‘Virgin River’ Boss Explains Why 3 Characters Aren’t Returning for Season 8

You can rest easy, Virgin River fans. The long-running Netflix drama will be returning for Season 8. The show’s seventh season dropped on March 12 and answered some key questions, but left us with new ones to ponder. (Warning: Virgin River Season 7 spoilers ahead!) 

However, Season 8 will not include three characters: Mike, Charmaine, and Marley. Marco Grazzini, Lauren Hammersley, and Season 7 newbie Rachel Drance will not be returning. TV Insider spoke with showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who explained the reasoning behind their exits.

“It did kind of feel like, especially with dissolving the love triangle and giving Mike a new love interest, that his character might have run his course for this part of the series. And I’d always love to have Mike back. But, unfortunately, Marco won’t be returning in season eight, but I would love to have him back for the right reasons.”

Mike and Brie’s relationship didn’t survive Season 7, but he did find love with Victoria (Sara Canning), a medical board investigator who came to Virgin River to audit the clinic.

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When we brought up Charmaine, who has been through hell and back since giving birth to twins, Smith said, “I think Charmaine is going to take a break.”

Charmaine took off with her twins at the end of Season 6 and found herself in yet another dangerous situation with Grant (Alessandro Juliani), the man who killed Calvin (Josh Blacker), the father of her twins. Now that Charmaine is free from both Grant and Calvin’s clutches, this is the beginning of a new chapter for her, but it’ll be off-screen for now.

“I was texting with Lauren and was just like, ‘I think [Charmaine] needs a break. I think you need a break. You both have been through so much on this show thus far. It doesn’t mean I don’t adore you and would love to have you back in any capacity for the right reasons,'” the showrunner explained.

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As for Marley, the birth mother of Mel and Jack’s baby, she is “not currently” expected to be back next season. “What I really wanted to capture in the scene when the baby is born is kind of the two different experiences that are happening at the same time, which is, Eamon is there to support Marley in this moment, while Jack and Mel are celebrating something they’ve worked so hard for and have gone through so much to have. I think they played it beautifully that Marley sends Jack away to say, and the grief you see her starting to feel. She’s definitely made the choice that’s best for her, but I wanted to make sure that we captured that.”

Smith experienced a similar situation when adopting his first child with his partner. “Our birth mom had the same sort of boundaries of not wanting to see anything and or see any photos,” he explained. “And once we left with the baby, we didn’t see her for a couple of years. We were in contact, but she was younger, and we just had to wait until she was ready to open that door. So I think with Marley, it’ll be kind of a similar situation. I think it would be disingenuous for her just to kind of pop in.”

Are you surprised these characters won’t be back in Season 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Virgin River, Season 8, TBA, Netflix