Virgin River has long captivated audiences with its blend of emotional twists and slow-burning romances.
Yet, as fans eagerly await Season 7 of the Netflix show, there’s a growing frustration regarding the latest season, with many claiming it felt rushed and lacked the cohesion of other seasons. Centered on the love story between Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), the show delves into their romantic journey amid various relationship hurdles.
The duo, surrounded by friends, family and colleagues in the remote community of Virgin River, confronts an array of challenges from gang conflicts and domestic violence to murder and unexpected pregnancies.
However, the narrative pace that was once measured and engaging seems to have accelerated in Season 6, leaving viewers bewildered and contemplating abandoning the series.
Disgruntled fans have flocked to Reddit to air their grievances about the recent season. One viewer lamented, “I loved loved loved season 1-5 and will definitely rewatch before seven but season 6 is not giving what the other seasons gave.”
Echoing this sentiment, another fan responded, “Absolutely agree with your opinion. I really disappointed with season 6. I rewatch the show until season 5.”
Viewers have noticed a significant shift in the timeline of Virgin River, with seasons 1-5 spanning over seven months and hardly any break before the next season. However, in Season 6, four months have passed since the previous installment, which is unusual for the show’s timeline.
One Reddit user pointed out, “They weirdly amped up the pacing on season 6,” adding, “Lizzie is 9 months pregnant at the start of season 6. I also thought the storyline with Mel’s dad came out of nowhere.”
Fans have also raised concerns about the sudden introduction of Mel’s father Everett, who she didn’t know existed until the end of Season 5. They feel the relationship between them developed too quickly during the break between seasons.
One viewer expressed, “I thought the storyline with Mel’s dad came out of nowhere. I recently did a rewatch and there were no hints that it was coming. And she didn’t have any significant feelings about her dad not being her dad….? Or her mum cheating….?”
Another fan shared their hopes for the future of the show, saying, “I really love Virgin River and have rewatched seasons 1 through 4 more times than I can count. When I get to season 5, I start to fast forward and I skip the Christmas episodes all together.”
“Season 6 the wedding was beautiful but again I fast forward through anything to do with Sarah and Everett. Hopefully Everett and that whole storyline are gone in season 7, there are so many cliffhangers to work with,” one viewer expressed.
Another fan was less than impressed with Mel and Everett’s arc, blaming it for dampening their enjoyment of the sixth season. They didn’t hold back, stating, “That storyline ruined a lot of Season 6, hopefully the show runner and writers realise it was a huge mistake and drop it.”
