Summary

• Saving Hope ended with an emotional series finale, tying up loose ends and delivering a bittersweet conclusion.
• The cast, including Erica Durance and Michael Shanks, have moved on to other projects after the show's end.
• The show took bold chances with a tragic twist in the finale, leaving a lasting impact on the fans of Saving Hope.

While there might not be many people who remember the Canadian series, the Saving Hope ending wrapped up the show on a memorable note with its emotional season 5 finale, “Hope Never Dies.” Saving Hope was a medical drama that followed the lives of the doctors and nurses of Hope Zion Hospital. However, the show set itself apart from other medical drama series with a supernatural twist. While its main characters Alex Reid (Erica Durance) and Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) were doctors, Charlie was in a coma that left him stuck in supernatural limbo and able to communicate with the spirits of dead and fellow comatose patients.

Unfortunately for the Saving Hope fandom, the show came to an end after five seasons in 2017. While many were sad to see the series end, the cast and crew had plenty of forewarning that Saving Hope season 5 would be the show’s last and so crafted a touching series finale that tied up a lot of loose ends and offered many a tear-jerker moment. Saving Hope's ending was not necessarily a happy one with the show taking some bold chances, but it did end on a bittersweet note that made for a memorable conclusion to the medical drama series.

How Saving Hope Ended

Alex And Charlie's Happy Ending Suddenly Turns Into A Tragedy And A Bittersweet Farewell

The Saving Hope season 5 finale saw a very pregnant Alex finally marrying and Charlie finally in a makeshift wedding ceremony at the Hope Zion Hospital. However, the happiness was short-lived as the newlywed couple were en route to their honeymoon with their little boy Luke, when it is requested they attend the scene of a pile-up involving a van full of schoolkids until ambulances could get there. Being doctors, they complied but it proved to be a fateful choice when their car was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Before he dies, Charlie has a flash-forward in which he meets his and Alex’s grown-up daughter, Charlotte, named after him.

Although all three were injured Alex, her unborn baby, and little Luke were okay eventually. However, the outcome wasn't as good for Charlie, who found himself back in supernatural limbo without the possibility of coming out of it this time. Before he dies, Charlie has a flash-forward in which he meets his and Alex’s grown-up daughter, Charlotte, named after him. She followed her parents' footsteps as a doctor. He also saw Luke as an adult getting married. In another vision spirit, Charlie witnessed a much older Charlotte and Luke by an elderly Alex’s bedside as she was about to die.

The sad TV finale continued back in the present as Charlie's spirit physically manifested in front of Alex. He told her their kids were going to be fine before they shared an emotional farewell and Alex arranged for Charlie’s organs to be donated to those in need. The Saving Hope season 5 finale ended with a scene set on a beach – Alex and Charlie’s version of heaven – where the two were finally reunited in death.

What The Saving Hope Cast Has Done Since The Show Ended

Actors Erica Durance And Michael Shanks Have Stayed Busy Since The Show Ended

The Saving Hope finale ended the show on a memorable note, but it didn't take the cast long to move on to other projects. Erica Durance played Alex on Saving Hope but was previously best known for playing Lois Lane on Smallville. A couple of her roles after Saving Hope are linked to this as she appeared in a recurring role on the Supergirl show as Kara's Kryptonian mother, Alura Zor-El. She also reprised her role as Lois alongside Tom Welling as Clark in an episode of Batwoman that was part of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" storyline across the Arrowverse.

Michael Shanks, who played Charlie on Saving Hope, has also kept busy after the show ended. Canadian actor Shanks stepped into the role of hockey legend Gordie Howe in the Canadian TV movie Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story. He also starred as Will Sanders in the Canadian drama series Unspeakable. Outside of Canada, Shanks guest starred on a number of notable series including Virgin River, and The Good Doctor, and played Horace Axley on Altered Carbon.

Daniel Gillies has enjoyed a strong career since the show ended.

Among the other notable Saving Hope cast members, Daniel Gillies has enjoyed a strong career since the show ended. Australian actor Gillies had a recurring role as Elijah Mikaelson on Vampire Diaries during the same time he was playing Dr. Joel Goran on Saving Hope. He then reprised the role in the spinoff The Originals. Gillies also played Mark on Virgin River and earned acclaim for his dark villainous role in the Australian thriller Coming Home in the Dark.