Remembering Past Characters

   

    Hey everyone! Welcome to Wednesday...I mean Thursday! (What day is it?) Yes, I somehow managed to get my days mixed up due to Memorial Day. It kind of just blended right in with the weekend and I completely forgot to begin writing Wednesday's post.

    So long story short, I moved Wednesday's post to today to give me some extra time! Yay! But this past holiday got me thinking. What if I did a post in memorial of some of the Hearties beloved characters who have either left or strangely disappeared?

    And that's what we're doing today! So wont you "take a walk with me" down memory road as we reminisce about characters who have come and gone throughout WCTH's history.

    Side Note: Friday will unfortunately not be getting a post this week. But I will be using that extra time to work on a fun post for next Wednesday! (I'm thinking something either Team Lucas or triangle related. :) I'll also be using the time to hopefully get some more work done on my WCTH projects! (Yay!) So pretty please forgive my laziness in skipping tomorrow's post.

Cat Montgomery

    This woman was only in one season of WCTH but I have not forgotten her despite how long she's been gone. Her absence was probably a bit glaring to a lot of Hearties after starting Season 2 as she'd had a larger role than other characters in the prier season. Then all of a sudden POOF! She's gone!

She also had one of the most "edgy" storylines in WCTH history as she had to deal with the horrible Mr. Spurlock! That bucket of slime! I'm glad she told him what for! Of course that lead to one of the most dangerous moments for Elizabeth as the man almost shot her! Luckily Jack saved her, and all was well. Anyway, let us return to Cat.

    She also had some unwanted and unasked for competition going on with Reverend Anderson as she continued to teach Sunday School in the woods to "his" parishioners. (I think someone needs to teach the pastor a Bible lesson. Lol!) And I of course can't forget how Jack threw her in prison!!! (Sheesh! Can't this poor widow catch a break?)

    In a nut shell she was a character with a lot of potential for future storylines, and growth. Her past combined with her present problems and the tragedy of her husband's death, plus three children to raise left the door open for a lot of possibilities. But with the close of Season one came the close of her stay in Hope...I mean Coal Valley. (Crazy, huh?) Even so Hearties can still go back and enjoy watching her dramatic stories in Season 1 and remember her kind and loving character.

Dottie Ramsey

    (She's the second girl on the left for anyone who doesn't know. But I'm sure you do! :)   

    This gal stuck around a lot longer than some people did. Dottie was the poised, and dignified mayor's wife and she fit in right along side Florence and Molly as a woman who loved gossip. She was never a favorite of mine but just like her companions I mentioned I enjoyed her for the gasping, "Did you hear what I heard?" busybody she was.

    For a lot of characters my favorite seasons for them are the first ones they appeared in, which some of that is the same for Dottie. There are different moments that stick out for me. One being just her general character as the mayor's wife in Season one. The way she donated the fabric for the Founder's Day costumes but in return became the master of ceremonies. Oh, and her son became the lead in the play. (I wonder if the Founder's would be proud of that...Lol!)

    Another thing was her "romance" with Bill. Lol! That sure was short lived. One date, Bill gives her a goodnight kiss, and POOF! That's over! But that's perfectly okay with me as I really didn't want them as a couple anyway. But as so many characters have gone, Dottie started a dress shop, left to open another location, and was never seen or heard from again. It's like when a character goes upstairs and never comes down again, you know? :) Even so she was apart of the Hope Valley community for quite some time and will be remembered by the Hearties for years to come.

Frank Hogan

    Oh, good old pastor Frank. The Hearties miss you! While he was not my all time favorite character (I've always been most interested in Jack and Elizabeth's and now Lucas and Elizabeth's story) I can definitely say that Frank was the best pastor WCTH ever had. He had his whole rugged western entry when he stumbled upon a wedding being officiated by a man pretending to be him. He then suggested shooting the con-man impersonating him, but ended with a lesson of forgiveness. (Lol! Love the humor and it appeared so did Lee!) Then he had his whole love story with Abigail which was very suddenly and awkwardly cut short. (What happened there, anyway?) And of course no one can forget his criminal past!

