Netflix Hid a Major Easter Egg in Virgin River Holiday Episodes, And Everyone Missed It

Summary

• The final episodes of Virgin River Season 5 brought not only the Christmas spirit, but also some interesting details.
• One such detail was an Easter egg spotted by fans on one of the Christmas tree baubles.
• The inscription on it was a reference to the fan-favorite Christmas romcom on Netflix.

The final two episodes of Virgin River's fifth season, released on November 30, gave us some long-awaited feel-good vibes after the drama and tension that erupted in the titular town. Not only Mel, Jack, Hope, Doc, Lizzie and Denny, but all of the town's residents were actively preparing for the upcoming Christmas by choosing appropriate trees, decorating their homes and participating in various activities — Patrick Sean Smith and the team finally gave their characters a little relaxing break before the new drama and problems that come with Season 6.

The show's creators left us a little Easter egg, but not everyone noticed: well, we wouldn't have noticed it either if it weren't for eagle-eyed Reddit users!

Only the Most Observant Would Have Noticed This Easter Egg

Episode 12 featured the 44th Annual Christmas Tree Decorating Contest, in which the residents of Virgin River compete and are judged for the most beautiful and festive Christmas tree.

Some eagle-eyed Redditors immediately began pointing out that one of the notable moments most likely contains a reference to a popular holiday movie that has warmed the souls of Netflix subscribers for many Christmases. During the contest, one of the shots focused on the Christmas tree bauble with the inscription 'Greetings from Aldovia!' Let's find out what kind of Easter egg it is.

The Movie It Refers to

That's a reference to the Christmas romcom A Christmas Prince, directed by Alex Zamm and released on Netflix in 2017. The film stars Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Sarah Douglas, Daniel Fathers, Alice Krige and Tahirah Sharif.

In the story, young American journalist Amber Moore (McIver) travels to the fictional country of Aldovia to attend a press conference where Prince Richard (Lamb), the next heir to the royal throne, is about to be crowned. But he does not show up, and Amber decides to investigate, checking out all the rumors about him. Fate brings them closer together, and the journalist uncovers many secrets that both family members and ill-wishers have kept from the Prince.

Such thematic comedies don't often get high marks from review aggregators, but A Christmas Prince has managed to get warm reviews: critics have given it a 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes, noting that despite all the cheesiness, the movie remains sweet, cozy, and uplifting.

There's Something Else We Missed, Dear Fans!

But as it turns out, that's not all! Netflix's official Facebook page confirmed that it was indeed a reference to A Christmas Prince. However, other baubles labeled 'North Star Lodge' and 'Stacy's Sweets and Treats' referred to two other Netflix Christmas movies that have become instant classics.

The first bauble refers to the 2022 film Falling for Christmas, in which Lindsay Lohan 's character, hotel heiress Sierra Belmont, loses her memory in a skiing accident and ends up in the caring hands of lodge owner Jake Russell (Chord Overstreet). The second, however, is an Easter egg for the 2018 film The Princess Switch, which is a Christmas interpretation of Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper. In the story, an ordinary Chicago baker trades places with the identical-looking Countess of Monaco. Both characters are portrayed by Vanessa Hudgens.

Have you noticed these Easter eggs?

Meanwhile, Virgin River Season 6 won't be released until late 2024 at the earliest.