Alexandra Breckenridge and Colleagues’ Heartbreaking Reactions to Ben Hollingsworth’s Death md20

The show, based on Robyn Carr’s books, was brought to our screens in December 2019 and became a big hit with viewers, naturally in America and Canada where it’s filmed, but also in Australia, the UK, and Nordic countries that shared an affinity with its small town atmosphere. In December 2024, it was time for the latest installment of River life to make its mark, but what are the fans saying about Season 6?

Mel Monroe Enters a Town We’d All Like to Live In

Upon its release, viewers rooted for Los Angeles outsider Melinda ‘Mel’ Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner and midwife, who moves north for a fresh start. The town of Virgin River holds all the charm of rural life for Mel: community spirit, local, independent businesses, and a possible romance with bar owner Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson). It also has some weightier issues running throughout. The show has tackled serious topics like PTSD, pregnancy loss, domestic violence, drug addiction, and medical emergencies, so it’s not all fresh cookies and warm milk.

The meld of comforting views and meaningful drama is Virgin River’s signature stamp. Side by side with the heartwarming scenes are intense personal struggles, all set against the backdrop of those beautiful mountains, reminding us that our place and problems in the world are sometimes smaller than we think. And for viewers who live in the hustle and bustle of big cities, a million miles away from Virgin River, it’s a chance for them to feel part of a close-knit community or at least allow themselves to become engrossed in the characters’ lives.

What do Fans Think of ‘Virgin’s River’ Season 6?

Fans counted down the days until the release of Season 6, eager to have Virgin River back in their homes. But a subtle casting change disappointed some. Charmaine Roberts (Lauren Hammersley) is fighting for custody of her twins from Calvin, who was played by David Cubitt since the beginning of the show. Cubitt was swapped with actor Josh Blacker, making Calvin seem unfamiliar. Viewers had invested time getting to know Calvin, even if they didn’t favor the character, but now he felt alien. Reddit’s Loose-Garlic-3461 asked, “Anyone else bummed out that Calvin’s actor changed in season 6? I felt like the previous actor portrayed him perfectly.” K_Click_D replied, “This new fella just isn’t the same, he’s not threatening and intimidating enough.”

With Season 5 featuring traumatic moments, including Mel’s miscarriage, fans longed for some romance in season 6, and romance is what they got with Mel and Jack tying the knot. Although some fans noted the new approach was ‘cringe’ and claimed the scenes could have been written by a ‘horny teenager’. Sad-Yak288 on Reddit shared their honest view, “While this season is a little more cheesy, I am loving it.” Ambitiis_Dot2854 responded,” This was the best season yet for me. I think they did a great job, making it lighter and happier.”

Is the Future Rosy for ‘Virgin River?’

Netflix

Despite the divided opinions, Virgin River has been renewed for its seventh series, with attention still focused on Mel and Jack’s relationship. Tudum by Netflix reported, “There’s a lot more to go here with these characters.” There are even whispers on the grapevine of more seasons of Virgin River to come. Last month, Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays Dan Brady, shared a chat he’d had with Virgin River‘s showrunner, Patrick Sean Smith: “…obviously, we need to be renewed for Season 8, but he’s already thinking toward that.” Looks like we may have another Grey’s Anatomy on our hands. You can watch it on Netflix through the link below: