When is the Virgin River season 5 release date? Fans will be desperate to know more about the show that has given us on-again-off-again romance, baby daddy drama, and even murder mysteries, so what’s in store for the next chapter?
The Netflix series stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner who relocates to the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, in an attempt to get her life back on track. Life doesn’t work that way though, especially not in a TV series, and Mel finds herself at the heart of the chaotic community over the course of four tension-filled seasons on the streaming service Netflix.
So, as we turn the page on season 4, when can we expect the Virgin River season 5 release date? Which actors will be part of the Virgin River cast next time around? And, what the hell is going to happen next in the drama series?
Virgin River season 5 release date speculation
As of March 2023, there is currently no confirmed Virgin River season 5 release date. We would say it is very likely the show will return in the summer of 2023.
Netflix has already confirmed there will definitely be a Virgin River season 5, so it’s on the way. Looking back, season 3 and season 4 both released in July of their respective years, so it’s pretty safe to assume that a July release date will be lined up for season 5, too.
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There had been delays in filming season 5, which was initially supposed to hit production back-to-back with season 4, but this didn’t come to fruition. That shoot was pushed to July 2022 and in November 2022, had just wrapped up according to star Alexandra Breckenridge on Instagram.
More recently, Martin Henderson, who plays Jack in the show, confirmed he was in the recording booth completing some post-production vocal work. That tells us the series is in the latter stages of editing and should be here soon!
Virgin River season 5 plot speculation
As of March 2023, Netflix hasn’t dropped any official details about what the Virgin River season 5 plot will entail. We assume Mel and Jack’s wedding will be a big part of the storyline, though.
An Instagram post by the official Virgin River account shared at the start of October 2022 showed Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) looking pretty fancy. We suspect this could be an engagement party, and we hope we get an invite.
One big question we had after season 3 involved the baby daddy drama surrounding Mel’s pregnancy. Thankfully, a test proved that Jack is the father of the baby girl, but a major season 4 cliff-hanger saw Charmaine reveal that her twins are in fact not Jack’s. Season 5 will no doubt see Jack and Mel come to terms with this development, and could even strangely be a good thing for their relationship.
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While we can’t be sure what will happen exactly, we do know that both Breckenridge and Henderson are nervous for the next season of Virgin River. On an Instagram Live video, Breckenridge said: “I am excited for you to see season 5, but to be honest, I’m also a little bit nervous about some of the fan reactions,” and Henderson added: “It’s going to be an interesting season for y’all.” Don’t tease us like this guys, please!
Elsewhere, Paige finally managed to lead herself and Christopher to safety, with a little help from Preacher who knocked Vince out before he could kill Paige. But, we still need to find out if Vince is actually dead or just temporarily out of action. Expect the answer to that next season.
We may also know who the next big antagonist of the series will be, after Melissa Montgomery was introduced in season 4. She hasn’t done anything too bad so far, but a hidden photographer certainly had an interest in her business. Add this to the pretty sinister music playing when she first arrives, and we have a feeling this could be a character to watch in season 5.
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On August 30, star of the show Alexandra Breckenridge told New Beauty that audiences should expect some “pretty heavy” storylines when season 5 comes around. Get ready, because Breckenridge also claimed the upcoming instalment will “leave people on the edge of their seats.”
According to showrunner Sean Smith in a chat with Glamour, season 5 “will be new and exciting, but still very much feel like the same show.” Apparently, Virgin River season 5 will be “a little bit louder, but not to the detriment of the comfort of the show.”
Speaking to Hello, Annette O’Toole, who plays Hope McCrea on the show, described the storylines for season 5 as “important” and “timely.” While O’Toole wasn’t giving much away, this perhaps suggests real-world influences will play a part on the course of Virgin River season 5.
Dark times could lie ahead for one character though, with Martin Henderson revealing “Brady, as a character, definitely has a lot of redemption in season four. I think there’s even more in season five. That’ll definitely colour the relationship [between Brady and Jack].” If you remember, Brady has not quite managed to shed his criminal ways, and that could return in season 5 judging by Sheridan’s comments.
Virgin River season 5 cast speculation
Alexandra Breckenridge will return to play Mel Monroe in the Virgin River season 5 cast. The actor has confirmed she has been filming for the show.
With their relationship on course to find its inevitable happy ending, we’re pretty sure Martin Henderson will be back to reprise his role as Jack for season 5, too.
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It remains to be seen what other characters return for Virgin River season 5, but we suspect we will see the likes of Paige (Michelle Logan), Melissa Montgomery (Barbara Pollard), and Denny (Kai Bradbury) among the cast next season. We also know that Preacher (Colin Lawrence) will return, and in an interview with the Express, Lawrence said his character’s secrets will be further exposed in the next season.
On September 2, Martin Henderson revealed on his Instagram that he was shooting scenes for season 5 with Annette O’Toole, who plays Hope McCrea in the series. Hope was missing from Virgin River season 3 due to pandemic related issues, but the Mayor of the town is well and truly back now it seems.
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One person who won’t be returning for season 5 is Ricky, with actor Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey confirming in an interview with The Express his time in the show is over (for now). We last saw Ricky leave for the army, which would explain his absence in the next season, but the actor has hinted he may return down the line.
It was also expected that Cameron Hayek (Mark Ghanimé) was set to leave the show after his potential relationship with Mel came to an end in season 4. However, the actor has been spotted on set for shooting of season 5, and in an interview with TV Line, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed Cameron will be in the first episode of season 5 at least.
We could however see more screentime for Hannah (Clare Filipow), who was introduced in season 4 as the first openly gay character on the show. Fans took a shine to Hannah, and she could well be a more important character in season 5.
This aligns with comments from Jinny Howe, the new Head of Drama at Netflix, who told Deadline that season 5 will see some alterations to the cast in the name of inclusivity. “It’s definitely a priority. I think you will see, as we expand the Virgin River community, that there will be more diversity and inclusion,” Howe explained.
There’s a new face joining the cast too, in the form of Kandyse McClure. It’s unknown who McClure will be playing at the moment, but there’s suggestions she may take on the role of Jack’s ex-wife.
How many episodes will Virgin River season 5 have?
While not confirmed yet, we expect Virgin River season 5 to consist of 12 episodes. This would fall in line with season 4, which saw an increase on the ten episode structure of the first three seasons.
Where can you watch Virgin River season 5?
You will be able to watch Virgin River season 5 on the streaming platform Netflix when the show premieres. Virgin River has always been on Netflix and should continue to be there for as long as the show will run.
Will there be a Virgin River season 6?
While nothing has been confirmed by Netflix just yet, we are almost certain there will be a Virgin River season 6. The show is one of the platform’s most popular offerings, and there’s still loads of books to draw stories from, so expect the journey to continue after season 5 wraps up.
There’s also murmurs that there will be some kind of Virgin River spin-off series, though it’s still early days on that front. Speaking to Deadline, Jinny Howe hinted that the scope for storytelling in the Virgin River world is vast and said Netflix is “paying very close attention” to what audiences want from the show and its characters.
That’s all we know about the Virgin River season 5 release date at the moment, but we’ll keep checking in regularly and update you once we learn anything new. In the meantime, get more drama with the Euphoria season 3 release date, or more Netflix content with the Stranger Things season 5 release date. Or think about the big screen with our guide to all the new movies coming in 2023.