    Yes, Frank embodied this tough five-o' clock shadowed persona with a soft and caring heart for others. One of my favorite storylines for him was his entry I just mentioned at Mary and Dewitt's wedding. (More characters who have disappeared.) I believe Season 2 and 3 were my favorite seasons for his character, although I don't remember everything that happened perfectly. It was also nice that right before his departure he came back and officiated Jack and Elizabeth's wedding, as we all know that he needed to.

    Excluding Henry Gowen, Frank was the best man Abigail ever had feelings for. (Sorry Bill, but now its a bit weird to think you actually kissed Abigail.) True he rode off into the sunset, or stagecoach, very suddenly, and his and Abigail's goodbye was a bit strange, but there was nobody like him. Nobody can replace him as he was and is the only Frank Hogan. Yeah, con-man I'm looking at you! (Maybe that's why Zeke went into hiding. Maybe he felt he couldn't measure up to the great Pastor Hogan.)

Murphy McBride

    What happened to that sweet man? (Sorry. I couldn't find a good picture of him.) He came in during Season 4 and became Lee's right hand man. He was shy, kind, had great big glasses, and a huge head of curls! Oh, the curls! I think for his departure it either had to do with the actor, Matt Clarke, not returning or the writers decided to not bring him back. Either way he was a sweetheart of a guy.

    The best storyline with him was definitely his romance with Katie Yost. (Yet another character who has disappeared.) Who can forget the hilarious moment Rosemary became the shy man's puppeteer and "helped" him ask Katie Yost on a romantic picnic. Lol! Sadly he left us after Season 4, but him and his sweet little freckled face shall be remembered with fondness by many Hearties I'm sure!

    News flash! (Activates reporter voice-over) Murphy and Katie McBride have been found in a small town outside of HV living on a small homestead with three children and two dogs. Murphy is currently an accountant for a small bank and claims he has never been happier. (That's the story I'm going with anyway...:D )

The Children

    I'll combine a few characters here for some of the children who have left over the years. Or should I say a lot of children. Yes quite a few children have come and gone during the course of this show. Some kids like Chad and Earl Wyatt seemed to just be there for the storyline. Other kids like Gabe, Bo, and Wyatt got their big roles in Season 1, came back for a little bit in Season 2 and then disappeared. Now if I were to talk about each and every kid I would need a separate blog post. I'll just point out three specific kids who I'm sure most, if not all of you remember.

    But first let me address something. I'm sure a lot, if not all of you have heard by now of Logan Williams' tragic death. I won't list any specifics here of the when or how, but I will say that my prayers go out to his family. So here's an honorary picture of the precious boy and his co-stars when he played Cat's son Miles during Season 1 in memoriam of him.

    So the three kids I've chosen to talk about are Rosaleen Sullivan, (Molly's kid) Phillip Cantrell, and of course Cody.

    Mamie Laverock (AKA Rosaleen) did a superb job!!! Oh my goodness the emotion! I've talked about her crying scene before and how it may or may not have made me emotional every time I've watched it. I mean that girl just did a fantastic job!

    Now I know characters come and go and its just apart of TV, BUT....the weird part is the fact that Molly is still here....and she doesn't seem to remember ever having a daughter....Hmm... That's kind of strange if you ask me. Either way Mamie was amazing as little Rosaleen and I'm glad she got to be a part of the show!

    Then we come to Phillip. Sweet, adorable little Phillip! He had a very sad story as he believed that it was his fault his mother died. Anyway, Phillip was very sweet and brought some difficult challenges along the way for Elizabeth to deal with. Including his eye problem which we eventually learned was Glaucoma. Thankfully for him Pastor Hogan was able to take him to a children's hospital for treatment, and that was the last we saw of Philip. He exited right along with Frank in that stagecoach.

    One of the sad things about his character's departure was the fact that we never found out what became of him. Did he go blind? Was his vision saved? I mean, I wont die if I never find out but it would have been nice if someone at least got a telegram explaining what happened. You know?

    And finally nobody can forget Cody's sudden departure, as it's associated with another character who had to leave very abruptly. (A character who shall remain nameless.) From his first appearance this kid became one of the main if not THE main kid character in WCTH. And he became even more so after Abigail (Opps! I said it!) took him in and eventually adopted him and his sister. (Who has also gone AWOL)

    It's so fun to look back at when these kids first appeared in Hope Valley as you can remember how little they really were to start. Cody always is a surprise to look back at for me. He's so cute! He had quite the dramatic story as him and his sister Becky were runaway orphans. Throw in a life- threatening sickness and the drama gets even higher.

