Can Elizabeth & Nathan Be Friends Again? (And Should They Be?)

 

    Uh, oh there I go again... (If you're a MercyMe fan, you'll know how to sing that line.😁) Oh, no. Hope has gone and done it again. She's picked a super controversial topic for a blog post, and put her neck right back on that chopping block.

    But let's be honest... These are the posts that catch everyone's eye. 😉

    Hello, and welcome back to my blog! I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving! Mine included pizza bites, cheese dip, and cheesecake! (And that's a lot of cheese, now that I think about it.) Any who, I'm back and as you can tell, I have quite the topic to discuss with you today. Honestly... I have two topics to talk about in this post. One being the title. 

    Can Elizabeth and Nathan ever be friends again, and should they be? Ever since S8's finale Hearties have been saying they want Elizabeth to have nothing to do with Nathan. Nothing at all. And I understand why. Any interaction between them would be extremely painful for Team Nathan, as it would only serve as one of those terrible "what-if" moments. I dealt with this in Season 6's Christmas Special after Jack died. What if Jack had been there? If only he could be there! And I can only imagine how much more painful seeing Elizabeth with Nathan would be for TN in Season 9, so believe me when I say I really understand. But I think we all know the two of them talking to each other in Season 9 is inevitable. And so I thought I'd give some thoughts on these two, their current situation, and the prospect of them one day being friends again.

    But the other topic I want to discuss... Hmm... It might be even riskier than the title of this post. (If you can imagine that!)

    Well, let's get to it!

Why Can't We Be Friends?

 

    Song pun completely intended. Lol!    

    Okay... I think it's pretty safe to say that just about everyone knows what Elizabeth and Nathan's current situation is. Elizabeth is happy with Lucas (Possibly carrying guilt over what she did to Nathan) and Nathan is... sad. Heartbroken really. I could see it in his eyes. Those piercing blue bulbs glossed over with unshed tears. (Really, bravo Kevin McGarry on that performance!) Elizabeth really hurt him. She never meant to, and Nathan did some of this damage by never taking her no as no. But then again she also gave him mixed messages, therefore giving him hope... and I'm going around in a circle. That's kind of what I do here. I believe both of them are partly to blame for how things ended. Elizabeth took an eternity to figure out exactly what she was feeling for both guys, and Nathan really pushed what he wanted, and pressured her, even after she told him no. While both of them had good intentions... it all ended quite badly.

    So, the question is... where do they both stand now? Obviously, Elizabeth is better off right now than Nathan. Duh, right? She got the guy she loves, and didn't get dumped. Nathan on the other hand has just had it rough. One problem after the other. His brother-in-law problems, the inquiry, and finally that sucker punch Elizabeth gave him. The man is due for some happiness.

    I think going into Season 9 Elizabeth is going to want things between her and Nathan to be fixed. She's going to want that easy conversation they used to have, and mutual understanding about what it's like to be a single parent. Mind you, I'm not saying she's going to want to seek him out in a romantic way. She's already found her man. I think she'll just want things to not be strained between her and Nathan. She has a very kind and caring heart, so if she sees Nathan in pain, knowing she caused it, she's going to want to fix it. So for Elizabeth's side of things, I would say yes. She is totally going to want to be friends with Nathan, at least in some capacity.

    As for Nathan... That's a whole other matter entirely. Anything to do with Elizabeth is going to result in pain for him. At least at first anyhow. Honestly it partly depends on where Season 9 starts and how much time has passed. But either way I expect Nathan to still be getting over her in the beginning of Season 9. And honestly... I think that's what everyone wants to see. Why build up such an emotional storyline for him, only to blow it off like it never happened? That's just a complete waste of good storytelling. It would also cheapen Nathan's feelings for Elizabeth if he acts like nothing ever happened when the new season starts. It would look like he didn't care as deeply as we know he does. So all in all I think Nathan will, and should be getting over Elizabeth at the start of Season 9.

    Anyhow, getting back to the title of this post... How will he act toward Elizabeth? I think, like I said, any interaction with Elizabeth is going to result in pain. I also think things are going to be very awkward. So with all this said, I think he'll want to avoid her at first. Makes sense, right? He won't know what to say to her, nor will he really want to talk to her. It will only cause him more pain, and possibly even Allie. However knowing Nathan, if anything should arise concerning Allie, he will totally suck it down and work with Elizabeth for Allie's good. I also know Nathan is a noble protector and should Elizabeth find herself in danger, he would risk his life to save her, even working with Lucas if he had to. (Wouldn't that be a great scene?)

    I think Nathan will eventually find a new normal with Elizabeth. Things will start out awkward and strained, but I expect things to eventually get better. And I expect them to be "friendly" by the end of Season 9. Maybe not full on "friends" but at least able to smile and laugh with each other, and finally move on. 

    So to answer the question, "Could they be friends again?" Yes. Absolutely. If Elizabeth can be best friends with her late husband's fiance, her and Nathan could be friends. They will also always have a special connection over Jack, and understanding the "Mountie way of life." So, yes. I definitely could see them as friends. Some day...

Should They Be Friends?

(This is a pic from WCTH Season 9)

    This is a way harder question to answer. It's easy to say if they could be friends, but when you enter the "should they" zone it's a totally different story. Now obviously the first blatant answer to this question would be, "Duh! They should totally be friends as that's just the nice thing for people to do. This is also Hallmark and everyone needs a happy ending." And to some extent... I agree. I think eventually they should learn how to be friends... in a purely 'teacher/parent' sort of way. 

