Netflix has released a first look at Virgin River season 6 — revealing

that it will premiere sooner than expected. Season 6 of the heartfelt series

will pickup a few months after season 5’s Christmas-themed episodes, following

Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) planning for their wedding as well as her relationship with dad Everett (John Allen Nelson).

Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith told Tudum on Monday, October 7, that the 10-episode season, which will hit Netflix on December 17, takes place “deeper into springtime.” He added, “We’re trying to hit all the milestones of the pre-wedding planning, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the rehearsal dinner.”

Smith teased that Mel and Jack “will advance on their path to parenthood while also turning Lilly’s [Lynda Boyd] farm into their ultimate dream home.” (Mel and Jack decided to purchase the property during the season 5 finale.)

“Babies and wedding bells are never off the table on Virgin River,” Smith, who took over as showrunner from Sue Tenney before season 5, said.

Viewers can also expect some “new directions” for characters like Preacher (Colin Lawrence), Dan Brady (Ben Hollingsworth) and Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure).

“Brady will be volunteering at the Virgin River fire station under Fire Chief Kaia, who is pulled into Preacher’s past sins,” Smith continued. “Also this season we’ll be surprised by some returning favorites from the past.”

A new character will also be introduced during season 6. “The big new mystery character this season is Mel’s biological father Everett Reid, who is carrying a long-held secret,” Smith said. (Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr are set to join the series as a young Sarah and Everett.)

Virgin River premiered in 2017, and centers around Mel’s new chapter after moving to a small California town while grieving the loss of her husband Mark Monroe (Daniel Gillies). Over the course of five seasons, fans have watched as Mel found new love, got engaged and experienced a (second) pregnancy loss while also discovering her biological father. The show itself has followed other citizens of the town as well as they come together to survive natural disasters, drug rings and more.

Last year, Smith told The Hollywood Reporter that he “never” intended to have “subsequent seasons match the intensity of season 5,” which included a miscarriage, a wildfire and a sting operation to take down a drug supplier.

“I would say that going into season 6, my intention is to have it feel lighter, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be complicated with the signature Virgin River twists and turns,” he told the outlet in December 2023.

Smith added that he’s “excited” to lean “more into the romance of the series,” joking that he’s just trying to give the fans “what they want.”