'Virgin River' Season 5 Expected Release Date: What We Know So Far

Virgin River has only recently dropped its highly-anticipated fourth season but viewers are already desperate for it to return for Season 5.

The Netflix series stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, a nurse practitioner who, in the first season, moved to Virgin River from Los Angeles following the death of her husband.

Since her arrival in the small town, Mel has learned that what she thought was a quiet, idyllic location to settle down is actually a place that holds its fair share of secrets.

Throughout the first four installments there has been romance, friendship, drama and danger, and after they were left with a number of cliffhangers at the end of Season 4, fans are keen for the show to return with answers.

So, when can fans expect Virgin River to return to Netflix? What will happen to Mel and Jack following the big baby reveal at the end of Season 4? Newsweek has everything you need to know about Virgin River Season 5.

What Is Virgin River Season 5's Release Date?

Netflix is yet to officially announce a return date for Virgin River but Seasons 3 and 4 were both released in the summer. Season 3 landed on Netflix in July 2021, with Season 4 following in July 2022, so the streaming platform may follow a similar pattern and release new episodes in July 2023.

Newsweek has contacted Netflix for comment.

Martin Henderson, who plays Mel's love interest Jack Sheridan, recently confirmed to Glamour that filming for Season 5 has begun. The actor, 47, told the publication that "season five's great, by the way. It's the best season yet."

Filming for the show takes place in California and Vancouver, Canada.

What Will Happen in Virgin River Season 5?

At the end of Season 4 there was a lot going on in the town of Virgin River.

Throughout the episodes there had been a huge question mark over the father of Mel's unborn baby. Her pregnancy was revealed at the end of Season 3 and although she was in a relationship with Jack when the third season ended, they had been broken up in previous episodes which saw Mel travel to L.A. to a fertility clinic where the embryos she and her late husband Mark (Daniel Gillies) had frozen were being held. Mel was therefore in the dark about whether Jack or Mark was the father of the baby.

After making fans wait until the Season 4 finale to learn the truth, the show finally confirmed that Jack is indeed the father of Mel's baby, a little girl. Jack also proposed to Mel, which he had originally planned to do last season but was interrupted by Mel's pregnancy bombshell, and she said yes.

Fans can expect Season 5 to show Mel and Jack navigating their way through parenthood—and maybe even juggling wedding planning at the same time?

Meanwhile, Jack's ex Charmaine Roberts (Lauren Hammersley) was expecting twins and had told Jack that he was the father. During the dramatic delivery at the end of Season 4, however, she revealed that he was not in fact the father of her babies.

Mel actress Breckenridge has revealed how she thinks this twist will impact Jack's storyline for Season 5. She told TV Line: "Being betrayed on such a massive scale has to come with anger and hurt. He invested himself emotionally and mentally and financially in having these babies. He was really committed. It's going to be hard, I think, for Jack to let that go."

Elsewhere in Virgin River Season 4, Doc's mysterious grandson Denny was confirmed to be suffering from Huntington's disease after he was seen rifling through his grandfather's medical cabinet and struggling with memory. Currently there is no cure for Huntington's disease but no doubt Season 5 will see Doc helping his grandson with his illness.

The first four seasons of Virgin River are available to stream on Netflix.