Virgin River S7. Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela in Episode #701 of Virgin River S7. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
With Virgin River now back on our screens, the series hits a milestone: 74 episodes in the books, and a Season 7 storyline that pushes Mike Valenzuela back into the kind of work that first defined him. After a proposal left in limbo and a personal betrayal involving Brady, Mike pivots from the “boyfriend” archetype back into his foundational role as the steady presence people rely on when things go wrong.
We spoke with Grazzini about Mike’s emotional state, the revived “buddy cop” dynamic with Brie, and why the series ultimately chose to depart from the original endgame established in Robyn Carr’s novels.
Since our interview, Deadline has confirmed that Grazzini is amongst those exiting the series and won’t be returning for season 8.
Editor’s Note: The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
In Virgin River Season 7, we see Mike start from a vulnerable place. He’s proposed to Brie, but he also knows about the betrayal with Brady. How did that shift your approach to the character?
Season 6 was very lighthearted for Mike; he was solely focused on his relationship. This year, there was a massive tonal shift. It was back to the classic things on Mike’s plate: upholding the law and solving cases while balancing the drama of the Brie and Brady triangle. Mike has been in limbo for days after his proposal. Before this, he was always putting Brie’s needs at the forefront, often to the detriment of his own.
He starts from a wounded place, but he has a job to do. He can’t just sit at home and cry on his pillow. Between finding Calvin’s killer and locating Charmaine, he has to work with Brie again. They share a worldview regarding justice, and those electric moments happen because they have to put aside personal pain for the better good of the case.
Fans value Mike because he is a stand-up guy, but this season, he sets very strict boundaries. He refuses to be a doormat.
I was very happy with that. Mike has become an extension of myself, and you want what’s best for your friends. If you look at the facts, Brie is not a healthy person for Mike; she is attracted to drama and chaos. Mike was coming from a very mature, stable place, but ultimately, you can’t be that stable forever, or it becomes a toxic situation. I was happy Mike stood up for himself; he isn’t going to beg and plead.
There is a striking maturity in how Mike and Brie maintain their professionalism despite the breakup. How do you and Zibby Allen approach those scenes?
We’ve worked together for so long that we actually did a movie together in 2018, prior to Virgin River, so we have a shorthand for approaching scenes. We are very open with each other, sending voice notes or emails to work stuff out. We were both grateful for the injection of new circumstances this season that made the dynamic feel fresh. It’s that wonderful dynamic where Mike can say, “This isn’t your business,” but he knows she’s so good at her job that they have to work together.
Regarding the rivalry with Brady, after the punch in Episode 1, and later going to Brady for information about Calvin, do you think Mike has finally moved past that rivalry?
I think he’s done. I don’t think they can ever truly be friends; Mike simply doesn’t trust that Brady is capable of truly evolving. It’s a small town, so he’ll be adult enough to be civil when they share a social circle, but they aren’t going to be best friends. He’s not dropping Mike off at the airport on his motorbike,” Grazzini jokes, something we briefly laughed about, considering what unfolds on that bike in Episode 9.
As he puts it more bluntly, “Brady’s going to Brady.”
Virgin River S7. (L to R) Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan and Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela in Episode #701 of Virgin River S7. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
In the books, Mike and Brie are the definitive endgame. The series has taken a different direction. At what point did you realize the show was pivoting away from that pairing?
I found out script-by-script, but you get a sense of it. When Brie came on in Season 3, she immediately paired with Brady, and they had great chemistry. From a showrunner’s perspective, you have to go in the direction that’s getting you eyeballs.
The reality of scripted television is that you aren’t obligated to follow the books. If something is catching fire positively, you go in that direction. It introduces the “bad guy vs. good guy” trope, which works and gets people engaged. I champion Mike, but I can objectively see that the conflict makes for great television.
Grazzini also acknowledges how strongly audiences attach themselves to the triangle: viewers can be “tribal,” he notes, with fans firmly split into Team Mike or Team Brady, and the tension continuing to fuel conversation season after season.
We see a new spark between Mike and Victoria (Sarah Canning) this season. Is this the “clean slate” he needs?
Mike might be falling into a pattern of falling for people in his same line of work. But Victoria is a good person, and they start with a clean slate. When a relationship starts without walls or resentment, it bodes well. I love the sparks that fly between them right off the get-go.
What can you confirm regarding the production of Virgin River Season 8, and what is on your personal “wishlist” for Mike?
We shoot from April to August of this year, and it will still be 10 episodes. As for Mike’s future, I just want him to be valued and happy. I’d love to see him get married and have a fun bachelor party, nothing too crazy, just sports and hanging out with the boys. Those “military boy” scenes with Jack, Preacher, and Brady are some of the most fun to shoot because they tap into that shared history.
I also think Mike would do pretty well with the sewing circle. I loved the comedy afforded to Mike in Season 6, and those ladies are so talented; it would be a gift to have a scene with the whole sewing circle.
Virgin River S7. Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela in Episode #705 of Virgin River S7. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Virgin River has now reached 74 episodes. Alexandra Breckenridge has mentioned that her current contract runs through Season 8. Have there been any early conversations about Season 9? And can you share anything about Sarah Canning returning in the upcoming season?
I don’t have any information about Season 8 storylines yet. As for Season 9, I know nothing about it at all. I’m focused on Season 7 right now.
When pressed for any hint on whether he would remain a series regular for the eighth year, Grazzini stayed professionally guarded, offering only: “We’ll see. I don’t know.” He maintained similar discretion regarding Victoria’s return.
Future Projects and Life Beyond the River
Do you have any upcoming projects you can share?
I just did an episode of Watson on CBS [which will be licensed to Netflix US]. It was a wonderful time on that set; I got to use a bit of an accent and spoke a couple of lines in Portuguese, which was a first for me.
After six years on Virgin River, working on Watson was a breath of fresh air in a different genre. I even had to shave my beard for the role, which made me feel a little naked.
I am also part of a Hallmark series called Haunted Harmony Mysteries. We have already filmed two new installments in Ireland, and they will be released at some point this year.
Virgin River season 7 is now streaming on Netflix globally.
