The long-awaited sixth season of Virgin River has landed on , with scores of viewers keenly anticipating the most-talked-about wedding of the decade.
Audiences have been on tenterhooks for seasons, hoping to see Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) finally walk down the aisle, but questions remain: Will their big day unfold seamlessly, or does fate have other plans?
Beyond the lead love story, Virgin River teems with intrigue, including the budding romance between Preacher (Colin Lawrence) and the town’s firefighter, Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure).
At the end of the previous season, Preacher had vulnerably confessed his love to his new partner, though Kaia hesitated to reciprocate.
Now that all episodes of season six are available as of yesterday (Thursday, December 19), fans are set to binge-watch en masse, eager to discover if Kaia will echo Preacher’s declaration later in the series.
Virgin River star’s ‘difficult relationship’ helped her understand Kaia (Image: NETFLIX)
In an exclusive interview with Screen Time, McClure opened up about how her personal experiences lent authenticity to her portrayal during this intense chapter of Preacher and Kaia’s journey. “Part of the feeling that I had and that I felt I knew about Kaia was some of the intersections from some of my own personal life,” she disclosed, reports .
Reflecting on past hardships and personal growth, the star shared: “Having come out of kind of a difficult relationship in my early 30s, or mid 30s, and having spent quite a bit of time alone previously, it’s like, when you’re an independent person and all you have to worry about is yourself, you develop a kind of ease about that. Or simplicity or sense of safety.”
“I’m not going to disappoint anybody, I’m not going to let anybody down, I’m not going to put my problems on anybody else. I can make clear decisions.”
Throughout season five, Kaia struggled with various obligations but ultimately chose to stay in Virgin River as its new Fire Chief.
The wedding of the year is finally here (Image: NETFLIX)
As we anticipate the sixth chapter moving forward, fans are curious if Kaia’s connection with Preacher could evolve significantly.
McClure voiced her character’s serious approach to relationships: “I think because she takes so seriously, as I do, when you say you love someone, what that really means is, ‘Well, I’m going to be here.
“‘My problems are your problems, we’re going to solve these things together even if we disagree we’re on each other’s side. I’m going to pull for you’.”
“And having to make that kind of transition it’s like, ‘Am I really ready for all that? I don’t know what that means, I feel it but am I whole enough for somebody to love?’
“Because even if you feel it it’s like, is it safe? Is it safe for you to love me? Is it safe for me to love you? Can I really stand behind what that means. And she takes it so seriously! So you’ve gotta be careful now what you say and when, you can’t just be throwing stuff around!
Kandyse McClure teases if Kaia will say “I love you” back this season (Image: NETFLIX)
“What Kaia and Preacher really share is a sense of self-respect. Things can be going on around them but, Preacher especially [thinks] ‘That’s fine what you’re doing, but things have to align with my own conscience’. That’s why we love and respect Preacher.”
Virgin River enthusiasts are crossing their fingers that Kaia and Preacher’s bond will be unbreakable in the upcoming season, though they know all too well that surprises lurk around every corner.
While another impromptu wedding seems unlikely to overshadow Mel and Jack’s nuptials, one can’t help but wonder if wedding bells might chime for this beloved duo in a subsequent season.
Virgin River season 6 is available to stream on .