Virgin River refresher: What happened to Hope on Virgin River?

A new season of Virgin River has officially arrived on Netflix with the first 10 episodes of season  5 streaming now and the new season wastes no time in jumping right into the deep end!

Given just how much went down in season 4, it can be a bit hard to put the pieces together and remember what happened the previous season without going back and re-watching it from the start.

Among the biggest stories that are re-introduced and play out across season 5 is Hope’s recovery and her struggle to regain control of her life following her accident. In the season 5 premiere, Lizzie is hired to be Hope’s aide, and across the episodes that follow we see Hope struggle with her new reality — especially when it comes to feelings of how she’s being perceived by her friends and those around her.

Hope has always been a strong and independent woman, so relying on others for help has never been a strong suit for her nor is being told what she should or shouldn’t do. Hope’s accident is referenced often in the season and plays a key role across the ten episodes, but it’s never fully recapped for the viewers at home leaving some to wonder what exactly led up to the situation she finds herself in season 5?

What is wrong with Hope on Virgin River?

It is explained early on in season 3 that Hope left Virgin River to take care of her ailing aunt. The trip was originally anticipated to be brief, but Hope ends up needing to stay away longer than anticipated which keeps her away for nearly the entire season.

When Hope hits the road to make her way back to town, she’s involved in a car accident which sends her to the hospital in the final episode of the season. While the full extent of her injuries was not explained in the episode, we find out in the season 4 premiere, that among the many repercussions of Hope’s accident last was a brain injury that she’s still recovering from.

While Hope has come a long way since her accident, the repercussions of the car accident including her brain injury entail a long recovery which is why Lizzie was hired to be her aide and why her friends are so protective of her in just wanting Hope to take care of herself.

Virgin River season 5 is streaming now on Netflix.