Virgin River boss confirms season 8 cast shakeup we sadly saw coming

Some goodbyes will be in order once Virgin River fans complete their season 7 binge-watch on Netflix. The long-running original romantic drama series, which has already been renewed for season 8, loses a main cast member and another series staple. However, after watching their storylines play out in season 7, we sadly saw their exits coming.

Following the release of Virgin River season 7 on March 12, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith spoke with Deadline about what to expect from the cast in season 8, and he confirmed that apart from one series regular exit, the main cast will remain the same, with no other expect departures and no expected additions. The recurring cast, though, will be getting quite the shakeup.

Virgin River loses two long-time characters ahead of season 8

Smith confirmed to Deadline that Marco Grazzini and Lauren Hammersley are both leaving Virgin River after completing season 7. That means, we won't be seeing Mike and Charmaine in the upcoming eighth season. Hammersley has appeared in every season since the first, and Grazzini has been a series regular since season 4. But both of their exits were actually expected.

Warning: Spoilers ahead from Virgin River season 7 from this point forward!

After watching Virgin River season 7, it's clear to see how Mike and Charmaine won't be back in season 8. The love triangle between Brie, Mike, and Brady has been officially resolved, with Brie choosing to be with Brady once and for all. Even though Brady got into a bad motorcycle accident at the end of the season, Ben Hollingsworth remains a series regular for season 8.

It became clear that Mike was possibly being written out of the show in the season finale. During the later episodes of season 7, Mike struck up a romance with Victoria (Sara Canning), the medical investigator who dropped in from Los Angeles to pry into Doc's clinic. The writers dropped the hint that Mike could be heading up to LA to be with her. (Smith also confirmed Canning isn't returning.)

As for Charmaine, Virgin River season 7 devoted a fair amount of time to wrapping up the season 6 cliffhanger that left her fate up in the air. She spent most of the season on the run after Calvin's death at the hands of Grant, the man who was obsessed with her. But Charmaine's storyline was honestly a plot device for Brie's love triangle, a clear indication that the series was running out of steam for her.

Smith explained the exits and thought process about the casting decisions to Deadline: "For me, I’m just trying to look to the longevity of the show and making sure that the characters that we’re keeping have enough story engine in them to keep going. So I can’t say there are any specific cast shakeups planned, but I think we will have to start to — as characters run their course — make some decisions and bring in some new blood."

Mike and Charmaine clearly ran their course, but Smith isn't ruling out potential returns for them in future seasons after season 8. Rachel Drance, who played Mel and Jack's son's birth mother Marley, also won't return in season 8, but others like Austin Nichols, who plays Dr. Eli Kelly, and Cody Kearsley, who plays Jack's ranch hand Clay, will continue to recur next season.

Beyond some of these comings and goings, the rest of the main and recurring cast members we have grown to love will remain unchanged, and we can also likely expect from some exciting casting announcements regarding that "new blood" Smith teased in the coming weeks as Virgin River season 8 gears up to begin production this spring. Stay tuned for further updates!