With its unpredictable twists and gripping romances, Netflix's soapy, hit drama Virgin River is returning soon with its fifth season. Viewers have become captivated by nurse practitioner Melanie Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her attempt to make a home in small-town Virgin River after moving from Los Angeles. It's dramatic in the best way possible so it's easy to see why the series has developed such a passionate fan following since it's debut on the streaming platform.
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Based on the popular Robyn Carr novels, the first season debuted in 2019 and quietly amassed millions of viewers who fell in love with Mel and her slow-budding love affair with Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and the town's ongoing theatrics. Packed with quirky characters and stunning mountain and river views, fans have been eagerly awaiting the next installment as this unexpected hit show was given a two-season renewal order after the third season.
The end of the fourth season's cliffhangers definitely left viewers with burning questions, eager to discover what the future holds for Mel, Jack, and the rest of the Virgin River community. We are just as excited to watch the next chapter of the series, so we rounded up everything we know about Season 5.
Production
Though Season 5 was meant to start filming last spring, production was pushed to July 2022 and ended in mid-November. The official Virgin River Instagram account posted a screenshot from a Zoom table read with the entire cast, announcing Season 5 had officially kicked off on July 18.
Since, the cast and crew have posted behind-the-scenes photos and videos from set, including celebrating filming the 50th episode of the show. And regardless of what happens, it's clear from Instagram that we'll continue to be captivated by the show's picturesque settings, the developments between Mel and Jack's relationship, and the competitive natured dynamic between Doc and Dr. Cameron.
Though the first three seasons were only 10 episodes long, Breckenridge confirmed over a live stream that the fifth season will have 12 episodes, just like the fourth.
When Can We Watch Season 5?
Season 5 is just around the corner! Netflix Life reports that the new season will drop on Sept. 7.
Where Was Season 5 Filmed?
Virgin River. (Netflix)
The cast and crew once again made their way up to British Columbia, Canada, for nearly four months of shooting. While the show is meant to be set in a fictitious, quaint Northern California town near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, all five seasons were shot in and around Vancouver.
Some of the establishing shots were filmed on Bowen Island, only a short ferry ride from downtown Vancouver. The exterior of Mel's cabin is actually part of Murdo Frazer Park, and Jack's Bar can be found an hour north in the city of Squamish.
Regardless of specific filming locations, viewers are sure to see plenty of stunning waterfall shots and beautiful mountainscapes, per the Virgin River way.
Check out our breakdown of some of the beautiful Virgin River filming locations you can visit.
Cast and Crew
Judging from the July table read screengrab, it looks like all of our favorite Virgin River characters will be returning. Breckenridge and Henderson will return as Mel and Jack. Colin Lawrence, Ben Hollingsworth, Tim Matheson and Annette O'Toole could also be seen over Zoom and expected to reprise their roles as Preacher, Brady, Doc and Hope, respectively.
And to answer some of the cliffhangers from the end of Season 4, viewers can bet Lexa Doig will return as Paige, Lauren Hammersley will again play Charmaine and Zibby Allen will continue as Jack's sister, Brie.
Fans also noted that Ricky (Grayson Gurney) was photographed at the table read, despite joining the Marines at the end of the last season.
While her role has not been announced, Kandyse McClure, previously in V-Wars and Battlestar Galactica, confirmed she was the newest addition to the Virgin River community for Season 5.
But one of the biggest changes to the fifth season is that Patrick Sean Smith will replace Sue Tenney as its showrunner. Smith has worked on shows including Supernatural, Chasing Life and Dolly Parton's Heartstrings.
Though we don't have specifics, Jinny Howe, the show's head of drama, told Deadline that the next season will showcase a more diverse cast. She said as the Virgin River community expands, fans will get to experience more diversity and inclusion than in previous seasons.
What Will Season 5 Entail?
Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge in 'Virgin River' (Netflix)
This next section contains a number of spoilers from Season 4.
The explosive Season 4 finale left Virgin River fans with a ton of unanswered questions, but it may have been a few months since you last binged the show.
In the fifth season, we can expect to finally confirm who is the father of Mel's baby. At the dramatic end of Season 4, Charmaine revealed that Jack isn't actually the father of her babies...right after Mel said her baby is Jack's. Does Jack have three babies or one on the way? And we may learn why Charmaine has lied about the father of her children for more than five months.
Henderson and Breckenridge told Glamour Magazine they know the twins' father, which makes us suspect Brady, Mike or Dr. Cameron. But we'll have to tune in to know for sure.
Plus, Jack admitted toward the end of Season 4 that he has an ex-wife named Mandy. Will we get more information about their past relationship? Or will she make an appearance?
We also discovered that Doc's grandson, Denny, was diagnosed with Huntington's disease, a terminal genetic disorder. The new showrunner told Entertainment Weekly viewers will get a fuller picture of Denny in the new season, so we're eager to see how he develops that character. But how will this revelation affect Doc and Hope?
Plus, Hope was also recovering in the fourth season from a car accident that required brain surgery. Will we see more of Hope's rehabilitation?
Fans also rooted for Brie as she confronted her abusive ex, Don in the last season. What does this mean for her budding relationship with Brady?
Additionally, a new crime boss, Melissa Montgomery, was introduced to Virgin River in Season 4. And Jack is now unwittingly tied up in that criminal organization alongside Brady. Will Brady and Jack mend their relationship, or will Emeral Lumber have more in store for the pair?
Finally, in one of the largest cliffhangers of the season finale, we all want to know what happened during the brawl between Preacher and Vince. Will Preacher and Paige have to get away with murder again? Will they finally be able to catch their breath?
We'll have to tune in next summer to get the answers to all of our burning Virgin River questions.
READ MORE: When Does 'Virgin River' Return? Everything We Know So Far
