While Part 2 of Virgin River Season 5 is still set to premiere on Netflix later this year, some fans are already looking forward to Season 6's release.
Virgin River mainly explores the love story of Melinda Monroe and Jack Sheridan as well as the remarkable stories of the different citizens that reside in the titular town. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Robyn Carr.
The American drama made its debut on Netflix on December 6, 2019. After a strong first three seasons, Virgin River was renewed for a fourth and fifth season in September 2021.
Part 1 of Season 5 was released on September 7 on Netflix.
Virgin River Season 6: When Will It Come Out?
In May 2023, Netflix officially announced that Virgin River had been renewed for a sixth season ahead of its Season 5 premiere. The renewal cemented the streaming service's confidence in the series.
However, after Part 1 of Season 5 premiered, new data indicated that viewership for the latest season dwindled to 1.3 million households in the United States during its first four days.
This number is down by 13% from Season 4's debut in July 2022 with an estimated 1.46 million viewers.
Despite the drop, Netflix assured fans in September 2023 that Season 6 is still in development.
Production has yet to begin, though, for Season 6, mainly due to the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood by the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild, respectively.
Interestingly, in May 2023, Annette O'Toole, who portrays Virgin River's mayor Hope McCrea, shared a brief update on Instagram about Season 6's filming schedule, reaffirming that it will soon begin once "the strike is settled:"
"Some roses to celebrate the good news: 'Virgin River' season 5 will air in the fall and we’re going to film season 6 as soon as the strike is settled."
Following the announcement of Season 6, Virgin River screenwriter Richard Keith confirmed in May 2023 that the scriptwriting process for the upcoming season already began prior to the reveal:
"Now that season six of ['Virgin River'] has been announced, I can share this photo of Erin Cardillo, Rachel Borders, and I working to finish a draft at 11:53 p.m. on May 1st seven minutes before pencils down at midnight… Patrick Sean Smith isn’t pictured because he is in the other room furiously finishing a different draft!"
Keith's update meant that production will not begin sooner than expected since Season 6's script is expected to be finished first. Possible rewrites for improvement may be taken into consideration as well.
If the strikes are not resolved by the end of 2023, then production will likely begin between mid to late 2024.
This would mean that Virgin River Season 6 could potentially arrive on Netflix sometime between 2025 and 2026, considering the streamer's release schedule, reshoots, and post-production.
For a more concrete timeline, Keith mentioned on Instagram that "there won't be any Virgin River on Netflix until 2025" due to the Hollywood strikes:
"Anybody else excited for the holiday episodes of 'Virgin River' to drop on November 30th!? All I want for Christmas is my two… unions to get a fair deal from the AMPTP. If they don’t hurry up there won’t be any 'Virgin Rive'r on Netflix until 2025…"
All in all, it will be a long wait for Virgin River diehards.
Virgin River Season 6 Cast: Who Will Return?
Virgin River features an incredible cast led by Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson.
Alongside the two main stars, most of the show's core cast members are expected to come back in Season 6, such as Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, and Sarah Dugdale.
- Alexandra Breckenridge - Mel Monroe
- Martin Henderson - Jack Sheridan
- Tim Matheson - Vernon “Doc” Mullins
- Annette O’Toole - Hope McCrea
- Colin Lawrence - John “Preacher” Middleton
- Benjamin Hollingsworth - Dan Brady
- Sarah Dugdale - Lizzie
- Jenny Cooper - Joey Barnes
- Lauren Hammersley - Charmaine Roberts
- Zibby Allen - Brie Sheridan
- Marco Grazzini - Mike Valenzuela
- Chase Petriw - Christopher
Still, there's a possibility that some of the characters will not return due to the upcoming two-part finale of Season 5 on November 30 where someone might bite the dust.
However, given that the last two episodes are confirmed to be Christmas-themed, it's likely that no one will die.
Based on Season 5 Part 1's ending, here's a list of other recurring characters who are more than likely to come back in Season 6:
- Mark Ghanimé - Cameron Hayek
- Kandyse McClure - Kaia Bryant
- Gwynyth Walsh - Jo Ellen
- Stacey Farber - Tara Anderson
- Kai Bradbury - Denny Cutler
- Teryl Rothery - Muriel
- Nicola Cavendish - Connie
- Barbara Pollard - Melissa Montgomery
- David Cubitt - Calvin
What Could Happen in Virgin River Season 6?
Considering that there are still two episodes left in Virgin River Season 5, it remains to be seen what Season 6's main storyline will be.
It's possible that some bits of Season 5 Part 1's ending will carry over to Season 6.
Season 5 Part 1 ended with several major revelations, such as the identity of Mel's real father, Lizzie's pregnancy, new relationships, and the reveal that Calvin is the father of Charmaine's baby.
One potential storyline that could occur in Season 6 could revolve around Vernon "Doc" Mullins. At the conclusion of Part 1, Doc volunteered for a clinical trial for his macular degeneration, a treatment that is set to begin after the New Year.
The treatment's success and its overall ramifications on his health could be a key story in Season 6.
Moreover, Mel and Jack's exciting wedding could be Season 6's main focus, especially after a major tease from Season 5. After telling Mel that a farm is a great place to start the family, Jack tells her that it's also the perfect location to get married.
Who knows? Maybe a proposal might be in the works for Virgin River's Christmas episodes.
As for the other storylines? Netflix's Drama Head Jenny Howe told Deadline in August 2022 that diversity and representation is "definitely a priority" moving forward:
"I think it’s fair to say that that is going to continue to be a focus and something the audience will get to experience more in Season 5 [and beyond]. It’s definitely a priority, and I think you will see, as we expand the 'Virgin River' community, that there will be more diversity and inclusion.”
All seasons of Virgin River are streaming on Netflix. Season 5 Part 2 is set to premiere on November 30.
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