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 has so far arranged an array of interesting events to satiate our guilty pleasures, but it also left some of the ends loose at the same time. For instance, who shot Jack in the back in season 2?
With that said, here’s everything you need to know about Virgin River Season 5.
When was Virgin River officially renewed for season 5 on Netflix?
Ever since season 3 of Virgin River premiered on Netflix, which according to What’s on Netflix 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.”
Has the production of Virgin River season 5 officially begun?
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.”
According to What’s on Netflix, “filming for Virgin River season 5” was scheduled “between July 18th, 2022 and November 17th, 2022.”
On the official Virgin River series Instagram account, a post was made which confirmed that the production is underway. The post involved a Zoom call of a table read for the fifth season. The post read:
“Our cast in 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!!”
View this post on Instagram
As per the recent update, the filming was confirmed to have been wrapped on November 21st, 2022.
A video was posted on the official Instagram account which featured the cast celebrating their wrap.
Filming has wrapped on Virgin River season 5! pic.twitter.com/Uv20EzY76T
— What's on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) November 22, 2022
Who are the cast members of Virgin River Season 5?
The Instagram post of a Zoom video call also featured the cast members of Virgin River. Based on that, we expect the following members to be in the upcoming season of the show:
- 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
- Christina Jastrzembska as Lydie
- Trevor Lerner as Bert Gordon
- Lucia Walters as Julia
- Keith MacKechnie as Nick
- Emma Oliver as Young Mel
What can we expect to happen in Virgin River Season 5?
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.”
Additionally, 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.
When can we expect Virgin River Season 5 to arrive on Netflix?
Considering that the production of Virgin River Season 5 just got over, it becomes a little difficult to presume the release date of the upcoming season. However, if we take an educated guess, considering the previous production schedules and release dates, it will probably take six to seven months for the show to hit the Netflix library.
According to What’s on Netflix, “It’s safe to assume that the show will return sometime in 2023. Since production is scheduled to end in November 2022, we could see season 5 of Virgin River on Netflix as soon as summer 2023.”
For more release date updates on Virgin River season 5, stay tuned to Web News Observer!