In an interview with Swoon, Smith confirms that the prequel is still in development after Mel’s parents — Sarah (Happy Death Day‘s Jessica Rothe) and Everett (Hollyoaks alum Callum Kerr) were introduced in Virgin River season 6. The showrunner and executive producer adds, in the quote below, that viewers can expect them to return for the already-confirmed season 7:
There’s so much that was presumed, and some things that have been referenced, but that’s where I think the more we can fill out this love that spans almost 40 years, if not 40-plus years, the better. I think there’s a lot of big events and milestones that can happen along the way that we can highlight as we fill that out.
Smith notes that he’s not interested in doing standalone flashback episodes, instead wanting the flashbacks to inform the ongoing story and connect Mel and Everett in the present. He also talked about using flashbacks as a way of fleshing out some of the prominent supporting characters, including Hope (Annette O’Toole):
I think they were most effective in that they were supporting and really connecting Mel and Everett in a more profound way through her mom. So I wouldn’t want it to feel trope-y or just do it just to do it.
The intent in the prequel, too, and we get a hint of it in season 7 through Hope’s character is just filling out more of the history of Hope’s family, her relationship to the area. In the pilot, she says the McRae cabin is a place that everybody within 50 miles knows, but we’ve never really explored her family legacy to that and what her relationship is with her family. In season 7, we’re really doing a bigger deep dive into Hope’s character and her past, which would then coincide with a lot of the events of what could potentially be in the prequel.
Smith closes out his comments by mentioning the fact that he’s often thinking of spinoffs and ways to grow Virgin River, praising the Robin Carr novel adaptation for its expansive possibilities:
It’s a rich world with rich characters. Putting romance forward feels like there’s a ton of potential. And that’s to Robyn Carr’s credit. Each book focuses on a different couple in every book. And what Sue Tenney did very smartly was take characters from the first couple of books and then putting them into an ensemble. But, I mean, there’s huge potential. It’s a great story engine.
What A Virgin River Prequel Would Mean For The Show
The Main Duo Have Solid Chemistry
Described as an origin story of Mel’s parents, the proposed prequel would take place in 1972, with Rothe playing Sarah as a free spirit from the big city. The character has a passion for activism and wants to avoid the conventional life that was expected of young women in the 1970s. Sarah makes a connection with Everett, as unfolds in Virgin River season 6’s flashbacks.
The romance adaptation could easily continue this way, slicing between moments in the past and linking them to the present.
Everett and Sarah meet and immediately have an amusing clash about Sarah’s activism. In the present, this is contrasted with Mel seeming shocked about her parents’ past. The romance adaptation could easily continue this way, slicing between moments in the past and linking them to the present. That’s especially the case with Rothe and Kerr being linked to other TV projects. But a proper prequel series would allow these younger versions of Sarah and Everett to more fully stand on their own.
Our Take On Virgin River Prequels & Spinoffs
It’s Built Into The Premise
Virgin River season 7 is confirmed, which is no surprise given the show’s quiet but consistent success for Netflix. It is popular enough to regularly register billions of minutes viewed on Nielsen’s streaming charts. It is no surprise, as well, that the streamer would want to build on that success. The cast of characters is vast, with an ensemble that also includes Colin Lawrence, Jenny Cooper, Tim Matheson, and Benjamin Hollingsworth, among others. Each of them could carry their own series, boosted by the fact that there are several editions in the Carr novels.
But it could be the case that, by taking its time, the fan-favorite romance drama gets in a better position in the long run to withstand changes. Virgin River is off to a strong start, in that direction, with the possibility of the Rothe and Kerr-led prequel still alive and well based on the latest update.
