Mel and Jack got married in Virgin River season 6 (Image: NETFLIX)
Netflix’s Virgin River has graced our screens with a fresh season brimming with romance and complications, as the series’ beloved couple Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) finally said their vows. Despite the joy of nuptials, their road to matrimony wasn’t short of turbulence and mishaps.
Meanwhile, lurking in the narrative was Charmaine Roberts (Lauren Hammersley), tangled in strife over the custody battles for her twins with the troublesome Calvin, who was increasingly insistent on his parenting rights. Brie Sheridan (Zibby Allen) steps into the fray, aiding Charmaine with legal manoeuvres to secure a restraining order against him.
The tension escalates as Calvin discovers Jack and co have been aiding Charmaine in her bid to fend him off, culminating in Calvin confronting Jack ominously under the cover of nightfall. Although the character of Calvin makes only a fleeting appearance this season, it didn’t slip past viewers that there was a new face; Josh Blacker stepped into the role that David Cubitt previously owned.
Fans expressed their disappointment over this casting switch-up on , where user loose-garlic-3461 lamented: “Anyone else bummed out that Calvin’s actor changed in season 6? I felt like the previous actor portrayed him perfectly.”
Another viewer, K_Click_D, chimed in: “Yep. This new fella just isn’t the same, he’s not threatening and intimidating enough. This was a disappointing point of season 6. I hope the original actor returns for S7.”
Josh Blacker now plays Calvin (Image: NETFLIX)
Mean_Swimming_4414 expressed frustration: “Yes, annoyed they changed him.”
remained tight-lipped on the issue of the casting alteration, neither addressing it prior to the season’s release nor afterwards.
Eagle-eyed fans had to resort to scouring IMDb profiles to spot the replacement actor. ConversationTop1408 shared their disappointment: “I’m disappointed, I like the original actor. I’m only on episode 3 at the court house where we see him for the 1st time. I was like wait .. this is not right..”
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Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins and Lauren Hammersley as Charmaine (Image: NETFLIX)
Adding to the sentiment, Wharevahappenedthere commented: “Loved the original Calvin. Not sure why David Cubbit didn’t return but he was awesome. The new guy might turn out to be alright but we’ll need to see more of him.”
The mystery persists over why David Cubitt may have departed from Virgin River, with his IMDb portfolio confirming that 2023 spelled the end of his time on the series.
With performances in Allegiance, Billy the Kid and The Madness, and two projects in the pipeline Field Sketches and Alone Together it seems plausible that conflicting schedules prevented his continued involvement in Virgin River.