Netflix’s highly popular romantic drama Virgin River has aired six seasons so far. The show tells the story of Melinda "Mel" Monroe, who moves to the remote titular town and starts working as a midwife while sparking a romance with the local bar owner, Jack Sheridan.
In the story, Mel and Jack are supported by several interesting characters who have grown on the audience over the years. One of them is Cameron Hayek, played by Mark Ghanimé, who joined the show in season 4.
Cameron is a doctor who starts working at Vernon "Doc" Mullins' clinic. His romantic life was an integral part of the plot in seasons 4 and 5. However, Cameron Hayek will not be returning as a series regular in Virgin River Season 7, as the showrunner has confirmed the character is not a part of the storyline.
Cameron Hayek is not returning in Virgin River Season 7
Mark Ghanimé joined Virgin River season 4 in 2022 as Doctor Cameron Hayek, who started practicing at Doc’s clinic. After being one of the main characters in seasons 4 and 5, Cameron made guest appearances in season 6 as he had left the town.
Co-showrunner Patrick Sean Smith has now revealed that Cameron will not be seen in the seventh season. He said in an interview with TVLine:
“Cameron will always be part of our world, and I would love to see his character come back again. He unfortunately won’t be a series regular in Season 7.
However, Smith added that he would love to have Mark back on the show in the future if the story presents another opportunity to explore Cameron’s character. He said:
“But I love Mark, and I love the character, so when opportunity presents itself, I’d love to have him back.”
The doctor’s departure from the show makes sense, as his arc in the show has reached a natural conclusion. He started his journey as a villain in season 4 when he fell for Mel, who was already in love with Jack, leading to the creation of a love triangle.
Cameron later had redemption in Virgin River Season 5, as he moved on from Mel and got into a relationship with Muriel. However, the two broke up between the fifth and sixth seasons, and Cameron got back with his ex-fiancée, moving with her to San Diego.
He rarely returned to the town in season 6 and was only seen on a couple of occasions, including at Mel and Jack’s wedding in the finale. Now that Cameron is not associated with any local residents and has moved away from the town, his character’s journey has come to an end.
Cameron Hayek went from being a villain to a fan-favorite in Virgin River
Cameron Hayek did not start off as a likable character. He came across as an arrogant and dominating person who caused problems in Mel and Jack’s relationship. But during the course of his journey, the character significantly transformed and eventually became a fan-favorite.
At first, Cameron’s behavior made him seem selfish as he made things awkward for Mel and Jack. However, when he started a relationship with Muriel, fans saw a kinder side of him. Their romance was not perfect as they had different ideas about starting a family.
However, it showed Cameron could grow and care about others. His connection with Muriel helped him seem more relatable and less like an outsider. He eventually broke up with Muriel as they wanted different things in life.
When Muriel struggled with cancer in Virgin River Season 6, Cameron returned to support her. The two ended things on a positive note. His return to the town for Jack and Mel’s wedding also signified his growth as he let bygones be bygones and decided to celebrate the couple.
Virgin River seasons 1 to 6 are streaming on Netflix.