Virgin River fans spot ‘missing’ detail from Netflix series that Mel and Jack never bring up
Virgin River has been a huge hit for Netflix, but some fans have been left scratching their heads over a detail that has been left out of the show – and the books
Virgin River fans spot ‘missing’ detail from Netflix series that Mel and Jack never bring up
Virgin River has been a huge hit for Netflix, but some fans have been left scratching their heads over a detail that has been left out of the show – and the books
They recounted visiting ‘Jack’s Bar’ in Squamish where they found fresh bear droppings right outside, and noted that locals often carry bear spray or even firearms for safety in remote areas. “Meanwhile Mel, Brie (Zibby Allen), Cameron (Mark Ghanime), Jack and Denny (Kai Bradbury) are all out there running and fishing on the trails without so much as a bottle of water between them.”
A devoted Virgin River fan has critiqued the series for leaving out a prominent bear danger plot from its adaptation of Robyn Carr’s novels. “Mel is even wearing earbuds so wouldn’t be able to hear approaching wildlife. She and Jack think a rustle in the bushes is a squirrel.”
The fan noticed that whilst the series isn’t set in bear-heavy British Columbia, references to bear encounters from the books are missing.
“Now I’m reading the books for the first time and there’s the thing they left out: Jack’s Bar has hunting trophies all over the walls and Jack tells Mel how he had to shoot a mother bear who was charging him when he was fishing at the river,” the viewer expressed, pointing out lost depth in the storyline, further quoting, “‘You don’t take a minute to load your rifle if a bear is charging you. Bear fish in the same rivers we do.'”
In reality, California, where Virgin River is located, is home to an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 black bears, posing potential hazards that contrast with the series’ serene setting. One local argued that bear encounters are rare in Humboldt County, CA—where the story is set: “Because it’s set in Humboldt County, CA. We have bears here too, but they don’t roam that freely and aren’t seen that often.”
Another resident claimed, “Never been a bear attack here ever. Bears are smart and have manners and know how to cohabitate peacefully with the humans that are squatting on their land.”
However, some Virgin River fans might find it odd that this aspect is completely overlooked in the series, especially when the main character Mel goes into the forest alone without any form of self-protection.
