Loyal fans of Netflix’s Virgin River are voicing their displeasure at the increasingly soap opera-like plot as the wait for season six continues.
The series, inspired by Robyn Carr’s novels, follows protagonist Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge), who settles in a picturesque California town after facing personal tragedy.
As Mel steps into her new role as a registered nurse and finds love with former Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), she encounters more challenges than she expected in the quiet town.
With each season, Mel and Jack’s complicated love story has captivated viewers along with the ongoing drama involving the other townspeople.
However, some longtime watchers are questioning whether Virgin River has gone off the rails as recent storylines have strayed from the beloved books, Express reports.
One disgruntled fan shared their thoughts on Reddit, declaring, “The show is now ruined.”
While admitting their love for the series and looking forward to watching the upcoming season, they expressed significant discontent over the deviations from the source material.
“I’m reading book 5 of the Virgin River series, and oh my god, the show has completely ruined the series!!!!” they were blasted in the post.
Their discontent extended to those familiar with the novels. “For anyone who has read the books, I think you can relate. I don’t understand why they deviated so much from the books. “There are over 20 books in the series with countless ways to spin the story, and the books do it so well.
“There are so many storylines in the TV series that are taken from the books but taken from other characters in the books and put into the characters in the show and it makes the show too dramatic like a soap opera.”
One particular storyline in the latest season had this viewer pulling their hair out when Mel finally reunited with her biological father, Everett Reid (John Allen Nelson).
“The last straw for me was in season five when Mel found out her mom was having an affair with a guy in Virgin River and that guy just COULD STILL be there and Mel COULD have come to Virgin River for her job,” they wrote.
“I mean, really? That makes it too soap opera-like.”
Several other fans took to the comments section to agree with the criticism, though admitted that they would still sit and watch when the sixth season finally comes out.
“The Mel dad storyline is super cheesy and unnecessary. But I’m still going to watch it lol,” said one viewer. “I’m going to have to buy some of the books.”
“Yeah, I like the books!” said another. “I’ve already watched the first episode so I don’t like how the show’s storyline is set up.”
