Virgin River season 5 part 2: release date, recaps, trailer, first look images, cast, plot and everything we know

Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan smiling.
Virgin River season 5 part 2 will unearth another huge secret. (Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Virgin River season 5 part 2 is set to bring the Christmas spirit this holiday season, with a festive trailer teasing all the exciting drama yet to come in the two episodes.

In the trailer, Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) tells her fiancé Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson): "We did it. We found my father."

When a stunned Jack asks where he is, Preacher (Colin Lawrence) says: “He’s still right here in Virgin River.” 

So who will could the mystery man be and have we already met him?

While Virgin River season 5 part 1 finally gave us the answer to who is the father of Charmaine's twins? The new series sent shockwaves throughout the fandom yet again after it ended on another shocking revelation —  who is Mel's father in Virgin River?

The first part saw the Virgin River residents face a terrifying wildfire that threatened to burn down the town, all the while Mel and Jack were grieving from her devastating miscarriage.

However, Mel was left reeling once again when her sister dropped a huge bombshell that their mom was having an affair with a man in Virgin River and that he could be Mel’s biological father.

Virgin River season 5 part 2 will see Mel search for her real father while the villagers take part in the town's annual Christmas tree decorating competition.

Here's everything we know about Virgin River season 5 part 2...

Mel Monroe and Jack Henderson cuddle on the sofa.

Mel Monroe and Jack Henderson tried to heal from their heartbreaking loss. (Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Virgin River season 5 part 2 release date

Virgin River season 5 part 2, which is two holiday episodes, arrives on Netflix on Thursday, November 30.

Virgin River season 5 part 1 is now streaming on Netflix after landing on Thursday, September 7, 2023.

The official Virgin River Instagram account posted the announcement with the caption: "The moment you’ve ALL been waiting for … Drumroll please. 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."

Virgin River season 5 part 2 trailer

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the trailer for Virgin River season 5 part 2, with the final two episodes set to arrive in November.

Lauren Hammersley, who plays Charmaine shared the first trailer on her Instagram...

Virgin River season 5 part 2 first nine minutes preview

Netflix Tudum has also released the first 9 minutes of the Christmas episodes as Mel and Jack search for the perfect Sheridan family Christmas tree (which you can watch here).

The preview opens with Mel and Jack walking through the Redwood forests of Northern California in search for the perfect Christmas tree.

But finding the perfect Sheridan family Christmas tree is no mean feat, especially since Jack reveals that he doesn't want their first Christmas together to be ordinary, he wants it to be extraordinary.

We also catch up with our other Virgin River favorites after we last saw them on Labor Day. 

Mel is searching for her mystery birth father who could still be in Virgin River, meanwhile Brie Sheridan (Zibby Allen) and boyfriend Mike Valenzuela (Marco Grazzini) are baby-proofing her house for her sister's kids.

Brie is left disappointed when her sister can't make it as she's snowed in in Boston, until her father shows up fuming that their mother brought along her new boyfriend.

Mel’s sister Joey (Jenny Cooper) arrives with her children and the love letters Mel’s dad wrote to their mother.

Elsewhere, Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson), Hope McCrea (Annette O’Toole), Denny Cutler (Kai Bradbury), and Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) are preparing for the notorious tree-decorating contest and drinking rum-infused eggnog.

Of course, Lizzie isn't drinking as she's officially pregnant and she breaks the news that she still hasn't told her own mother about her pregnancy.

Virgin River season 5 part 2 first look images

Check out some exciting first look images for the Christmas episodes below that includes all of our Virgin River favorites...

Virgin River season 5 part 1 episode recaps

If you're wanting to know what went on in Virgin River season 5 part 1 ahead of part 2's release, you can take a look at our episode recaps which do contain spoilers.

Jack holds onto a concerned Mel outside the doctor's surgery.

Mel and Jack in Virgin River season 5 part 1. (Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Virgin River season 5 cast

The majority of the much-loved cast returned for the fifth season, while we also welcomed some new additions to the popular drama, which you can read about in our season 5 cast guide.

