‘Virgin River’ Showrunner Talks Christmas Particular’s Greatest Twists, Teases New Time Leap, Doc’s Prognosis, Extra Mel & Jack And Marriage ceremony(s) In Season 6

SPOILER ALERT: The story consists of particulars in regards to the Virgin River Christmas particular (Episodes 511, 512)

Netflix’s Virgin River closed out its fifth season with a two-episode Christmas particular set in the course of the holidays, greater than three months after the “Labor Day” Season 5 Half 1 finale. As prompt by the aptly titled Episode 512, “Father Christmas,” the particular’s primary storyline follows the bombshell cliffhanger within the Half 1 finale, that Mel’s organic father is probably going a person from Virgin River.

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With solely a few clues to his id within the man’s love letters to Mel and Joey’s mother Sarah to go off of, Mel and Jack launched a search that finally led them to Everett Reid, who lives in a cabin outdoors of Virgin River. At first, he needed nothing to do with Mel however by the top of the two-hour particular, in a real vacation spirit, he got here round and, within the finale’s greatest cliffhanger, began telling her “one thing necessary” however was lower off by a Christmas music, a shot of Mel, Jack and their new pet, adopted by finish credit.

Whereas she was rejected by her organic father, Mel requested her surrogate one, Doc, to stroll her down the aisle, and he stated sure. Doc, preparing for the dangerous trial to sort out his macular degeneration, helped the ever-competitive Hope win the city’s Christmas tree ornament contest by integrating a wedding proposal into their show. She additionally stated sure.

Elsewhere, Charmaine lastly gave beginning to her twins after being pregnant since Season 1. Calvin, who resurfaced within the Half 1 finale to be revealed because the infants’ father, was again for the event, as was his right-hand man, Jimmy. In one other cliffhanger, Jimmy was revealed to be Hazel’s father, calling Lark from jail to conspire towards Brody.

Whereas nonetheless with Lark, Brody clearly had not gotten over Brie as evident by their two Christmas time run-ins, whereas Virgin River’s shock new “it” couple — and stars of the city’s Christmas musical — Cameron and Muriel, confronted crossroads after Cameron’s ex-fiancee reemerged to recommend they begin a household, one thing Muriel just isn’t fascinated about.

Preacher’s relationship with Kaia is transferring at lightning pace however he obtained extra dangerous information from Mike that the physique discovered within the hearth cleanup had been recognized as Paige’s abusive husband Wes whom he had helped eliminate.

In an interview with Deadline, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who took the reins of the favored Netflix romantic drama after Season 4, dissects all the Christmas particular’s twists and their implications, together with how Everett will match into the present and Mel’s life.

He reveals one other time leap will kick off Season 6 and teases shorter future seasons with no extra vacation specials deliberate.

He additionally guarantees extra Mel and Jack in Season 6, reveals Doc’s prognosis, shares whether or not Paige can be again and hints at how lengthy Lizzie can be pregnant on the present. Moreover, Smith offers a standing replace on Season 6, which is slated to start out filming within the first half of 2024, and divulges whether or not it may very well be the collection’ final.

For Smith and star Alexandra Breckenridge’s tackle the principle developments in Season 5 Half 1, together with Mel’s polarizing miscarriage storyline and the bombshell revelation of Mel’s Virgin River-residing organic father, learn Deadline’s story from earlier this week.

DEADLINE: Let’s begin with that final, lower off line by Mel’s organic father. What are you able to inform us in regards to the nature of that necessary one thing he tells her? Does Mel have extra half siblings we’re not conscious of in addition to Joey?

SMITH: Maybe. However what I feel we’re exploring extra in Season 6 is who Everett Reid is, what his backstory is, what his connection to Virgin River was when he met her mother after which additionally what it’s at present because it’s a small city. I grew up in a small city, everyone is aware of everyone, so everyone has an opinion of everyone. And I feel that’s what we’re leaping into in Season 6 is that relationship of Everett with the city in addition to Everett and Mel.

DEADLINE: Does that imply that Everett will probably be a part of Mel’s life? Is the actor taking part in him,John Allen Nelson, becoming a member of the solid as a collection common?

