[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for When Calls the Heart Season 11 Episode 9 “Truth Be Told.”]
The mystery surrounding who shot Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) got even more complicated in the June 2 episode of When Calls the Heart. Bernhardt Montague (Benjamin Wilkinson), the man Bill (Jack Wagner) thought was behind the shooting, was attacked in the episode while in Hope Valley. With Season 11 winding down, will the mystery finally be solved?
Wagner promised during TV Insider’s weekly When Calls the Heart aftershow, Heart Beats, that fans will get answers. “I think it’s unexpected, and it has some pretty nice twists,” Wagner said about the reveal. “Bill is convinced that Bernhardt Montague, our villain from last year who tried to steal our water supply from Hope Valley, is definitely not only involved but the centerpiece to the shooting of our governor Lucas Bouchard. So it’s unraveling and also getting to the truth, which is really what this character is about.”
Montague swore to Bill that he was not behind Lucas’ shooting. As the investigation continues in the episodes to come, the stakes will get even higher. “We finally get to this real truth about who shot Lucas that leads us into this very dangerous situation. So we have potential victims, but also that creates heroes,” Wagner teased.
One of the most exciting dynamics of Season 11 has been Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Bill teaming up to investigate the shooting. They couldn’t be more different, but they make great allies. “It’s the yin and yang of how they both work and their personalities,” the actor noted.
He added, “The fun part was finding the comedy and letting it just sort of happen by her being Rosemary and me being Bill, and then they meet in the middle quite often. That’s what makes it the real team effort. You root for them because they’re not at odds anymore. They’re on the same page. They’re goal-oriented and very committed. It’s really nice that they came up with that, and I’m glad people are liking it.”
In looking back at Season 11, Wagner has enjoyed how Lucas has evolved in the wake of his breakup with Elizabeth (Erin Krakow). “I think they did a really nice job of separating Lucas from Elizabeth in the proper way, so his fans weren’t so disturbed, the Lucas/Elizabeth fans, and also giving Chris McNally so much to play as the governor,” Wagner said. “The last four or five episodes, you see another part of this character, what’s really going on, and how it affects him. He played it really well.”
As the Hearties are all aware of by now, When Calls the Heart has been renewed for Season 12. Wagner, who has been on the show since its debut in 2014, revealed that he wants Bill to “have some romance again” next season. He continued, “I think there has to be some sort of threat to Hope Valley again. I think that always pays off because it brings the community together.”
Watch the full video interview above.
When Calls the Heart, Sundays, 9/8c, Hallmark Channel