revealed that Abigail left Hope Valley to take care of her ailing mother, making it unclear if she would ever return.

Elizabeth Thatcher, played by Erin Krakow, was the first one to address Abigail's sudden exit from the show, reminding Hearties where the people of Hope Valley stand on the situation: "Abigail is much more than a friend, she’s family. I will miss her and Cody deeply — we all will, but we must get by as best we can. In her absence, we must soldier on and we will. We are a community, we are strong, we are Hope Valley."

Even though Abigail is no longer in Hope Valley, she remains a part of the conversation, including the touching scene between Clara and Bill at Abigail's Cafe last season.

Photo credit: Ricardo Hubbs
Photo credit: Ricardo Hubbs

All of this leads some fans to believe that there's a possibility that Abigail will make a triumphant return, especially since it seems highly unlikely that the show is going off the air anytime soon. When one fan one made a TikTok, which was later posted on Twitter, questioning if we'd ever see Lori, Erin Krakow, and Daniel Lissing (whose character was killed off the show in the season 5 finale) together again in Hope Valley, Erin offered a hopeful response: "False. We still ❤️ each other," she wrote.

Erin is holding on to hope that she'll work with her close friend and former co-star again. In fact, she told ET Canada that she would welcome Lori "back with open arms" —as would the rest of the cast.

Brian Bird, the show's creator, has also spoken about Abigail's potential return to Hope Valley. Initially, he told From the Desk that he believes Hope Valley is "a place of second chances." He continued: "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."

Now that Lori's fate has been determined by the court, he remains optimistic that they can find a way to bring her back to Hope Valley. On the day that Lori started her two-month sentence, he shared the wishes of a fan, who mentioned that he hopes the show makes an announcement soon. "Amen, brother. From your lips to God’s ears," he responded. (Psst, Hearties did you pick up on the fact that he used one of Abigail's most iconic lines? Very, very clever.)

After rampant rumors of the show's ending and the nixed Christmas movie in 2020, this is the kind of news that Hearties desperately need. Dozens of fans on Twitter agree that "Hope Valley just isn’t quite the same without her." Others are also calling for Carter Ryan Evancic's return, since his character was booted from the show at the same time as Abigail.

Either way, it looks like Hearties will have to continue watching to see what the future holds in Hope Valley!

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