Five Things We Want To See In ‘Virgin River’ Season 6
Preparations for the filming of Season 6 of Virgin River have already begun, and filming is scheduled to take place from February 2 to May 17, 2024, as announced a few weeks ago.
In case you are interested, we collaborated with our friends at What’s On Netflix and shared our top five predictions for Season 6.
Today’s post focuses on our personal wish list for the upcoming season.
Episode count and cast
Before we list our hopes for season 6, we want to highlight a few aspects.
As we exclusively reported in our interview with Ildiko Susany back in November 2023, the season 6 episode order was reduced to 10 episodes. Seasons 4 and 5 were increased from 10 to 12 episodes.
Thanks to the show being in its fifth season and to the bigger episode order in the previous years, we ended season 5 with 12 series regulars: Breckenridge, Henderson, Lawrence, Hollingsworth, Dugdale, Allen, Grazzini, Ghanimé, Bradbury, McClure, O’Toole, and Matheson.
Season 6 will center on Mel and Jack
Fans and viewers had given negative feedback about Henderson and Breckenridge not having enough screen time in season 5, part 1, compared to previous seasons, and the lack of romance.
In our reviews of parts 1 and 2, we didn’t enjoy this aspect either.
After the writer’s strike ended, the writers went back and made some changes and adjustments to the storyline to address this issue. In our reviews, we didn’t enjoy this aspect either.
A prominent storyline for Mel and Jack in season 6 was confirmed by executive producer Patrick Sean Smith in numerous interviews promoting season 5 part 2. Henderson confirmed season 6 would be centralized on Mel and Jack during his interviews promoting season 6.
Too many series regulars?
It’s a bit worrisome that a 10-episode show has 12 series regulars, considering it’s not an ensemble series. We know, by now, that such a format doesn’t work well for this specific show. Other storylines may suffer with less runtime in season 6 and the focus shifting back to Mel and Jack.
Although cast exits are unlikely at the beginning of the series, some regulars may become recurring for season 6.
Smith confirmed a time jump at the beginning of season 6. Initially, we estimate between 5 to 7 months.
While Smith didn’t mention the exact duration, during the interviews promoting season 5 part 2, it was expected to be similar to the time between the end of production of season 5 in November 2022 and the initial filming date (before the strikes) scheduled for July 2023.
He also confirmed that Lizzie will be “pretty pregnant” at the beginning of season 6 to support this theory. During the Christmas episodes, viewers will remember Doc telling Mel that Lizzie is due the following spring.
As the show is set to begin filming in early February, it is unclear if the anticipated time jump will be shorter than expected. It is highly likely that snow will be present in British Columbia during the months of February and March.
Five things we want to see in Virgin River Season 6
1- A proper farewell to the cabin
Season 6 of the show is expected to begin with Mel and Jack still living at the cabin, either already settled in or preparing to move into their new home. Breckenridge has hinted that the wedding will likely take place in the new property. We hope that the wedding will occur in the middle of the season, rather than towards the end, so we can get a glimpse into the lives of the newlywed.
We hope the cabin will receive a proper send-off, with some flashbacks of the most beautiful and meaningful moments for the couple. Mel’s cabin is a central element of Mel and Jack’s love story. It was Jack’s first beautiful love gesture for Mel, where they shared their first kiss. The cabin has become a must-see location for fans visiting the series. Even though we know it’s owned by Hope, we still hope that no other character or couple will live in it. The cabin for us will always belong to Mel and Jack.
2- Starting a family
The most heartbreaking moment of season 5 was when Mel and Jack lost their baby girl.
The couple’s determination to start a family remains undeterred, and they have decided to pursue adoption as a means to achieve their goal.
While some viewers may have found the storylines in season 5 difficult to watch, especially after season 4 ended, we appreciate how the show handled Mel and Jack’s storyline. It is rare for feel-good and escapism shows to feature plotlines about child loss and adoption.
As such, we hope that in the second half of season 6, they will revisit Mel and Jack’s family aspirations and perhaps consider adopting or fostering a child or even siblings. We admire the show’s progressive stance, and we hope that they will continue to push boundaries by opting for an older child rather than an infant, who is statistically the most commonly adopted age group.
3- Mel with a short haircut
Breckenridge has been sporting a beautiful bob haircut lately. She has expressed her desire to keep it while filming season 6. However, the showrunner, Smith, wants the lead actress to have long hair. If some fan accounts start a petition, we will sign it. Jokes aside, we see no reason why Mel couldn’t have a haircut.
Firstly, a haircut would be a more effective indicator of a time jump. Secondly, it is a natural action for any woman to take.
Do we really need to perpetuate the idea of the leading lady with long, perfectly curled hair in 2023? Is it even realistic for our nurse practitioner?
If the problem is the wedding hairstyle, we recommend checking out Pinterest for inspiration. There are plenty of stunning options available.
4- It’s time to say goodbye to Charmaine
We don’t have anything against Lauren Hammersley; However, it’s time to say goodbye to Charmaine.
As the regular cast members will likely receive less screen time, Charmaine, who is only a recurring character, has completed her story arc on the show. Mel and Jack forgive her rather quickly in season 5, but this character has been quite a nightmare for the previous four seasons.
Our hope is that Mel and Jack will assist her against Calvin, and she will decide to begin a new life elsewhere with her twins.
5- More Preacher and Kaia
If we have to pick a couple for an interesting storyline in season 6 after Mel and Jack, we will go with Preacher and Kaia. We are starting to feel a little tired and annoyed with the love triangle turning into a love square involving Brie, Mike, Brady, and Lark.
Preacher and Kaia have a fascinating dynamic, showing a lot of potential, and we grew very fond of the new Virgin River Fire Chief.
It would be great to see a few scenes featuring Mel, Jack, Preacher, and Kaia together. The friendship between Preacher and Jack and the on-screen chemistry between Henderson and Lawrence are unparalleled and truly enjoyable to watch.
