“	They don't like my New York flag, they don't even like my shorts.	”
	— Zoe Hart (Homecomong & Coming Home)

Zoe Hart is a girl with a plan. That plan is focused around her dedication to become a doctor - more specifically, a cardiothoracic surgeon like her father, Mr. Hart. As she told Dr. Harley Wilkes , who sought her out at her graduation to offer her a position in his medical practice, "Our last name is Hart so it's pre-destined" (Pilot) . She thinks her life is perfect - until four years later, it all comes crashing down.

Contents 1 Season One 2 Family 2.1 Abandonment 2.2 Paternity 3 Revelations 4 Relationships 4.1 New York Boyfriend 4.2 George Tucker 4.3 Wade Kinsella 4.4 Tom Long 4.5 Judson Lyons 4.6 Jesse Kinsella 5 Notes/Trivia 6 Photos 7 Comments

Season OneEdit

In the fallout, her boyfriend, who did his residency at the same hospital, New York Hospital, as Zoe (as well as Zoe's father, previously), dumps her because she would rather talk about work than his day. Also, she fails to get the cardio-thoracic fellowship. To Zoe's indignation, her Chief of Surgery recommends she spend the next twelve months as a general practitioner, and warns her she needs to improve her bedside manner, to see people as people, not puzzles to solve. Unfortunately for Zoe, there are no general practitioner positions available in New York City. Out of viable options, Zoe stumbles across a postcard from Harley Wilkes - who had continually sent her offers for a position at his medical practice over the last four years since his initial offer at her graduation from medical school, and decides to accept.

Upon arriving in Bluebell, Alabama, she discovers Dr. Harley Wilkes had died four months previously, and that he had mysteriously left his practice to her. But this wasn't without it's complications- Harley had left Zoe his half of the practice, which he shared with Dr. Brick Breeland , who had long been eager to have the whole practice to himself. After a rough start in Bluebell, rubbing nearly all the residents the wrong way, drunkenly making out with Wade Kinsella after faultily signing off on Old Man Jackson's eye exam (resulting in his running over George Tucker), and butting heads with the the Breeland clan, Zoe is ready to return to New York with her mother, Mrs. Hart and leave Bluebell a memory when Emmeline Hattenbarger reveals the answer to the mystery of why Harley Wilkes would have left Zoe his practice- he was her father.

After confronting her mother about this information, and finding the truth in it, Zoe decides to stay in Bluebell, living in the carriage house on the Mayor's Plantation. She's determined to make the town see that she could be one of them, and so, to hang on to the medical practice her father had for 45 years.

FamilyEdit

Zoe was close to her father, Mr. Hart growing up, sharing his dream to become a doctor, and determined to follow in his footsteps and become a cardiothoracic surgeion- even performing her residency at New York Hospital, the same hospital he had done his at, while her mother, Candice Hart tried to sway her daughter toward another direction.

AbandonmentEdit

According to Zoe's mother, when Zoe was ten she fell off a swing and the doctors believed she would need a blood transfusion- when it turned out Mr. Hart's blood didn't match Zoe's, it was revealed (unknowingly to ten-year old Zoe) he was not her biological father.

Zoe's mother describes Mr. Hart as a man who can't handle complications, and though he tried to stay a part of Zoe's life, he didn't feel up to the task. Shortly after the revelation, he left his family.

Later, when Zoe realized Mr. Hart was not her biological father, she would refer to this incident as "why Dad stopped loving me". (Pilot)

PaternityEdit

At the age of 28, after moving to Bluebell, Alabama Zoe was given a photograph of Harley Wilkes and her mother together, and discovered her real father was Harley Wilkes, whom her mother, Candice Hart had an affair with on a cruise while engaged to another man.

RevelationsEdit

After living in Bluebell for a time, and with the knowledge that Harley Wilkes was her real father, Zoe discovered she had an uncle- Jacob Wilkes (though deceased)- as well as an aunt- Maureen Wilkes (it is unclear whether Maureen was Harley and Jacob's sister, or Jacob's wife), and her grandmother was named Claire Wilkes. (Claire's second husband was a French-Canadian named Guy, though it is unclear whether he or Claire's first husband is Zoe's grandfather.) Also, Zoe has a living pseudo uncle/second cousin in the form of Olin, who Claire Wilkes took in when he was a child and raised alongside her own children.

RelationshipsEdit

New York BoyfriendEdit

Zoe dated her New York boyfriend for six years- she describes it as "a study group that turned into a hook-up that turned into six years" (The Crush & The Crossbow). The two attended medical school together, and performed their residencies together at New York Hospital. However, he broke up with Zoe shortly before her move to Alabama because he felt she'd rather talk about surgery than ask about his day. Despite the length of their relationship, Zoe's hurt as a result of his actions and her reluctance to talk about him, Zoe doubts she ever really loved him.

