The recordings for Virgin River (2019– ) are in full swing and a new casting call already seems to reveal an important plot detail. The production is looking for newborns, including twins, for the July 22 filming in Richmond Canada. This call immediately causes speculation among fans of the popular Netflix series.
Charmaine’s twins
Following the casting call, many will immediately think of Charmaine and her twins and that is precisely what makes the call so striking. It was previously confirmed that actress Lauren Hammersley will not return in season 8. This raises the question of whether her babies will still have a role in the series, even though their mother is no longer part of the story. However, there is a caveat. The fact that the casting call also asks for twins does not automatically mean that twins must be included. In the television and film world, babies are often played by twins. This way, recordings can continue for longer without violating the strict rules regarding working hours.
Still ‘Virgin River’ via Netflix
Denny and Lizzie
The casting call could also be for Denny and Lizzie’s baby. Although their child has already been seen, young babies are often replaced in television series. The baby used for last year’s filming is probably too old to continue playing the same character credibly.
Still ‘Virgin River’ via Netflix
Whose baby?
The casting call also has another option. In the season finale, Mel and Jack adopted a newborn baby with a heart defect. There is now speculation on the internet that the baby will survive the operation and that Mel and Jack will be allowed to keep him permanently. However, there is a small catch to that theory. The casting call is only valid for one shooting day. This could indicate that this is not a recurring role, but just a short scene. In that case, things could also end badly for Mel and Jack’s newborn baby. A more plausible explanation is that the baby who will play Mel and Jack’s adopted child was previously cast and the production is now only looking for additional babies for hospital scenes. At the same time, this also raises questions. The call explicitly looks for Caucasian babies, a striking detail if it were only extras. As a result, speculation about an important character or crucial storyline in the new season is far from over.
7.4 Watch on Netflix • Melinda Monroe responds to an advertisement for a nursing job in the remote town of Virgin River, California.
Beeld: Still ‘Virgin River’ via Netflix
