Virgin River is returning for Season 8; that much we know! The show, which ended Season 7 with Mel and Jack rushing their new baby boy into emergency surgery and Brady getting into a motorcycle crash, has now wrapped filming for Season 8. Yes, wrapped. They’re done. We’re still waiting, but now our wait is different. Now we wait for a release date. And sure, there’s still post-production and all of that, but the anticipation is now mounting.
And with the end of production here, it’s a good time to examine the new faces that will be joining our series regulars for the upcoming season. But who’s coming back and who’s new to the cast?
First, let’s share the confirmation that the season has wrapped, which came from renowned television director Norman Buckley, who will be directing two episodes this season.
Kandyse McClure also confirmed on Instagram, posting a story with the caption, “My feet hurt from dancing, my face hurts from smiling. And my heart is full to bursting. Another incredible season in the can!”
Season 8 started filming April 22 and wrapped on August 10. That’s 110 days of filming in total.
We also know who’ll be directing the 10 episodes this season!
- Episode 1: Martin Henderson
- Episode 2: Audrey Cummings
- Episodes 3 & 4: Shannon Kohli
- Episodes 5 & 6: Martin Wood
- Episodes 7 & 8: Norman Buckley
- Episodes 9 & 10: Audrey Cummings
Now, who is joining Mel and Jack (Martin Henderson) for Season 8? At least two new faces!
First, there’s Mitchell Slaggert (Landman), who is set to recur as an EMT named Eddie. According to the character description, he “may surprise you by fixing your soul along with your body. He’s a laidback charmer who never pictured himself in a small town, but with natural curiosity and a zeal for life, Eddie is going to explore all that Virgin River has to offer.”
But he’s not the only one, as Season 8 is bringing us another doctor. Natasha Calis, who currently portrays Hayley Roberts on the medical drama SkyMed, is set to recur in the upcoming season as a “brashly confident” surgical resident named Astrid, “who finds herself assigned to a rotation in Doc’s clinic after mysteriously being placed on probation.” Okay, we have a lot of questions!
“Her bedside manner may be lacking, but she’s willing to do almost anything to get out of Virgin River and back in the surgical wing,” her description also reads.
We’ve heard that story before. She’ll probably stick around. Rumors are she’s got an option for Season 9, which bodes well for the future of the show. And at this point, Eddie will probably stick around too! No one can ever seem to leave Virgin River. Well, almost no one. We do know of two characters who we will not be seeing for the upcoming season: Marco Grazziani (Mike Valenzuela) and Lauren Hammersley (Charmaine Roberts) were previously announced to have departed the show. We also won’t be seeing Marley again, which makes sense considering Season 8 is set to start after a 4-month time jump.
Yes, it ended with that cliffhanger, and in true Virgin River style, they’re jumping forward and then telling the story backwards. We should have known.
How do you feel about the changes? Are you excited for Season 8?
The first 7 seasons of Virgin River are now available to stream on Netflix
If Chad Michael Murray is not on virgin river season 8, it will not be worth watching!