After an action-packed finale and a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, “Virgin River” is officially returning for a fifth season.
Ever since Season Four premiered in July 2022, fans have been dying to know who the heck fathered Charmaine’s twins, and we won't have to wait long to find out.
Can't wait to binge Season Five? Here's everything you need to know.
When will Season 5 of ‘Virgin River’ come out?
Part One of “Virgin River” Season 5 will premiere on Netflix on Sept. 7 and will include 10 episodes. Part Two, which includes two holiday episodes, will premiere on Nov. 30.
What will Season 5 be about?
A new trailer for Season Five foreshadows lots of romance, wholesome small town cameraderie and an environmental disaster.
At the beginning of the trailer, Mel (Alexandra Breckinridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) chill outside and talk about parenthood (Reminder: They're expecting their first child together).
"You’re gonna be a fantastic father. You might even be better than me," Mel says.
"Oh really?" Jack replies. "I know you don't mean that."
"Obviously not," she jokes.
While talking to Doc (Tim Matheson) about her decision to leave their medical practice, Mel explains why she thinks she's making the right call.
"It makes sense to prioritize my high-risk pregnancy and my family over my job," she says.
Still, Doc isn't exactly psyched to lose his right-hand gal and says, "I don't want you to go."
"Doc, I know you want me, but you need him," Mel says, referring to her colleague Cameron (Mark Ghanime), who handed in his resignation at the end of Season Four. In response, Mel decided to step away from the practice for Doc's sake since she wouldn't be able to help him if she went into early labor.
Elsewhere, Jack and Preacher (Colin Lawrence) have a heart-to-heart about relationships and Jack says, "You never know when the love of your life is gonna walk right into this bar."
For a split second, we see Preacher and a woman who resembles Paige (Lexa Doig) sharing an intimate moment in the bar.
Meanwhile, Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) and Denny (Kai Bradbury) seem to have reevaluated their relationship status (or lack thereof) and stare lovingly into each other's eyes in the next scene.
Soon enough, the vibe of the season shifts in the trailer and Mel can be seen looking off into the distance at smoke in the woods. Chaos ensues and rescue efforts commence.
Hope (Annette O-Toole) rallies the people of Virgin River with a motivating speech, saying, "We will rise from the ashes. That’s the power of Virgin River."
At the end of Season Four, Brie (Zibby Allen) found her strength and told her abusive ex to lawyer up because she intended to press charges since he previously raped her. This story arc seems to continue in Season Five as she sits on the stand in court and shares a moving message.
“Real heroes are the ones with the courage to do what’s right. They walk toward the things most people would run away from. They’re the people who push past their fears, who face the unknown and hold onto their faith, even when the deck’s stacked against them,” she says.
Of course, there's plenty of small town fun in the trailer too, with a festive carnival and a bizarre mud bath scene. Dan Brady (Ben Hollingsworth) also seems to get into more dangerous situations this season, depicted with blood on his forehead in a scene.
Per a Netflix press release, Season Five will include the following elements: "surprising new relationships, a shocking break-up, a difficult court trial, a heartbreaking goodbye, and a wildfire that threatens the town, bringing some people of Virgin River together while tearing others apart."
Meanwhile, Mel's pregnancy "unexpectedly sparks an emotional connection to her past" and Jack confronts his "demons" and Charmaine to "prove himself to Mel."
Lastly, Doc and Hope's medical troubles "throw their identities into question."
Where did Season 4 leave off?
Season Four, which premiered on Netflix on July 20, wrapped up many loose strings from Season Three: Namely, who shot Jack and whose baby Mel is having.
Meanwhile, the finale of Season Four opened up a whole new set of plot lines, including yet another paternity question: Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) revealed that Jack is not the father of her twins. But who is?
The finale also introduced a new antagonist in the form of Melissa Montgomery, Calvin’s successor as the crime boss of Virgin River (every small town needs one).
Which characters are returning for Season 5?
“Virgin River” has had the same core cast members from the start. While Jack and Mel are the center of audience’s universes, there are other inhabitants of Virgin River. Here's a full look at the returning cast:
- Alexandra Breckinridge as Mel Monroe, the love of Jack Sheridan's life and a very talented doctor.
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Mel Monroe's fiancé and owner of a popular local bar.
- Tim Matheson as Doc, Virgin River’s doctor who is trying, really trying, to retire.
- Annette O’Toole as Hope, Doc’s wife who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
- Colin Lawrence as Preacher, Jack’s Marine buddy and colleague at his bar.
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Brady, who — after being sent to prison — is officially found innocent for Jack’s attempted murder in Season Four.
- Zibby Allen as Brie, Jack’s sister and Brady’s maybe girlfriend.
- Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, a Virgin River transplant exploring her romantic feelings for Denny.
- Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela, a local police officer who seems to have the hots for Brie.
- Mark Ghanimé as Cameron, who arrives to Virgin River to take over Doc’s practice, but wants to leave because of his strong feelings that his colleague Mel is not with the right guy (and thinks that he is the right guy).
- Kai Bradbury as Denny, who showed up in Season Three saying he’s Doc’s grandson. In the Season Four finale, Denny reveals he has Huntington’s Disease, a fatal genetic disorder, per the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine, who is pregnant with twins — and they’re not Jack’s.
Other returning characters include Lexa Doig as Paige, Teryl Rothery as Muriel, Stacey Farber as Tara, Nicola Cavendish as Connie, Gwynyth Walsh as Jo Ellen, Christina Jastrzembska as Lydie, Jenny Cooper as Joey, Lucia Walters as Julia, Steve Bacic as Wes, Keith MacKechnie as Nick, Barbara Pollard as Melissa, Trevor Lerner as Bert and Chase Petriw as Christopher.
'Virgin River' star Zibby Allen described Season 5 as a 'little family reunion'
Speaking to TODAY, Zibby Allen — who plays Brie — said that filming the Season Five was like a "little family reunion."
The season began filming soon after Season Four dropped. "It’s really fun to go back to work on the heels of the launch of the season and to feel all of the love from the audience. It gives us an extra boost of confidence to go back into this (next season) and carry on with the storylines hearing from the audience how much they matter to people," she said.
The official "Virgin River" Instagram has been sharing some behind-the-scenes pictures from set.
Alexandra Breckinridge and Martin Henderson are looking cheery on set.
And Benjamin Hollingsworth is back on a motorcycle as Brady.
The cast even did a fun table read.
Where was Season 5 filmed?
The fictional town Virgin River is supposed to be in California, but the show is actually filmed in Canada — specifically, the Vancouver region.
"It’s as beautiful as it looks on the show, if not more, and it’s such a special, rare opportunity to be able to film in a location like that long form," Allen said of the filming location.