After over a year of the huge cliffhanger ending to Virgin River Season 5, the countdown to the next season is officially on. However, Netflix has wasted no time making its stance on the show’s future after season 6.
Less than a week ago, Netflix dropped a double delight for Virgin River fans, revealing the official release date for Season 6 and teasing some tantalizing plot points. For those who haven’t scribbled it on their calendars, circle Dec. 19—because that’s when the drama picks up again. But as if that wasn’t enough to send Mel and Jack shippers into a frenzy, Netflix had another ace up its sleeve.
Before fans could fully absorb the news, What’s on Netflix announced via X on the morning of Oct. 23 that the cozy drama has already been renewed for a seventh season—well ahead of Season 6’s release. With this renewal, Virgin River joins the ranks of Orange Is the New Black and Grace & Frankie as one of Netflix’s longest-running scripted shows. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! And for that, we owe a nod of gratitude to Netflix’s head of scripted drama, Jinny Howe, for keeping his promise.
Back in a 2022 interview with Deadline, Howe assured fans that as long as viewers keep tuning in, “you can rest assured that there will be more Virgin River.” Virgin River might also potentially make history if it receives another renewal, since the Spanish series Elite is the only Netflix Original scripted title to reach season 8. Given that Virgin River has had a track record of early renewals, with filming often sneaking in before the news even drops, we only have to wait till late 2025 to find out!
Coming back to reality, the details surrounding Virgin River Season 7 are still mostly under wraps. However, What’s on Netflix has confirmed that Patrick Sean Smith will return to the showrunner chair, with most of the writing team rejoining him. As for the scenic backdrop, the show will again call British Columbia home, with new filming locations in Vancouver, New Westminster, Squamish, Maple Ridge, Burnaby, and Langley. But don’t hold your breath — production isn’t slated to begin until early 2025.
For now, season 6 is the focal point for fans. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith recently slipped some inside info about the upcoming season to fuel the excitement, promising that Season 6 will “hit all the milestones” of the lead-up to Mel and Jack’s big day, from bachelor and bachelorette parties to the rehearsal dinner (via Tudum). And all this will happen “deeper into springtime,” a few months after Season 5’s Christmas-themed episodes.
Without spoiling much, Smith hinted at some “new directions” for our favorite characters like Preacher, Brady, and Kaia. “Brady will be volunteering at the Virgin River fire station under Fire Chief Kaia, who is pulled into Preacher’s past sins,” Smith said while teasing that “we’ll be surprised by some returning favorites from the past” (via Tudum).
So, rewatch Virgin River seasons 1-5 before season 6 hits Netflix screens on Dec. 19, because season 7 is already on the line too.
