Virgin River season 8 casts new heartthrob for key role (and he reminds us of Jack)

Before the latest season of Virgin River premiered on Netflix, the streaming service renewed the beloved romantic drama for season 8. Of course, as soon as we finished our season 7 binge-watches, we were already looking ahead to what would happen in the next season and, most importantly, when the season could be coming to our watch lists. Thankfully, filming has already started.

While there's still a lot more to learn about Virgin River season 8, the new season now has its first addition to the cast, which comes after a casting shakeup that sees two long-time cast members departing after season 7. Deadline reports that The Sex Lives of College Girls and Landman star Mitchell Slaggert will appear in a key recurring role in the forthcoming eighth season.

Mitchell Slaggert joins Virgin River season 8 in recurring role

The actor isn't joining the main cast, but he's expected to appear in multiple episodes as a new heartthrob in town named Eddie. He's described as "a charismatic EMT who may surprise you by fixing your soul along with your body." Doesn't that sound an awful lot like a charismatic bar and restaurant owner who's always willing to help out his friends in his community?

It's unclear who Eddie will be working with in the series. Even though there's a medical connection with Doc's practice, the series hasn't had a steady first responder character that overlaps with the main characters. The other closest connection could be Kaia, a firefighter who's frequently put into positions with those who are put in harm's way. Speaking of being put in harm's way, there's also Brady, who ended season 7 in a dangerous motorcycle accident.

Eddie could almost certainly be among the EMTs who arrive at the scene of Brady's crash to rush him to the hospital. If he sticks around the hospital, there's a chance he could run into Brie, who will inevitably be scared out of her mind and worried about Brady. The showrunner teased that Brie and Brady would have more twists in season 8. Could that be another man entering the picture and connecting with Brie, making Brady jealous while he recovers?

Honestly, let's hope that's not the case! Brie and Brady deserve to have happiness, and facing the realities of what's to come after Brady's accident is enough of a hurtle without throwing more complications into the mix. But there are few other options for Eddie when it comes to romance, and since this is a romantic drama show, he will definitely be turning someone's head.

Because Eddie sounds so much like Jack on paper, with helpful demeanor and a shoulder for others to lean on, it would be great if Jack could be something of a mentor to him. He's been a generous friend to others in the past, like Brady and Preacher, and a newcomer in Virgin River (if he's actually new to town) could use someone to assist navigating the tight-knit ins and outs.

Virgin River season 8 began filming in late April 2026 and is expected to wrap up sometime in August. From there, post-production will begin and lead the way to a release sometime in the first half of 2027, though more than likely in the spring. Until then, we'll have to keep making predictions on Slaggert's role and piece it together with any other casting additions!

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