Virgin River: 10 Unpopular Opinions (According to Reddit)

The epitome of comfort television, Netflix’s most unexpected hit Virgin River has mature and nuanced story arcs that have appealed to audiences worldwide. Mel and Jack’s instant chemistry, Hope’s harebrained schemes, Doc’s will to help every citizen of the scenic little town, and the individual plots of every Virgin River resident pleased most viewers, but not all.

The regulars at Reddit definitely can’t stop watching the show but have some strong and polarizing opinions about the characters and their stories. Some of them don’t like soft Mel, while some think that a teenage love story was totally unneeded in Virgin River. Keep reading to find out what didn’t sit well with some Redditors about the show.

10 Mel Was Unbearable

Even though Mel was a well-loved character on Virgin River, some Redditors found her extremely narcissistic and rude, and even thought she was a know-it-all. They thought she acted entitled and her behavior with Doc initially wasn’t called for, even if Doc had his own faults.

Additionally, they said that Mel’s hot and cold attitude with Jack also wasn’t justified, because she clearly wanted him but acted like she didn’t. Some viewers also found it strange that Mel thought Charmaine would be okay with Mel and Jack having sex.

9 Jack Wronged Charmaine

Unpopular opinion has it that Jack was dishonest with Charmaine right from the start. He was still leading Charmaine on and in a relationship with her until Mel came along, and then he switched lanes. When Charmaine introduced herself as his girlfriend, Jack didn’t bother correcting her either, which made him seem insincere.

Fans felt his and Mel’s relationship wasn’t fair to Charmaine and Jack should’ve been honest with her.

8 Mel’s Savior Complex

Mel’s constant urge to help others wasn’t just plain kindness — some Redditors are convinced that she had a Savior complex, and it was irritating. She focused on helping people to avoid dealing with the traumas of losing her husband and baby, which wasn’t healthy.

A Savior Complex is self-destructive to the self and others, and something about Mel’s behavior made some fans feel like she was awful, but her avoidance of her own issues made her help people.

7 The Show Was Bad All-Round

Some viewers just hated the show, but couldn’t stop watching. They felt that it had laughable plot-lines and every character was unlikeable. Some felt that the show just fell into the category of bad television, but the addictive type.

Lots of scenes felt ridiculous, like Mel dancing by herself and the baby delivery in Doc’s office, and made audiences cringe. The script and plot buildup also got some flak on Reddit, but everyone agreed that the comfort factor of the show was high.

6 Mel’s Running

Gorgeous Mel was a lover of runs, and who wouldn’t be in scenic Virgin River? Some Redditors, however, quickly caught onto just how beautiful Mel looked while jogging in the woods. She would run in full makeup and never shed a drop of sweat in every episode, which was lame, and even wore a thigh-length coat one time.

It would have been a lot more realistic if she was given a dewy look with a bit of sweat, since Alexandra Breckenridge is an actress who would look good in, well, anything.

5 Hope Is The Worst

A polarizing character on Virgin River, audacious Hope has been labeled the worst character in television history by Reddit. Her nosy and interfering ways were not appreciated by some viewers, nor was her huffy-puffy stomping body language in the show.

Nothing really redeemed Hope, because she was rude to people, meddled in Mel and Jack’s affairs, and was also delusional enough to believe that the local bar owner would treat her like family. It’s a hefty crown, but Hope wears the worst character one well.

4 Doc Dating Muriel Was Cruel

Doc went on dates with Muriel not once, but several times, on Hope’s instructions. The idea was to throw the town off of Hope and Doc’s scent, but her telling Doc to date Muriel was just so immature and cruel to both of them.

It seemed as though Hope was only trying to prove a point to Muriel, and use Doc in her weird games. Doc was devoted to her and wanted to tell the whole town but Hope’s ploy was uncalled for.

3 The Love Triangle Is Exhausting

Everybody is a sucker for love triangles, but this particular one is seriously wearing thin on many viewers. While the tension between Jack, Mel, and Charmaine was entertaining to watch for a while, giving Charmaine a permanent fixture in Jack’s life as the mother of his children made sure that this triangle never went away.

Redditors felt that if the show depicted Jack struggling with his feelings for the both of them, it would be slightly more interesting, but Jack looked like he’d rather have a root canal than have anything to do with Charmaine.

2 What Does Jack Actually Do?

In theory, Jack was the owner of his own bar which was the only bar in town, hence it would be pretty busy. But he really spends all his time ferrying Mel around for her appointments and errands, building a cabin for her, helping her at her job, helping Hope save the town, and trying to bust a gang leader at a drug camp.

Redditors felt that Jack let Preacher do all the work at the bar, while he was busy impressing Mel and doing everything but his own job.

1 Lizzie And Ricky’s Arc Was Pointless

Virgin River is a mature, sexy show with lots of drama, so Lizzie and Rick’s PG-13 storyline seemed very out of place. A show that dealt with the trauma of a dead spouse, a stillbirth, and wartime didn’t also need a storyline depicting Ricky rebelling and teenagers losing their virginity.

Moreover, Lizzie was inconsistently written because she was flirting with Brody one minute, then using Ricky for amusement and suddenly in love with him. The teenage plot made no sense.

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