Virgin River returns with a sixth season of small-town drama
Last we visited Virgin River — the small, remote town in Northern California where, despite their differences, everyone ultimately pulls in the same direction — it was Christmas. So, it seems only appropriate that the following season arrives as a Christmas gift for its fans. “I feel like it’s our best season yet,” says Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays the town’s bad boy, Brady. “I think the writers did a wonderful job this year, weaving the web.”
The final moments of Christmas ’23 set up a whole lot of trouble for the young veteran who already, in seasons prior, has struggled to find a footing in this town. While the audience knows that Brady’s new love interest Lark (Elise Gatien) is in cahoots with Calvin’s right-hand man Jimmy (Ian Tracey), for the character that has started to explore life on the straight and narrow, this is still news. “He’s lost the love of his life with Brie (Zibby Allen), and he’s trying to be everything that Brie wants him to be with Lark, so he really steps up in all areas of life,” says Hollingsworth. “Of course, we see it’s a slow-motion car crash that Brady does not know is coming.”
Along with Lark and Jimmy’s deception, the season-five finale also set up the discovery of Wes Logan’s buried body, which could land Preacher (Colin Lawrence) behind bars. Yet, all of this must make way for the most pivotal storyline of the season: the much-anticipated wedding between Jack (Martin Henderson) and Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge). “It’s rewarding and validating for the audience because they’ve been waiting six seasons for this to take place,” says Hollingsworth. “Season six really brings Jack and Mel back to the forefront. Their story takes up a lot of real estate, and I think that’s rewarding for the fans too, because that’s a big part of what makes the show successful.”
The big event becomes a catalyst for the other characters in Virgin River, whether pregnant Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale), newly-in-love Preacher and Kaia (Kandyse McLure) or conflicted-in-love Brady. “It’s such a small town where the internet’s still slow, and the gossip’s fast,” says Hollingsworth. “This is a big wedding and I think it heightens the stakes for Brady and everyone involved because they look at this as the pinnacle of every relationship, the moment where two people get married. So, all these relationships are being affected.”
If the poster for the sixth season didn’t give it away, their awkward moment under the mistletoe in last season’s finale certainly set up some lingering feelings between Brady and Brie. “A rock and a hard place, that’s where you can deliver Brady’s packages. He’s always right there, no matter how hard he tries,” laughs Hollingsworth. “In Lark he sees someone who is similar to himself, had a rough upbringing and is really in need of a second chance. He’s there for her and he’s invested, but it’s not the same. What he had with Brie, it remains sacred and special.”
While Hollingsworth doesn’t know who Brady ultimately ends up with, he continues to play his interactions with Allen as if these two could still be #endgame. “I am very careful to play the scenes with Brie and Lark differently, even though he’s falling for Lark,” he says. “Zibby, who plays Brie, we have a dynamic and a shorthand that you rarely get, and when you do get it, it’s a lot of fun to play with because it’s just like playing catch, back and forth, back and forth. Even my wife is a Brie and Brady fan. She actually cried in season five when we broke up. So, I’m very careful to make sure that I play that like Brie is always going to be the love of his life.”
Adding something extra to an already emotionally heightened season is Henderson, who goes behind the camera to helm his first episode as a director. “Oh my gosh, he’s so good,” says Hollingsworth. “It was such a pleasure being directed by him and working with him. He is such a kind, thoughtful and empathetic person in general, and such a team leader on set. He was equally as thoughtful, collaborative, encouraging, warm, while directing, but he had this insider perspective on everything, so he was able to offer an insight to playing scenes that I hadn’t thought of before.”
That the set is a friendly and extremely supportive one shouldn’t come as a surprise. “It’s very much a communal family experience,” says Hollingsworth. “That’s why I love working on the show so much. It’s such a great workplace.” In fact, we should probably all take a page from the Virgin River playbook. “Maybe we lean a little bit more into the spirit of what it’s like to be part of a small town and we can all get back to getting along,” says Hollingsworth. “We’re all in this together.”
Season six of Virgin River premieres Thursday, December 19, on Netflix