SMITH: I don’t know so far as in what capability, however he’ll [join]. It’s a huge factor that we’re exploring in Season 6. It simply felt like a possibility for a personality who hasn’t had a dwelling mum or dad in her life; attending to see Mel with a dwelling mum or dad has been enjoyable to discover. And likewise simply discovering one other method that Mel is hooked up to this city in a much bigger, common, fated kind of method; that she was at all times meant to return to this place for a lot of causes.

DEADLINE: Going again to the cliffhanger, how huge of a bombshell is Everett’s reveal? You stated “maybe” about Mel having extra half-siblings.

SMITH: Simply because this was such a brand new factor in Mel’s life, I don’t know if we’ll get into half-siblings any time quickly. That felt like we’ve bit off sufficient to chew, we don’t want extra.

DEADLINE: Did you ever think about having one of many present Virgin River characters be the daddy? You’ve most likely seen the fan hypothesis about Doc. His dialog with Mel about strolling her down the aisle and him saying that he can be proud to be her dad didn’t appear random.

SMITH: Plenty of what I felt the chance of introducing this character within the present would do was additionally to discover Doc’s function as Mel’s surrogate father and problem it in a method that creates a little bit of a triangle between the 2 males and Mel as paternal presence in her life. And, realizing how fond Doc is of Mel, it felt like enjoyable to see him feeling challenged by one other man who’s coming into her life. We noticed Doc at first, he was curmudgeonly and a bit of crusty, and I feel there’s a pure method to carry that again by his relationship with Everett, particularly when he appears like Everett may not be nearly as good of an affect in her life as he’s, and to have a bit of paternal competitors.

DEADLINE: Will that paternal competitors change who will stroll Mel down the aisle?

SMITH: We’re figuring that out within the room so I’ll let you already know when all of it is realized.

DEADLINE: Will Everett have ties to different primary characters? As you stated, everyone is aware of everybody in a small city but it surely looks like he’s within the fringes of Virgin River society; Jack didn’t know him in any respect.

SMITH: It’s one thing that we’re exploring. I preferred the concept that particular person may be on the perimeter, however there’s nonetheless an consciousness in a small city of, particularly the particular person on the perimeter and the questions and the thriller that encompass who he’s. And we’re additionally imagining that, if he was in Virgin River with Sarah when Mel was conceived, he has not less than 30-plus 12 months historical past with the city. Jack’s been there much less time so in Season 6, there’s loads of thriller in what we’re revealing so far as what his relationship is with Virgin River.

DEADLINE: We referenced Mel’s pending nuptials, Doc simply proposed, and Denny and Lizzie had been mulling marriage. What number of weddings are we going to see subsequent season?

SMITH: We’ll must see. it looks like it’s an ideal alternative for a marriage season, doesn’t it?

DEADLINE: It does. In the meantime, the particular introduced us a Christmas miracle, with Charmaine lastly giving beginning in what was method too simple of a twin supply.

SMITH (laughs): Okay, it felt like Charmaine had been by sufficient already. Let’s give her a straightforward being pregnant to stability and [a happy ending] on Christmas.

DEADLINE: Her four-season being pregnant has turned a operating joke amongst followers. Was Charmaine’s line within the first a part of the the particular ‘I really feel I’ve been pregnant for years’ a nod to that?

SMITH: Sure, that was a wink to, we all know. That’s the factor with the compressed timeline, it’s exhausting to have pregnant ladies and youngsters in entrance of the cameras. However it was additionally realizing that we needed to do the time leap so as to do the vacation episodes that put her proper round her due date. I felt like, for the viewers’s sake, since this has tremendously bummed them out for a few seasons, not less than I did it in Season 5. It may not have been in Half 1, however not less than we obtained it in Half 2, and it felt form of momentous for it to occur in the course of the holidays and to see Mel be supportive and display the integrity that she has for this girl who’s her affected person however has additionally introduced her loads of ache, which she’s moved previous.

DEADLINE: Doc already made the choice on collaborating in a medical trial in Half 1 so the Christmas particular was extra of him, Holly and the folks round them coming to grips with the trial being imminent. What are you able to inform us in regards to the prognosis and the way Doc and Hope will undergo the trial?

