VIRGIN RIVER season five could see the death of one of its most popular characters, Brie,

as a theory from Express.co.uk explores all the evidence that hints toward a heartbreaking demise.

Brie Sheridan (played by Zibby Allen) has started afresh since arriving in Virgin River

to reconnect with brother Jack (Martin Henderson). Not only has she left the rat race of the big city behind her, but she’s started a new romance with the sleepy town’s resident bad boy Dan Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth). However, Netflix viewers witnessed in season three how her heartbreaking past caught up with her after she suffered a miscarriage and at the end of season four, this trauma was revisited thanks to rapist and lawyer Don (James Kot).

Brie had decided to stay in Virgin River for a while longer in the fourth season of the Netflix drama.

Throughout, Brie worked tirelessly to prove her beau Brady’s innocence after he was wrongly imprisoned for the attempted murder of Jack.

However, her past came back to haunt her when she received a call from the man who raped her and left her pregnant, Don.

Don remained a free man as Brie struggled to deal with the trauma and instead decided to up sticks to Virgin River in the hopes she’d never have to deal with him again.

However, a surprise phone call from Don in season four shook Brie to his core as he pleaded with her to clear his name after “rumours” of the harrowing encounter began to circulate among his peers – damaging his career prospects.

Brie hung up and was consoled by Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) but she was unable to put the ordeal behind her when Don arrived in Virgin River.

In one of the final moments of the season four finale, Don arrived with a non-disclosure agreement in his hand and tried to persuade Brie to sign it.

“I’m not trying to cause problems. I just need you to sign something,” he said to her as she read over the document.

“You want me to sign a nondisclosure agreement?” Brie said in shock as Don replied: “It protects both of us. It just says we agree not to discuss our relationship with a third party.”

When Brie refused, Don seemed puzzled as to why she was so enraged, unsympathetically asking her: “Why are you being such a b***h?”

He went on to promise: “Look, just sign it and I’ll leave you alone, you’ll never have to see me again.”

But Brie stood her ground, finally confronting Don about his horrific actions and blasting: “All you care about is yourself. You know, I quit my job. I had to move out of town. I lost…so much. But nothing changed for you, did it?”

“Look, I’m sorry if I did something to upset you,” an oblivious Don replied but Brie was quick to let him know what he did.

“Upset me?” Brie furiously hit back. “You raped me. And you’re the one who should have suffered. But you know what, for all the other women in your life.. I can’t let that stand.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Don asked to which Brie said: “It means I’m gonna do what I wish I had done that night. I’m gonna file a police report and I’m gonna press charges.”

“Well, good luck with that. No one’s gonna believe you,” Don protested but Brie triumphantly barked back: “Yeah, well we’ll see about that. But if I were you, I would lawyer up. A**hole.”

The last fans saw of Don was as he menacingly watched Brie drive away – but will he let her bring a rape allegation against him?

After all, he went to the trouble of drafting an NDA and tracking Brie down to Virgin River over people talking back home.

Surely he’d do whatever he could to stop Brie from going to the authorities and filing a report about what he did?

Could this mean Don will have to take deadly action to prevent Brie from exposing the truth?

With him committing rape before, he holds no regard for the law, so could murder be next for the toxic lawyer?