Virgin River season 5 release updates, cast, and everything we know so far

It sounds like we’re getting a lot closer to the Virgin River season 5 release date!

If you’re a diehard fan of Virgin River, you’re in luck. The hit Netflix original series has become so popular that we are already thinking ahead to Virgin River season 5. The fourth season arrived in July 2022, and now fans are looking forward to the next set of episodes.

Thankfully, a fifth season of the fan-favorite comfort show will hit our watch lists sometime soon, since Netflix officially gave the green light to a fifth season of Virgin River when they renewed the show for season 4. (Fingers crossed for even more!)

The series, which is based on the series of novels by Robyn Carr, centers on nurse practitioner and midwife Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) as she relocates in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River and assimilates into the close-knit community.

What could happen in season 5? First, we need to find out who shot Jack before we can start making predictions for the fifth season. For now, let’s look at all the details we do have for season 5, including its episode count, cast, filming date, and predicted release date.

We originally published this story after Virgin River season 4. FanSided Entertainment’s Reed Gaudens, Natalie Zamora, and Bryce Olin contributed to the report. The latest update was on May 5, 2023. 

Virgin River season 5 latest news

We shared the latest news about Virgin River season 5 below!

• Alexandra Breckenridge, who stars as Mel in the Netflix original series, shared a pic on Instagram and teased the new season isn’t out “just yet.” Some fans believe Breckenridge is hinting the season is coming soon.
• Earlier this year, Breckenridge confirmed that it looked like the season 5 release date would be in July 2023 on Cameo.
• The WGA is on strike as of May 2023, but it’s unlikely to affect Virgin River season 5. Future seasons of the series could be affected, though.
• Virgin River season 5 will be 12 episodes, two more episodes than the first four seasons of the show

Virgin River season 5 is happening

As Netflix announced on Sept. 20, 2021, there will in fact be a fifth season of Virgin River. The streamer handed out a two-season renewal for the hit original romantic drama series, ensuring that it will come back for at least season 4 and season 5.

Virgin River season 5 episode count

Previous seasons of Virgin River have contained 10 episodes each, but that’s all changing with the new season. As we’ve confirmed, Virgin River season 4 has a whopping 12 episodes, and the same can be said for season 5!

What’s On Netflix reports that Virgin River season 5 will include 12 episodes.

If Virgin River season 5 ends up being the final season of the series, which hasn’t been confirmed yet (a.k.a. don’t worry!), there’s always a chance that the season could be split into two halves like Ozark and Manifest.

For now, bet on season 5 having 12 episodes, and keep your fingers crossed that there’s even more Virgin River to come after those episodes.

Virgin River season 5 wrapped filming in November 2022

Great news! On Nov. 21, the official Virgin River Instagram account announced that season 5 had wrapped filming. The announcement arrived with a video of the cast dancing and celebrating to the tune of “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge.

Even though filming on the fifth season has wrapped, the work on the new season isn’t completed just yet. The episodes will now go into post-production for up to six months. That includes editing, sound mixing, ADR, and all the behind-the-scenes magic that makes the episodes ready for fans to binge-watch.

Production on Virgin River season 5 officially began in July 2022. The show’s Instagram account shared a screenshot of a virtual table read with the cast, declaring that season 5 is underway. They also announced there is a new showrunner for the series with season 5, introducing fans to Patrick Sean Smith, who has previously worked on shows like Greek, Supernatural, and Chasing Life.

See the exciting post below which was shared on July 18, 2022.

Alexandra Breckenridge had shared the update in Jan. 2022 that filming for season 5 was delayed from its planned March start date, but fortunately, now we know the cast and crew are good to go.

