Virgin River is the romantic drama that has taken the world by storm. Available only on Netflix, we have binged four seasons of Mel, Jack and all of the other residents of the small mountain town and we are more than ready for a fifth!
But what exactly is going on with season 5 of Virgin River? And when will it be on Netflix?
VIRGIN RIVER SEASON 5
There is no disputing that Virgin River really eeks out a storyline. It has taken four seasons for Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan to maybe-but-not-fully-but-eventually start dating. Every single time it looked like they might get together something radical happened.
Usually, that involves Charmaine, who seems to have been pregnant longer than any other woman in the history of the world.
In fact, for those of you who didn't catch it, despite getting pregnant in season 1, Jack referred to her as being ‘about' five months pregnant at the end of season 4!! Seriously, how slowly does the time go in Virgin River????
The storylines seem to go on forever because even though the show has been airing since 2019, the actual Virgin River timeline is only a few months – barely a year. So of course, in that context, it is more difficult for Mel to move on from the death of her husband.
The hope is that Virgin River season 5 can move things along, but considering how season 4 ended, we could be in for another bumpy ride.
VIRGIN RIVER SEASON 5 RELEASE DATE ON NETFLIX
So by now, we all know that Virgin River has officially been renewed for a fifth season.
We also know that filming takes place in the Summer, wraps up around December and then hits our screens seven months later.
And that is exactly the plan for Season 5 of Virgin River. Filming for the fifth season began on July 18th 2022 and concluded on November 21st, 2022.
Rumours are now suggesting we will likely get the new episodes in September of 2023.
To sweeten fans who are getting very impatient, Netflix has also made another announcement. Virgin River has been renewed for a SIXTH season.
Don't worry, Charmaine will still be pregnant!
VIRGIN RIVER SEASON GUIDE
So far Netflix has delivered 42 episodes of Virgin River over four seasons. The first season introduced us to nurse Mel, as she moved from the city to a small mountain town in California following the death of her husband in a car crash.
Settling into her new life, she met Jack and the potential for a blossoming romance was on the cards. However, Jack still had an on-again-off-again relationship with Charmaine and that complicated things, a lot.
Because no sooner had Jack ended things with Charmaine she dropped the bombshell that she was pregnant. Oh dear!
Season 2 of Virgin River saw Mel say goodbye to her dead husband as she decided to move on with her life. Sadly, that did not include a relationship with Jack who had to settle for just being friends. After all, he does have a pregnant ex waiting in the wings!
Of course, there are other storylines, like Paige accidentally killing her abusive ex and getting Preacher to help her cover it up.
Plus there's the whole criminal side of Calvin and Brady running drugs out of the local logging company and a lot of other mini-stories about the townsfolk of Virgin River.
And that brings us to Virgin River Season 3, which is more about Jack than any of the other characters. Charmaine has a new boyfriend, a very unlikeable guy who plans to cut Jack out of the babies' lives.
Then his house burns down plus his sister Brie is in town but she then hooks up with his arch enemy Brady…
And if all of that wasn't enough to challenge the guy, his great love Mel, returns back to the city, and makes a spur of the moment decision to follow up on her remaining embryos from her IVF journey with Mark (the dead husband).
And then comes the shocker. Mel is pregnant! But who's the baby daddy??? Jack or Mark?
Season 4 rightly focused on a pregnant Mel and the complicated relationship with Charmaine dealing with her pregnancy. But there were other storylines.
Jack developed a bit of a drinking problem as he refused to deal with his problems. Mel's sister Joey randomly got married. Ricky headed off to join the Marines.
Doc Mullins' grandson (who he didn't know he had) showed up. Preacher finally tracked down Paige just as he was getting into a new relationship. And Hope had to deal with a TBI after her car accident in season 3.
And they all still have threads that need to be worked out so hopefully we will see some conclusions in Season 5 of Virgin River.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN MEL AND JACK IN SEASON 5?
So season 3 ended with the shock announcement that Mel was pregnant. But is it Jack's baby?
