Virgin River has finally announced the release date for its highly-anticipated fifth season and while most fans are over the moon with the news, others are a little unhappy with one major change Netflix has introduced for the upcoming series.
Season five will be released in two parts. Ten episodes will arrive on Netflix on September 7 and will be followed by two special festive episodes, which will land on Netflix just in time for the holiday season on November 30.
The show's official Instagram account shared the announcement alongside a first-look image at the new season, which shows Alexandra Breckenridge's Mel Monroe standing on a suspension bridge while wearing a wide grin.
"The moment you've ALL been waiting for….Drumroll please," the caption read. "Virgin River Season 5 will be streaming on Netflix September 7th! I repeat, September 7th!
"Better yet… There will be a part two. Our HOLIDAY episodes will be released on November 30th. Get excited y'all."
Reacting to the news on social media, some fans expressed their disappointment over the two-part release. One person wrote: "Idk why they giving us the first few episodes and then giving us 2 holiday episodes for part 2 like give us all the episodes at once!!!! #VirginRiver."
A second fan wrote: "I had a nasty feeling the episodes would be split this year :( seems to be the thing to do at present," which prompted another viewer to comment: "I'm hoping this isn't going to be a thing every season now. I'm thinking they are doing this because they are 'holiday' episodes so it's kinda cool they are releasing them at the holidays."
However, not all fans were displeased and shared their excitement over the introduction of holiday episodes. One person wrote: "We're getting holiday episodes too!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh," while another added: "Woohoo. Virgin River. Season 5 will be aired September 7th, it's a two part season. Holiday episodes will be aired November 30th!!! So exciting to see Jack and Mel again."
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What is Virgin River season five about?
Fans can expect a whole load of drama from the new episodes, including "surprising new relationships, a shocking break-up, a difficult court trial, a heartbreaking goodbye, and a wildfire that threatens the town, bringing some people of Virgin River together while tearing others apart".
The synopsis continues: "Issues of motherhood push Mel to make a big decision about her future at the clinic while her pregnancy unexpectedly sparks an emotional connection to her past. To further prove himself to Mel, Jack squares off with some long-overdue confrontations–with his own demons, and of course, Charmaine.
"And as Doc and Hope's respective impairments throw their identities into question, the doctor and the mayor must find solace in their community, in their young new family, and in each other."
Alexandra Breckenridge teased the new episodes in a previous interview, telling New Beauty that the upcoming series is "pretty heavy" and likely to "leave people on the edge of their seats".
