Virgin River's seventh series is proving to be the popular Netflix drama's most sinister instalment to date, with the opening five minutes of the premiere episode confirming a significant character's demise.

The hugely successful romantic drama centres on nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge), who relocates to the picturesque Northern California town following her husband's death.

Following a passionate romance with local bar owner and former Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), the couple married in series six and are now contemplating starting a family.

Nevertheless, their wedding celebrations were somewhat marred by the mysterious vanishing of Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) the subsequent morning, with the latest preview finally revealing what transpires.

The fresh footage discloses that Jack stumbled upon the corpse of local narcotics dealer Calvin (David Cubitt/Josh Blacker), who fathered Charmaine's twins, reports the Mirror.

More troubling still is Charmaine's disappearance, along with her babies.

Viewers must watch the upcoming series, launching this Thursday (12th March), to unravel the events of Jack and Mel's wedding night and establish Charmaine's current whereabouts.

Speaking to Tudum, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith said: "When we committed to the cliffhanger of season six with Charmaine not showing up at the wedding, and spent all season planting seeds of danger for her, we went back and forth on, what did Jack see?

"Who did he see? Did he see anything?"

Viewers will recall the sixth season, which dropped in December 2024, ended with an unsettling scene showing Jack appearing troubled by what he discovered at Charmaine's residence.

The dramatic cliffhanger generated numerous theories in the following months and the puzzle has now been solved, though it raises even more questions for the new season of Virgin River to address in just a couple of days.

Smith acknowledges it "would've been disappointing" had Jack merely discovered an empty property, reassuring fans the new season will deliver some gratifying resolutions.

Throughout the season, it will actually be Brie (Zibby Allen) and Mike (Marco Grazzini) who take on the task of investigating Charmaine's vanishing.

Meanwhile in Virgin River, Jack and Mel will begin the "earnest steps forward in parenthood and start to experience the adoption process."

There's also the question of where the newly-weds will be travelling for their honeymoon, teasing the Netflix programme's first ever journey beyond North America for a much-deserved respite from the small town's relentless drama.

Virgin River season 7 premieres Thursday, 12th April on Netflix.

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