The Virgin River showrunner confirms that a key character will not be returning in season 7. Virgin River is a Netflix romantic drama that began in 2019. The series has been largely well-liked by viewers across its six seasons and has already been renewed for season 7. Virgin River features a leading cast including Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, Tim Matheson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Mark Ghanimé, Sarah Dugdale, and Annette O’Toole. Season 6 was released on December 19.

Speaking with TVLine, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith reveals that Ghanimé will not return for season 7. The showrunner states plainly that he “won’t be a series regular for season 7.” The showrunner did not rule out the possibility that Ghanimé’s character, Cameron, could return to the franchise in the future, expressing his reverence for the character and actor. Check out the full quote from Smith below:

I love Mark, who plays Cameron, and I love the character of Cameron. He will always be a part of the world, and I would love to see his character back, but he won’t be a series regular in Season 7, unfortunately.

What This Means For Virgin River

Cameron Was Already Being Written Out

While this change might be disappointing for some Virgin River viewers, the news is not entirely unsurprising. Cameron entered the series during Virgin River season 4, and acted as a series regular for that season and the season after it. He was a potential love interest for Mel, before later transitioning to be the subject of Muriel’s attention. Despite his regular appearances in seasons 4 and 5, Cameron only appeared in three episodes of Virgin River season 6. As such, it seemed that Ghanimé’s character was already being written out of the show.

This was also evidenced by how Cameron’s storyline was treated in the beginning of Virgin River season 6. Cameron and Muriel’s breakup occurs between Virgin River season 5 and season 6, effectively writing the character off the show. The series also seemed to provide Cameron closure and an easy way to stay out of the season. He is back with his ex, Michelle, and returns to tell Muriel he is moving back to San Diego. This makes Cameron’s storyline effectively closed, even if Smith is open to bringing him back.

By making him not a series regular in season 6, the show helped ease the transition into Cameron being left out of the show. The way they structured the series made it such that the doctor did not just drop off the face of the Earth as some shows do with their actors if a contract agreement is lost or anything like that. Cameron’s storyline felt fairly complete, especially because they included him in the Virgin River season 6 finale. At a time when multiple characters’ season arcs were wrapping up, Cameron’s story was also concluded, making things smoother.

Our Take On Cameron’s Virgin River Departure

Cameron’s Storyline Feel Complete

While Cameron was an appealing character in Virgin River, it may be time for the series to focus on other key romances. The love triangles that Cameron once had with both Mel and Muriel have run their course. The only way to bring Cameron back permanently in any way that makes sense would be to create another romance plot or have him break up with Michelle again, which might seem tired for the show at this point. Even for a soap opera, where the love triangle trope is welcome, it might get exhausting to redo this point.

While Smith certainly had the tone of this being the end of an era, his mentioning that Cameron will “always be a part of the world” leaves the option open for him to return in a smaller capacity.

That said, Smith did not rule out the possibility of Ghanimé making a cameo in Virgin River season 7. In fact, all that the showrunner said was that Ghanimé “won’t be a series regular” in season 7. While Smith certainly had the tone of this being the end of an era, his mentioning that Cameron will “always be a part of the world” leaves the option open for him to return in a smaller capacity. Even if it was just a single episode of Virgin River season 7, Cameron’s cameo or guest star appearance could be a highlight for viewers missing the character.

This might be the best way to give the character another shot without risking repeating past story arcs. While he has moved to San Diego, Cameron still has a base of friends in Northern California. This would give the character a reason to return to the area, even if he did not move back to work or start another relationship. This could give Virgin River a reason to bring Cameron back for a brief period without forcing a plot that goes against the neat closure his character already had.