Premiered for the first time on Netflix in December 2019, Virgin River has garnered exponential fame and a fan base that remains unparalleled even today. Featuring A-list stars such as Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, and Jenny Cooper, the season four finale has left the fans of the show wanting more. If you’re well-versed in the show, then you’ll know that Virgin River is arrayed with a litany of interesting events that satiates our guilty pleasures, but it has also left some of the ends loose at the same time. For instance, who shot Jack in the back in season 2?
But season 2 is now a thing of the past. Let’s talk about something more recent. Something like Virgin River season 5. Netflix recently revealed the release date of this upcoming installment, making the fans count every single minute until its release. What will happen in season 5? Does anyone get married in this season? Brewing in the midst of these burning questions, is a mind-boggling query that shoots up from this Virgin River season 5 cauldron: Will we get to see some new faces smiling among some old ones?
You probably must be wondering the same, otherwise, you won’t be reading this here. To your pleasure, we have gathered all the latest information on casting and other arenas. You can thank us later, meanwhile, happy reading!
When was Virgin River officially renewed for season 5 on Netflix?
Ever since season 3 of Virgin River premiered on Netflix, which is the highest-grossing season so far, the show was renewed for two more seasons. In a conversation with Deadline, Netflix’s head of drama mentioned that the show “has some of the most attractive economics for a TV series with a very high return on investment as it costs a lot less to make than special effect-heavy productions.” As per Netflix’s top 10 hourly charts, season 4 was featured on the list for six weeks garnering 304.790M hours globally between July 17 and August 28, 2022.
What is the production status of Virgin River season 5?
Initially, the production of Virgin River season 5 began in March 2022, which was later delayed to July 2022. However, those dates too were later changed. The cause for the delay is unknown, however, as per a video post, Alexandra Breckenridge expressed her preference for filming in the summer, mentioning that Vancouver isn’t that “fun to film in the winter.” As per the reports, the filming for Virgin River season 5 was scheduled between July 18, 2022, and November 17, 2022.
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On the official Virgin River series Instagram account, a post was made that confirmed that the production is underway. The post involved a Zoom call of a table read for the fifth season. The post read:
“A snapshot of our amazing cast during a table read for SEASON 5… Yes, you heard that right folks. We have now started production on SEASON 5! Also, please meet our lovely new Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith. We can’t WAIT for you to see what we have in store. Don’t forget though, Season 4 is only 2 days away. See you soon!!”
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As per the recent update, the filming was confirmed to have been wrapped on November 21, 2022. A video was posted on the official Instagram account which featured the cast celebrating their wrap. And as mentioned previously, the season is currently in the post-production process.
What were the filming locations of Virgin River?
Ever since Virgin River debuted in 2019, fans have been obsessed with the picturesque landscape setting of the show. Although it has been set in a fictional town, reports confirm that the locations in which the show is set, span across Vancouver and British Columbia. Not only that but filming also took place in Deer Lake Park and Foreshore Park in Burnaby, featuring the scenes of Paige’s Bakeaway food truck.
Who are the cast members of Virgin River Season 5?
As previously mentioned, an Instagram post involving a Zoom call of a table read was shared. This call included the following list of cast members, so we assume that they will be a part of the fifth season of Virgin River and will reprise their respective roles:
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
- Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
- Tim Matheson as Dr. Vernon Mullins
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
- Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan
- Gwynyth Walsh as Jo Ellen
- Colin Lawrence as John ‘Preacher’ Middleton
- Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
- Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes
- Nicola Cavendish as Connie
- Chase Petriw as Christopher
- Kai Bradbury as Denny Cutler
- Mark Ghanime as Dr. Cameron Hayek
- Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela
- Teryl Rothery as Muriel
- Steve Bacic as Vince
- Clare Filipow as Hannah
- Christina Jastrzembska as Lydie
- Trevor Lerner as Bert Gordon
- Lucia Walters as Julia
- Keith MacKechnie as Nick
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts
- David Cubitt as Calvin
- Ian Tracey as Jimmy
- Tom Butler as Sam Sheridan
- Emma Oliver as Young Mel
In addition to the above-mentioned list, in October 2022 it was exclusively confirmed that Kandyse McClure will also be joining the team of Virgin River Season 5. However, her role is not revealed as of yet. Apart from her, below-mentioned are the three new faces who were also confirmed to be joining the cast of Virgin River in November 2022:
- Susan Hogan
- Elise Gatien
- Paolo Maiolo
Apart from these core cast members, the following list includes all the recurring or minor roles for season 5:
- David Stuart as Reporter Ted Ford
- Audré Alleya Stephenson
- Melanie Merkosky
- Brent Fidler
- Serge Houde
- Helenna Santos
- Gabrielle Jacinto as Nurse Jill
- Gabrielle Rose
- John Allen Nelson
- Deb Podowski
- Ava Anton as Hazel
- Brad Harder as Adrian
What to expect from Virgin River Season 5?
Towards the end of Virgin River season 4, the viewers see Charmaine suffering in chronic pain and is afraid of losing her twins. In a shocking turn of events, she is compelled to confess to Jack and Mel that the two boys aren’t actually his. We contend that this will be one of the major determining story arcs of the fifth season. Not only that, but the upcoming installment of the series will also underscore the relationship of the most beloved couple of the show, Mel and Jack, as they encircle the tangents of family, the arrival of a new baby girl and so much more.
