Scene Breakdown: Nathan and Elizabeth’s First Kiss in ‘When Calls the Heart’

Elizabeth Thornton and Nathan Grant’s relationship is a long time coming. Five seasons and sixty-six episodes, to be exact. And with how intricately When Calls the Heart handled the love triangle, this moment had to be both big and simple, simultaneously. So, when it’s time for Elizabeth and Nathan’s first kiss, Season 11, Episode 11, “Run to You” marks the moment beautifully. 

The progression we get throughout Season 11, with Nathan and Elizabeth slowly coming together by once again strengthening their friendship, is why the two of them locking their relationship in means so much. When they teeter around their feelings this time around, Nathan, especially, ensures that the ball is entirely in Elizabeth’s court. He gives her the agency to make the final decision because his feelings are now clear as day and have been out in the open for some time. He isn’t going to push or be the one to initiate anything because he knows that it’s essential for her to choose what (and who) she wants.

It begins gradually with quiet moments of newfound closeness here and there and builds to the type of order that’s been growing and fortifying. With a gorgeously well-written screenplay and thoughtful directorial close-ups, Derek Thompson and Peter DeLuise ensure that Nathan and Elizabeth’s first kiss is inimitable. 

Nathan and Elizabeth’s First Kiss Is Full of Countless Promises

The fact that Nathan and Elizabeth’s first kiss occurs in an episode with dangerously heightened stakes is precisely what shows viewers that this is the right decision. Elizabeth isn’t fully past her fears of losing him the same way she lost Jack (because that’d be impossible), but she’s living in spite of those fears. She’s choosing to take control of time by being completely transparent with herself and with Nathan. 

In telling him that she initially made her decision out of fear, she sets herself free by now choosing a path she knows isn’t clouded by anything. What they have together is real, and it’s worth risking her heart for. It’s worth knowing that even if God forbid pain follows, what they share could still be monumental. Long before she confesses her feelings at Jack’s grave, we see as much throughout the seasons Nathan’s gaze is the one Elizabeth is scanning a crowded room for. (We also see it in that silly and cringeworthy game where she mistakes Nathan’s hands for Lucas’.) She leans on him when it comes to advice on Little Jack, and he does the same when it comes to Allie. In more ways than one, they’re on the same wavelength. They’re two sides of a coin, kindred in more ways than one.

They work because, time and again, they’ve proven that they’ll always be there for one another. They work because of the trust they’ve built on a solid, sturdy foundation. Further, there are visible indicators of how liberating this kiss is when we see Nathan release the tension in his shoulders upon realizing that this is actually happening. He could breathe again. Or, maybe, for the first time since he got to Hope Valley. Simultaneously, this is a massive moment of relief for him because he initially comes over to voice his fears about what went on in the saloon. He could’ve lost her. For a brief instant, all he knew was colossal, indescribable fear.

It’s easy to adore the intimacy in this moment because it’s so quintessentially them that it makes my heart squeeze every time I rewatch it. One thing about me is that I’m a certified autumn girl. If I could, I’d write all my books fall-themed, just like my debut novel, To the Skyline, but that wouldn’t be fair to my characters. Interestingly, Elizabeth spends quite a few instances talking about spring being her favorite season, which then makes this turn of events feel more sincere. As picturesque and undeniably stunning as the autumn scenes with Lucas are, they aren’t her dream. They’re mine. (Too bad he’s a fictional character, and I’m very much not.) 

Nathan and Elizabeth feel like home to each other because they are driven by the same motivations and understand what the other needs without them saying a word about it. There’s a plethora of honesty and tenderness about how she tells him to say something, and he kisses her instead. He could say a thousand words with that kiss alone, which he already has. Additionally, the fact that it happens right outside her home with the light on is also a comforting detail that actualizes this notion of home physically. We could also note how this parallels Elizabeth’s conversation with Rosemary in Season 10 when she vocalizes how comforting it is to know that Rosemary can always see when her light is on. It’s a sign of the detail that, in more ways than one, Nathan is also a light in Elizabeth’s life. He’s not just a season or a moment, but he’s someone who’ll always be there, as consistently as spring coming after winter.

Nathan and Elizabeth’s first kiss promises that despite their fears and heartaches, they’ll continue to love each other through everything. She’s wholeheartedly in love with him, and he declares that he has never once stopped loving her. This is it for them, and we can be confident that even while they slowly navigate through the uncharted waters of going from friends to lovers, their relationship will continue to withstand every challenge that comes their way.

What are your thoughts on Nathan and Elizabeth’s first kiss? Let us know in the comments below.
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