Virgin River Season 6 RELEASE DATE, Cast & Latest Updates

Netflix has plenty of plans for this new season- Virgin River Season 6. Well, the series has remained the flagship show of the giant streaming platform for years. Thus, fans have never doubted its fate. Although the series wrapped up its fifth season last year, Netflix didn’t take much time to release the much-needed update. But will the show return in 2024? Many have wondered whether the series will face a setback thanks to the Hollywood strike. But don’t fret! We have pleasant news for you. So, let’s delve into it.

Based on Robyn Carr’s novel series Virgin River, the show focuses on Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a nurse practitioner and midwife. In order to avoid her painful past behind, he decides to relocate to the remote Northern California town of Virgin River. However, her decision later leads to a chain of events, bringing her closer to Jack Sheridan. While the couple deals with their fair share of struggle throughout the seasons, the show is back to face another set of troubles.

Virgin River Season 6 Is Back!

Virgin River has remained one of the most popular series on the giant streaming platform. Since its debut, it has won many hearts and has remained the most talked about subject among its fans. Since the series is based on a romantic novel series, it already has a huge fandom. Thus, there’s no denying that the series has been ruling many people’s hearts.

While Virgin River has gained huge reception over the years, Netflix is known to renew the show as early as possible. That’s right! The streaming giant renewed the series as soon as the previous season ended. But this time, things are different. Netflix renewed Virgin River for Season 6 ahead of the fifth season’s renewal.

Back in May 2023, the streaming giant announced via Netflix’s Upfront Event that the series had been renewed. Well, Virgin River has become customary for early renewals. Every season either undergoes filming ahead of the renewal announcement or receives early renewal.

In fact, the series head, Jinny Howe, shared in 2022 that fans can rest assured when it comes to Virgin River. That’s because there will be more seasons coming on their way. While Jinny didn’t share much about the series’s number count, she did suggest the fans will receive an endless saga.

Virgin River Season 6: Production Details

The show has been renewed for the sixth season in May 2023. However, development on season 6 started in early 2023. The streaming giant refused to comment on the potential season back then. According to the reports, filming was about to start in the summer of 2023, precisely on July 24, 2023, with $3 to $5 million per episode.

However, the filming was put on hold due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Thankfully, the strike wrapped up in September 2023, and on October 10, the writers’ team returned to the writing room. Virgin River Series account shared the first look of the sixth season with the caption: “Thrilled to have our writing team back in action, diving into Season 6!”

Ahead of that, Patrick Sean Smith told Glamour Magazine that half of the season had already been written, and now the second half of the series had yet to conclude. Later, in December 2023, the production committee revealed the filming schedule. It was set to begin in early February and concluded in mid-May.

However, it was pushed back a few weeks, and filming began on February 21 and ran through May 30. Due to some strict rules, the series cast hasn’t shared many details of the filming. Smith then posted, “Season 6 wrapped!” Colin Lawrence later posted, “Another one in the books!”

While neither of them revealed the behind-the-scenes images, Martin Henderson took fans to the post-production phase. He shared several snaps suggesting the series had entered the post-production phase.

Virgin River Season 6 Cast: Who Will Join The Team?

Without any doubt, the series’ main cast will return. These include Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe and Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan. Zibby Allen as Brie, Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, and Marco Grazzini as Mike will also return. We can also expect Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey as Ricky, Lauren Hammersley as Dan Brady, and Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton back.

In addition, Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins, Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea, and Lexa Doig as Paige Lassiter will also join Virgin River Season 6. In addition to them, Stacey Farber as Tara Anderson and Daniel Gillies as Mark will also return. John Allen Nelson, who was introduced in the fifth season as Mel’s father, will return to a regular role in Virgin River Season 6.

Fans can also expect the following actors to return: Jenny Cooper, Dan Payne, Eric Brecker, Andrew Zacher, and Garfield Wilson. In May 2024, the production committee shared that the sixth season will feature four new faces. These include Gigi Neil, Erin Kathleen Boyes, Ese Atawo, and Rachel Drance. However, their roles have remained under wrap. Brent Fidler will also return as a principal, and Jayce Barreiro as Roy Green.

What Will Happen Next In Virgin River Season 6?

The two Christmas episodes suggest that Mel’s father, Everett Reid, is about to stay longer in Virgin River. Well, his meeting with Mel was horrific, and how things will move in the next season remains to be seen. However, the series showrunner, Patrick Sean Smith, told Deadline that Virgin River Season 6 will explore Everett’s backstory, his connection to Virgin River, and how he met Mel’s mom.

The second holiday special ended with Everett telling Mel he had something to share. He looked serious, leaving many to wonder whether he had something to tell about Mel’s mom. There’s also a possibility that Mel might have another sibling. Besides this, Virgin River Season 6 will focus on the much-anticipated nuptials of Mel and Jack.

The pair is finally ready to tie the knot. However, fans can expect to witness two weddings and a bit of a time jump in the following season. Netflix has already shared that it’s working on the series spinoff, focusing on Everett and Sarah, Mel’s parents.

Avid viewers can expect to see a bit of Everett and Sarah’s backstory when Mel is on her way to tie the knot. The forthcoming season will also focus on Ava’s return and explore Preacher’s fate. His relationship with Kaia is a bit complicated and will turn out more complex in the sixth season. While Preacher’s future seems to be in the dark, Cameron and Muriel’s relationship will flourish.

How Many Episodes Will Virgin River Season 6 Have?

The show has returned with larger episode orders for the past two seasons. Both Seasons 4 and 5 had twelve episodes instead of ten. The recent season split the episodes into two parts, airing ten episodes as regular and two extra episodes as holiday specials. Thus, many believe the show will return with a twelve-episode format. However, this won’t happen. During an interview, Ildiko Susany shared that Virgin River Season 6 will have only ten episodes.