SMITH: I feel with Season 6, we’re attending to see Doc and Hope in a spot that we haven’t actually gotten to see them earlier than, which is wholesome. I feel from the primary season when Hope had coronary heart points after which her traumatic mind harm and his macular degeneration, it felt like a possibility to see one thing completely different in a season the place they’re each thriving and wholesome. So he’ll get a superb prognosis out of it, however different challenges will come up.

DEADLINE: Did you say good prognosis?

SMITH: We’re going get to see Doc in a superb place.

DEADLINE: By way of the process being profitable?

SMITH: Sure.

DEADLINE: For Lizzie and Denny, Christmas was largely a clean crusing, along with her mother turning into supportive and everybody very excited in regards to the child. However we shouldn’t neglect that within the Half 1 finale, Denny was seconds from telling Lizzie that he needed to discover the world as Virgin River was too confining for him, one thing his grandmother obtained him to consider. Will they proceed to be completely happy and content material or will that resurface, him having ambitions past Virgin River?

SMITH: I feel it performs out in loads of alternative ways. However for me this season, Lizzie and Denny are beginning to see the truth of their conditions in a method that I feel 19-year-olds do — they name it adulting but it surely’s like if you begin to see all of the duties that you’ve forward of you as you mature.

We additionally intend to get extra into Denny’s Huntington’s illness prognosis and the way that performs into the long run for him, for them and for his or her child. We do discover Denny in a extra steady place in Virgin River and embracing his aspirations however then additionally eager to be the perfect dad he may presumably be whereas anticipating what his future appears like given this prognosis.

DEADLINE: I’ve to ask. What number of seasons will Lizzie be pregnant?

SMITH: That’s a wonderful query. You’ll simply have to attend and see.

DEADLINE: The time leap helped a bit of bit. It will likely be fewer than 4, I assume?

SMITH: Hopefully. However we do intend to do one other time leap from the vacations to when Season 6 begins so we are able to anticipate a little bit of a time leap. I don’t know precisely what number of months but it surely received’t be a direct pickup from the vacations.

DEADLINE: If there’s a time leap, does that imply that Season 6 received’t begin the place the Christmas particular left off, with Everett ending his thought?

SMITH: We’ll discover out what he says. However then we’ll have a leap indirectly.

DEADLINE: So Doc’s trial will possible be over, we’ll have the outcomes and don’t have to worry over it? And possibly Lizzie already could have had the newborn?

SMITH: She’ll be nearer to it.

DEADLINE: And Doc’s trial will probably be over by then?

SMITH: Sure.

DEADLINE: Virgin River‘s villains don’t go away. After Calvin’s shock return within the Half 1 finale to ship the Charmaine paternity bombshell, a cliffhanger within the Christmas particular featured his henchman, Jimmy with a paternity twist of his personal. What’s that’s bringing them again into the story?

SMITH: They’d such a presence for such a giant portion of the collection. I feel one factor that I needed to minimize after I got here in was the form of drug-centric story engines however I didn’t wish to lose them utterly. So it felt like a possibility to carry the characters who’re by extension a part of that world however put them in one thing that’s extra character based mostly somewhat than making an attempt to at least one up fentanyl which I’m similar to, after fentanyl, I don’t know the place you go. I feel it was staying true to the characters that had been round within the collection for thus lengthy, and never introduce a brand new huge dangerous within the drug world to maintain the drug world as a narrative engine for the collection.

DEADLINE: Are you organising Jimmy to be a villain subsequent season?

SMITH: He and Calvin will each play into extra the private tales, however nonetheless sustaining the truth that they’re dangerous guys.

DEADLINE: How will the truth that Jimmy is Hazel’s father and he’s plotting one thing with Lark have an effect on Brady? He has been in peril for a lot of the previous couple of seasons. Is he again in peril subsequent season?

SMITH: I don’t know if I’d name it hazard, however we’re undoubtedly organising, kind of, the stakes are Brady’s soul. He began out form of a nasty man and for a lot of seasons, I feel he got here off a bit of irritating with the errors that he stored making again and again and the dangerous selections that he was making.

