Virgin River is heading into season 7 at full speed – without an actor who has officially left the successful Netflix series.

After the sixth season premieres on Thursday, December 19, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith was asked about the actor Mark GhanimeHe opened up exclusively about his future as Cameron on the show Us weekly“I love that relationship, and I think this season was a bit of a farewell for Cameron. “As for Mark, the actor I adore, unfortunately he won’t be coming back for Season 7.”

Smith didn’t rule out a possible return in the future. “But that doesn’t mean Cameron won’t be a part of our world forever,” he added. “I would like to bring him back and bring his character back when the story is presented.”

Ghanimé, 47, joined Virgin River in season 4 as a new face in Doc’s clinic and as Mel’s lover. Things quickly went south for Cameron and Mel and he then reconnected with Muriel, but had to break up when his ex reappeared on the scene. Cameron and Muriel initially called it quits in season five, but he came back after learning of her breast cancer diagnosis.

Elsewhere in the season, Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) finally got married. However, the two were in for a surprise when a local teenage girl asked Mel to adopt her baby.

“With Marley and this situation, we will continue to see Mel and Jack navigate their journey toward parenthood,” Smith explained Us. “We can live in the newlywed bliss that they have and the challenges that come with being a newlywed couple.”

He added: “I think the pace we’re moving at gives us a lot of opportunity to tell more and more stories for as many seasons as possible.”

Related: Dating stories of the cast of “Virgin River” over the years

“Virgin River” revolves around the dramatic love lives of people in a small town, but the cast has found more stable relationships in real life. The Netflix drama, which premiered in 2019, centers on Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a widow who answers an advertisement for a job as a midwife and nurse in (…).

There’s also a love triangle to worry about after ex-girlfriend Brie (Zibby Allen) and Brady (Ben Hollingsworth) slept together. However, fans of the fictional couple didn’t get to see them ride off into the sunset after breaking the news of their infidelity to Brie’s boyfriend Mike (Marco Grazzini). Instead, Mike decided to propose to her, which left Brie conflicted.

“A good love triangle is only as strong as the options you offer and the impact (Brie’s) decision would have on her life,” Smith noted Us. “So imagine what their future with Brady might look like compared to that with Mike. And I think it works really well there.”

Virgin River is currently streaming on Netflix and has already been renewed for season 7.

With reporting by Kat Pettibone