When Will ‘Virgin River’ Season 5, Part 2 Come Out?

All things considered, it's pretty surprising that Virgin River has yet to have any holiday episodes. The Netflix fan favorite—which returned for its fifth season on September 7—is synonymous with all things cozy and traditional, even if the small town also has to deal with the occasional murder or drug empire. Now, after four years in, the streaming giant has split up Virgin River season 5 to bring a special batch of winter episodes, which may tie up one of the show's biggest mysteries.

How did Season 5 Part 1 end?

Episode 10, "Labor Day," ended with a flash-forward to the holiday season. As Mel and Jack were decorating their cabin, Mel received news that her sister Joey had found secret love letters that their mom had gotten from an address in Virgin River. Joey believed that their mom could have had a secret affair with a man in the town, who was likely Mel's biological dad. The identity of Mel's dad (whether it be a character we already or know or someone new) could be revealed in either season 5 part 2 or the upcoming sixth season.

When will Season 5 Part 2 be released?

Part two will arrive on November 30, 2023, over two months after part 1's September 7 premiere and just in time for viewers to get the cozy festive feels from the holiday episodes.

How long will Part 2 be?

So far Netflix has had two strategies for breaking up seasons into two parts. Either the second half will be a similar amount of episodes—i.e. You season 4—or the delayed drop will just include one or two installments, like the latest season of Stranger Things. Virgin River season 5 will follow the later, with part 2 consisting of two holiday episodes.

Is there a trailer for Part 2?

Netflix has released a teaser of what's to come in part 2, giving a hint of how many of the lingering storylines can fit into the two new episodes. While the main event bringing the community together will be the town Christmas tree-decorating competition, the special will also focus on Mel's search for her father, whom she and Preacher have apparently confirmed is still living in Virgin River. (The clip doesn't give much of a hint whether we'll meet him in the special episodes or season 6). Other standout moments include Preacher hiding the truth about Wes from Kaia, Brie and Brady sharing a moment under the mistletoe, and Lizzy sharing her concerns about (possibly?) becoming a mother with Hope.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Gail Harvey also teased a bit of what's to come.

"There's some very beautiful things and some storylines are tied up in a very emotional way," she told the outlet. "There's Christmas trees, there's ice skating, there's lovely Christmas gifts, there's dinners, and there's family dysfunction dynamics that we can all relate to at Christmas. And a lot of moving things. I thought it would be really great to do a Christmas episode because that's really what Virgin River is all about — tradition and family dynamics, good and bad."