- Primary Subject: Virgin River Season 7
- Key Update: Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed the departures of Marco Grazzini, Lauren Hammersley, and Rachel Drance following the conclusion of the seventh season.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: March 13, 2026
- Quick Answer: Marco Grazzini (Mike), Lauren Hammersley (Charmaine), and Rachel Drance (Marley) are leaving the series. Mike moves to Los Angeles while Charmaine and Marley exit off-screen.
Netflix has finally released Virgin River Season 7, and while it introduces several new faces, a few characters may be saying goodbye to the series before Season 8.
Season 7 picks up where the previous installment left off, with Mel and Jack beginning their new life as newlyweds.
However, true to the show’s style, happiness in this small town never lasts for long. New challenges emerge, and this time they come with major character exits. So, who leaves Virgin River Season 7?
Marco Grazzini
On the same day Virgin River Season 7 premiered, news emerged that Marco Grazzini would be leaving the show.
Grazzini, who plays police officer Mike, joined the series in Season 3 to help Brie (Zibby Allen) search for Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) after she went missing.
From there, his character eventually formed a relationship with Brie.
“He’s not coming back for Season 8,” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed to Deadline regarding Grazzini’s exit.
In Virgin River Season 7, Mike and Brie’s romance comes to an end after she rejects his proposal and confesses that she had been unfaithful to him.
Brie eventually reconciles with her ex, Dan (Benjamin Hollingsworth), while Mike begins a new relationship with medical investigator Victoria (Sara Canning). Mike later plans to move to Los Angeles with Victoria, leaving the small town of Virgin River behind.
"Character departures are very common in this business, especially on a long-running and beloved series like Virgin River,” Grazzini addressed his exit in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to play Mike for six seasons."
Lauren Hammersley
Lauren Hammersley officially joined Virgin River in Season 5, initially listed as a main cast member, and later appearing as a recurring character from Seasons 5 to 7.
After giving birth to twins and everything she has been through, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith told TV Insider that it might be time for Hammersley’s character, Charmaine, to “take a break.”
Charmaine left with her twins at the end of Season 6 and soon faced another dangerous situation involving Grant (Alessandro Juliani), who killed Calvin (Josh Blacker), the father of her children.
Now free from these threats, Charmaine is set to begin a new life – though it will take place off-screen.
“I was texting with Lauren and was just like, ‘I think [Charmaine] needs a break. I think you need a break,’” Smith explained. “‘You both have been through so much on this show thus far. It doesn’t mean I don’t adore you and would love to have you back in any capacity for the right reasons.’”
Rachel Drance
After appearing as Marley in Seasons 6 and 7, Rachel Dance will not return for Virgin River Season 8.
Marley, the birth mother of Mel and Jack’s adopted baby, is not expected to come back after entrusting her child to the lead couple.
“What I really wanted to capture in the scene when the baby is born is the two different experiences happening at the same time,” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith said of the adoption. “Eamon is there to support Marley in this moment, while Jack and Mel are celebrating something they’ve worked so hard for and endured so much to have.”
“I think they played it beautifully. Marley sends Jack away, and you can see the grief starting to set in. She’s definitely made the choice that’s best for her, but I wanted to make sure that we captured that,” he continued.
While Smith confirmed that both Grazzini and Hammersley might return to the future, it remains to be seen if Drance will join the show again. Despite that, fans will surely see new faces when Virgin River Season 8 begins.
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