Virgin River is Netflix’s ultimate sleeper hit, a charming comfort watch that made streaming history last year when it was renewed for an eighth season making it the platform’s longest running scripted-show of all time. That puts it ahead of, well, all of Netflix’s most iconic series, including Orange Is The New Black and Stranger Things. And its seventh season hasn’t even aired yet.
It’s not hard to see why it’s so popular. Where most of Netflix’s biggest hits give us drama, action and suspense, Virgin River provides a much needed dose of romance, transporting us to the idyllic world of its titular small town in Northern California.
The plot centres around Mel and Jack, a heartwarming couple whose relationship is less about the will-they-won’t-they and more about the real ups and downs that come with finding love. Over the past six seasons, we’ve seen them navigate conflicts over exes, grief over lost ones, mental health issues and fertility struggles.
But there’s always light at the end of the tunnel: season six ended with the couple finally tying the knot, after getting engaged in series four. What’s next for Mr and Mrs Sheridan in season seven? Expect to see plenty of honeymoon-phase wedded bliss as they settle into life on the farm – and all the twists and turns that come with it.
When is Virgin River season 7 on Netflix?
The wait is nearly over. There are just weeks to go until Virgin River returns to screens, with the seventh season dropping on Netflix on 12th March. We suggest cancelling any plans for that evening.
Who’s in the cast?
We’ll of course see Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson return as Mel and Jack, alongside the familiar faces of cast members including Colin Lawrence, Tim Matheson, Annette O’Toole and Ben Hollingsworth, to name a few.
And it wouldn’t be a new season without the arrival of some fresh characters, this time with the addition of two new Virgin River residents. The Vampire Diaries’ Sara Canning is joining as ex police officer Victoria, while Riverdale’s Cody Kearsley makes an appearance as Clay, a former foster care child who’s searching for his long lost little sister.
What happened in season 6?
Let’s do a quick refresher ahead of the new season’s premiere in March. Season six was a significant period in Mel and Jack’s relationship, with much of the spent preparing for the wedding, from dress fitting mishaps to barn renovations.
But as always, there was more to Virgin River than straightforward romance. Throughout the season, we saw Preacher battle through his murder trial; Brie, Mike and Brady’s love triangle expand into, as showrunner Patrick Sean Smith puts it, “a love rectangle”, thanks to Lark; plus many more intricate plotlines that painted a full and lively picture of the Virgin River’s community.
As for the show’s star couple, season six dug deeper into Mel’s family history, as she formed closer bonds with her birth father ahead of the wedding. And of course, Mr and Mrs Sheridan finally got hitched, first with private vows against the backdrop of the river, then with a blow-out ceremony and party that was worth waiting two seasons for.
The best surprise from season six? The news that Mel and Jack might become parents, after all, as the doors open for a potential adoption. Following Mel’s traumatic miscarriage in season five, this plotline is particularly heartwarming, proving that the linear route to building a family is not the only way. Finally, it seems like the couple will be able to settle down into the life they’ve dreamed of.
What can we expect from season 7?
“We’ve only just begun to see Mel and Jack function as a married couple, which is exciting,” Smith told Netflix’s Tudum ahead of the new season. Season seven, then, is essentially going to be the honeymoon phase season. But it might not be all champagne on ice and trips to the Maldives.
As the couple properly settle down on the farm, former LA girl Mel still has some adjusting to do, even after six seasons. “Mel came to Virgin River expecting the cabin to be farmhouse chic, and now she’s living in a farmhouse. What does that mean for her character?” says Smith. “She continues to be a fish out of water and [is] constantly taking herself out of her comfort zone.” All that will unfold alongside the adoption storyline that began to take shape in season six – a particularly emotional journey for Mel and Jack, given their history with fertility struggles.
And let’s not forget the rest of the cast. There’ll be mark sparks flying between Brie, Brady and Mike, crisis at the clinic as Doc Mullins’s medical license is suspended, and an investigation into the shocking disappearance of Charmaine, who was notably absent from Mel and Jack’s wedding. Who ever said small town life was dull?
