We’re mere weeks away from Virgin River Season 6 – and we’re set to see flashbacks like we never have before.
Ever since its first season, Virgin River has been stacked with juicy storylines that fans have gotten stuck into since 2019. Across five seasons, viewers have followed nurse practitioner Mel on her fresh start from her former life, bringing plenty of drama along for the ride.
The Season 5 Part 2 ending brought some new tension to the fore – Everett, Mel’s biological father, has something important to tell her… only we don’t get to find out what it is.
Regardless of what he has to say, it’s bound to inform plenty of upcoming storylines in Season 6, including flashbacks to 1972. Here’s what we know so far.
Is there a time jump?
Yes. Episode 2 of Virgin River Season 6 is going to feature flashbacks of Mel’s parents, Sarah and Everett, first meeting in 1972. It’s unclear whether these flashbacks will be seen later in the series.
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 as the younger versions of Sarah and Everett.
What we don’t yet know is if these flashbacks will directly inform the Season 5 cliffhanger. Mel and Everett are still in the early days of getting to know each other, meaning it could be a while before we get anything concrete from him. Classic Virgin River pacing and all…
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Flashbacks are integral to Virgin River’s storytelling
From the get-go, flashbacks are heavily featured in Virgin River, particularly fitting to telling Mel’s story after her initial move from Los Angeles.
If you’re a long-time fan, you’ll likely remember flashbacks are how we found out the truth about Mel’s life before Virgin River. We see scenes with both her deceased husband and sister, alongside her initial pregnancy journey that led to her miscarriage.
This is similar for Jack, too. We learn about his military trauma after serving in the Marines when he was younger, leading to his battle with alcoholism.
As the use of flashbacks was more common in earlier seasons, their subtle phasing out has divided fan opinion.
“I’m indifferent but I didn’t miss them in the later seasons. I don’t think I hate them either but I have fast-forwarded through them before,” one posted on Reddit.
A second weighed in ” think it’s normal to have flashbacks if you’re human, maybe that’s just me but I can relate to thinking about the past, especially with unresolved traumas.”
“I liked them because they gave a look at her past & what brought her to her current state. My issue was that they went on too long, though screentime could have been used for other stories based on such short seasons,” a third stated.
Virgin River Season 6 drops on December 19. In the meantime, revisit if Paige will return, where Virgin River takes place, and how to read the original books.
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