Virgin River fans have a long wait ahead of them for Season 7, which just recently finished filming and, thus, doesn’t have a premiere date yet. But at least they can console themselves with some good news when it comes to the Netflix series’ future: The show has received a very early Season 8 renewal, according to our sister site Deadline. Star Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Mel, rejoiced over the announcement on Instagram, writing, “keeps on keeping on!”
What’s coming up on Virgin River?
Last we visited Virgin River, Mel and Jack had gotten hitched, and then in the final moments of the Season 6 finale, mom-to-be Marley approached Mel and offered up her soon-to-arrive baby! Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith told Tudum that “we’ve only just begun to see Mel and Jack function as a married couple, which is exciting.” Season 7 will “explore the honeymoon phase for them as they’re building their lives on the farm, which can come with its own obstacles,” he added.
Plus, there’s plenty more Season 6 cliffhangers and burning questions for the upcoming season, like: What happened to Charmaine and her twins? Will Denny and Lizzie’s baby be okay? Can Doc save the clinic? And will another couple walk down the aisle?
Who’s leaving Virgin River?
Many big changes are afoot in Season 7, including the exits of several characters. Smith confirmed to our sister site TVLine in December 2024 that Mark Ghanime (pictured below), who played Dr. Cameron Hayek since Season 4, won’t be returning to the show full-time. “I love Mark, who plays Cameron, and I love the character of Cameron,” he said. “He will always be a part of the world, and I would love to see his character back, but he won’t be a series regular in Season 7, unfortunately.”
Cameron briefly returned in Season 6 to give his ex Muriel (and himself) the closure that they deserved after learning of her breast cancer diagnosis before his official exit from the series. “I love that relationship, and I think this season saw a little bit of a sendoff for Cameron,” Smith also told Us Weekly after Season 6’s premiere.
Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGEAdditionally, Smith confirmed to TV Insider that there are “no plans” to see Lexa Doig’s Paige (pictured below) again, with her and Preacher’s relationship officially over. In Season 5, Paige killed her abusive husband, Wes, and Preacher assisted her in disposing of his body. The subsequent season followed both Preacher and Paige’s trials, which ended with Preacher getting off with a misdemeanor and no prison time, and a split jury over whether Paige intentionally killed Wes or if her husband’s death was an accident.
“I wanted to move past Paige and Preacher. This was the last vestige and loose thread from their relationship,” Smith explained to Entertainment Weekly. “So I was interested in this gesture of Preacher protecting her and sacrificing himself where he had been so much her protector and savior from the beginning of this series. By extension, him laying himself on the line for her and [encouraging] her absence to protect her felt like a good way to wrap that up.”
Who’s joining Virgin River?
Season 7 will feature new cast additions Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries) and Cody Kearsley (Riverdale) in recurring roles, Deadline previously reported. Canning will play Victoria, an ex-cop who now works for the state medical board and comes to Virgin River to investigate Doc’s practice. In the process, she “runs into a friend whom she wouldn’t mind catching up with…or maybe more.” Kearsley, meanwhile, will portray Clay, who’s looking for his younger sister with whom he grew up in the foster care system.
While you await Virgin River’s return, check out the gallery below of 20+ primetime couples facing make-or-break moments next season.
