Virgin River Season 4 Release Date, Plot, And Cast - What We Know So Far

Contains spoilers for Season 3 of "Virgin River"

Netflix's megahit series "Virgin River" concluded its third season on a passel of cliffhangers that left viewers gasping for resolution.

Big city transplant and midwife Melinda "Mel" Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), her boyfriend and local barkeep Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), busybody mayor Hope McCrea (Annette O'Toole), local doctor Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson), and all of the other colorful residents of the fictional Northern California hamlet definitely have a hold on the show's large fanbase. And those fans turned out in droves for the show's Season 3 ratings; according to Deadline the season drew 2.1 billion viewing minutes during its first week up on the platform in August of 2021, and that total only dropped off slightly to 1.3 billion for its second. That was enough to ensure a Season 4 and Season 5 renewal for the program at the streamer, guaranteeing devotees of the program years more of the "Virgin River" brand of soapy comfort food.

Fans of the series can expect more of the same for the upcoming fourth season of "Virgin River." There'll be drama by the yard, romance by the gallon, and twists by the mile. When can viewers expect to see the fourth season, what will it be about, and who will star in it? Here's what we know.

What's on Netflix confirmed that Season 4 of "Virgin River" will debut on the streamer on July 20, 2022. This will be a global release, so if you're not an American subscriber, don't worry — you'll get to see the show on the same day as US Netflix users.

Filming for the fourth season seems to have progressed smoothly. The program's crew shot the block of episodes over the summer and fall of 2021 in Vancouver (per What's on Netflix), and a post on the show's official Instagram revealed that shooting wrapped on December 7, 2021. Martin Henderson posted a shot of himself doing ADR for the show on his official Instagram page on January 19, 2022, and Alexandra Breckinridge confirmed in early February through her Instagram stories (archived by Hello! Magazine) that she, too, had just finished her ADR work for the season. So there shouldn't be any delays as to the new season's release, as it appears that the slate of episodes is well into the post-production process.

As for Season 5, Breckinridge told viewers during an Instagram Live session in January of 2022 that a start date for its filming is currently up in the air (via Hello! Magazine). "We were supposed to start in March, but it was pushed so... I don't know. ... It would be nice to film in Vancouver in the summer rather than the winter."  Viewers will have to hold on and wait to see what's in store.

As we hinted at the beginning of this article, "Virgin River" is rich with dangling Season 3 plot threads that yearn for a resolution in Season 4.

When we last left our Riverites, Mel informed Jack that she's pregnant just seconds after they'd reconciled, curtailing his proposal and leaving them both unsure as to who fathered the child biologically. It might be Jack's baby, or it might be the result of Mel's final IVF treatment with her late husband Mark's (Daniel Gillies) sperm. Hope incurred a brain injury and is clinging to life after getting into a car accident while returning to town, and Doc is struggling to cope with the possibility of life without her. Preacher has been drugged and kidnapped by a mysterious assailant. Ricky enlisted in the military, forcing him to part with Lizzie, and Lizzie to return to her ex-boyfriend. Jack and Charmaine are set to go head-to-head over primary custody of their twins. And a suspect was finally named in Jack's shooting — Brady!

That's a lot of soapy goodness to wade through. For those worried that they might not get answers, according to the season's logline, fans can expect the paternity question to gnaw at Jack — and for Mel to be tempted by Dr. Cameron (via TV Line). As for Hope, the logline says that "the lingering psychological effects of her brain injury will have profound consequences for both her and Doc." Brie, meanwhile, will dedicate herself to proving Brady's innocence, as Preacher attempts to move on without Paige but cannot forget her.

And in two months, "Virgin River" fans will find out how that will play out.

You can expect Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge to lead the cast once more, and Annette O'Toole and Tim Matheson to return as well (per publicity photos released by Netflix for Season 4, and Instagram posts from the actors linked above).

Deadline also confirms that Grayson Gurnsey (Ricky), Sarah Dugdale (Lizzie), Lauren Hammersley (Charmaine), Ben Hollingsworth (Brady), Colin Lawrence (John "Preacher" Middleton), and Zibby Allen (Brie) will be back. This shouldn't be too shocking for fans of the show, as all of these characters have unfinished storylines leftover from Season 3. Lexa Doig (Paige) has not been confirmed by Deadline as a returning cast member, but since she has some unfinished storyline business afoot, fans are likely to see her again, too. Nicola Cavendish's Connie and Teryl Rothery's Muriel also haven't yet been confirmed as returning for the season.

In addition, two new actors will be added to the program for Season 4. As noted by Deadline, they will be Kai Bradbury and Mark Ghanimé. Fans met Bradbury's character at the end of Season 3 — he will portray Doc's grandson, Denny Cutler, who has long been estranged from his grandfather and has come to town to get to know him. Ghanimé will play the handsome and intelligent Dr. Cameron Hayek, who immediately catches the eye of several single ladies.