This story contains light spoilers from Virgin River season 5.
Get ready, Virgin River fans. There are exciting developments on the horizon, and you're going to want to pay attention to what was just revealed.
After five seasons on streaming (and season 6 officially on the way!), Deadline announced on February 22 that Netflix is looking to expand the Virgin River franchise with a brand-new spinoff series. While the original series follows Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her love story with Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), the outlet reported the new show will follow another set of lovers from decades earlier.
Given the success of the original Virgin River series, it wouldn't be a surprise if Netflix did decide to add one more story to the mix. While not much has been revealed about the prequel currently in development, we do have some key details:
What is the Virgin River prequel series about?
Entertainment Tonight confirmed the Virgin River prequel will explore the origin story of Mel's biological parents, Sarah and Everett. According to Deadline, the potential spinoff is being written in the development stage by Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who joined the series after season 4.
Although it's not certain what the show may be about, fans may remember Mel's sister discovered letters between Sarah and a man living in Virgin River. Believing the unnamed man to be her biological dad, Mel searched for and eventually found Everett. He initially denied paternity, but came back and owned up to it at the end of the most recent episode, asking to be a part of his daughter's life. Just before the credits, Everett revealed that he had something else important to share with Mel — ending the season on a huge cliffhanger.
While fans don't yet know much about Everett's background, Patrick revealed to Deadline that the show plans to flesh out the character's story in the upcoming season. "What we're exploring more in Season 6 is who Everett Reid is, what his backstory is, what his connection to Virgin River was when he met her mom and then also what it is today," the showrunner shared with the outlet.
Who will be in the cast of the Virgin River prequel series?
It's official — we now know who will be playing younger versions of Sarah and Emmett!
In an announcement made by Deadline on September 23, fans learned Callum Kerr and Jessica Rothe would portray the star-crossed couple in the early days of their relationship. What's more, Callum confirmed the news and revealed folks will see him on screen earlier than they would think.
"Been keeping this one hush for a while," he wrote alongside a screenshot of the Deadline article on Instagram. "Over the moon to announce that I'll be joining the Virgin River universe exclusively on Netflix. Working alongside @jessica_rothe - the characters are introduced in Season 6 of the show - and in the meantime, Netflix are developing a potential spinoff series for said characters. Exciting times indeed!!"
Upon learning this incredible Virgin River casting news, folks were elated to see how this would come to fruition on the TV franchise.
"Sooo happy to hear this finally 👏🥰," one person exclaimed in the comments. "One of my fav shows just got better! Congrats Cal 🕺🏼✨," another wrote. "Oh Wow! Amazing, Congrats!! 🙌 xx," a different follower added.
While it's unclear if the Virgin River prequel is green lit, these actors could potentially return to star in their own story. It's also possible fans will see the older version of Mel's dad (played by John Allen Nelson), who first appeared in the final episodes of season 5 part 2.
How can I watch and stream the Virgin River prequel series?
If a Virgin River prequel series does come to fruition, it's highly likely it will air on Netflix alongside its predecessor show.
Should the time come for episodes to air, fans should make sure they have an account set up before watching the Virgin River prequel series. Luckily, Netflix offers a number of plans to choose from starting at $6.99 per month. Once you're ready, head on over to the Netflix website or the Netflix app.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
