Aahana Swrup
Elizabeth Thornton has been on quite a whirlwind journey on season 12 of the Hallmark prairie romance show ‘When Calls the Heart.’ From new beginnings, such as the take-off of her unique immersive teaching curriculum, to the daunting challenge of Little Jack’s diabetes diagnosis, the small-town teacher has had to face it all. Fortunately, her budding romance with Mountie Nathan continues to remain a supportive pillar by her side. Meanwhile, various other adventures are undertaken by the townfolk, including Rosemary and Bill, who take on the mysterious case of the stolen gold coins. As such, with the season finale, episode 12, ‘Must Be Gold,’ summer brings some much-awaited conclusions—even as life’s tendency toward the unexpected throws certain curveballs along the way. SPOILERS AHEAD!
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 12 Recap
After Little Jack’s diabetes diagnosis sends the town into an upheaval to find a way of bringing insulin to Hope Valley, everyone is able to take a moment of respite in the wake of their success. Faith’s clinic effectively becomes a participant in the University of Toronto’s insulin experiment, and Elizabeth’s son continues to thrive under the medicine’s positive effect. As summertime rolls around, the boy has returned to his full health—and has even gone back to his baseball hobby, something he enjoys practicing with Nathan. As such, things seem to be looking up for the Thorntons.
Similarly, Bill’s investigation into the gold coins also seems to have come to a natural end with the arrest of the garrisons. Yet, in her endless inquisitiveness, Rosemary can’t seem to be able to let go of the fact that the gold coins are still missing. Therefore, she refuses to drop her suspicions on Edie Martell, who inherited her uncle Ernie’s farm a while ago. Unlike the half-finished case, the school year is coming to a complete end. Timmy, Angela, and Emil are all graduating from Elizabeth’s tutelage and will be facing the world as adults. Simultaneously, Oliver’s time as a cadet also comes to an end as the young man passes the Mountie test with honors because of his involvement in the Garrison case.
However, Oliver doesn’t seem too thrilled about the favorable turn of events. The fact that he had done considerably badly in Elizabeth’s graduating exams also raises some concerns for both his mentor and teacher. Still, while the latter plans on getting to the bottom of the issue, she has some new problems of her own. Recently, her mother-in-law Charlotte moved to Cape Fullerton town, where she opened a boarding place. Since the town has a much more advanced medical clinic—vastly more trained to deal with experimental diabetes treatment, the older woman has advised Elizabeth to move to Fullerton for the betterment of her grandson’s health. Although the mother is confident in her choice to stay in Hope Valley—where Little Jack can be at home—she can’t help but reevaluate her decision once the young boy’s health takes a turn for the worse.
When Calls the Heart Season 12 Ending: Do Elizabeth and Little Jack Leave Hope Valley?
Little Jack’s health has become a big part of his and Elizabeth’s storyline, especially near the end of this season. The boy has diabetes, which remains highly incurable in the show’s early 1900s period setting. Fortunately for him, the University of Toronto has just started experimenting with insulin medication for the ailment. As such, even though it has been a hassle getting the treatment to Hope Valley, Little Jack has access to the life-saving medication. While it works wonders for the first few months, an error eventually dislodges his progress. As it turns out, the last shipment from the University had some complications, likely caused by improper refrigeration during transportation.
For the same reason, every other volunteer who is participating in the experimental program also experiences adverse side effects from the absence of effective medication. In Little Jack’s case, the lack of insulin makes him unconscious and in need of an emergency dosage. As such, Elizabeth’s best bet is to take the boy to Fullerton, where the functioning clinic can help them out with the issue. However, this trip is bound to make her rethink her entire plan. So far, Elizabeth has been fighting to bring insulin to the small town to ensure that her son has proper access to it. She even turns Faith’s clinic into a center for experimental medication.
Still, despite Faith and Mei’s experience, the fact remains that Hope Valley simply doesn’t have the same advanced equipment as a proper big city medical lab would. Charlotte’s good-intentioned letters had only highlighted the same. Consequently, Elizabeth can’t help but wonder if a move away from Hope Valley would truly be the best option for her son. She contemplates the same as she prepares to journey out to Fullerton with her sick son. Since Nathan is nowhere to be found during this frantic development, she initially plans on leaving with a simple letter to him explaining the situation. Furthermore, in the letter, Elizabeth comes clean about her dilemma of staying in the town and not wanting Nathan to uproot his and Allie’s lives for her.
