Virgin River Season 4 - What We Know So Far

Move over, Lifetime, because Netflix just might have you beat in the "heartwarming-yet-exciting-hometown-drama" department, thanks to "Virgin River." Based on the book series of the same name penned by Robyn Carr and created by Sue Tenney ("7th Heaven," "Cedar Cove"), "Virgin River" follows Melinda "Mel" Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who makes the impulsive decision to take a job in the small northern California town of Virgin River after suffering a tragic loss. The first season of "Virgin River" saw Mel adjusting to her new life and finding a way to fit in with the locals. In Season 2, fans watched as Mel grew closer to Jack (Martin Henderson), a Marine veteran turned restaurant owner who is split between his attraction to Mel and his responsibilities to a former flame he knocked up. Season 3 sees Mel and Jack navigating their relationship, having made it through hard times together but realizing there's even bigger relationship obstacles on the way. While "Virgin River" puts a good deal of focus on Mel and Jack, it's also interested in the complicated lives of various residents. From dealing with the trials of young love, to covering up an accidental murder, to evading the clutches of a local organized crime ring, to weathering the perils of idle gossip and beyond, there's more intrigue than meets the eye when it comes to this Netflix show.

"Virgin River" released its third season on July 9 and has yet to be renewed. However, it's very clear that the team behind the engrossing Netflix drama are interested in continuing the story for another season. Here's what we can expect from "Virgin River" Season 4 — if Netflix ends up renewing the stirring small town drama. 

With no official Season 4 renewal from Netflix, there is no release date for "Virgin River" Season 4. But, a renewal could be coming very soon. Historically, Netflix has been fairly quick to renew "Virgin River," with the big news dropping in the weeks following the premiere of a new season. In fact, this was exactly the case with Season 3. Following the Season 2 premiere in late November 2020, "Virgin River" star Alexandra Breckenridge hopped on Instagram in mid-December to announced the melodrama had been renewed for another season. The turnaround time between news of a renewal and the release of Season 3 in early July was quite short for a TV show, too. 

This precedent should give "Virgin River" fans a reason to hope for a Season 4 renewal. It's very likely Netflix will announce their decision in the next month or two, and they could call on the show's cast to announce it, so keep your eyes glued to social media. If the "Virgin River" Season 4 renewal is announced by the end of summer, filming could begin at the end of 2021 or early 2022, with a release date as early as Spring 2022 or — more likely — Summer 2022.

Fans of "Virgin River" can expect to see many of the key cast members return for Season 4. We can definitely expect Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson to return as Mel and Jack, the central couple and main protagonists of the series. Additional sure bets when it comes to returning cast are Tim Matheson as Doc, Colin Lawrence as Jack's Marines buddy Preacher, Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dan, Zibby Allen as Jack's sister Brie, Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey as Ricky, Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine, Sarah Dugale as Lizzie, Teryl Rothery as Muriel, Nicola Cavendish as Connie, Marco Grazzini as Jack's private investigator Mike, and Chase Petriw as Christopher. Every one of these actors is involved in a storyline that fans will likely see resume if Season 4 ends up happening.

Perhaps the one cast member whose return seems to be hanging in the balance is Annette O'Toole's. On the show, O'Toole plays Hope, the mayor of Virgin River and busybody best friend of everyone in town. For much of Season 3, O'Toole was offscreen purely due to logistic complications from the pandemic, per "Virgin River" creator Sue Tenney (via TV Line). With O'Toole's absence, it was written into the season that Hope was in South Carolina taking care of her aunt. The season finale saw Hope get into a terrible car crash, leaving her fate hanging in the balance. As such, it's possible O'Toole might not return to "Virgin River" Season 4, although no official announcement has been made.

The Season 3 finale of "Virgin River" left fans with plenty of cliffhangers to ponder between seasons. The one arc eager fans will be keen to return to is Mel and Jack, whose future is still in jeopardy. After firing on all cylinders as a couple for most of the season, Mel and Jack fell apart when Mel voiced her desire to have a baby with Jack, whose response to Mel's honesty was to break it off because he felt overwhelmed by the implications of her admission. Devastated, Mel went to a fertility doctor while on a break with Jack to explore the possibility of having a child on her own. At the end of the season, Mel and Jack began the process of reconciling and, just as Jack was about to propose, Mel revealed she was pregnant but was unsure if he was the father.

Other key plot lines we can expect to see play out in Season 4 include: if Hope will survive the complications arising from the near-fatal car crash she was in as she raced back home to Virgin River; how Preacher will locate young Christopher after Christopher's uncle possibly kidnapped him; if Dan will be able to prove his innocence to the authorities after he is framed for shooting Jack (a shocking event from the end of Season 2) by a local crime boss; and if Ricky will really leave his girlfriend, Lizzie, in Virgin River and ship off to join the Marines.

There's plenty of story to be told on "Virgin River," so we'll keep you posted with any news regarding Netflix's decision to renew it for Season 4.