Did Paul Greene Leave 'When Calls the Heart' As Dr. Carson and Will He Return? On 5/10/21 at 5:38 AM EDT When Calls the Heart Season 8 ended with an emotional episode that saw Elizabeth Thornton (played by Erin Krakow) embarking on a romantic relationship with Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally). While two characters got closer, one got further away as Dr. Carson Shepherd (Paul Greene) said goodbye to Hope Valley and headed to Baltimore. In the previous episode of the Hallmark Channel hit, which has now been renewed for Season 9, Carson had been debating whether to accept the fellowship at Johns Hopkins and follow his dream of becoming a surgeon, or to propose to Faith (Andrea Brooks). Faith has been left without the man she loves, and