So Season 5 was actually attending to see him ascend to do the appropriate factor lastly for the love of Brie. However then, what I used to be fascinated about on the top of that was, when that’s shaken, does he default again to his outdated methods, or will he proceed to develop, and that’s what the chance is with Lark and with Jimmy and with Hazel, the specter of pulling that rug out from beneath Brady as he’s making an attempt to get his life collectively.

DEADLINE: Brady had appeared content material in his new relationship with Lark whereas Brie and Mark’s friendship became romance. Hastily, Brady and Brie had these moments within the Christmas episodes; it looks like the spark could also be again for the star-crossed couple of the present. Are we again to a love triangle?

SMITH: We’ve been calling it a rectangle, with Brie, Mike, Lark and Brady. For me, I like them as a pair, and I feel that spark will at all times be there. It’s only a query of given how, in methods, Brady is damaged and what Brie has to work by on a private stage that it’s extra of seeing them each develop as folks to hopefully get to the place the place they are often collectively as a pair.

DEADLINE: So there’s a chance for Brady and Brie to be collectively once more?

SMITH. Sure.

DEADLINE: Okay, observe to self, no Mark and Brie wedding ceremony subsequent season.

SMITH (laughs): You by no means know. The present likes tremendous huge twists and cliffhangers, so that you by no means know.

DEADLINE: One other lengthy struggling character, Preacher, additionally hasn’t been capable of finding love. After the heartbreak with Paige, he’s lastly proud of Kaia however now the physique of Paige’s estranged husband has been discovered. How a lot will that affect his storyline on a legal in addition to on a private stage? Would the invention carry Paige again into the image to create yet one more triangle or rectangle with Kaia and presumably her ex?

SMITH: There are not any plans to carry Paige again as we get into the aftermath; the intention is admittedly to be a giant take a look at of Preacher and Kaia’s relationship. From the vacation episode, she dedicated to Virgin River fairly rapidly, and he or she’s dedicated to him fairly rapidly. After which that is actuality coming again into these selections to see if she’s making the appropriate selections. And that will probably be examined within the first a part of the season.

DEADLINE: Will you resolve the Wes physique storyline within the first half of Season 6? We all know Preacher is a good man and he was solely serving to, he’s not a assassin, but it surely doesn’t look superb for him.

SMITH: What I preferred about it’s that, such as you stated, he appears justified in what he did. However then there’s the regulation after which there may be Preacher’s ethical compass, which is robust. So I feel that’s loads of what we’re moving into together with his character.

DEADLINE: The storyline with Cameron and Muriel is defying stereotypes. One of many Christmas particular’s cliffhangers did allude the age hole which hadn’t been addressed earlier than. How will this come to a head, with Cameron and Murial being in numerous phases of their lives?

SMITH: Cameron got here to Virgin River saying he needed to search out love and needed to start out a household and for Muriel to not have that very same need, that may be true of any couple so we’re taking a look at one thing that isn’t particular to an age hole, which I preferred, wanting on the kind of Might-December romance because it hits December within the holidays, if it’s constructed to final or not. We’re undoubtedly going to deal with all of that in Season 6. That’s all I can say.

DEADLINE: How did the concept come about pairing these two characters up?

SMITH: The concept had come up for me, simply wanting on the aftermath of the Cameron state of affairs and realizing that so far as something with Mel and Jack, there was nothing to play previous that. And Muriel had been such a presence in a romantic method for Doc, and that put her in battle with Hope.

They’re simply two those that made sense to see collectively, she’s such a vibrant gentle, and he was undoubtedly in search of love. There’d been a touch of a second at Joey’s wedding ceremony — they danced collectively, they usually had been simply having enjoyable collectively — and I feel it tipped off one of many writers within the room who introduced it up, and I used to be like, I’ve considered that, ought to we discover that?

So we form of ran with it. It was simply enjoyable to see Teryl [Rothery] and Mark [Ghanimé] fall in love with one another over Season 5, after which simply attending to see the enjoyable of them dancing collectively within the vacation episodes, it felt prefer it was well worth the value of admission.

