Hope McCrea, played by Annette OToole, was absent for most of season 3 of Virgin River. It was explained early on in season 3 that Hope left Virgin River to take care of her ailing aunt, and the trip was originally anticipated to be brief, but Hope ended up needing to stay away longer than anticipated which kept her away for nearly the entire season. While driving back to Virgin River in a desperate attempt to make it back for her friend Lilly’s funeral, Hopes car was involved in an accident leading to her being hospitalized for urgent treatment. The Virgin River season 3 finale saw Doc and the doctors discussing his wife’s chances of making a recovery after her brain surgery, while she never directly appeared on screen. This meant an agonizing wait ahead of Virgin River season 4 to find out if Hope would survive and be happily reunited with Doc. However, Hope returned to the show in person in season 4 and was back at home with her husband.