Virgin River Season 5 is, in many ways, more of the same. The town we know, the people we’ve grown invested in, are back and there’s a lot to love about the way they show up for each other in good times and bad times. There’s also a lot more romance outside of Mel and Jack, good romance at that, romance we can and want to invest in – a necessity in this genre.
However, the show’s continued insistence on emotionally manipulating fans by throwing tragedy after tragedy at Mel and Jack ends up marring what could have been a great season. Worst of all, the entire thing also manages to undermine the entirety of Season 4 in a way that borders on the ridiculous.
Why did the show waste so much time on the question of who was the father of Mel’s baby? Why go through the trouble of unpacking Mel’s fears about losing another baby if the show was just going to be back in the exact same place in Season 5? It’s not just drama for the sake of drama – though there is that – it’s recycled drama. Worst of all, it hasn’t really been that long for Mel. Can anyone really blame her for not wanting to try again at this point?
Despite the good parts – and there are some, Hope and Doc in general, Lizzie and Denny, and the whole fire storyline – the show’s missteps go beyond Mel and Jack. The show’s Mike and Brie romance, though very well done and something book fans have been desperate for, literally comes out of nowhere. Not only that, it leaves show fans feeling distinctly like the rug has been pulled out from under them. Why ask them to invest in Brie and Brady for so long only to end it the way Season 5 did?
The same goes for Paige and Preacher, a wonderful possibility the show dangled in front of fans’ faces over and over again, and yet never even came close to paying off. Instead, Preacher gets a new love interest this season, and the show expects us to switch our investment as quickly as Preacher does, even if we’ve already been burned before by doing so.
All in all, Virgin River Season 5 had everything to be the show’s best season – and that doesn’t necessarily mean no drama, it just means an understanding that this is Season 5, and all good shows adapt and evolve. There are new obstacles to throw a couple’s way. There are new ways to keep investments that don’t feel contrived and manipulative. Sadly, the promise didn’t translate to reality, and considering the state of the entertainment business, it’s hard to know if this is the end or if we will ever get to see these characters truly be happy.
For now, we at least have three more episodes – Part 2, coming November 30th. We will, at the very least, get our first Christmas in Virgin River (at this rate, Mel and Jack will finally have kids in Season 34). After that, it’s hard to tell. Ironically, despite the numerous issues, we wouldn’t mind more. We do like these characters. We do want to see them happy and fulfilled.
We’re just not sure that’s in the cards for them –or us.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Virgin River Season 5? Share with us in the comments below!
Virgin River Season 5 Part 1, which consists of ten episodes, is available to stream on Netflix. Part 2 will be available on November 30th.
