SPOILER ALERT: The story contains particulars about Season 7 of Netflix‘s Virgin River.
Mike Valenzuela has solved his final case in Virgin River, for now. Marco Grazzini, who has been on the Netflix romantic drama for 5 seasons, the final 4 as a sequence common, is leaving after the present seventh season.
“He’s not coming back for Season 8,” Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith tells Deadline.
Also not returning subsequent season is Lauren Hammersley, who has been taking part in Charmaine for the complete seven-season run of the present thus far, as a sequence common for the primary 4 seasons and recurring thereafter. Both may return in subsequent seasons, Smith mentioned.
The two departures after Season 7 match the entire of sequence common exits over the present’s first six seasons, with Grayson Gurnsey (Ricky) leaving after Season 4 and Mark Ghanimé (Dr. Cameron) after Season 6. (Jenny Cooper, who performs Mel’s sister Joey, has continued to recur after a sequence common stint in Season 1.)
The solid of Virgin River has been fairly secure, with few departures and just one new sequence common solid addition since Smith joined as showrunner after Season 4, Kandyse McClure as Kaia in Season 5. (There even have been solely three promotions to sequence common over 7 seasons, with none deliberate for Season 8, even for Teryl Rothery, who has been a staple on the present as Muriel since Season 1, or John Allen Nelson, who performs Mel’s organic father Everett. “But they’ll definitely be back and continue to be a big presence on the show,” Smith mentioned in regards to the duo.)
While solid shakeups are a method long-running sequence can reinvent themselves, that’s not one thing Smith is planning whereas nonetheless trying to preserve the sequence contemporary.
“For me, I’m just trying to look to the longevity of the show and making sure that the characters that we’re keeping have enough story engine in them to keep going,” he mentioned. “So I can’t say there are any specific cast shakeups planned, but I think we will have to start to — as characters run their course — make some decisions and bring in some new blood.”
Beside Grazzini, the remainder of Virgin River‘s Season 7 sequence regulars are anticipated to return in Season 8, even Ben Hollingsworth, whose character Brady is concerned in a scary crash within the ultimate seconds of the finale.
A police detective and a Marine buddy of Jack’s (Martin Henderson), Mike was launched as a recurring character in Season 2. Grazzini was promoted to a sequence common in the beginning of Season 3.
After pining for Jack’s sister Brie (Zibby Allen) ever since she got here to Virgin River in Season 3, Mike began relationship her on the finish of Season 5 after she broke up along with her on- once more off- once more flame Brody (Hollingsworth).
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(L to R) Marco Grazzini and Zibby Allen in ‘Virgin River’ Season 7
Courtesy of Netflix
Mike’s proposal to Brie, one in all Season 6 finale’s cliffhangers, was rejected by her early into Season 7. His hopes to rekindle their relationship when the 2 teamed as much as seek for Charmaine have been dashed, and Brie finally reunited with Brody. Mike was final seen within the Season 7 finale getting cozy with a rebound of his personal, Victoria (Sara Canning), the visiting medical investigator who confessed to Mike about having had a crush on him years in the past throughout her cop days.
“Mike probably will be on the back burner for a little while until we have something we’ve written,” Smith mentioned. “We have so many relationships already that I think a little bit of that was just a sort of happy ending for this chapter for Mike to find his way back to Victoria and to explore what happens there. But I love Marco and could see his character coming back in a more substantive role if the creative is right.”
Along with Grazzini, gone is Canning, who joined Virgin River as a recurring in Season 7. Another new Season 7 recurring solid addition, Cody Kearsley (Clay), will once more recur subsequent season as Jack’s mysterious new ranch hand continues to seek for his lacking sister. The return of the third main new recurring participant this season, Matty Finochio as Hope’s (Annette O’Toole) temp assistant Tony whereas Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) is on a maternity go away, is TBD.
“Actually, I found out a few weeks ago that he has booked a series regular on another show, so he’s unavailable for the first part of our shoot, but I would love to have him back,” Smith mentioned. “He was such a breath of fresh air and so funny and just a nice energy, especially up against Hope, that would want to squander that and not revisit again.”
From the Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack’s adoption storyline, “out for now” is Rachel Drance, who recurred as expectant mother Marley for the previous two seasons, with each beginning dad and mom not within the image in Season 8, Smith mentioned.
Expected to recur subsequent season is Austin Nichols who did a cameo on the finish of the Season 7 finale as Eli, the pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon working on Mel and Jack’s adopted new child son who had labored with Mel throughout her time in Nurses Without Borders.
“He also booked something else, so we’re working around his schedule. We have such talented cast members that everybody wants them,” Smith mentioned.
Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts in episode 410 of ‘Virgin River’
Charmaine had change into a favourite Virgin River cliffhanger plot machine, with the character being a part of many huge season finale twists, the most recent within the Season 6 finale involving her abduction. (Previous included the information of her being pregnant and the reveal of her paternity lie.) Charmaine was MIA for the complete seventh season till she was discovered and rescued by Brie.
If we’re talking of characters which have “run their course,” as Smith put it earlier, for Charmaine that will have come midway by her being pregnant, which lasted 5 seasons, presumably a TV sequence document.
“No plans for Charmaine to be back in Season 8 but that’s not to say, when the right time comes, I’d love to bring the character back for something other than more cliffhangers and more lies on pregnancies,” Smith mentioned.
Check out the remainder of our Virgin River Season 7 protection: a postmortem interview with Smith in regards to the season’s greatest developments, together with Brody’s accident and Mel and Jack’s adoption journey, and stories on Season 8’s theme and surprising new couple and on the status of the Everett & Sarah prequel.
