In season 11 episode 3 of “When Calls the Heart,” fans were shocked to see Nathan (played by Kevin McGarry) without his shirt on. This scene became popular on social media as viewers reacted to the moment when Elizabeth (played by Erin Krakow) walked into the Mountie office and found Nathan changing shirts. Now, a Hallmark screenwriter has disclosed the creative mind behind the viral scene, as well as an important aspect of the scene that fans were unaware of. Kevin McGarry) in a shirtless scene. The scene went viral on social media, as fans reacted to the scene where Elizabeth (played by Erin Krakow) walked into the Mountie office and found Nathan changing shirts. Now, a Hallmark screenwriter has revealed the mastermind behind the viral scene, and a key part to the scene that fans didn’t see.
The Episode’s Screenwriter Came Up With the Idea for the Shirtless Scene
In an interview with the Official Hearties Admins, “When Calls the Heart” writer Allie Devereaux discussed season 11 episode 3, including the viral shirtless Nathan scene. The topic of the Nathan scene came up around the 27-minute mark into the interview. Devereaux admitted that the concept for the scene was her idea, and she was surprised it made it into the final episode.
“Guilty, guilty,” Devereaux admitted. “To be honest, I’m surprised it stayed in. I did pitch it thinking, we got some room to play this season and we were sort of pitching out ideas. And I thought, ‘What if she walks in on him and he doesn’t have a shirt on?’ And that’s where it came. And people were like, ‘How would that look?’ And so that’s what it it ended up being. But it was so fun and they played it so well and it was way better than we ever thought it could be. So I’m glad it’s stuck, but I was surprised that it did.”
The Scene Originally Explained Why Nathan Had to Change His Shirt
In her interview, Devereaux disclosed that there was more to the scene than what viewers saw in the episode. There was another part to the scene which showed why Nathan was changing his shirt when Elizabeth walked in.
Devereaux mentioned, “Actually, there was originally part of that scene where it was water on his shirt that Scout spilt. But we didn’t get all the way through that… We did it in our own Hope Valley way.”
They also discussed other aspects of the episode, such as Elizabeth wanting to be Lucas’ friend, and how that dynamic might unfold since they had never truly been “just friends” before.
“From the start, it was pretty clear that Lucas had feelings for Elizabeth when he met her,” Devereaux said. “But that doesn’t mean they can’t be friends now. I think we’re going to see, even in this episode and consistently, that this season has moments of Elizabeth and Lucas developing their friendship. It’s interesting because it’s a new kind of friendship for them, so we get to see that now. We didn’t have much time where they were strictly friends, so we get to see that now. It sets up a new kind of relationship for them.”
Around 40 minutes into the interview, they also touched on Jeanette’s arrival in the next episode and what to expect from her.
Devereaux commented, “Certainly she brings tension, which as writers, makes her a very interesting character. But she’s also very complex. She’s been talked about a lot, and as we’ve seen, she’s not easy to track down. She’s elusive and discovering where she’s been and what she’s doing. So, without giving too much away, be prepared to be surprised by Jeanette. Expect the unexpected from her.”