Although Elizabeth is prepared to leave with just the letter as a parting goodbye, Nathan manages to catch up to her taxi at the last second. Allie accompanies him—and the father-daughter duo are ready to travel to Fullerton with Elizabeth and Little Jack. Even though it isn’t official yet, the four of them are one family unit as far as the Mountie is concerned. Therefore, he will stay by his partner’s side through thick and thin. As such, even though the four of them leave Hope Valley for now, they seem convinced that they’ll find a way out of this dilemma together. Both Elizabeth and Nathan have much-unfinished business in Hope Valley, including the former’s opportunity to pitch her curriculum to the school board. Thus, despite the bleakness of their departing situation, there’s always hope that they’ll return to their true home.
Where Are the Stolen Gold Coins?
The case of the stolen gold coins has been an instrumental mystery storyline in this season. Bill and Rosemary—matching each other’s determination and resourcefulness—are intent on getting to the bottom of the situation. Therefore, it stands to reason that the reporter won’t be pleased until she finds the actual gold coins in all their glory. For the same reason, she decides to secretly interrogate Edie under the guise of reporting on her new law business in town. During the interaction, Rosemary learns a few things about Edie’s uncle, growing intrigued by one of his maps. As such, she, Bill, and Nathan begin investigating the map for any clues.
Meanwhile, Edie goes to her new friend—and occasional client—Lucas, looking for some help. Much like Rosemary, the lawyer also suspects her uncle Ernie to have had something to do with the stolen coins. Therefore, she wants to snoop around his belongings and find the treasure—so that she can pass it on to the authorities. Eventually, the two parties solve the mystery of the coins around the same time. As it turns out, Ernie had hidden the stash in a long-covered-up wishing well. Once dug up, the location reveals a trunkful of gold coins. Additionally, Edie also makes another discovery once she realizes that Ernie’s map has a secret message.
In the message, Ernie explains how he overheard the Garrisons discussing the location of their buried treasure and decided to dig it up for himself. With the gold coins, the man looked after Edie and put her through law school to help her achieve her full potential. The note remains a heartwarming symbol of the duo’s connection. Still, unlike her uncle, Edie has no plans to keep the coins for herself. Even so, once she returns the treasure, she will inevitably receive a finder’s fee—which will help her pay off the debts on Ernie’s land. As a result, it seems the lawyer’s move to Hope Valley will be long and comfortable.
Does Oliver Graduate? Does He Become a Mountie?
While the rest of Elizabeth’s higher class are eager to graduate and go out into the real world, Oliver doesn’t seem to share this same enthusiasm. In fact, his performance on her test and disheartedness at his honors in the Mountie test suggest that the boy was hoping to sabotage his own future. Once Elizabeth has a conversation with him about the same, the reality of his situation becomes a lot more understandable. Before arriving at Hope Valley, Oliver was passed around in the foster system. He worked as a farmhand in his previous foster family’s ranch and wasn’t expected to have any higher education. Simultaneously, his mother is in prison, and his father seems to be out of the.
Therefore, Oliver has never truly experienced what it is like to be a kid and have a family. However, in the past few months during his cadetship under Nathan, the young man got to experience all these things and more. He has found a role model in the Mountie, a parental figure in the teacher, and a true friend in Allie. In fact, his feelings toward the other teenager may even go beyond the strictly platonic. Therefore, he isn’t willing to give all of that up just yet by becoming a Mountie and moving away from the town.
Luckily, Hope Valley has a way of looking after itself. Once Elizabeth realizes the root of Oliver’s problem, she shares it with Nathan, who might just be able to help the young man. The Mountie pulls some strings and finds a way to appoint a deputy under his command for Hope Valley. As a result, if Oliver takes his Mountie test again and passes, he can get a promotion and still stay in town. Thus, it seems the young Mountie is about to become a more regular part of Hope Valley and will likely play a crucial role in Allie’s future storylines.
Read More: When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 11 Recap: Having Faith