DEADLINE: Clearly, Teryl is a good performer. How did you pull off the vacation musical quantity, do you know that they each can sing and dance?

SMITH: I didn’t. And I feel Mark wouldn’t thoughts me saying it was admittedly a problem for him however one which he rose to. Teryl choreographed the entire quantity. I believed it was lovely, and it was simply a type of pictures that I had, considering of what the trailer would seem like for the 2 episodes, I used to be similar to, we get to see her in a crimson costume. We get to see her on the stage. We get to see them dancing collectively, and it simply felt actually romantic and candy.

DEADLINE: Half 1 ended with Mel and Jack deciding to purchase Lilly’s burnt out farm. I don’t do not forget that being addressed within the Christmas particular. Did the farm buy occur in the course of the time leap? The place are Mel and Jack on their plans to rebuild the farm and begin a household there?

SMITH: I feel there was one point out in Brady’s scene with Lark that he was serving to Jack with building. It was a really huge problem to reply all of the cliffhangers from Half 1 within the two hours that we needed to then get into different storylines and carry every part by. It’s like a flight to Vegas the place as quickly as you get to your cruising altitude, you’re already beginning your descent.

However we did wish to ensure that we had not less than one acknowledgment of it after which Season 6 will open with the development of the home and the barn and beginning to see in a much bigger method what Jack and Mel’s life and future goes to start out wanting like.

DEADLINE: Any trace whether or not Mel and Jack will be capable to begin a household and have youngsters subsequent season?

SMITH: Their pursuit of parenthood will play prominently in Season 6.

DEADLINE: The place are you within the writing course of? I imagine you had half of the season written earlier than the strike. Are you prepared with with the scripts for the second half of the Season 6?

SMITH: We had been midway by after we broke for the strike. So coming again to it, we’re ending the second half. But in addition, we’ve got the privilege of getting some viewers reactions to Season 5. So we’re in a position to return into the primary half and do some bit after all correcting. Not an overhaul in any respect, but it surely’s simply good to know what resonated for the followers and what did what.

DEADLINE: What stunned you about what resonated and what didn’t in Season 5, your first as showrunner?

SMITH: For me, I feel the large one, and I joked about it on social, was simply everyone needs extra Mel and Jack. Now we have 12 collection regulars, and there’s a big ensemble to service however I feel, and I advised Martin and Alex as a lot, I used to be like, You guys obtained extra developing.

They’re at all times sport, they’re unbelievable. A lot of the main target is Mel and Jack, they’re the center of the present, so it’s not dropping that and readjusting the actual property that’s given for all of the characters and making an attempt to hit it a bit of bit otherwise than I feel Season 5 was the place we had been hitting everyone persistently right through.

DEADLINE: What has been the expertise of taking up a really profitable present? What are a few of the classes you discovered in your first season and was it precisely what you had hoped it could be operating Virgin River?

SMITH: It was. I used to be a fan of the present and when the chance got here my method, I used to be excited do a present about love and human feelings and no zombies or apocalypse. I had not shot in Vancouver, in order that was a primary for me as nicely however I used to be speaking to one of many crew members and he or she was like, I hate to confess it, however I actually love this present as a result of it makes me really feel and it makes me really feel good. And I used to be like, that shouldn’t be controversial.

I feel loads of tv challenges an viewers in loads of methods, and I really feel like there have been some challenges this season that I discovered quite a bit from. I’m pleased with the work that we did and I’m grateful for the folks I obtained to do it with in order that’s the place all of it feels prefer it’s proper.

DEADLINE: Virgin River is already 5 seasons in. At this level within the run of a present, folks sometimes begin excited about the endgame. Are you getting ready Season 6 as a last season and are you conserving the identical construction, 10 episodes plus a vacation particular?

SMITH: No, I don’t know if I’d do the vacations once more. It’s kind of, been there performed that, and I really feel like we did it in a giant method that I wouldn’t even know the place to begin to discover. I feel we’re most likely taking a look at a 10-episode season transferring ahead.

However there’s no plans of wrapping something up. I feel, so long as these characters live, there are at all times going to be tales to inform, and that’s an unbelievable alternative for any showrunner.

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