Mel Monroe’s grief: Jenny Cooper, who played Mel’s sister in ‘Virgin River’, has passed away md20

If all of this sounds familiar, that’s because it’s from the mind of Robyn Carr, the author of Netflix’s other mega-hit, Virgin River. Just like Maggie, Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner turned midwife, recently moved to the small town of Virgin River from Los Angeles. Both Maggie and Mel find themselves in heartbreaking scenarios as they navigate their new lives. The two shows have striking similarities, but are different and interesting enough in their own way.

What Is Netflix’s ‘Virgin River’ About?

Image via Netflix

Taking place in the fictional town of Virgin River, Mel flees the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, California. Attempting to escape her past, she settles in the quaint town as she looks to start over. After suffering a series of traumatic hardships, Mel brings a lot of baggage with her. As she carries the weight of these tribulations, it acts as the primary motivation for the move. However, once she arrives, she’s welcomed by the community and quickly finds work at Doctor Mullins’ (Tim Matheson) practice.

It’s not long after her arrival that she finds love in local bar owner, Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson). Jack also has an intense past as an Iraq veteran, often suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s his relationship with Mel that helps him heal from his checkered past as he eventually gets help from a professional. Other than Jack’s PTSD that hinders their relationship, bridging the gap between both dramas is a familiar face, Lauren Hammersley. Portraying Connie in Sullivan’s Crossing and Charmaine in Virgin River, in the latter, she is Jack’s complicated ex-girlfriend across all six seasons. Often causing trouble for Mel, she creates added stress for the lead. Unlike Charmaine, in the former as Connie, she’s a firefighter navigating her professional and messy love life.

Falling quickly in line as one of Netflix’s top series, Virgin River is a masterclass is full of cliffhangers. It’s these dramatic twists that are consistently leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. With every season as entertaining as the last, there’s one thing the show is great at: captivating audiences. So, if there’s another show out there that is similar, why wouldn’t we be sat?

‘Virgin River’ and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Both Have Messy Romances

With both shows from the mind of author Robyn Carr, they also share executive producers Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry, which offers similar tones and aesthetics. Like Mel, Maggie also shares similar ups and downs in her love life. After Maggie breaks up with her longtime Boston boyfriend, she falls for former lawyer, Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray). In Season 3, a revelation in a shocking cliffhanger brings a new guest to the Crossing, adding trouble for Maggie… and Cal. This unexpected guest shows up just as the pair finally find themselves on the same page. This complicated twist is not a welcome one for the newly minted couple.

In a similar vein, Mel in Virgin River is no stranger to romance woes. A past, passionate relationship was the primary motivation for her move to the small town. Reeling from grief and guilt, she is forced to navigate new love with heavy baggage. Enter ex-marine, Jack. In a slow-burning romance, the bar owner offers the series lead a safe space to heal. It’s through their mutual support for each other that Mel is able to find happiness again. However, it isn’t always pretty. With conflicts such as Jack’s previously mentioned ex-flame Charmaine, a central plot throughout the show, she is a constant hiccup for Mel. Also, with Jack’s struggles with his former life in the war, their relationship has its fair share of difficulties.

Establishing a strong relationship built on trust, Mel is also there for Jack emotionally. The same goes for Maggie with Cal. As both men also have storied pasts themselves, their relationships are an added hurdle to their complicated pasts. With that, both couples struggle to communicate with each other, leading to many messy, preventable situations. While you want them to be happy, the drama they bring to their relationships is what makes them so entertaining to watch.

As each show offers a similar tune, both are bingeworthy in their own right. Leveraging scenic and rural locations, the small towns each show takes place in act as another main character. With a sense of community, a focus on healing, and compelling romances, the shows are equally addictive. It’s obvious Carr has found her niche in these twisty dramas. While both series explore similar ideas, their unique stories are so compelling that it’s easy to be a fan of both.