Yahoo Lifestyle 'Virgin River' Returns for Season 6 with Holiday Premiere Date
There's a lot for Virgin River fans to mull over until Season 6 of the Netflix series debuts, starting with a promise from showrunner Patrick Sean Smith that “the journey for Mel and Jack as a couple will always be to having that family that they dream of and that we dream for them.”
Mel is the series heroine, nurse practitioner-midwife Melinda “Mel” Munroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), and Jack is her loving-but-troubled guy Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), who owns the local bar/restaurant. Both of these Virgin River residents have experienced deep loss in their lives and personify the show's themes of moving forward and seizing second chances.
After an emotional 10 episodes and two additional “cozy” holiday episodes meant to be a Christmas present to the fans after a pretty intense Season 5, it's time for us to take a closer look at what to expect from Virgin River Season 6.
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What is the Virgin River Season 6 release date?
We won't have to wait long! Season 6 of Virgin River will hit Netflix with all 10 episodes on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Deadline reported the show started filming in Vancouver in late February 2024 and on May 15 Henderson teased on Instagram that the cast was close to wrapping.
"Back in the studio making all things Virgin River," he wrote in a post. "Just spiffy."
In the snapshot, Henderson appeared to be wearing a pair of headphones as he stood in front of a microphone to presumably finish any last-minute additional dialogue recordings.
"We are close to wrapping up Season 6," he told his followers with a screen showing him and co-star Alexandra Breckenridge in the background.
The post—set to the tune of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day"—also gave fans some insight about what to expect in Season 6, as Henderson further teased, "What a ride this one has been. Excited for everyone to see it."
Who is in the Virgin River Season 6 cast?
There are at least two new cast members in Virgin River Season 6. Callum Kerr (Monarch) and Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) are playing Mel's biological father, Everett, and late mother, Sarah, in flashback scenes.
We met present-day Everett, played by John Allen Nelson, in the Christmas special. Now Sarah will enter the stage in a meaningful way for the first time.
Get a sneak peek at younger Mom and Dad right here:
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Other returning stars include:
Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Martin Henderson as Jack
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Annette O'Toole as Hope
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Tim Matheson as Doc Mullens
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Colin Lawrence as John "Preacher" Middleton
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Kandyse McClure as Kaia Bryant
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Kai Bradbury as Denny Cutler
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix.
Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
Photo credit, Netflix.
Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Mark Ghanime as Dr. Cameron Hayek
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Teryl Rothery as Muriel
Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
The cast also includes Keith MacKechnie as Nick, Gwyneth Walsh as Jo Ellen, Nicola Cavendish as Connie, Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes and Lauren Hammersly as Charmaine Roberts.
What happened in Virgin River Season 5?
A lot happened in Season 5, including Mel’s heartbreaking miscarriage, a massive wildfire that threatened to destroy our favorite small town, and the FBI seizing of Jack’s waterfront property during a fentanyl raid he had nothing to do with.
There was also the issue of Doc’s eyesight and how his wife, Hope, reacts to the possibility that he could go blind; Lizzie’s pregnancy announcement; whether Preacher and his firefighter girlfriend, Kaia, will make it; and Muriel telling Dr. Cameron to consider whether he wants to give up having children to be with her.
“There will be some answers [to cliffhangers] early on,” Smith promises of Season 6. “I would say in general I don’t want subsequent seasons to be as heavy as Season 5, but I still want them to be meaningful and emotional.”
Related: Virgin River Showrunner Discusses Big Changes to the Show
What's going to happen in Virgin River Season 6?
The logline from Netflix for Virgin River Season 6 reads, "Against the backdrop of Mel and Jack’s romantic spring wedding season, this sixth installment promises fresh twists and turns, escalating love triangles, delightful wedding drama, as well as uncovered secrets from Mel’s father’s past which will transport us to the magic and mystique of Virgin River in the 1970s."
Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith also shared a bit about the upcoming installment with Parade, starting with the continuation of the storyline between Mel and her newly discovered biological father, Everett Reid.
“This is an opportunity to introduce a living parent into Mel’s life," he said. "It also gives her a connection to her mother and the mystery of how their relationship came to be is something that we explore in the holiday episodes and continue in Season 6. When she [Mel] learns of this news, I think she’s very invested in finding the identity of this person. I think Season 6 will also explore more deeply Mel’s relationship with her biological father. We’ll also get the opportunity to get a little more sense of the history of the town through her biological father and what his relationship was to it back at the time when he and Mel’s mother met and fell in love and Mel was conceived.”
Season 6 will feature flashbacks with Mel's biological father and late mother, Sarah, in the 1970s. Stars Callum Kerr and Jessica Rothe will play the roles.
Meanwhile, Deadline reported in late February that a Virgin River spinoff is in development that will be a prequel diving into the complete backstory of Mel's parents.
As for other storylines in the upcoming season, Smith promises “far fewer miscarriages and natural disasters occurring in Virgin River. I think what I wanted for my first season was for there to be an opportunity to kind of test the limits and I think I see where those boundaries are now. At the end of the day, the show is about love, loss, grief and second chances. The show will always be about that. But I think as far as calibrating the intensity of it, I don’t want Virgin River to become Grey’s Anatomy or a 9-1-1 Virgin River show.”
When it comes to what else we should look forward to for Season 6, Smith says there will be “another little time jump,” so the series will not be picking up directly after the holidays where the two Christmas episodes left off. “Season 6 will see Mel and Jack continuing in their pursuit of starting and building their family. They are engaged, so there will have to be wedding talks further down the road.”
Also, of great interest is how Doc’s deteriorating eyesight due to macular degeneration (which can cause blindness) could affect his medical practice and relationship with his wife, Hope, and others. “I think intimate relationships between older characters really aren’t on television today,” Smith shared.
“We take that as an opportunity to go as deeply into it as possible, and authentically. I think we’ll continue to see more of that with Hope and Doc in Season 6, and onward with the series. It’s unfortunately unique, but it’s an opportunity for us to tell stories about characters that just aren’t much in television these days.”
Related: Netflix Unveils New Virgin River Mobile Game, and It's a Head-Scratcher
How many episodes are in Virgin River Season 6?
There are 10 confirmed episodes in Virgin River Season 6.
Is there a trailer for Virgin River Season 6?
There is no trailer yet, but check back here for updates.
How to watch Virgin River Season 6
Virgin River Season 6 will also stream on Netflix. Seasons 1–5 are currently streaming on Netflix.
Next, Virgin River Author Robyn Carr Weighs In on the Differences Between the Show and the Books
