Virgin River returned to Netflix for its second season in November, and the show has held onto a prime spot on the streamer's Top 10 list since then. There are plenty of questions about what will happen next in the story after the cliffhanger ending, but arguably the biggest question regards the future of the series itself: is Virgin River returning to Netflix for Season 3?
Well, there's a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is that Virgin River has not yet been renewed for a third season, so there is no guarantee one way or the other about the future of the popular show. The long answer has to take some variables into account, all of which suggest that fans shouldn't panic at the lack of a renewal, and prospective viewers don't have to pass on watching out of the fear of a premature cancellation.
Although Virgin River hasn't been renewed for a third season yet despite its status in Netflix's Top 10, the second season also hasn't been out for very long. Season 2 premiered on November 27. To compare to Virgin River's previous outing, Season 1 premiered on December 6, 2019 and wasn't officially renewed until two weeks later on December 20. And even that was a pretty quick turnaround for a Netflix show! No renewal for Season 3 at this point doesn't mean a renewal isn't on the way.
Virgin River Season 2 also ended on a massive cliffhanger, which showrunner Sue Tenney was already hyping before the second batch of episodes even premiered on Netflix. Admittedly, shows have been cancelled despite huge cliffhangers before, but Tenney's comment to TVLine that Season 3 would pick up after "a larger time jump than we had between Seasons 1 and 2" seem pretty confident about the show continuing.
Even the pandemic complications that resulted in the cancellation of TV shows like Netflix's GLOW and ABC's Stumptown might not be so severe as to prevent Virgin River from restarting production. Virgin River films in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia rather than Los Angeles, which may be approaching a new stay-at-home order. Although productions in Vancouver haven't been immune to shutdowns due to positive COVID tests, filming in British Columbia might be more practical than Los Angeles, and the L.A. production costs are part of what resulted in GLOW's cancellation by Netflix.
While the streamer has cancelled enough shows -- including some that were already renewed -- this year that fans might understandably be worried about Virgin River going the way of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This, there are positive signs about Mel's story continuing in a third season. Throw in the show's prime spot on the Top 10 list, and my money is on Virgin River being renewed, perhaps sooner rather than later.
If Virgin River was renewed for Season 2 just two weeks after Season 1 premiered, maybe a Season 3 announcement is just a week away! We can only wait and see. You can find the full two seasons of Virgin River so far streaming on Netflix now, and check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule for some viewing options in the new year.
