Should Virgin River Be Your Newest Binge-Worthy Obsession?

Virgin River first launched on Netflix in 2019, and it quickly became a binge-worthy obsession. The plot line is based on the novels by Robyn Carr, and it’s so popular that the seasons just keep coming! Viewers get to learn from the story of Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and to follow her journey of discovery in this Netflix drama.

Mel saw a “Help Wanted” ad in the newspaper for a midwife/nurse practitioner, so she sold her house and quit her job to follow the Pied Piper’s call to Virgin River. What she finds in Virgin River is far from the quaint and uneventful escape she’d dreamed of. Despite what Hope McCrea (Annette O’Toole) promised, her new cabin is falling apart and the local doctor, Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson), doesn’t want her.  

Mel’s backstory unfolds through a series of flashbacks. It quickly becomes clear that she is running away from tragedy, loss, and herself. Virgin River represents the possibility of a fresh start, but what she needs more than anything is a way to help people. As she slowly builds trust with her patients, she finds that she has a community of friends she can rely on.   

Yes, of course, there is romance in the mix. Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) is a Vietnam veteran, who owns the local bar. Jack has his own painful memories, but he’s drawn to Mel. The combination of mountains, lake, and the kindness of strangers all work together to unthaw Mel’s heart.

Mel and Jack seem inextricably linked/bound together (they can’t help but fall in love), but they are just as quickly torn apart by forces beyond their control. Well, to be honest, there is that little bit of personal accountability that could have come into play. After all, Jack did sleep with the hairdresser and get her pregnant with twins. 

Misunderstandings, poor choices, and the realities of life encroach on their happiness, as you would expect. Just as Mel begins to see glimmers of hope, she’s quickly disheartened and disappointed. 

But, who wouldn’t feel gloomy when the show covers topics like infant loss, depression, abandonment, PTSD, domestic violence, losing a spouse, breakups, cancer, and aging? It’s by turns happy and sad, funny and touching. I’d love to meet the actors who have taken on these marvelously wrought characters, but I’m also compelled to read all of Robyn Carr’s novels! 

Virgin River is tantalizingly addictive, and it just keeps on leaving us in suspense. I love the story of a midwife in a small-town clinic, who is grieving the loss of her family just as she takes the first tenuous steps toward healing and love. Sue Tenney developed Virgin River for TV, and she’s also known for Cedar Grove, 7th Heaven, and Good Witch.  

It’s not surprising that Virgin River feels an awful lot like hearing and watching the joys and sorrows of a good friend. We could all sit around the bar and watch the story play out before us. It reminds me that I’m not alone, that other people (fictional or not) have experienced great tragedy. No matter what they face, no matter how difficult it may seem, there is a way to make it through to the other side.  

If Season 3 is any indication, Virgin River shows us that life has no guarantee. It’s something that we must choose to live every day. We gather our friends and loved ones around us and will ourselves to move forward. We don’t always make the right decisions, but we do the best we can. And, sometimes, we need to get out of our own way to realize that we already had everything. 

Have you watched Virgin River yet? What did you think about the show and actors? What do you think will happen next for Jack and Mel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.  

Want More TV Show Recommendations? Then Check Out:

“Kevin Can F Himself” Uses The American Sitcom To Challenge Gender Norms

Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” Courageously Explores The Issue Of Consent