Virgin River spoilers follow.
In the Netflix series Virgin River, the lives of the characters are just as dramatic as its breathtaking British Columbian backdrop.
In all likelihood, who would not fall in love and fall in love in this serene country setting?
Unfortunately, appearances aren’t always accurate, and nobody has learned this more than Mel Monroe, whose move to the town of a small size introduced us to the show’s ensemble cast during the first season.
Season three has delivered yet another surprise and twists for the main players and shakers, but are they coming back for season four?
There’s some positive and negative news about that, and let’s take a look at what we’ve learned about it so far.
Virgin River season 4 potential release date: When does it be on air?
This is the good news: Not only has Netflix confirmed that season four of the show is in the works, it’s also been confirmed that the show will receive the chance to air a season five too!
There is no official release date as of now.
“[Withall happening in this world today, we are seeing that people are and more are looking for more than just security but also that sense of hope, and the feeling of belonging,” Jinny Howe, Netflix’s Director of Original Series said to USA Today of the major renewal.
“All of it was put together in a manner that was organic, and I believe it was a demonstration that this is an absolutely important aspect of programming for us.”
It’s not surprising, considering how the melodrama’s run has been a hit with viewers all over the globe. According to the statistics site FlixPatrol, this show was at the top of the list consistently during its run, which equates to nearly two months on the charts, with certain territories like those in the US (53 days), Canada (57 days) and the Netherlands (78 days).
“There is a feeling of intimacy and connection you experience on the show that viewers want in their relationship,” said Alexandra Breckenridge (Mel) of the show’s popularity. “During the outbreak, there’s no sense of that as often, it became an item that people were looking for.”
In the latter part of November 2021, Martin Henderson – who plays Jack provided fans with updates on how the filming for season four was going and posted a photo from his account on Instagram where the actor was recording voiceovers in a booth.
“Doing some post-production work for the #virginriver season 4” He wrote. “Making sure that everything is smooth and pleasing to the greatest fans of all time! We wish you all a great weekend wherever you are.”
This would mean that filming is complete and the show is now in post-production.
The news was disappointing for season five, however good news for season four. was announced in interviewing Glamour regarding her role as a character in This Is Us when Breckenridge accidentally announced that she was putting off production.
“So I ended in Virgin River, and when This Is Us reached out to me to come to the show in season 4,” Breckenridge said.
“I had already started filming the second season of Virgin River, which is wonderful news, but unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts, I was unable to film it.
“So that was put aside for a few months. It’s been a long-running effort to convince me back because I’ve been on for a while on Virgin River. Then, it just happened we were scheduled to begin shooting season five on Virgin River in March, but the date was changed to July.”
The fifth season is set to begin filming in July, then we should be getting close to the launch of season four.
If we were to take an estimate, we’d say they’ll follow the same pattern as season three in terms of release dates of July 2022. This ties perfectly with the beginning of season five’s production.
The cast also shared some behind-the-scenes photos of Jack (Martin Henderson), Doc (Tim Matheson), Preacher (Colin Lawrence), Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth), and Ricky (Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey) in November, indicating that a new season may not be too far from us.
But don’t expect two-to-two coverage of season four or five. The delays to filming season five were revealed by Alexandra on Instagram Live stream. The actress revealed:
“We were supposed to begin in March, but the date has been delayed so I’m not sure. I’m hoping to begin in the summertime. It would be great for us to shoot in Vancouver in the summertime rather than during winter. I’ll be honest with you I’m done with filming in winter.”
It appears that the Vancouver conditions have proved cruel for the actress who wrote:
“I’m not planning to do the same thing again. It’s very cold, especially when you’re out wearing sandals or a t-shirt as it’s supposed to be in the middle of summer. …” Alexandra was unable to complete her sentence, but her expression said it all. Take a look at the clip below.
The weather wasn’t the only thing Alexandra endured during filming. As she worked on a couple of scenes for season 4 the actress was in severe discomfort because of a rotten tooth.
“There are a couple of scenes from the show in which I was in the worst pain, other than the birth of my child, in my experience,” she told fans on her Instagram Stories.
“Apparently the tooth broken or chipped at some moment, but we’re not sure the exact date, but in time the crack began to widen, and it wasn’t infected, but the root was dying. The nerve began to die.” Ouch.
If the filming of season five is indeed scheduled for the summer of 2019, fans will be waiting for waiting as the premiere is expected to be delayed into 2022 at the earliest possible time. But, there’s no reason to be gloomy about it since season four is bringing more episodes, which will help the upside of the disappointment. Instead of the normal run with 10 shows, viewers will get 12 episodes.
Virgin River season 4 cast Who’s in it?
If the fourth season is in the works we’d like all of the main players to be back: Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), Jack (Martin Henderson), John (Colin Lawrence), Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), Doc (Tim Matheson), Hope (Annette O’Toole), Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth), Brie (Zibby Allen), Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) and Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey) and many more.
In a tragic fashion, Lilly (Lynda Boyd) passed away in the third season of pancreatic cancer. Boyd has confirmed that discussions regarding her character’s return for season four are taking place.
“When I did a conversation that day with the producers, they told me they planned to have me return in flashbacks like her husband, her deceased spouse,” she said (via Radio Times).
Virgin River season 4 plot What’s going to happen?
There were a lot of question concerns hanging around Virgin River at the end of season three. This will determine the direction of the story moving ahead.
Mel is pregnant, however, the baby could have been Jack’s. Her husband who passed away Mark (Daniel Gillies) may have been the dad. While talking to TV Line, showrunner Sue Tenney stated: “You’ll find out by the conclusion of season four.”
When the infant isn’t his what does this translate to the family? “It will be extremely challenging,” Breckenridge told E!. “That could be a very difficult task, particularly for Jack. If he’s likely to hang in the area, especially if he’s loyal to Mel and Mel, it’s going to be difficult to raise the baby of her dead husband’s child. It’s like asking too much.”
Jack did finally make a decision to kneel to Mel but the proposal fell short due to Mel’s pregnancy announcement.
Hope is currently in the hospital. During the finale, she had a fever, which means she’s not completely recovered. As part of an interview for Entertainment Weekly, Tenney discussed the challenges ahead for Hope: “We do move ahead. For us, it’s about the recovery process and the issues she’s struggling with, a brain trauma injury. In a hospital, and recovering, that’s not the place the location where our show takes place. However, we’re extremely determined to find out the real truth to something, and so we’ll get to the very edge of what’s the most effective recovery for this.
“We remain true to the guidelines, medically speaking however we are aware that we are now able to tell you what we prefer to do that are emotionally complex dramas.”
The absence of character for O’Toole in season three was due to COVID-19.
“That was a pivotal pandemic,” Tenney told EW. “We’ve done a lot of work to ensure she’s still present in the show. If we do get the fourth season, everyone has been immunized and the pandemic isn’t like it was. Therefore, I would like to believe that we’ll be able to have Annette returning.”
