Warning: This article contains spoilers for Season 3 of Virgin River on Netflix.
Virgin River has rapidly gained popularity over the last few years and has already been renewed for a fourth and fifth season. The fourth season premieres on Netflix on July 20, 2022. The show is inspired by the book series by Robyn Carr. The characters in the books and the series are written with a lot of depth, and intriguing storylines.
While Mel and Jack face new drama in Season 4, several other Virgin River characters could carry their spinoff series. Dangerous secrets, new career paths, and forbidden love could change their future, or dig up their past. Whether the spinoff takes place in Virgin River or follows a certain character to a new setting, there are many directions the franchise could take.
Lizzie
Lizzie added youthful, rebellious energy to the series from the moment she arrived in Virgin River. Although Lizzie’s romance with Ricky didn’t seem that significant to her at first, she experienced a lot of growth throughout the third season and was completely blindsided and heartbroken by Ricky’s decision to enlist in the Marines.
Although the trailer makes it look like Lizzie will be residing in Virgin River for Season 4, she is originally from L.A., and with her ex-boyfriend Parker and her parents still living in Los Angeles, there’s always a chance she could get pulled back to her glamorous hometown. It would be interesting to see her dynamic with her parents, and how she looks differently at city life after living in the Virgin River.
Ricky
Since the first season of Virgin River, Ricky has been talking about how he wants to join the Marines after high school. In the third season, he lets Preacher know he isn’t making this decision lightly, since it has been his dream since he was a kid. Ricky aces his ASVAB test, after keeping his studying and physical training a secret from everyone important in his life, including Lizzie.
After his messy breakup with Lizzie, Ricky needs a fresh start, so he moves across the country and starts his basic training in South Carolina. The training is rigorous but rewarding. However, when his grandma gets sick, Ricky is pulled back to Virgin River, and forced to face Lizzie.
Preacher
After sacrificing a job opportunity as a chef at a restaurant in San Francisco, Preacher continues to support Jack at the bar, while taking care of Paige’s son, Christopher in the third season. Preacher’s selflessness makes him one of the best characters on Virgin River, but it could also endanger his life. The shocking third season finale left Preacher drugged and passed out in the woods.
While he’s knocked out, Preacher is triggered by flashbacks to his time in Iraq with Jack, Brady, and Mike. Throughout the series, there have been many insinuations about the questionable decisions the other Marines made during their time in the Middle East, which is the root of resentment towards Brady, and the culprit of Jack’s PTSD. Through a series of flashbacks, this spinoff would show what happed to Mike, Brady, Jack, and Preacher when they were stationed overseas together.
Paige
Many shows like Pretty Little Liars feature main characters who go missing for long periods. The challenges the missing characters endure during their time away create a mystery that looms over their character, and the series. After Paige (formerly Michelle) killed her abusive ex-husband in self-defense, she fled town because she didn’t want her ex-husband’s twin, Vince, harming her or her son.
Following Paige’s frightening journey while she was in hiding or on the run from Vince would be an exciting change of pace for Virgin River, which would also delve into the complicated character of Paige’s friend Sally, who drugged and abandoned Preacher, appearing to support Vince’s sinister plan to break into Preacher’s house and skulk in the darkness, waiting to attack Connie and Christopher.
Tara
The sudden diagnosis and quick loss of Lilly deeply affected everyone in Virgin River, especially her daughters, Tara and Chloe. The financial burden of the family farm could have made it difficult for Tara to raise her baby sister Chloe in her hometown, but fortunately, Mel made a secret donation that changed everything.
As Connie always says, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and this spinoff would explore how the community of Virgin River rallies around Tara, helps raise Chloe, and keeps the farm going. The show would feature flashbacks to Tara’s childhood, and how her epilepsy affects her ability to raise her sister. This show would be a compelling family drama, with a lighter tone than Virgin River.
Charmaine
No matter how far Charmaine moves away from Virgin River, she’s still deeply rooted in the small town where she grew up. Despite recognizing how controlling Todd can be over her life, Charmaine still agrees to marry him. They move to a big house in Eureka and continue to fight Jack for custody of Charmaine’s unborn children, even though the twins’ paternity has yet to be determined.
Seeing the world through Charmaine’s perspective, this series would explore how her parents’ relationship affects her warped view of love, and how not all toxic relationships start the same way. As Charmaine gets further along in her pregnancy, the twins’ paternity and health will be called into question, and Charmaine will have to reevaluate what’s best for her, and her children, even if that means moving to Portland.
Joey
Mel’s sister Joey is one of the most underrated characters, mostly because she lives in Los Angeles. After losing her family’s home in a devasting divorce, Joey downsizes and decides to spend the summer with Mel in Virgin River. She brings her kids with her, and the small-town charm starts to intrigue Joey. Despite a few groans from her kids, she decides to stay in the small town.
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Watching a mom from the city settle into small-town life could be as entertaining as Hart of Dixie. As Joey supports Mel during her pregnancy, they could share memories from their childhood. Although Mel loves Joey, her constant presence could stress Mel out, until Joey meets a charming man at the Lumberjack Games or another traditional town event.
Doc & Hope
After spending so much time away from Hope, and nearly losing her in a car accident, Doc goes out of his way to help her with her recovery, which is why he is one of the most likable characters on Virgin River. As Hope tries to regain memories due to her recent traumatic brain injury, Doc enlists the townspeople of Virgin River to share photos, videos, and stories about their favorite memories with Hope.
This spinoff mini-series would offer a deep dive into how Doc and Hope met, their love story, and all of the many challenges they have faced as a couple, including Doc’s affair with Charmaine’s mom, and his grandson who just arrived in town, Denny. Flashbacks would offer a rare glimpse into the lives of the Virgin River citizens around the time Doc and Hope started their relationship.
Brie
Jack’s sister, Brie faced an immense amount of trauma in the third season, and by the finale, she was ready to pack up and go somewhere where no one knew her. The one person who was truly keeping her in town was Brady, but after she witnessed him getting arrested for allegedly shooting her brother, Jack, Brie starts to question everything she knew about him.
Brie decides to stay in Virgin River for a little while and eventually starts going to therapy thanks to Mel’s recommendation. As she begins to heal, Brie realizes she can help other women who have faced the same challenges, by representing them in court. She takes Brady’s motorcycle while he’s in jail, and leaves town. It’s not clear where she’s going at first, but when she arrives, she’ll finally be able to get closure.
Brady
After the gun that shot Jack was planted in Brady’s car, Brady gets arrested and thrown in prison. He doesn’t know what the future holds, but when he’s left to contemplate his actions, he starts to have flashbacks of all his poor decisions. Brady thinks about his childhood growing up with nothing, his time in Iraq that made his fellow Marines resent him, and his time working for Calvin.
As he faces his demons in prison, Brady pens a novel based on his life and hopes to discover new details about Jack’s real shooter. If he can make it out of prison alive, Brady’s book might be what he needs to win Brie back, save his lumber business, and get out of debt.
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