Season four of Virgin River is now streaming on Netflix, and while fans are thrilled, plenty have taken to social media to express their confusion over one character in the new episodes.

The town mayor and busybody Hope, played by Annette O’Toole, has many viewers have been scratching their heads following her return to the show after being largely absent from season three. So what happened to Hope between season three and four? 

It has been a while since season three, so it’s entirely understandable that fans may have forgotten that Hope hasn’t had the best time of it since she left Virgin River to look after her ill aunt in South Carolina.

First, she got caught up in a hurricane, delaying her return, and then when she was finally able to drive back to the Northern Californian town, she ended up in a catastrophic car accident. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she underwent brain surgery.

Hope was involved in a car crash in the season three finale

The season three finale left things on a major cliffhanger and the question of whether Hope would survive or not was finally answered in the new episodes when it was revealed that she was safely back at home with her husband Doc, played by Tim Matheson.

However, it becomes clear very early on that Hope’s injuries and the surgery have left her with some long-term side effects, namely that she appears to have lost some of her memories. In one episode, she asks to visit her close friend Lilly who, as fans know, passed away last season from cancer. It was Lilly’s funeral that she was desperately rushing home for when she was hit by a truck on the road.

In the new season, Hope is still regaining some memories

Elsewhere, she is shown getting confused over a familiar recipe and even forgetting that central characters Mel, played by Alexandra Breckenridge and Jack, played by Martin Henderson, had visited her in hospital.

And for those wondering why Hope was absent from season three altogether – and almost didn’t return for season four – it’s because Annette was not able to fly to Vancouver last year when filming took place due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to US Weekly last year, showrunner Sue Tenney explained: “We were affected by COVID like every other show, and it was impossible for Annette to come and join us up here in Vancouver. Personally, I love Hope. I love the character, so we got busy in the writers’ room to see how we can keep her alive in the show, with only having limited access.”