Is Annette O'Toole Leaving Netflix's 'Virgin River'?
Virgin River isn't the same without the town gossip. While Hope (Annette O'Toole)'s presence is felt throughout season 3, the mayor of the town is physically absent, only showing up when she's video chatting with Doc (Tim Matheson). At the start of the season, the show sets up Hope's absence, telling us that she left town to visit her ailing aunt. Worry sets in when Doc learns that a hurricane is approaching the town where Hope is currently staying and he can't get a hold of her. Eventually, he's able to reach Hope but learns that the hurricane has delayed her return home even more. Coupled with the dramatic cliffhanger in the season 3 finale, some fans are beginning to worry if Hope is actually leaving Virgin River (both the town and the hit Netflix show) for good. Instead of waiting for Netflix to drop season 4 for answers, read what showrunner Sue Tenney has to say about Hope's whereabouts and if she'll ever return to the show. Let it be known that there's a method to the madness. Hope was supposed to play a bigger role in season 3, but the pandemic forced the writers to change course. "We were affected by COVID like every other show, and it was impossible for Annette to come and join us up here in Vancouver," the showrunner told Us Weekly. We only see Hope McCrea on video calls throughout Virgin River season 3. Netflix  Instead of writing Hope off the show, the writing team found a way to keep her character alive  at a safe distance. Their solution: Keep Annette safe at home and only show Hope through FaceTime and Zoom calls. This, of course, meant that certain moments, like a vow renewal ceremony for Hope and Doc, had to be nixed from the current season. "Two episodes of plot on that. When we get to that point, which is a re-commitment ceremony, we definitely are going to want to see that," Sue told Entertainment Weekly. "But we have some drama going on with both of those characters that puts that on the back-burner, but also heightens their commitment to one another." Luckily, Hope will be around in season 4 to make up for everything we missed this go-around. Netflix hasn't officially picked up Virgin River for season 4, but Whats on Netflix reports that the series is set to begin filming the next installment in late July. Fans shouldn't be too concerned about Hope's fate because the showrunner confirmed that she'll be back in one way or another. "We came up with that real doozy of a cliffhanger that will bring her back to the town, but also bring complications with it." Hm, what does that even mean?! This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io