'When Calls the Heart' Cast Reacts to Elizabeth Choosing Lucas and That Passionate Kiss! (Exclusive) - Entertainment Tonight

ET spoke exclusively with series stars Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry and Chris McNally via video chat to learn more about what went into Elizabeth’s decision, how suitors Nathan and Lucas are feeling, the challenges of filming that kissing scene on the bridge and what’s next as they prepare to start filming season 9. .

“I'm very happy and I'm very sad, it’s the truth, people!” Krakow, who’s also an executive producer on the drama series, tells ET of how she’s feeling now that Elizabeth has made her decision.

McNally chimes in to speak on behalf of his character, explaining, “I think that Lucas is ecstatic.

Obviously there were hiccups along the way, but I think he said [in season 6 or 7], ‘I'll wait as long as I have to for the woman of my dreams.’ Something in that neighborhood.

As for Nathan, McGarry admits the Mountie is “totally heartbroken” (more on that later) -- but for now, the Ontario, Canada native wants to assure the viewers that the plot for this season was just as much of a mystery to the actors as it was for the fans.

“For a long time, Elizabeth has just been kind of confused and overwhelmed by her feelings, and specifically, the connection that she's felt with Nathan over these past few years, it is undeniable.

“I think for a long time, she was swept up in those feelings with Nathan, but didn't necessarily realize how much of it was because of Jack and what she was almost projecting onto Nathan.

Once she got to a point where she could see the difference between why she was feeling what she was feeling for Nathan, and what she'd been feeling all along for Lucas, I think it became clear to her that one was absolutely love, but the other was hopefully her lifetime,” she concludes, referencing Rosemary’s poignant advice from episode 11!

“So when he sees her at the bridge, or when he finds her, she's at the bridge and they make eye contact and he realizes how deeply she's feeling, thinking that he's left, and Nathan has told him where she stands with him, and they have that moment of connection.

“We talked about how we wanted it to feel, like it was this explosion of their passion and emotion, and that it wasn't just one sweet romantic kiss,” she shares, before adding, “It was just this [feeling of], ‘Now that I have you, I don't want to take my hands off you’ kind of feeling.”.

When it comes to Nathan, McGarry shares some insight into the emotional scene filmed in his office, when the Mountie learns that Elizabeth loves him but isn’t in love with him.

“It was written that Nathan thanked her at the end [of that scene], and I was like, ‘I didn't want to say thanks,’” he explains.

“I think the idea was that he was like releasing from this obligation that he had to kind of protect her, but I felt like Nathan was in love with her.

“I think there should be a little bit of mourning that we see at the beginning of season 9 that Nathan's going to have to go through.

Thornton, strike up a romance with her now-father, McGarry predicts she’ll be just fine going into season 9.

“Clearly she was playing her old Parent Trap game for a while in season 8, but that scene that Chris and Jaeda had, that Lucas and Allie had together when she kind of realized that maybe Lucas is not such a bad guy and maybe this is just the way things are.

“I think she is going to move into season 9 more interested in her own love life,” McGarry says, laughing, before adding, “Now he's got to deal with the young love life of his niece!”.

Lucas gave little Jack, I think it was a toy dog or something like that, and said, ‘Every little boy needs his dog.’”.

For Krakow, she says she’s particularly excited to figure out what Elizabeth and Nathan’s friendship is going to be like.

McGarry reflects Krakow’s sentiments, telling ET he too is excited to uncover how Nathan and Elizabeth will interact in the coming episode!

While he wouldn’t spill the idea, he does share that showrunner John Tinker recently sent him an idea for Nathan that left McGarry totally stunned yet excited.

“It might be fun on a personal level for Lucas, who has always done quite well financially, to maybe run into some [financial] trouble and see what it looks like when everything is taken away.”

“I think we're all going back to Team Hope Valley now,” he says

He's going to have a bunch of other exciting adventures and we'll see what happens with him, but Team Nathan and Team Lucas, I think it's time to come together and be Team Hope Valley.”