Virgin River has never shied away from romance, but one Season 6 Episode 5 scene proved to be very steamy indeed, and it all went ahead without an intimacy coordinator.
The concept of intimacy coordinators has once again been thrown into debate following Mikey Madison’s reveal that the set of Anora – which includes several explicit adult scenes – didn’t have one.
This horrified some fans, while others took it as evidence that intimacy coordinators shouldn’t be a requirement. Either way, it’s back in discussion, and Virgin River Season 6 has just entered the discourse with one sensual moment.
In Season 6 Episode 5, Brie and Brady get into a passionate kiss that soon turns into something more. It all takes place on a pool table in Jack’s bar, with their tryst turning almost aggressive in nature.
Virgin River showrunner confirms no Episode 5 intimacy coordinator
In an interview with Variety, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed no intimacy coordinator was used for Brie and Brady’s passionate scene. It was also stated, however, that the offer of one was made to the cast, who refused.
“We always offer,” Smith said. “In that instance, Ben and Zibby declined it, but a lot of thought and consideration went into it. We work with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), and I had a meeting with them personally just to educate myself because we knew we wanted it to be physical, somewhat sensual, and in some ways, aggressive.
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“That was the part that made me nervous, as far as how far that went. I was reminded that sexual assault and sexual violence are never about aggression as much as they are power domination. I think we were really respectful.
“I think Zibby and Ben both doing their research on it really brought a level of awareness into it, that they were kind of coordinating it themselves.”
Ben Hollingsworth, who plays Brady, also spoke about the scene in an interview with Swoon, revealing how he wanted the moment to feel completely unplanned and spontaneous.
“I wanted it to feel completely non-planned, completely just spur of the moment where they’re not thinking about anything,” he said. “This should be the last thing that anyone would expect to happen in that moment.”
Virgin River Season 6 is available to stream on Netflix now. For more, check out the 5 burning questions Virgin River Season 7 needs to answer, why Calvin’s death in Virgin River wasn’t as it seemed, and our Virgin River Season 6 review.
