'Virgin River' Boss Explains Why A Major Character Didn't Appear

Fans of the hit Netflix drama series Virgin River have learned to expect the unexpected. When it comes to ending things on a cliffhanger, few shows do it better.

But perhaps the biggest question left unresolved was the absence of Hope McRea. And in the wake of show creator Sue Tenney's recent interview with Us Weekly — it appears as if fans finally have their answer.

*Virgin River* is one of Netflix's most successful shows, currently.

People are absolutely obsessed with the story, the characters, and the never-ending drama that befalls the people of this incredibly small town.

Who knew so much could happen to them?

Now that season 3 is out on Netflix, people are hungrier than ever for the show.

Needless to say, without spoilers, that this season is every bit as dramatic as the others in terms of what was happening.

But unfortunately, we were missing the queen of drama herself: Hope.

Fans of *Virgin River* will recall that Hope spent all of season 3 out of town.

While there's no denying that she still played a big role in Doc Mullins' life, the only time she ever actually appeared on screen was via video conference call.

The show's creator/developer Sue Tenney explained that Hope's absence wasn't planned.

“We were affected by COVID like every other show, and it was impossible for Annette to come and join us up here in Vancouver," Sue said to Us Weekly.

"Personally, I love Hope."

"I love the character, so we got busy in the writers’ room to see how we can keep her alive in the show, with only having limited access."

Despite the imposed restrictions, Sue was determined to keep Hope alive — literally.

Sue got busy brainstorming ways to incorporate Hope into the story without her physically being there.

Tenney continued, carefully omitting any spoilers:

“We came up with that real doozy of a cliffhanger that will bring her back to the town, but also bring complications with it,”

When asked how many seasons of *Virgin River* she had in store, Sue replied that the sky is the limit.

“I want to do as many seasons as we can," she exclaimed, pointing out that there were still plenty of mysteries in Virgin River that as of yet remain unsolved.

Some fans were pretty disappointed with the fact that Hope wasn't in it.

After all, if you watch the show you must be aware that she provides a ton of drama that no one else on the show does!

She is such a nosy person, and we love to watch her get involved in people's lives.

Overall, it's safe to say that fans really, really miss her and are looking forward to her coming back in season four.

We all watch TV for the DRAMA, so it makes sense that we are missing her.

Can you blame us?

Now, we want to hear from you.

What did you think of the latest season of Virgin River? Were you happy with it or disappointed?

Let us know down below in the comment section! We would love to hear from you.