‘When Calls The Heart’ Season 5 Spoilers: Is Jack Really Dead?

“When Calls the Heart” fans have been through the ringer lately when it comes to Jack and Elizabeth. Hearties watched as the two got engaged, only to see Jack go off to the Northern Territories. They welcomed him back when he returned this season and finally married Elizabeth in a beautiful wedding, only for him to leave once again. Sunday’s new episode, though, which was the season’s penultimate episode, might’ve just been the toughest one yet for Hearties.

The episode started out with good news for the couple, as Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) explained to Abigail (Lori Loughlin) that she received a letter from Jack (Daniel Lissing) saying he’d be running a training exercise for some of the other Mounties. The two women were happy that he’d be in a leadership role and that he’d be back home in just a few short weeks. For good, this time.

Fans were given so much hope, only for it to be torn down at the end of the “When Calls the Heart” episode when Elizabeth saw a Mountie riding into town and ran to him, thinking it was Jack. Only he wasn’t and once they reached each other, he said he was looking for Elizabeth and lowered his hat slowly once she revealed that it was her he was looking for. The episode came to a close after she asked if Jack was okay and the Mountie didn’t respond, leaving Elizabeth to fall to the ground and break down into more tears than fans have seen before.

The big question Hearties are left pondering as they await the season finale on Sunday: Is Jack really dead? But, they didn’t have to wonder alone, as social media is filled with many fans of the series.

Here are some of the reactions fans had to the ending of the episode:

There are some who aren’t so sure Jack is actually dead, though. Could they be right?

Some interesting theories are going around, including that this ending was actually just a dream, or nightmare, that Elizabeth was having. This theory is backed up by the title of the episode, which was “In My Dreams.”

Sadly, the show’s actors, as well as Hallmark Channel president, Bill Abbott, and Super Channel (the Canadian channel for “When Calls the Heart”) president, Don McDonald, aren’t making it easy to believe that Jack is still alive.

“As in life, there are circumstances that occur that are out of our control,” Abbott said in a video posted to his Twitter after the episode aired. “But there is so much more story to tell.”

“Hi, Hearties, our community needs you now more than ever,” Loughlin started off in a video with Krakow that was posted to their Instagrams late Sunday night.

“So, tune in for the season finale you won’t want to miss,” Krakow said, before the two actresses held each other’s hands in comfort and solidarity.

“As we reflect on tonight’s episode, our heart and home community needs to support each other,” McDonald said in a video on his Twitter.

As for the main man himself, Lissing? He wrote what appeared to be a goodbye tweet, saying, “I love you #hearties.. Now and throughout my entire career.”

This could all be because Jack is actually gone, or it could be like how Jussie Smollet’s character was shot on “Empire.” It seemed like he was going to be killed off, especially when he tweeted something similar to Lissing, but it all ended up being a misdirect and his character survived.

Could the same be true for Lissing’s Jack? Especially since Hallmark Channel is known for its happily ever afters? Tune in to the Season 5 “When Calls the Heart” finale on Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT to find out.