Why 2 ‘Virgin River’ Stars Aren’t Coming Back Next Season

It’s a bittersweet day for “Virgin River” fans.

The hit Netflix series returned for Season 7 on March 12 with 10 new episodes, delighting viewers. But the series’ showrunner also announced the departure of two characters.

In June 2025, Netflix announced that “Virgin River” was already renewed for Season 8, long before Season 7 even premiered.

In a new interview with Deadline, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith revealed that Marco Grazzini, who plays Virgin River police officer Mike Valenzuela, is leaving the series after five seasons.

“He’s not coming back for Season 8,” Smith said.

In recent seasons, Grazzini‘s character has ben romantically involved with attorney Brie (Zibby Allen), the sister of Jack (Martin Henderson). In Season 6, Mike proposed to Brie, even though he knew that she had cheated on him with her ex-boyfriend, Brady (Ben Hollingsworth).

During his interview with Deadline, Smith also announced that another popular character, Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), who went missing in the Season 6 finale, won’t be returning in Season 8.

Although Mike and Charmaine are saying farewell to “Virgin River” for now, that doesn’t mean they won’t return some day.

“But they’ll definitely be back and continue to be a big presence on the show,” Smith said about the characters.

Looking to the future, Smith said there’s always a possibility of other changes to the cast as the show evolves.

“For me, I’m just trying to look to the longevity of the show and making sure that the characters that we’re keeping have enough story engine in them to keep going,” he said.

“So I can’t say there are any specific cast shakeups planned, but I think we will have to start to — as characters run their course — make some decisions and bring in some new blood,” he said.