Every Question About Virgin River Season 5, Answered

Virgin River just started filming season five, but new showrunner Patrick Sean Smith already knows what fans are most eager to find out. It's not the father of Charmaine's twins (but yes, there's that) or what's going to happen to Paige and Preacher (also important) or even when Mel and Jack might walk down the aisle. It's when the new season is going to premiere. 

Granted, season four has been out only for a week—but that finale calls for answers, and fast. Sorry to disappoint, but the wait continues: “I haven't heard anything,” Smith tells Glamour from the set in Vancouver. “I couldn't even speculate being the new guy.”

After four seasons under Virgin River showrunner Sue Tenney, a passing of the torch took place ahead of season five. Smith—who had previously worked with Netflix on Dolly Parton's Heartstrings anthology series and was an executive producer on Greek and Chasing Life—was brought in after Tenney moved on to other projects. 

But at a point when most other long-running shows would start to lose steam, Virgin River is only getting hotter and more popular. That success isn't lost on Smith, who was already a fan of the series led by Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson before coming on board. 

“A lot of my career has been about multigenerational character dramas and character comedies,” Smith says. “So I love that Virgin River is about people and universal experiences, emotions, romance, and cliff-hangers. When they approached me about the opportunity, I was excited for what I had seen before but also the opportunity to tell those stories with characters that I already knew and loved. I did a deep dive to get my head around everything creatively and what I was latching onto. To think that there's still so much more story to tell in these characters' lives and in this world is so comforting.”

Speaking of comforting, one thing Smith wants to make clear is that it's time to stop considering a show like Virgin River—with its dreamy setting, sweeping love story, and high-stakes drama—a guilty pleasure. “I was talking to somebody and they were like, ‘I hate to admit, but I watched the show and it just makes me feel good.’ And I said, ‘That should not be a controversial statement.’ I think sometimes we create an expectation of what a television experience should be. The fact that this can bring such comfort, and do it so successfully, is what I want to continue on within the show. I want to keep telling surprising but emotional character stories.”

There's plenty of those to go around in this picturesque small town. Nearly every character was at a crossroads in their lives when the season ended, and we already know the show will pick up almost immediately after the credits rolled in the finale. While Smith can't wait to dive in, he also has some really exciting ideas for where he wants the series to go long-term.

So no, there's not a definite season-five premiere date yet. But Smith spilled plenty of tea to hold us over until we find out. Read on for what to expect in season five.

Glamour: Season five feels like it’s being set up to tell so many exciting stories. It's not necessarily a reset, but it seems like you’re embarking on something new. What are you most excited about?

Patrick Sean Smith: Some of the storylines ran for multiple seasons and did it successfully, but I think a few of them have run their course. So we're looking at wrapping up some things but then also going back to the beginning. There were a lot of relationships that we didn't really get to explore all that much over the course of the series. I was excited about seeing Jack and Hope again because that was a relationship that I felt played so strongly, so specifically, so uniquely, and so beautifully. I want to understand how Jack and Hope know each other and what their relationship is to each other. What's their backstory? I have been looking at it with that lens of seeing the cast that we have and who haven't we seen in stories together.

I want it to feel like we're still in the world of our show, but starting new storylines with the folks that we already have. It feels like we're embarking on a new adventure and the finale and those cliff-hangers gave us a lot of opportunity. The best cliff-hangers are when the viewer doesn't know what's going to happen next, and then it's ours to chart out from there where that will take us this season and future seasons to come.

When it comes to characters or storylines that have run their course, what can you say in terms of Charmaine? Season five picks up right after the finale ended, so obviously Char is a part of that, but will the character then be gone? I feel like there's a lot more to uncover about why she went through with this lie for as long as she did.

For me, as a storyteller, characters are never gone forever. This show has proven that—like, if Wes dies, there could always be Vince waiting in the wings. People shouldn't write anybody off given what it seems like that story has accomplished, because you can always find another story to tell. 

Charmaine has a pretty significant relationship with everybody in the town outside of Mel and Jack, so there's more opportunity for that. And here's a funny anecdote: When I was hired, I wanted to start to have relationships with each cast member. We were doing it all over Zoom and taking time to get to know each other. Lauren Hammersley, who plays Charmaine, was the hardest to nail down because she lives in Nova Scotia, I think. So the time difference was crazy and she has a busy life, and I have a busy life. So as we were trying to schedule it, I was like, of course Charmaine's making it the hardest to get in touch with her! [Laughs.] But five minutes into our conversation, I fell in love with Lauren. She is such a sweet woman and a wonderful actress. So yeah, I think Charmaine has to deliver those babies. Who's to say it won't happen this season? I don't think I can send a pregnant lady off and not follow that through.

Alex explained to me that even though Virgin River just finished airing season four, only five months have really passed since Mel got to town, which is why Charmaine is still pregnant. Are you wanting to speed up the timeline in season five? Or will it stay at this pace? Because if so, Mel won’t be giving birth until season 11…

Right. [Laughs.] Part of the challenge of the show is having so many cliff-hangers, which are so effective in watching the show and having it feel like one long story. With that said, it automatically compresses your timeline because you're picking up directly into the next episode, so it does make it a challenge. I don't want to stay so restrictive in the timeline and stay in a constricted timeline. I want to expand it, but I also don't feel like I want to speed things up and jump ahead either. But I had the same reaction. I got an advanced look at what season four was before I was brought up to the show; the second I saw Charmaine, I was like, she is carrying twins, but she's not bigger. She's not closer. I feel viewers' pain and hear it and feel similarly, but I also don't want to upset things to the point of accelerating out of something where we already have so many great things happening right now.