In conversation with New Beauty, Alexandra Breckenridge teased some of the plot points regarding season 5:
“I think this season has started out well and we’re getting into a few episodes soon that are pretty heavy. They’re really intense and I think that they’re some of the best episodes we’ve ever done. I never say that either! I think that there’s a high sense of drama that starts to come up this season that it’s going to leave people on the edge of their seats. At least, I hope. I’m excited to get into that.”
In the fifth season, we expect Virgin River’s mayor Hope to continue recovering with Lizzie’s help and jump back to her mayoral duties. In season four, Brie revealed her rape to Brady and firmly decided to report her sexual assault and take her former boyfriend-rapist Don to court. Taking this story arc further, we expect the fifth season to cover Brie’s trial and her revealing the assault.
On a more romantic front, we’re afraid that we might be bidding adieu to Paige once and for all, as the previous installment left Preacher and her in a cabin with Vince unconscious. There’s a new love interest for Preacher, Julia, who was introduced to us in the fourth season. Is there room for a love triangle in the upcoming installment of Virgin River?
BTS of Virgin River season 5. Is this their wedding?!💞💞💞 #VirginRiver #Netflix pic.twitter.com/vpZCriEjlP
— VirginRiverFan (@VirginRiverFan1) October 3, 2022
In an interview with Deadline, Netflix’s head of drama, Jinny Howe hinted at the change that season 5 is going to bring, saying:
“I think what’s going to be interesting is to see this universe continue to grow and expand and to see new characters, other characters return. A lot of that was set up in the Season 4 finale but it’s going to be really exciting to see all of that come to a head in Season 5. And some of the soap that’s going to come out of these new complex tensions and triangles.”
Not only that, but in an interview with Glamour, Breckenridge disclosed that the arrival of a new showrunner, writers, and directors will certainly herald more LGBTQ+ stories in order to induce more inclusivity in the show.
How many episodes will be there in Virgin River season 5?
All seasons of Virgin River, until season 4, constituted ten episodes. Season 4, however, streamed 12 episodes owing to the expanded 12-episode season order. That being said, will there be an expanded 12-episode order for the fifth season as well?
Thanks to Alexandra Breckenridge’s live stream, the fifth installment of Virgin River season 5 will also constitute 12 episodes. The news was officially confirmed by the new showrunner of the series. As per the official reports, the showrunner of all the seasons of Virgin River, Sue Tenny is now being replaced by Patrick Sean Smith for the fifth season.
In a conversation with Glamour Magazine, Smith hinted at some of the crumbs of information that we can expect in the fifth season, saying, “We get into things that will be new and exciting, but still very much feel like the same show but are definitely taking a more exciting approach to some of the stories. A little bit louder, but not to the detriment of the comfort of the show. I want it to feel like season five will be next-level.”
Here’s a list of all the episodes of Virgin River season 5, along with the names of the writers (courtesy of What’s on Netflix):
- Episode 501 – Written by Patrick S. Smith
- Episode 502 – “Song Bird” – Written by Jackson Sinder
- Episode 503 – “Calculated Risk” – Written by Talia Gonzalez
- Episode 504 –“ Never Gonna Be the Same” – Written by Tesia Joy Walker
- Episode 505 – Written by Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith
- Episode 506 – Written by Thomas Ian Griffith & Mary Page Keller
- Episode 507 – Written by Talia Gonzalez and Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith
- Episode 508 – Written by John Lowe
- Episode 509 – Written by Ildiko Susany
- Episode 510 – Written by Jackson Sinder & Tesia Joy Walker
- Episode 511 – Written by Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith
- Episode 512 – Written by Erin Cardillo & Richard Keith
Additionally, Virgin River season 5 is reported to have an episode budget of between $3 and $5 million per episode. It could also cost Netflix up to $60 million.
When can we expect Virgin River Season 5 to arrive on Netflix?
At the time of writing this article, there is no official trailer for Virgin River Season 5. Be that as it may, based upon the above-mentioned information unraveled by the stars of the show, the fans can expect the official trailer’s release any time now. As per the reports, the show’s music is done by Jeff Garber, and cinematography by David Pelletier, David J. Frazee, and Toby Gorman. Created by Ian Hay and Shelly Dixon and developed by Sue Tenney, the total episode count of the show, including the number of episodes slated in the fifth season constitutes 54.
Will there be a Virgin River Season 6?
On May 17th, 2023, Netflix renewed the show for a sixth season at its first-ever Upfront event. The season renewal was quite anticipated, especially after Netflix’s head of drama, Howe, disclosed that there will be “more longevity and growth with the show” to Deadline, saying,
“As long as the audience asks for it and shows up — and I think we see with Season 4 that the fandom is very strong and growing in many places as well — it feels like based on what we’re seeing with Season 4 and the anticipation for Season 5 that there is a lot more storytelling to offer us. It will be exciting to see which characters continue to break out and audiences crave more of; we’re paying very close attention, understanding that this is a really rich universe of characters and that people can’t seem to get enough, myself included. So I think as long as that continues to be the case — which we’re very hopeful for — you can rest assured that there will be more Virgin River.”
For more release date updates on Virgin River season 5, stay tuned to Web News Observer!