Netflix viewers quickly fell in love with Virgin River when it debuted on the streaming service in December 2019. Adapted from the Virgin River novels by author Robyn Carr, the romantic drama stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner from Los Angeles who moves to a beautiful but remote Northern California town following a series of traumatic heartbreaks.
The Netflix original series, which has a Hallmark feel to it, was renewed for a second season before the first season even aired — filming took place in Canada in the fall of 2019 — though the announcement for Season 2 wasn’t made until after the series had debuted. Rumors have already started to swirl about Season 3, too. But what can we expect from Season 2? Here’s everything we know about the upcoming season so far, including when it will debut.
When will Virgin River Season 2 be on Netflix?
Fans of Virgin River have been (not-so-) patiently waiting for almost a year to find out the release date for the second season of the romantic drama. Netflix announced in mid October that Season 2 of Virgin River will debut Friday, Nov. 27, right in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend. It will consist of 10 episodes.
What happened in Virgin River Season 1?
The first season saw Mel attempt to start over in Virgin River after losing both her husband and her child. And after a series of setbacks related to the aging Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson) refusing her help despite her medical expertise, it seemed as if Mel was finally making steps toward putting the past behind her and moving on. One of those steps included a new relationship with Jack (Martin Henderson), the local bar owner and a veteran silently suffering from PTSD, but after learning that Jack’s ex-girlfriend, Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), was pregnant with his child, Mel questioned their future together and revealed to him that she could not have children. At the end of Season 1 of the Netflix series, after telling Jack they could be friends, Mel secretly called her sister (Jenny Cooper) and told her she was coming home to Los Angeles.
But while things weren’t going so well for Mel and Jack in the romance department, the same cannot be said for Hope (Annette O’Toole) and Doc, who finally had a long talk about their relationship. They kissed and made up and even decided to give their marriage another try.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well for Paige (Lexa Doig), who came clean to Preacher (Colin Lawrence) about her ex-husband having been abusive toward her and their son. Apparently, when she left him, he told the court she was unfit to parent, and he was awarded full custody of their child, so Paige technically kidnapped her son and settled in Virgin River. However, at the end of Season 1, her ex arrived in town, and when Preacher went to check on Paige, he found an empty house with blood on the floor.
What will happen in Virgin River Season 2?
It’s highly unlikely that Mel leaves the small town for long — the show is literally titled Virgin River! — so it will be interesting to see where the romantic drama goes in the upcoming season, and whether Mel will ever be able to come to terms with herself and her past so she can fully move on with Jack. According to Netflix’s description for the new season, fans can expect an engagement, babies, heartbreak, and murder. “For a small town, Virgin River has its fair share of drama — and Mel Monroe is often in the middle of it,” says Netflix.
Meanwhile, a few Marines who served with Jack, Preacher, and Brady will be stopping by Virgin River in Season 2.
Who will star in Virgin River season 2?
In addition to Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Colin Lawrence, Lauren Hammersley, and Jenny Cooper, the cast of Virgin River Season 2 also includes Grayson Gurnsey as Ricky and Ben Hollingsworth as Brady. But you can expect to see several new faces in the show’s second season. Marco Grazzini has joined the drama series as Mike Valenzuela, according to the series’ official Instagram, and he’ll bring “hotness” to the small town. Meanwhile, Melinda Dahl has joined the show as Mel’s sister-in-law Staci.
Other new additions to the cast include Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie; Carmel Amit as Jamie; Keith MacKechnie as Nick, Jo Ellen’s husband; Donald Heng as George; Steve Bacic as Wes; Lane Edwards as Sheriff Duncan; and Thomas Nicholson as Leo Cavanagh.
Is there a trailer for Virgin River Season 2?
There is not a trailer for Season 2 yet, but we’ll post one as soon as there is!
What are shows like Virgin River?
There are a number of shows like Virgin River, and a few of them are even available to stream right on Netflix. We’ve put together a list of shows Virgin River fans will enjoy. It includes other Hallmark-y series, shows that mix medical drama with romance, and other shows based on romance novels.
Virgin River Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.