The highly-anticipated fourth season of Virgin River has only just dropped on Netflix but it has already topped the streaming charts, with viewers spending more than 100 million hours watching the series in its first week - knocking Stranger Things off the top spot.
The American drama series has received acclaim for its ensemble cast of actors and well-paced plot, which makes life in the small Californian town seem anything but ordinary and dull.
Fans who have already binged through Season Four will know that the show ends on an all-mighty cliffhanger, with the not-so-sleepy town of Virgin River revealing both an unexpected killer and a shock twist for Charmaine's twins.
With so many threads left hanging, when the final credits rolled, fans were left with as many questions as when the season began. The biggest question for fans, of course, is whether there will be a fifth season and if there is, how soon can they get their hands on it.
Want to get the latest TV news direct to your inbox? Sign up for our daily newsletter HERE
Everything we know about Season Five so far
Netflix has officially signed on for a fifth season of the widely-popular Virgin River - so the paternity issues raised at the end of the fourth season, as well as the who-shot-Jack revelation, will hopefully be resolved further next season.
Announcing the news, Jinny Howe, Netflix's VP of original series, told USA Today : "[With] everything that's been going on in the world, people more and more [are] looking for, not just that comfort, but also that feeling of hope and that feeling of community.
"All of that really came together in a way that was really organic, and I think this was more of a proof point that this is a really vital area of programming for us."
Netflix is yet to put a timescale on when this fifth season will land on our screens. However, as actor Martin Henderson (Jack) recently posted on Instagram a video from the set saying "Back to set tomorrow to get season 5 to you soon(ish)!” - many are hoping Season Five could come as soon as July 2023.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27028742.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/2_VirginRiver_Season4_Episode4_00_08_49_11RCAJPG.jpg)
In an interview with Glamour, Henderson remained tight-lipped on the plotlines of Season Five, but did say fans could expect more twists: "I was told who it was supposed to be in the writer's minds, but I haven't seen it written.
"One thing I know around here is you can't count your chickens until they're hatched in terms of plot lines," said Henderson. "Because there's this sense that it could be who you think, but then what's the more shocking choice?
"I don't know where they've landed on that, but the one I heard is really, really good. It's juicy."
Season Four of Virgin River landed on Netflix July 20, with 12 episodes available to stream right away.