Virgin River season 5 cast

Although Virgin River season 4 is not out just yet, we already have a pretty good idea of the cast for Virgin River season 5. And that’s because we got to see that snapshot of the table read above! Based on the photo, we can expect the following cast members to return for season 5:

• Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe
• Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan
• Annette O’Toole as Hope McCrea
• Tim Matheson as Dr. Vernon Mullins
• Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan Brady
• Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan
• Gwynyth Walsh as Jo Ellen
• Colin Lawrence as  John ‘Preacher’ Middleton
• Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie
• Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes
• Nicola Cavendish as Connie
• Chase Petriw as Christopher
• Kai Bradbury as Denny Cutler
• Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela

We’re excited to see what new cast members might be added to Virgin River season 5. According to What’s on Netflix, the following actors will be featured in the fifth season: Susan Hogan, Elise Gatien, Kandyse McClure, and Paolo Maiolo.

Has Netflix announced the Virgin River season 5 release date?

As of May 2023, the Virgin River season 5 release date hasn’t been announced. Virgin River season 4 premiered Wednesday, July 20, and filming on the new season wrapped in November 2022, so it makes sense we don’t have a release date for the next installment yet. But of course, we can make an educated guess.

In February 2023, Alexandra Breckenridge shared in a Cameo video to a fan that she expects season 5 to be released in “maybe July again.” She noted that she hasn’t been given on update on the when the season will be released. Also, in the same month, the official Virgin River Instagram account reshared photos of Sarah Dugdale and Zibby Allen completing ADR for the new season, which is typically one of the final steps in getting the episodes ready for release.

Then, in May 2023, Breckenridge posted a pic on Instagram with the caption: “Flashback to VR season 5. No you didn’t miss anything. It’s not out just yet….”

It looks like fans were duped and thought Breckenridge was alluding Virgin River season 5 being on Netflix, but it has not been released yet. Unfortunately, we’re probably still a few months away from the release date.

Since premiering in December 2019, Virgin River has aired one season per year. Being so, we shouldn’t anticipate season 5 to release much before mid-2023. Considering that production has ended, another July release date could be very likely, as noted by Breckenridge. At this time, What’s On Netflix predicts we could see Virgin River season 5 by summer 2023, and we have to agree!

Virgin River season 3 debuted in July as well as season 4, so a July release for season 5 would make sense. But of course, anything could change and the season could be released before or after July depending on the status of post-production.

If Virgin River season 5 is coming in July 2023, we’ll likely find out in the next few weeks. Netflix announced the season 4 release date in mid-May 2022.

Release Prediction: July 2023

What could happen next in Virgin River season 5?

Based on where the Virgin River season 4 finale left off, the fifth season could go in a number of directions. Charmaine’s revelation, that Jack isn’t the father of her twins after all, will surely send shockwaves through town. Hopefully, we will find out who fathered her twins and get to see her finally give birth after waiting for such a long time.

Elsewhere, Mel and Jack will continue to savor their engagement, as it’s been hinted at by the new showrunner that the couple won’t be rushing down the aisle in season 5 — even with their baby girl on the way. It’s unlikely that Mel will give birth in the upcoming season, though you never know what could happen in Virgin River. We’ll have to wait and see!

The fifth season could also further the relationships between Brady and Brie, Lizzie and Denny, and Preacher and Julia, though again, we’ll have to see what the future holds for these couples. There’s also the mounting tension bubbling to the surface with Jack’s upcoming business plan. It’s bound to be a sticky situation for the father-to-be in season 5.

Is Virgin River season 6 happening?

As luck would have it, Virgin River season 6 could very well be in the future! Recently, series star Alexandra Breckenridge opened up to fans about being hopeful for a sixth season renewal. She told fans of the series that she’s keeping her fingers crossed that Netflix will renew the fan-favorite for season 6.

The chances of Virgin River season 6 happening are incredibly high, as it’s a popular series that performs well for the streamer. We could see the series becoming one of Netflix’s longest-running original series, though nothing has been announced just yet. Expect more news on the show’s future closer to the release of the fifth season this summer.

We’ll make sure to keep you informed on all Virgin River news and updates.

FanSided Staff contributed to this report.