We can guess that they will return for the second part of the series, but the cast that returned to Virgin River season 5 are Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan, Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins, Annette O'Toole as Hope McCrea, Benjamin Hollingsworth as Brady, Sarah Dugdale as Lizzie, Colin Lawrence as John "Preacher" Middleton, Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan, Jenny Cooper as Joey Barnes and Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine Roberts.

Joining them in reprising their roles were Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela, Kai Bradbury as Denny Cutler, Mark Ghanimé as Dr. Cameron Hayek, Teryl Rothery as Muriel, Nicola Cavendish as Connie, Gwynyth Walsh as Jo Ellen, Stacey Farber as Tara Anderson, Chase Petriw as Christopher and Barbara Pollard as Melissa Montgomery.

Hope leans on Doc's shoulder as they have a heart-to-heart.

Doc Mullins and Hope McCrea in Virgin River season 5 part 1. (Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Four new cast member were also introduced, including Susan Hogan as Doc's ex-girlfriend Rose, Elise Gatien as Lark, Paolo Maiolo as Firefighter Davis and Kandyse McClure as Kaia.

More stars that also featured in the show were Gabrielle Rose, John Allen Nelson, Deb Podowski, Ava Anton as Hazel, David Stuart as Reporter Ted Ford, Melanie Merkosky, Brent Fidler, Brad Harder as Adrian, Serge Houde, Helenna Santos, Gabrielle Jacinto as Nurse Jill, and Audré Alleya Stephenson.

If you can't wait until season 5 part 2 to see your favorites on your screen again, you can check out our other article where else can I watch the Virgin River cast?

Brady and Lark drinking a beer.

Elise Gatien as newcomer Lark. (Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

Virgin River season 5 part 2 plot

The show teased that season 5 part 2 will take place during the festive season where Mel will go on a mission to find her biological dad in Virgin River, while the town's annual decorating competition gets underway.

In the final episode of Virgin River season 5, Mel and Jack were decorating their cabin for the Christmas holidays. 

The nurse practitioner was talking to her sister Joey on the phone, who told her about some love letters she found between their mother and an unknown man in Virgin River.

“Mom was having an affair with someone in Virgin River. And I think this guy might be your father," Joey told a stunned Mel.

Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith teased to Glamour in October about what's to come in the holiday episodes.

He said: "The holiday episodes are a little bit lighter, and we wanted to play a little more comedy after the weight of this season. It felt like, if we're going to give a holiday gift to the audience, let's make it a fun one. So part of what Mel and Jack are going through in those two episodes is like the scavenger hunt through Virgin River trying to track down the man who is her biological father. They're going from clue to clue."

While everyone has already started to share their theories on who Mel's father could be, Patrick added: "I think the fun of the two upcoming episodes is looking around and realizing it could be anybody in Virgin River."

However, when Glamour asked him if the audience had already met Mel's father, Patrick remained tight-lipped and didn't give anything away.

He said: "I don't want to reveal."

Although he did rule out one Virgin River resident and it will come as a huge relief to fans. 

"I think Brothers and Sisters went there for an episode and it gets a little ick. So other than Jack's dad, everybody else is a suspect," Patrick shared.

It's also possible that they may develop the aftermath of Charmaine's baby daddy's unexpected arrival.

Mel and Doc drinking wine.

Many fans believe that Doc Mullins is Mel Monroe's father. (Image credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX)

How many episodes will Virgin River season 5 part 2 have?

Virgin River season 5 consists of 12 episodes in total, with part 1 containing 10 episodes and part 2 containing 2.

Grace Morris
Staff Writer

Grace is a freelancer writer with WhatToWatch.com, and she now writes for our sister site TechRadar. She graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 2020 with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, which only made her love for creative writing, film and TV grow stronger.

You'll usually find her watching the drama unfold in the latest reality series or much-loved UK soaps (usually with chocolate by her side!). She's an expert in EastEnders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and everything reality-related from Selling Sunset and Married At First Sight UK to 90 Day Fiancé UK. Plus Netflix megahit Virgin River!

Grace also likes to explore new places with her friends and family and, of course, watch and read about the latest films and TV series.