George TuckerEdit

The first person she met in Bluebell, Alabama, Zoe took in interest in George when she learned he had lived in New York for a time, even working for a prestigious firm like Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP. The two have bonded over New York a number of times, and Zoe was disappointed to learn he was engaged to Lemon Breeland. However, Zoe and George have connected despite his engagement, bonding over New York and a day spent together in Mobile, even almost sharing a kiss while George was on morphine after shooting himself in the leg with a crossbow (The Crush & The Crossbow). Later, George would admit to Wade Kinsella that there might be a spark between he and Zoe, but that he and Lemon were going to be married, and nothing would stop that. Meanwhile Zoe realized her own frustration at being led on by an engaged man, and told George she wouldn't be able to help him with his malpractice case (Hairdos & Holidays).

Wade KinsellaEdit

Neighbors, Zoe and Wade have an obvious attraction to one another- an attraction that nearly turned into more during the 2011 heat wave (In Havoc & In Heat). Though Zoe passed him off early on, she's continually seeing different sides of him she hadn't expected, and their relationship continues to evolve. Wade was able to make Zoe smile after the incident with Judson and Gigi (Homecoming & Coming Home), and later asks to buy her a drink, to which Zoe smiles and asks for a rain check (Hairdos & Holidays). Wade later discovers Zoe on a date with his estranged brother, Jesse , much to his dismay. However, he tries to deny his feelings for Zoe , and tells his brother he's free to date her because they're both snobbish and superior, and would be perfect together. Unfortunately, Zoe overheard this exchange and later confronted Wade , asking if this was what he really thought of her. Wade says yes to this, and continues to point out the three men who have caught her eye since her arrival in Bluebell - a veterinarian , a lawyer , and an eco-geologist oceanographer/army hero - all lucrative careers, and takes off in his truck, leaving behind a surprised and hurt Zoe, who then chooses to take a step back from the idea of dating Jesse, telling him "I can't always stay out of people's business, but when I can I probably should" (Bachelorettes & Bullets).

Tom LongEdit

Smitten with Zoe from the very beginning (Pilot), Tom continues to make his availability known to her, though she's apparently told him repeatedly that he's too young for her. On Bluebell, Alabama's website, Tom's poetry blog section - The Tom Long and Short of It, featured on the town website- primarily focuses on poems dedicated to Zoe. Zoe later uses his attraction to her to recruit him as a patient in order to reach her thirty percent quota to hang on to her half of the medical practice .

Judson LyonsEdit

A handsome veterinarian from Mobile, Alabama, Dr. Lyons asked Zoe out on a date after being impressed by the subcuticular sutures she performed on Bo the pig in his absence. After her excitement turned to panic and she bailed on their date, Zoe apologized to Judson and asked him out on another date, to which he agreed. Their plans ended, however, after Judson would sleep with Zoe's best friend Gigi Godfrey at the annual pre-homecoming game party at the Mayor's Plantation. Later, Zoe called Judson in reference to a veterinary situation after seeing a patient, and the two began speaking again. Judson even sent Zoe flowers, with clear desire to rekindle their not-quite relationship- though Zoe admitted she liked him, she was reluctant to resume anything. Ultimately, to cover for a friend, Zoe publicly kissed Judson at the Rammer Jammer and gave him a key to her carriage house.

Jesse KinsellaEdit

Zoe Hart and Jesse met when she patched up his sprained wrist. The two hit it off quickly, and she agreed to a lunch date later that day. However, events ensued and it was quickly discovered that Jesse was in fact, Wade Kinsella 's brother- which led to an incident where Zoe overheard a stinging conversation between Wade and Jesse, where Wade revealed a few harsh thoughts on Zoe. After Zoe and Wade talked, Jesse clearly still retained his interest in Zoe while Zoe took a step back, remarking "I can't always stay out of people's business, but when I can I probably should" (Bachelorettes & Bullets).

Notes/TriviaEdit

• You can see Harley's postcards to Zoe here.
• Considers herself 'a Miranda' from Sex and the City. (Pilot)
• Zoe performed a psychiatric rotation at Bellevue. (Parades & Pariahs)
• Zoe's favorite dish from New York is the sweet corn risotto at Per Se. (Gumbo & Glory)
• As a child, Zoe had a cat- Mr. Mittens. Her mother, Candice, told her Mr. Mittens died peacefully in his sleep, but Zoe would later find out he fell out of the windowsill and dropped ten floors. Candice confided he landed on his feet, "fat lot of good it did him". (The Undead & The Unsaid)
• Baby Boom, starring Sam Shephard, is one of Zoe's favorite movies. (Sweetie Pies & Sweaty Palms)

PhotosEdit