SALT LAKE CITY — Will Lori Loughlin’s character Abigail Stanton ever make a “When Calls the Heart” return?
What happened: On Sunday, “When Calls the Heart” returned from a brief creative hiatus after the Hallmark Channel cut ties with Lori Loughlin, who played Mayor Abigail Stanton on the show.
In the episode, Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) narrated a letter that she was writing that mentioned Abigail’s fate, according to my report for the Deseret News.
- “We never know how life will turn,” she began. “It’s been a week since Abigail got word that her mother had taken ill back East. True to her nature, Abigail wasted no time in rushing off to care for her.
- “Abigail is much more than a friend. She’s family, and I will miss her and Cody deeply. We all will. But we must get by as best we can.”
So will she ever return? Well, “When Calls the Heart”executive producer and creator Brian Bird told From the Desk of Kurt Manwaring at the end of last month that Hope Valley — the fictional town in which “When Calls the Heart” takes place — is “a place for 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," Bird told From the Desk.
- “… Hope Valley will always be a place of second chances,” Bird said, according to the Deseret News. “However, in the real world, having a heart of forgiveness does not mean that justice can be ignored.”
Of course, it’s unclear if Loughlin will be available to return as the character. Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli have been accused of paying $500,000 in bribes so that their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, would be team crew recruits for the University of Southern California, even though neither had any team crew experience.
Context: Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded not guilty, according to the AP. Loughlin is reportedly “agonizing” over her image following the scandal, which I wrote about for the Deseret News. She could face up to 40 years in prison for the college admissions scandal, which would limit her chances of returning.
But some reports say Loughlin wants to battle it out in the courtroom, too, according to my report for the Deseret News.
Recast: “Still, you never know. Maybe they'll replace Lori with another actress to play Abigail – Candace Cameron Bure perhaps? We shall see,” according to Yahoo Lifestyle.
- That’s not an outlandish idea. In the immediate aftermath of the scandal, as I wrote for the Deseret News, there were some suggestions out there to replace Loughlin.
- Rachael Ellenbogen of the International Business Times put together a list of possible replacement actresses, including Andie MacDowell (who headlined Hallmark’s first original show “Cedar Cove”), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (who appeared in the Hallmark Christmas film “The Christmas Train”) and Kelly Rutherford (who currently stars on the “Pretty Little Liars” spinoff show “The Perfectionists”). Daphne Zuniga, who appeared on “One Tree Hill,” also expressed interest.