    Then Cody tried his hand at matchmaking... or should I say Rosemary did.... for Ms. Abigail. Lol! Cody became Abigail's loyal defender. He didn't want anyone hurting his Mom. If you've ever seen an early preview for Season 6 you can find a scene of Cody confronting a man from Abigail's past telling him that he doesn't want Abigail to get hurt. The man was maybe supposed to "like" Abigail as the trailer showed them in two more intimate scenes, and so Cody stepped in to protect his Mom from possible heart break. You go Cody!

    Sadly for a lot of Hearties, however, Cody had to leave with Abigail when she went back East to care for her sick mother. The way he had to go is definitely sad, as I'm not sure he will ever be able to return. But still people continue to show their love for him and hope that someday he will come back to Hope Valley.

Abigail Stanton

    Gasp! (Covers mouth) Can...can I...say her name? (Wink, wink.) I know I've already talked about her before so I wont spend too much time here, but whether you loved or hated her character I can not overlook her. She was Elizabeth's first and best friend in Hope Valley, (Other than Jack of course) the one who held everything together, and was the mother of Hope Valley.

Personally my absolute favorite season for her was Season 1. She was this sweet, motherly, yet determined widow with a fun sense of humor. Truthfully Season 1 was her best season over all IMO.

    And now sadly for some Hearties and Elizabeth Abigail is probably gone for forever. I'm fine with that, but you can't help wondering what it would be like if she did come back, right? Elizabeth's reaction to her beloved friend's return. The possible romance with Henry that might take place. And of course Cody would get to come right back along with her I'm assuming. But like I said before. I like how the show is now better than before. Part of that had to do with other characters getting more screen time, and taking on new roles. But no matter what no one can replace her as far as I'm concerned. She was special, and I'd rather go on without her than see someone recast as her, trying to fill shoes that are impossible to fill. She was the only Abigail.

Jack Thornton

    (Sigh...) Oh, Jack....My sweet...I mean...Elizabeth's sweet Jack. What a complete and heart shattering shock it was to lose you. I continued to repeat the words, "He's not dead. He's not dead." Throughout the entire week leading to the finale, but my heart was never sure. There was so much I still wanted you to do. Find out with Elizabeth that she was pregnant. Meet your son with tears in your eyes. Build that amazing house you had planned. Chase chickens and goats around your yard. Play with your children. Build the life you imagined with the woman you loved so much...(Begins singing Danny Boy...)

    Jack was my all time favorite character in WCTH while he was on the show. He was the best! His fun and witty personality paired with his Mountie know-how and kick-butt moves, and of course add his woman wooing skills made him a wonderful character.

    As for a lot of these characters my favorite season for Jack was Season 1. There was just something so special about that season. But even after that Jack was just my favorite!

    It was while watching Jack and Elizabeth that I learned the true meaning of the word chemistry. They have totally set the standard as to what true chemistry looks like, as they were perfect together. I mean they just clicked. They were just meant for each other, and now go in with the other legendary couples. Anne and Gilbert, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez, and Jack and Elizabeth. The way they looked together, the way they were together...They were something special.

    After Jack died I was so SOOOOO incredibly disappointed. I mean that day I just went around the house in a state of depression as I cleaned all the windows...(Yes, it was very sad.) Even while watching the Christmas Special I couldn't help but think, "What if Jack had been there?"

    Since then my sadness has left, and I am enjoying the new bright vibe of Seasons 6 and 7. I'm now okay with how things are, and actually think the show is better now than before. (Hello Lucas Bouchard!) But no matter how much I like it now, and how much things have changed I cannot forget where things started, or rather who they started with, and that would be Jack Thornton. He came to the show with all his witty dialogue and animal analogies, (Sigh...Oh the animal analogies....) and he died a hero. No matter who Elizabeth picks she will never ever forget her first love. Jack was special, and Elizabeth will always remember the love he had for her, and the love she had for him.

    Well, that's the end of my list! I know that I left out some characters, but I think I covered a lot of the major ones. It's crazy sometimes to look back and remember past characters with the stories they had and the roles they played. It would be fun in Season 8 to see some character whether a former citizen or a villain return for an episode or two!

    Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment with your own memories of past characters! God Bless!