When you’re a fan of a soap opera, daytime or primetime, there’s always a little bit of worry about the cast. Who could leave? Who could come back? Who could be recast? Apart from a couple deaths and departures, Virgin River has been mostly safe from the shocking revolving door of comings and goings that have plagued other series of its kind. Until… now?
Well, sort of! Back when Virgin River season 5 came to its Christmassy conclusion at the end of 2023, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith revealed that there could be a potential character recasting on the horizon for season 6. Before you get too worried, don’t panic! None of your favorite characters are being swapped with new actors. It’s Mel’s new puppy, Pony!
In the Christmas episodes that ended season 5, Jack gives Mel a yellow Labrador retriever puppy named Pony. It’s an especially heartwarming surprise for Mel since she always wanted a pony growing up. After a tumultuous year and holiday season, it’s the perfect way for Mel and Jack to celebrate a new beginning as a family. How cute!
Here’s what Smith had to say about Pony potentially being recast with a new dog: “I’d always anticipated there would be a time jump after the holidays when we pick up with season 6, so we were going to have that dog age naturally as we headed back into production. But we didn’t account for the five-month strike. So I don’t know where Pony is now in their maturation.
Obviously, the puppy that played Pony in season 5 would have naturally grown out of its puppy stage by the time cameras started rolling for season 6. But as Smith mentioned, the hiatus between season 5 and 6 went beyond what they had anticipated due to the prolonged dual Hollywood labor strikes. The original Pony might be a bit older than they need him to be onscreen. But he’s just a puppy so you never know!
Following the release of Virgin River season 5 part 2, Alexandra Breckenridge spoke with TV Line about Pony and revealed that Mel and Jack were previously supposed to inherit Charmaine’s dog. As she had with other storylines before, Breckenridge shot down the dog adoption idea, saying “Why would Mel ever agree to this?” As it turns out, the actress was so smitten with Pony in real life that it inspired her to get her family a Labrador of their own. Mel has Pony and Breckenridge has Bonnie!
