It’s official: Virgin River Season 6 is set to feature a time jump. But just how far in time will that jump go, and when we will see it?
So far in Virgin River world, things have progressed at a pretty consistent pace – even if the fictional town is far too full of drama for most people’s liking.
At the end of Season 5 Part 2, a family dilemma was thrown into the mix for Mel, with the final cliffhangers suggesting that the story would remain in the present day.
However, it was later rumored that Virgin River Season 6 was likely to feature a noticeable time jump, and that’s been proven true. But just how far will it go?
Virgin River Season 6: How far will the time jump go?
As far as we’re aware, the time jump isn’t moving forward in time, but backward – with flashbacks following Mel’s parents, Sarah and Everett, when they first met in 1972.
Episode 2 is set to explain how Sarah and Everett first met, with Mel still largely none the wiser about her biological family.
It’s currently unclear how much this will explain what Everett had to tell Mel at the end of Season 5 Part 2, but this is guaranteed to inform his story throughout Season 6.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, “The new season will shed more light on Sarah, who has been largely omitted from the storytelling thus far, and her desire to chase a life as an activist and separate from the more conventional options available to a woman of her time. When the free spirit meets Everett, a handsome musician, there’s an instant spark and she wonders if she might finally have found her soulmate.
“The two meet by chance, as Everett gives a hitchhiking Sarah a lift in the VW van he currently calls home. The first images of Rothe and Kerr in character showcase the duo in Everett’s van, as well as in what appears to be a crowded garage or workspace of some kind.”
Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr have been cast in the younger version of these roles.
There could be more time jumps in the future
Virgin River showrunners initially confirmed time jumps would be dependent on fan reaction, meaning we could be seeing a more traditional flash-forward later down the line.
The theory was first confirmed via the EarlyBirdTimes, with showrunner Patrick Sean Smith strongly hinting that new storylines will be propelled to some point in the future.
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However, the article goes on to reveal that just how far the time jump extends will depend on fan feedback – meaning a shift is planned, but nothing is set in stone when it comes to how long.
“It’s really anyone’s guess but I would go for around 6 months (purely my own opinion),” one fan posted in response to a Reddit thread questioning what might happen in Season 6.
“Perhaps four or five months?” added another. “Lizzie was maybe 4 weeks pregnant in early September, four months pregnant during the Christmas episodes. So, if S6 was to pick up in mid-April that would line up with her and Denny preparing for the birth. As for Charmaine, the twins would no longer be newborns by then.
“It would also give Mel and Jack time to pursue adoption and/or work on the farmhouse off-screen.”
However, some fans think that the more unexpected the time jump, the better.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they did a big jump, like a year, then flashback episodes to find out how they got there. I would hate it, but so many shows have been doing this lately,” one fan stated.
“Reverse time jump to before the Christmas episodes so we can get more of Charmaine being pregnant and the backstory of her and Calvin’s romance. I think they should just keep that storyline going until the end of the series. It’s become iconic by this time. ‘Charmaine was pregnant for 15 seasons’,” another countered.
Season 6 will drop all at once, but while we know the flashback episode will happen early on, we don’t know what this means for the finale. Translated… that means anything could be possible.
Virgin River Season 6 drops on December 19. In the meantime, revisit the Season 5 Part 2 ending, where Virgin River takes place, and how to read the original books.
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