Virgin River's sixth season included a surprising exit for Cameron Hayek, which left many viewers unhappy about him not being on the show.
While Mark Ghiname's Cameron Hayek was only part of Virgin River Season 6's cast for three episodes, his impact has been felt on the series for years. Entering the fray in Season 4, his character started working as a doctor in Vernon Mullins' clinic, instantly causing drama upon his arrival.
After breaking off an engagement and moving to Virgin River, he tried to talk Mel Monroe into breaking up with Jack Sheridan, leading to her leaving the practice while Cameron stayed on. To compound matters, he proved to be a downgrade as an employee, unable to do what Mel could do as a professional.
Why Cameron Left Virgin River Season 6
Cameron Hayek was only seen in three episodes of Virgin River Season 6 after reconnecting with his ex-fiance, Muriel, at the end of Season 5 (see more spoilers from that season here).
After reconnecting, Cameron and Muriel head to San Diego, California to rebuild their relationship, although their bond started to change from there.
The last fans saw of Cameron was in the Season 6 finale when he declined a dance offer from Muriel before he headed back home. This prompted her to ask him, "So this is goodbye?" before he seemingly departed the series for good.
Speaking with TVLine, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith noted his love for Cameron as a character, explaining that he would "always be part of the world." While he would love to see Cameron return, the character will not be a regular cast member in Season 7:
"I love Mark, who plays Cameron, and I love the character of Cameron. He will always be a part of the world, and I would love to see his character back, but he won’t be a series regular in Season 7, unfortunately."
He is already able to "imagine several opportunities of how [they] could bring Cameron back" in later episodes, although he will be off the show for the foreseeable future.
Fans' Reactions to Cameron Leaving Virgin River Season 6
Although Cameron enjoyed a fairly lengthy run on Virgin River, his exit was not necessarily an unwelcome one due to his specific place in the story.
On Reddit, some comments called the character "creepy" with a sense of entitlement, with some comparing him from an unlikeability standpoint to Charmaine (who is in her own round of trouble after Season 6).
Other fans said their feelings would not be hurt if Cameron left the series, as the idea of a love triangle with him, Jack, and Mel did not work out as seamlessly as many had hoped.
Even considering him being an interesting character to part of the fandom, the way he went about going after Mel felt extra aggressive at times, bordering on harassment.
All things considered, Cameron's exit from the show may not necessarily be permanent, especially with how beloved Ghiname is amongst the cast and crew.
All six seasons of Virgin River are now streaming on Netflix.
