For eight seasons, Hallmark fans have known Chris McNally as one person — Lucas Bouchard, the governor of Hope Valley. “Two for Tee” changed that. The film premiered March 21 as part of Hallmark’s Spring Into Love lineup, and it gave McNally something his “When Calls the Heart” role rarely offered: the chance to be completely someone else.
Will Is Not Lucas
Lucas Bouchard carries the weight of a politician. He debates, strategizes, and navigates power. Will, McNally’s character in “Two for Tee,” fixes things with his hands and shows up for his daughter without being asked.
McNally described Will as someone who “inherently tries to lift people up” and genuinely tries to help others find what they cannot see in themselves, according to Fangirlish. That warmth reads differently than anything Lucas has delivered in his seasons of Hope Valley drama.
McNally also noted that Will exists in “a co-parenting situation,” something he pointed out viewers do not see much of in the Hallmark world, El-balad reported. The role asks him to play a man whose entire life already revolves around someone else before any romance enters the picture.
Reviewers Responded Positively to Chris McNally’s New Character
Reviewers took notice. Tell-Tale TV reported that one critic called McNally “a delightful choice” opposite Janel Parrish and urged Hallmark to put him in more movies going forward. They praised Will as “such a wholesome concept for a leading man” who is “an attentive father and a strong support system.”
The same review noted that his relationship with his daughter never felt like a plot device and appreciated how the film used that dynamic to bypass typical gender norms in a small but meaningful way.
Parrish made the transition easy. The two became fast friends on set, with Parrish saying they were “little on set besties” from the start and that their natural connection made everything flow, according to Pop Culture Planet.
The Timing Made It Sweeter
“Two for Tee” premiered the same week the “When Calls the Heart” season 13 finale aired. Hearties watched Lucas step down as governor on Sunday, then watched McNally play a completely different kind of man on Saturday.
Early reactions also praised McNally’s chemistry with Parrish and suggested the film may win over viewers who knew him mostly from “When Calls the Heart.”
Fans who only know McNally through Hope Valley got a reminder this week. He has a lot more range than Lucas Bouchard ever showed.
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Chris McNally Just Proved He Is So Much More Than Lucas Bouchard