In season 3 of “Virgin River”, all of our favorite characters are back, but one character is present more in spirit than in body. Why is that? Beware of spoilers!

“Virgin River” returned for season 3 and in the first episode surprised viewers with another mystery and introduced a new character – Brie (Zibby Allen), the sister of Jack (Martin Henderson). On the other hand, another important character is practically absent – of course, it is Hope (Annette O’Toole) this season.

Virgin River: Why is Hope not in season 3?

As it turns out in the premiere, Hope is stuck in South Carolina, where she was visiting family and was stopped by a hurricane. And although her character is still present in the plot, she is almost absent on screen. She and Doc (Tim Matheson) keep in touch via FaceTime, and the whole storyline seems, let’s be honest, forced by unfavorable circumstances.

That’s because it is, as showrunner Sue Tenney admits to TVLine. Season 3 of Virgin River was filmed during the pandemic, and Hope’s absence is due to the actress not being able to travel to the set.

“It’s definitely [an effect of] the pandemic. [Annette O’Toole] wasn’t able to travel, so we had to reshape ourselves. I actually really like what we came up with. I think it’s working really well. Keeping her on the show, even if it’s just for a few episodes, was the most important thing. People are talking about her, and I kept her in the lead,” the show’s creator says.

When we last saw Hope, she and Doc were surprised by their friends with an engagement party right when he was about to tell her his diagnosis. Hope’s departure leaves Doc to deal with the aftermath alone — though of course he’s helped by Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), and the ever-helpful Muriel (Teryl Rothery) reappears on the horizon.

It’s unclear what Hope’s storyline will look like in Virgin River Season 4. Netflix has yet to announce a series order, but unofficially, filming is set to begin in Canada in late July and last through late November.