What can you say for fans who want to see Mel and Jack get married in season five, since I doubt she’ll give birth? 

I would say folks are going to have to check in season five and see where it takes you.

It is another 12-episode season, so that is good. It gives you more time.

For sure. You could feel that a little bit in season four, having those two extra episodes compared to just the 10. We've been mindful of that as we've been arching out all the events this season.

We’ve never met Jack’s ex-wife. Is that a character you have thought of or would like to see? 

There are a lot of great Easter eggs and breadcrumbs that have been left, and we are clocking all of them thoughtfully. I would say, check out season five and see if Mandy makes an appearance.

I like that tease. Meanwhile, I want to ask you about Muriel because she's become one of my favorite characters.

Same.

I would love to see Muriel with Cameron. I think she needs a younger man who can keep up with her. What are your hopes for her character?

The same. I got to meet Teryl Rothery (Muriel) and already loved her character, and then getting to know the actress, she's such a dynamic character and such a unique woman with an interesting backstory and a fun approach to life. When things can get kind of heavy on the show, sometimes it's great to be able to go to a character like Muriel. I would say that you can expect a lot of fun, new things from Muriel this season.

I also love that, in season four, the women really had each other’s backs in a way that they didn’t have in the first three seasons. There was a lot of cattiness and gossiping going on, and maybe that was because of Lilly’s passing, but it was really nice to see this friendship deepen. What do you hope happens there?

Well, it's funny you used the word hope because what I noticed in my deep dive into it was Annette [O'Toole, who plays Hope] unfortunately wasn't available for season three, and I thought that they had to make do. When she returned to season four, she was dealing with her TBI (brain injury), which was also really heavy. I thought Annette's performance was phenomenal. So I will say in season five we kind of get Hope a little bit more back to the Hope that we knew, the Hope that we haven't had the pleasure of her company for two seasons. I think that finds its way into the relationship of the sewing circle pretty organically. 

When we did our first table read of the new season, the women of the sewing circle were there and it was like seeing the Beatles. I was like, be cool, be professional. I told them all separately, as we've gotten to work with them in this first block of scenes, that I love those relationships. Representation for women of a certain age is just not on television, and seeing their friendships and their relationships is such an opportunity that we take very, very seriously. So we have a lot of fun planned for the sewing circle.

It’s also nice to have Lizzie interact with them, as well as Lilly’s daughter, Tara. Those friendships transcend age, which is how it should be.

Yeah. You don't get to see that. Usually generations are pitted against each other, and I like that the sewing circle still presents like a fountain of wisdom as far as what they've experienced in their lives and how they support each other. That's really important.

What about Ricky, who went off to the Marines in the season-four finale? Will we see him in season five?

Come season 13, he'll be out of basic training. [Laughs.] No, we are locked in a little bit to the timeline and it has been established onscreen that he would return in December at the soonest. We're exploring those possibilities now and looking as everything is arching out. I know he is a fan favorite. I was a fan of his as well; I really liked his relationship with Jack and that sort of mentor dynamic. I thought was interesting. Seeing where he is on the other side of his experience in the military thus far is also something worth catching up on.

Should we take Denny at his word that he has Huntington’s disease, which is very serious and, sadly, terminal? 

Yeah. I don't think there's any backpedaling from that. It's very real. I ran a show called Chasing Life that was on ABC Family for a few seasons and it was about a young woman dealing with leukemia. And I think what we found in that is something akin to what I want to find for Denny that is very respectful to the community and the people that are going through it. Finding light in it and not exploiting the experience just for the sake of making it dramatic or sad is really important to me. 

Speaking of something also very real is the way sexual assault and women’s health care has been portrayed on the show. Brie was raped, which resulted in a pregnancy, and then she miscarried. Mel previously gave birth to a stillborn baby. Now, as you start filming the new season, Roe has been overturned. Virgin River is an escape, but those are very real storylines that are important to see. Is that something you want to keep exploring?

Yeah, we want to continue on in that tradition as well. Tackling women's issues is a huge priority for the show. It's another unique opportunity for us and it's baked into the DNA of the show. So not only is it organic, but it's also important. Looking at Brie's story and what Mel is going through in her own experience…again, speaking to representation, we take that very seriously. We want to make sure that we're accurately portraying the experiences that women in similar situations have gone through. Especially survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, like with Paige's character. It's very much on the forefront of our minds as something that's very important in our storytelling and a part of our show that should be celebrated.

What can you say about season five so far? The most ambitious? Most romantic?

We get into things that will be new and exciting, but still very much feel like the same show, but are definitely taking a more exciting approach to some of the stories. A little bit louder, but not to the detriment of the comfort of the show. I want it to feel like season five will be next-level.

Please tell me everything about Paige’s bakery. Have you tried the desserts? Are they all real? Where do they come from?

I'm still the new kid on the show, so I don't want to be the showrunner standing at the bakery truck, eating the props. I would fire me. [Laughs.] I will have to report back to you. We'll have to talk again.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the upcoming book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series (October 11, 2022). You can follow her on Instagram @jessicaradloff14.