Virgin River season 7 finale sets up exit for two characters ahead of season 8

A new season of Virgin River has arrived on Netflix, and season 7 takes fans on quite the rollercoaster ride of ups and downs!

Among the season’s central storylines is Jack and Mel’s journey to starting their own family. It’s a journey the pair have been on for a while now, and that journey brought about an unexpected development as season 6 ended. In the closing moments of the Virgin River season 6 finale, Marley showed up at Mel’s and let her know that Phil and Darla had backed out of their adoption. As Mel offered to help Marley sit down with the pair to talk about a potential solution, Marley claimed she already had one: she wanted to give the baby to Mel and Jack. 

Heading into season 7, we expected that Marley would play a key role in the season, and that was indeed the case. Warning: We’re about to get into season 7 spoilers from here! 

After coming to Mel to suggest that she and Jack adopt her baby, Marley plays a key role in the season as she remains steadfast in her plan of having Mel and Jack adopt her baby. This storyline brings about a wave of ups and downs as Mel and Jack both wrap their heads around adopting Marley’s baby, as Marley comes to terms with her decision to give the baby up. 

Just when it looked like things were settled, Marley’s ex, Eamon, shows up and makes it clear he wants to be in the child’s life. This begins a stretch in which the adoption begins to look unlikely, as one of Marley’s biggest factors in her decision was that she knew she wasn’t prepared to do this on her own. With Eamon entering the picture, Mel and Jack took a step back and encouraged the couple to take them out of the equation in order to figure out what they truly wanted. 

Following some back and forth and careful consideration, Marley and Eamon decide to proceed with the adoption, realizing that they’re not ready to be parents. This decision is amazing news for Mel and Jack but also paves the way for Marley and Eamon to exit the show as a result. 

Marley and Eamon are unlikely to return in Virgin River season 8

Although Netflix has not confirmed the cast for Virgin River season 8, it seems highly unlikely we’ll be seeing Marley and Eamon next season. 

After deciding to proceed with the adoption, Jack makes a joke to the pair, making them promise to him that they’ll go back to school. Eamon jokes that Jack is sounding like a father already as Marley reveals that they both plan on going back to school once the baby is born. They also are planning on moving to Sacramento after the birth, which was the first clue that they would be leaving the show. 

We thought perhaps that would leave the door open for a guest spot in season 8, but when Jack promises the pair they’ll stay in touch and send photos and videos of the baby, Marley asks him to give them some space. As she explains, while they’re confident in their decision, they realize they’re going to need some space, as it won’t be easy and they’re going to need some time. This suggests that once the pair leave town, they won’t be returning to Virgin River.

Season 8 will likely shift the focus onto Mel and Jack navigating life as new parents to a baby that requires multiple heart surgeries, so it would draw focus away from their storyline if Marley and Eamon were still in town. While it would be nice to see Marley and Eamon back in season 8, their storyline has reached a natural end now that the adoption is final and the baby is born. With a large ensemble, it wouldn’t make sense to keep the pair around given their main storyline was tied to the adoption, which is officially complete.