Before we go any further, there are serious spoilers of the Season 14 premiere of "Heartland" below. This is especially tricky because "Heartland's" availability varies wildly depending on where you watch it.

Season 14 hasn't aired yet on American Netflix, but it has aired on CBC in Canada and on the UP Faith and Family streaming service in the U.S. So, if you watched it there (or if you don't mind reading what happens before you've seen it), carry on and wallow with us.

Ty's death at the beginning of this season may have been a shock to fans, but it wasn't a shock to the producers and cast.

Graham Wardle, the Canadian actor behind the beloved veterinarian character, had long expressed a desire to leave the show and pursue new projects. That gave the writers the chance to write an exit worthy of the character.

As big of a change as Ty's absence has been for the show, it marks a bigger change for Wardle, who has decided to give up acting entirely (for now, at least).

"I'm gonna take a break from acting and just focus on my podcast, focus on some other projects that I've got on the go," Wardle explained on an episode of the spirituality-themed podcast "Time Has Come," which seems to be his main project. This said, he's also written a self-help book ("Find Your Truth") and edits and produces another self-help podcast, "Mathamagical."

You can learn more about all these varied activities at his website, GrahamWardleOnline.com.

The show went on without him for a whole season, and seems poised to continue, though there's been no word yet on a 15th season.

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