Fans of Netflix’s cozy romance series Virgin River have been expecting a longer than usual wait

for new episodes. The popular ensemble show returned for its fifth season in fall 2023,  with a

two-part release that left viewers clamoring to find out what’s next for Mel, Jack, and the rest of the gang.

Luckily, we’ve known for a while that new episodes were guaranteed—Netflix confirmed season 6 in May 2023, well before season 5’s September 2023 premiere date—wasn’t exactly a surprise. Though the streaming giant doesn’t release exact viewership numbers, it has previously revealed that Virgin River is a consistently high performer. Season 5, for instance, brought in impressive numbers, with the first part dethroning Suits for Netflix’s No. 1 rank during its premiere week in September 2023.

It’s safe to say that the feel-good TV show won’t be going anywhere any time soon. With more on the way, we’re breaking down everything we know about Virgin River season 6.

To fans’ delight, Netflix has announced that the small-town series will return earlier than expected, with season 6 set to premiere on the streaming giant on December 19, 2024. Not only is the TV hit coming back earlier than expected, but the streamer is also debuting all episodes of the season at once, a return to tradition after season 5’s two-part release.

Before the surprise news announced in October 2024, new episodes of Virgin River weren’t expected to come until 2025. When Netflix announced its original lineup for the year back in February 2024, Virgin River was one of the fan favorites left off the list, along with Ginny & Georgia, Stranger Things, and Wednesday. It seems the streamer fast-tracked the hit since production on season 6 started that February and ended in June 2024, per Deadline.

Who in the cast will return for ‘Virgin River’ season 6?

Netflix has confirmed that all of the show’s regular cast will be back for season 6, including Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, Tim Matheson, Annette O’Toole, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Zibby Allen, Sarah Dugdale, Marco Grazzini, Mark Ghanimé, Kai Bradbury, Kandyse McClure, and John Allen Nelson.

Behind the scenes, Virgin River will continue to be helmed by showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who took over for Sue Tenney starting with season 5.

What will ‘Virgin River’ season 6 be about?

The dramatic conclusion of season 5 set up several threads for the show to follow, including Lizzie’s (confirmed!) pregnancy, Charmaine finally giving birth, Brady’s sketchy girlfriend Lark, Preacher’s fate after the apparent discovery of Wes’ body, and Mel getting to know her father, Everett Reid (as well as that foreboding news he has to share).

Speaking with Tudum, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith revealed that season 6 will jump forward a few months into the spring to focus on Jack and Mel’s upcoming wedding. “We’re trying to hit all the milestones of the pre-wedding planning, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the rehearsal dinner,” Smith explained, adding that “Mel and Jack will advance on their path to parenthood while also turning Lilly’s (Lynda Boyd) farm into their ultimate dream home.”

In a fun twist, season 6 will also go back in time, exploring Everett’s past with Mel’s late mother Sarah as they meet and fall in love in the 1970s. Per Tudum, young Sarah (played by Jessica Roth) is “a witty free spirit from the big city with an ardent passion for activism who’s trying to avoid the conventional and traditional life of a young woman. Always up for an adventure, she can’t help chasing an instant spark with a handsome musician who might just be her star-crossed soulmate.”

Meanwhile, young Everett will be played by Callum Kerr. “Everett is a handsome and freewheeling singer-songwriter with a poet’s soul. One day he’ll pursue his dreams of the stage, but for now, he’s skimming through life in a VW van, until a chance meeting with a beautiful hitchhiker may just show him there’s more to life than he ever thought possible,” per Tudum.