Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith knows you’ve spent a long time waiting for resident bad boy Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth), a Marine veteran still trying to find his way, and Brie (Zibby Allen), a lawyer struggling after an assault upended her life, to get back together. They finally reunite in Season 7 — only for the finale to end with Brady suffering a devastating motorcycle accident.

“I think they had spent enough seasons apart,” Smith tells Tudum. “The dynamic and their relationship needed to change.”

Brady’s move to the straight and narrow is a big part of that evolution. He’s extricated himself from organized crime and is now running his own mechanic shop. Brie has also had time to heal from her assault at work and to ensure her old boss paid for his crimes. “The thing that felt interesting was Brie’s capacity to grow — to not try to return to the woman she was before her assault and accept herself for the woman that she is right now,” Smith says. “That’s who Brady wants.”

Meanwhile, “Brie is learning to accept Brady for who he is,” Smith continues. “Once she’s able to open up and allow that intimacy between the two of them, it feels like their relationship is in a different place than we’ve seen it before.” Yes, Brie is still affected by her past, but it doesn’t define her. “She was self-medicating and acting out in ways that she didn’t really understand at the time, but now that she has more awareness of herself and Brie 2.0, it’s interesting to put her and Brady working toward their happily ever after.”

Will Brady and Brie stay together?

While the couple appears to be on their way to a happy ending, the accident could prove deadly for Brady. For now, Smith won’t divulge what’s in store for the character or the couple, but he confirms that you will find out next season.

“That storyline will also play out in Season 8 — whether Brady survived the accident or not,” he says.

Virgin River Season 7 is now streaming. Stay tuned to Tudum for more updates about Season 8.