When Calls the Heart Season 12’s new villain could be even worse than Toddy Davis

When Calls the Heart Season 12 Episode 8 brought Hope Valley’s next generation face-to-face with the CMA. What comes next could be even worse than Toddy Davis and the Garrison gang.

Ever since Lucas decided to turn his ruined resort project into a national park, things haven’t been easy in When Calls the Heart. Not only has he had to face off against Edie – a newcomer who now looks set to be his love interest – but Allie and Oliver have discovered something worrying.

Nearby farmers have been dragging their cattle through a lake between fields, which is starting to hurt the local ecosystem. Salmon count is down dramatically, and that’s starting to keep Allie up at night.

Granted, salmon count isn’t exactly the drama you’d expect from a binge-worthy TV show, but it’s something that throws Hope Valley into disarray. In Episode 8, a new villain is introduced to the plot, and they could do more harm than the Great Train Robbery.

McGinty gives Hope Valley new problems in When Calls the Heart Season 12

Unlike Toddy Davis, the Garrison gang, or anyone else connected to the ongoing Great Train Robbery investigation, McGinty – the ringleader of the Cattlemens Association – could do more damage in When Calls the Heart than any of them combined.

As you can see in the above Episode 8 scene, McGinty patronizes Allie’s point of view, with her recognizing his boots as the man who was dragging trees through the woods when they first expired the stream. The men all abstain from voting on any changes to the cattle route, with Edie stating the Cattlemens Association formally declines the proposal. 

Later on in the episode, Edie reveals the full truth to Lucas. McGinty had previously tricked other ranchers into signing a loan on the cattle land many years before. He can seek repayment and interest any time he wants, with any votes against him calling that into play.

Stating the obvious, McGinty has more of a monopoly on Hope Valley residents – and its economic and social success – than anyone really realized. He’s currently single-handedly keeping the town from improving because he’s more committed to his own interests. Over the course of the next four episodes, we could see the power play negatively impact the town and Lucas.

Hallmark

It’s already affecting Allie, of course. She can’t get her head around how somebody could be so oblivious, mean, and unwilling to help. She spends all of her free time dedicated to finding another alternative, even though it feels like climbing an uphill battle.

As exciting as Toddy Davis and the double-coin investigation is, these are either all actions of the past or ones that don’t directly affect the day-to-day life of Hope Valley. Both Nathan and Elizabeth will surely be getting deeper into Toddy’s mess, but it’s all more raucous parties and mysteries rather than good old-fashioned terror.

When Calls the Heart Season 12 is airing weekly on the Hallmark channel. Catch up with its episode release schedule and how to watch outside of the US.