In season 4, they went back and forth on whether or not they should do a DNA test with Jack reluctant as he didn't want it to influence how he felt about the baby.
However, blindsided by a potential lawsuit from Mel's mother-in-law regarding the embryos forced them into action.
The good news was that Jack is the father, and a little girl is in their future.
But of course, it wouldn't be Virgin River without an epic bombshell of a cliffhanger. This time it came courtesy of Charmaine.
In a moment of panic, she confessed that Jack, despite all the trouble she has put him through over four seasons, is NOT the father of the twins. Mind. Blown.
It will, of course, get our full attention in Season 5, but it does clear the path for Jack & Mel. They can now sail off into the sunset with the new baby, free of Charmaine.
SEASON 1 EPISODE TITLES
- Carry On
- Lost
- …And Found
- A Wounded Heart
- Under Fire
- Let's Mingle
- If Truth Be Told
- Into The Light
- Everybody Has a Secret
- Unexpected Endings
SEASON 2 EPISODE TITLES
The second season premiered on November 27, 2020 and concluded with a total of 10 episodes.
- New Beginnings
- Taken By Surprise
- The Morning After
- Rumor Has It
- Can't Let Go
- Out Of The Past
- Breaking Point
- Blind Spots
- Hazards Ahead
- Blown Away
SEASON 3 EPISODE TITLES
Season 3 has been a huge hit for Netflix. So much so that in September 2021, the series was renewed for not just a fourth but a fifth season as well.
- Where There's Smoke…
- Sticky Feet
- Spare Parts and Broken Hearts
- Take My Breath Away
- Kindling
- Jack and Jill
- Split
- Life and Death
- The Sun Also Rises
- A Wedding, No Funeral and a Baby
SEASON 4 EPISODE TITLES
Season 4 has been another huge hit for Netflix hitting the number 1 spot around the world. With 12 episodes (up from the usual 10), the fourth season premiered on July 20, 2022.
- Be My Baby
- Father Knows Best
- Grilled
- Serious As A…
- Mayday
- All's Faire
- Otherwise Engaged
- Talk To Me
- Bombshells
- Fire And Rain
- Once Again
- The Long Goodbye
HOW MANY VIRGIN RIVER SEASONS WILL THERE BE?
For now, we know that there is definitely going to be SIX seasons of Virgin River.
Based on the Robyn Carr novels and considering how hugely successful it has been for Netflix, we could get more but for now we will have to settle for six being confirmed.
VIRGIN RIVER CAST
- Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda “Mel” Monroe
- Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
- Colin Lawrence as John “Preacher” Middleton, a close Marine friend of Jack
- Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes, Melinda's older sister who lives in Los Angeles
- Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts, Jack's ex-girlfriend
- Annette O'Toole as Hope McCrea, the mayor of Virgin River
- Tim Matheson as Vernon “Doc” Mullins
- Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady, a fellow veteran who served in the Marines with Jack
- Grayson Gurnsey as Ricky, a young man who works at Jack's Bar
- Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, Connie's niece who is from Los Angeles
- Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan, Jack's sister
- Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela, a Marines friend of Jack's who works as a police detective
WHERE IS VIRGIN RIVER FILMED?
Like so many tv shows, Virgin River is filmed in Canada, specifically in Vancouver, British Columbia.
While it would be amazing to think that Virgin River actually existed somewhere, the reality is the show is filmed in a lot of different locations that all come together to look like one idyllic town.
The community of Virgin River is actually Snug Cove on Bowen Island and The Watershed Grill, in Brackendale, is where Jack's Grill is filmed. Scenes involving Mel and Jack near the river were filmed in Squamish.
The waterfalls in the show are from Shannon Falls Provincial Park. The cabin in the series is the caretaker’s house in Murdo Frazer Park, in North Vancouver and Doc Mullins' practice is a Victorian home in New Westminister.
And if after all that you are still pining for Jack & Mel, then check out our list of shows that you will love to watch while you wait for the latest episodes of Virgin River.
