Nathan Will Face an ‘Urgent, Personal’ Investigation in Season 13, WCTH Showrunner Teases

After the season 12 finale aired, the new showrunner for “When Calls the Heart” season 13, Joy Gregory, dropped hints about what’s in store for Nathan (Kevin McGarry) and Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) outside of Hope Valley, along with a case Nathan will be investigating that is “urgent” and “personal” for the town.

Nathan & Elizabeth Will ‘Co-Parent’ & ‘Mature Together’

During The Official Hearties Aftershow, Gregory shared some fascinating tidbits about what to expect in the new season that premieres in 2026.

At about 16:21 into the interview, she talked about Nathan and Elizabeth’s future after the big plot twist at the end of season 12.

“I am so excited that we got to launch them toward Cape Fullerton, to literally put them on new territory… ” Gregory said. “They’re going to co-parent someone who has a chronic illness. And while we certainly aren’t going to dwell in the kind of peril that we brought to the end of our season, we do want to honor the reality of that and how it might change Elizabeth… There’s opportunities for real growth of her character through adversity, but also through, of course, love and sharing her burden with Nathan… I’m excited to lean into watching their relationship mature together… through good times and challenges.”

The show will also continue to follow Allie and her bond with Oliver.

“We’re excited to bring Allie into young adulthood…” Gregory continued. “She’s grown into such a talented actor who can handle anything we throw her way… Her bond with Jacob on screen, who plays Oliver, is really lovely and working so well. We’re excited to develop their friendship together.”

Nathan Will Investigate a New Case That’s ‘Urgent’ for Hope Valley

But Nathan’s going to have a big storyline outside of his relationship with Elizabeth, Gregory added.

“Of course, Bill and Nathan will have an important case,” she said. “It’s gonna be a case that’s deeply connected to the town in a really urgent, personal way.”

She didn’t provide any hints beyond that, however. So for now, fans will have to guess about what type of investigation Nathan will be launching in season 13.

In season 12, one of the most popular moments between Nathan and Elizabeth happened when they sang a duet in episode 7. Originally, the script had them singing “For Me and My Gal.” But Krakow and McGarry thought the scene called for a very different type of song, he told The Edify Show.

“We wanted one that was a bit slower. And we wanted one that was more to Nathan and Elizabeth’s story. So we switched to ‘You Made Me Love You,'” McGarry explained.