Amber Marshall Opens Up About Heartland’s Season 14 Shocker: The Painful Goodbye to Ty Borden

If you're a Heartland fan, you're probably still reeling from the season 14 opener. Trust me, I was right there with you, heart pounding, tears streaming. It's a doozy.

Luckily, Amber Marshall, who plays Amy Fleming, sat down for an exclusive interview and opened up about the emotional journey ahead.

It's no secret that Graham Wardle, who played Ty Borden for 14 seasons, decided to leave the show to pursue other passions. But for Marshall and the fans, it was a tough pill to swallow. Amber knew about Graham's decision way before anyone else did. He reached out to her personally, and their close friendship made the news even harder to take.

Handling such a departure isn't easy, especially for a character who has been the heart of the show for so long. The writers had to find a way to say goodbye that felt true to Ty and the story. And they went for a gut-wrenching choice: Ty's sudden death from complications of a gunshot wound he suffered at the end of season 13.

Within the first few minutes of the episode, Ty collapses and dies, leaving viewers devastated. In an interview with Postmedia, Marshall acknowledges that this story might not be easy to watch at first. "I think there's going to be a lot of people devastated by this," she says. "But I believe the journey through this season is so important for viewers to watch and to know that death is real. Death impacts all of us at some point in our lives. To see this widowed mother find the strength and courage to move forward for her daughter and really think about what’s best for the family around her and to come together and be that support I think is so important.

Graham Wardle's departure was about pursuing his passions beyond acting. He launched a podcast called "Time Has Come," where he explores people stepping out of their comfort zones to achieve their dreams. It's clear that he's moving on to new chapters, and while it's sad to see Ty go, we wish Graham all the best in his future endeavors.

The loss was deeply felt on set. Heartland has an incredible streak of being the longest-running drama in Canadian television history, and maintaining such a core cast for so long is a rarity. Having Graham leave certainly left a void, but the team is coming together to honor his character's legacy.

Season 14 picks up a year after Ty's death. In the first couple of episodes, Amy is still numb with grief, her life on hold. Other family members are dealing with the loss in their own ways, and flashbacks and grief fill the early episodes. But Ty's absence is a continuing theme throughout the entire season.

While Heartland has dealt with loss before—Amy and Lou arrived on the Bartlett ranch after their mother's death—this particular plot twist is undoubtedly the darkest in the show's history. Marshall prepared for her character's grief by speaking with the family of a friend who lost her husband in a similar tragic accident.

I don’t see Ty’s death as “ruining” anything. PEOPLE DIE. It’s shocking, yes, and it’s tough watching Amy deal with widowhood, but this is the realest Heartland has been in a LONG time, and I’m frankly more excited for a new season than I have been in a long time.

— TC_with NF-1 (@The_Real_TC) January 11, 2021

Okay that was the most heart breaking episode ever 😭😭😭😭@HeartlandOnCBC #iloveheartland

— Hazel❤️🇨🇦 ➳ ⁷ (@BSBfan132) January 11, 2021

"It was a very similar story," she says. "She had been with him for over a decade. It was a very tragic accident, unexpected. They were both very young. I mostly spoke with her sister about it because I didn’t want to bring up any unnecessary hurt for her. But her sister explained to me the journey she had gone on and said that the whole first year she was completely numb to it. It was like she was in this daze. When we look at the story of Heartland, that first episode is exactly a year after his death. I wanted the audience to know that Amy hadn’t really come to terms with it until that moment. This season, the fact that it’s a year later, is her healing. It’s been a year of numbness. It’s been a year of her crying until she can’t cry anymore. When we pick up a year later, the audience gets to be on that journey of healing and that journey of strength and just being able to be there for her daughter and her family."

Despite the heavy themes, the show doesn't lose its heartwarming essence. There are new characters and lighter moments to balance the grief. Meet Parker, a socially conscious preteen city slicker played by Ava Tran, who spends time on the Bartlett ranch. She adds a fresh perspective and some much-needed levity.

Lou, now the mayor of Hudson, provides comedic relief with her somewhat befuddled approach to politics. And Tim gets into his share of humorous misadventures, like a disastrous polo match attempt to impress a woman.

While the departure of a main character might lead some to think the series is winding down, Marshall believes there are still many stories to tell in the world of Heartland. She encourages fans to remember that these are fictional stories, meant to evoke emotions and teach lessons.

"These are stories we're telling," she says. "We're trying to honor these characters the best way we can. But, at the same time, this is television. These are stories we write. While they may be devastated and I feel there is going to be a lot of tears shed when these episodes are viewed, at the end of the day, we're all okay. We're all actors, and I think sometimes you get so caught up in that reality that it's hard to distance yourself from the fact that it is all fictitious. I hope these stories do resonate and cause an array of different emotions because that means we're doing our job right. But I think a lot of people are going to be very heartbroken."

Want to hear more about Graham Wardle’s journey? Check out his podcast, Time Has Come on YouTube or learn about his personal projects there.

For those who missed the Season 14 premiere, you can stream it along with past episodes on CBC Gem.