Virgin River Says Goodbye to Key Character in Season 5

The town of Virgin River is the type of place where people tend to put down roots and stay for a long time. So when a character exits Netflix's Virgin River TV series, it's quite a big deal for its fans. The recently released fifth season of the hit TV show saw one such departure, as a character who has been a key part of the series since the very first episodes has now said goodbye. WARNING: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Virgin River Season 5! Continue reading at your own risk...

Paige (Lexa Doig) has officially left the town of Virgin River, and it doesn't seem like she has any plans to come back. This exit may have been a big surprise for fans of the series, as it seemed like her issues had finally been worked out at the start of Season 5. Paige and Preacher (Colin Lawrence) were informed that they wouldn't get in any trouble for taking down Vince (Steve Bacic) because they were acting in self defense. Vince being taken to prison finally opened the door for Paige and Preacher to be together without a lot of trouble. Paige had other plans.

After Preacher tells Paige she doesn't "have to run anymore," she pivots in a different direction. With so many bad memories in Virgin River, Paige decides that she and Christopher (Chase Petriw) need to start fresh somewhere else. She invites Preacher to come with them, which would allow their romance to continue, but he declines in favor of staying home in Virgin River. 

What's Next for Preacher?

Preacher and Paige's love story might be over, but Preacher will still be a focal point for the show. He also didn't have to wait long to get involved in a new romantic situation.

Following Paige's departure, Preacher gets to know a new character named Kaia, who is played by Kandyse McClure. Kaia is a firefighter and she hits it off quickly with Preacher. The only issue is that Kaia is still married to a fellow firefighter. They're separated at this point, but it's still a difficult road to navigate, especially since they work in the same place.

Is Virgin River Returning for Season 6?

There's little concern for the future of Virgin River, as Netflix has already ordered more episodes of the popular series. Earlier this year, Netflix announced that Virgin River had been renewed for Season 6.

"I think we definitely see more longevity and growth with the show," Netflix's Head Of Drama, Development Jinny Howe told Deadline last year. "As long as the audience asks for it and shows up – and I think we see with Season 4 that the fandom is very strong and growing in many places as well – it feels like based on what we're seeing with Season 4 and the anticipation for Season 5 that there is a lot more storytelling to offer us."