Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Virgin River season 6!

During the newest season of Virgin River, one episode serves as a backdoor pilot to the first-ever spinoff set within the Virgin River universe. Since its 2019 debut, Virgin River has gained a significant fanbase, leading to six seasons, with season 7 already on the way. The show follows Mel, a nurse practitioner, who moves to the titular town and falls in love with Jack Sheridan, a marine turned bar owner.

Virgin River had the potential for different lead characters, considering the books by Robyn Carr switch main characters, but Netflix has chosen to focus instead on Mel and Jack. However, this leaves plenty of room for spinoffs set within the same town. Luckily, one is already in the works, and Virgin River season 6 provided it with a backdoor pilot that helps audiences know what to expect.

Virgin River Season 6, Episode 2 Is Essentially A Backdoor Pilot For The Sarah & Everett Prequel Show In Development

In Virgin River season 6, episode 2, viewers get a glimpse into the backstory of Sarah – Mel’s mother – and Everett – her father. The flashbacks take place in 1972. Everett stops to pick up Sarah, who’s hitchhiking to a peace march in San Francisco. On the way, the pair break down in the town of Virgin River – the place which they will eventually call home. Once the mechanic fixes their car, he takes her to her march, and they part ways. Sarah tells Everett she’ll find him rather than giving him a direct way to contact her.

Because Mel wants to learn about her parents’ past, the inclusion doesn’t feel forced. Her parents’ story also furthers Mel’s character, helping her find closure about losing her mom by the end of Virgin River season 6. However, the episode actually functions as a backdoor pilot for the first spinoff. The books switch main characters while keeping the same setting. In the same way, The Virgin River’s prequel will follow Sarah and Everett’s romance within the town of the eponymous town before she meets Joey’s biological father.

Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith was smart in introducing the prequel through a backdoor pilot rather than releasing it separately from the original. There’s an inherent challenge in spinoffs and prequels when they center on characters that are not central to the original show. It’s an uphill battle to convince audiences to watch. By going the route of a backdoor pilot, viewers have a feel for the show’s visuals, mood, and characters’ personalities.

Who Plays Young Sarah & Everett In Virgin River Season 6

In Virgin River season 6, Young Sarah and Young Everett are played by actors Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr, respectively. Jessica Roth was born in Denver, Colorado, on May 28, 1987, and she got her big break playing Tree Gelbman in the 2017 horror-comedy Happy Death Day and the 2019 sequel Happy Death Day 2U. Though she started out on TV, she has primarily appeared in films. Besides her breakout role, she’s best known for acting in La La Land (2016), All My Life (2020), Valley Girl (2020), and Boy Kills World (2023).

Callum Kerr is less established than his counterpart, but he shows just as much promise in his performance as Everett. Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 11, 1994, and he got his big break playing PC George Kiss in the soap opera Hollyoaks from 2020 to 2021. He’s best known for acting in the shows Monarch (2022) and Flowers in the Attic: The Origin (2022). Kerr will play Smoker in Season 2 of Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation and Lord Galad of House Trakand in The Wheel of Time season 3.

Will Virgin River’s Sarah & Everett Prequel Show Happen? What The Cast & Crew Have Said

Virgin River season 6 changes the books by expanding the focus on Mel’s parentage, a decision that allows for the network to explore options for a prequel. Though Netflix officially confirmed the spinoff, not much information has come out since then. The showrunner confirmed to Deadline that it’s in development right now. He also told Swooon that he thinks there’s plenty of stories to explore in the prequel, including the love between Sarah and Everett as well as Hope’s history (via Collider).

To be clear, there’s no guarantee that Netflix will pick up a show in development for production. However, if it hits production, viewers can expect a turnaround of approximately one year based on Virgin River’s past production and release schedules. A significant factor in Netflix moving forward with the spinoff will be the success of seasons 6 and 7 of the original show.