    I think they should have respect for each other (Which I believe they already do) and be friends in the sense that they're always kind and help each other out if one of them needs it. You know, like Hope Valley does. But anything more than that? I'm sorry but wouldn't that just be kind of weird? Does that make sense? I mean I can understand her being really good friends with Lee (He's sort of like her big brother) and Bill (He's like a father-in-law of sorts) but Nathan? Err.... I don't know. Okay, technically I know that eventually they will be good friends. (How soon that happens, we'll just have to wait and see.) I guess it would just be weird, for both the characters and the Hearties, if Elizabeth and Nathan became super chummy after this whole triangle. It's also not likely to happen for at least another season or two if we're being realistic. It would just feel weird if they were best-buds by the end of Season 9. Nathan fell in love with Elizabeth, wanted to court her for three years, and then got rejected. And Elizabeth considered him as a romantic suitor for three years as well, and projected Jack on him. 

    So realistically speaking... It would be pretty odd if they became super close friends. However... this isn't reality. This is TV and a Hallmark show to top things off. So I don't expect the writers to be realistic. At least not entirely anyway.

    But looking at this thing from another point of view... us viewers' point of view... I say that yes. Elizabeth and Nathan should be friends. Now once again I am not saying they should be super close friends or something, nor do I think they should become friends super fast. I just think they shouldn't avoid each other and act awkward around each other for the rest of their WCTH lives. I think they both need to have a talk this coming season. Things need to be officially settled between them. Not that either one of them is still thinking of the other as a potential romantic suitor, but rather they need to clear the air. Need to get past that initial awkwardness, and say anything that needs to be said. After that, I think things will become a little easier. I think they may even be able to smile and laugh with each other again a bit. Things will never be the same for sure, but I think they can (And should) begin a new sort of friendship.

    Now onto my second topic for today...

The Division

    No, I'm not here to talk about one of those shoot-um-up Tom Clancy video games. I'm here to address something that began in the Heartie community back when Season 6 started. The current division among us known as "Team Lucas" and "Team Nathan." Now some people argue that there isn't teams anymore. I disagree. I believe there is and always will be Team Lucas and Team Nathan, just like there will always be "Bring Back Jack" people. In a sense it just shows which character we like better. Which one is our favorite. It's more of how we choose to handle things and treat people that I'm addressing here today. 

    Now first and foremost I need to be frank. Yes, it was the writers who started this. It was their full intention to divide people into Team Lucas and Team Nathan groups. That was the only way this triangle was going to work. They had to have people so incredibly invested in their guy to make the triangle as big of a deal as it was. Therefore they could carry it out so long, get higher ratings, and give us such a tense and suspenseful ending. This is just how TV works. Their goal isn't to personally hurt us. It's to get us invested in their show which equals higher ratings. And I know that I came out on the winning side, so my word doesn't hold a lot of merit. I totally get what this sounds like coming from me. But I just wanted to say that the writers weren't trying to personally hurt anyone. Yes they wanted to keep us guessing. They would have been lousy writers if they hadn't. But by doing this, that doesn't mean they were trying to harm the fans. They were just doing their job as TV writers.

    Anyhow, now that everything is said and done, I have seen multiple comments on social media saying that the current division in the Heartie-verse is still the writers' fault. This is what I'm really getting at. Yes, the division in general was started by the writers, but honestly... it's us Hearties who are keeping it going. We are the division. When we continue to bash each other just because we have different opinions, or troll one team with bitter comments, or even continue to say how wrong or crazy we think the other team is even after the triangle is over... we're keeping the division alive and well. 

    And that is not the writers' fault. It's ours.

    When we continue to laugh at and heckle each other, or shoot bitter comments at strangers, we can't blame anyone but ourselves. Now I fully acknowledge that this is easier for me to say as I got the ending I wanted. If things had gone the other way, I would be singing a different tune. I would be sad and disappointed, and who knows what I would have done with my blog. But no matter what side we are on, no matter the outcome, we need to treat each other with respect and love. Not harsh or bitter comments.

    Just kindness. Just love. Realizing that we're all humans on the other side of that Twitter or Instagram profile. Humans with real feelings and emotions.

    Now, IMO, this doesn't mean we can't address riskier topics (As I am) in blog posts or on podcasts, or even on social media. I think it just means we should do it in a kind and respectful manner. Just giving an opinion on a popular topic, rather than pointing a finger. Always treating people with kindness.

    No one is perfect. I'm not. I never will be. But I just know that I need to treat people the way Jesus tells me to. The way I'd want them to treat me. With kindness, respect, and love.

    Thank you if you've read through my entire lecture. Lol! I realize by writing this post I'm setting a standard for myself. I can't just go off and do the exact opposite of what I just said, and I fully acknowledge that, and I am going to try and do my best in remaining respectful and kind to everyone. It doesn't mean I won't cover riskier topics on this blog like I have in the past, but I'm going to try and do it the right way. With kindness and respect.

    Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to comment your thoughts below, or on my Twitter page! Have an amazing weekend! God Bless!

    P.S. Need a new travel mug? Feel free to stop by my shop and see if there's anything you like. https://heart-and-family-mercantile.myspreadshop.com/