Virgin River Review: TV To Curl Up And Get Cozy With

This review contains spoilers for Virgin River Season One.

There is one unfortunate fact you need to know about me before reading this review of Virgin River Season 1: I have not yet seen Hart Of Dixie, nor did I know there was a Virgin River book series before watching the show. 

It has a clean slate here as far as comparisons go, although I do love Everwood and Virgin River has similar vibes. 

I’m just a girl constantly in search of TV shows that feel like oversized, worn-in sweatshirts. So, when this trailer popped up on my Netflix homepage, I couldn’t resist the chance to review. Cozy TV deserves consideration and respect, too!

Virgin River proves that drama can be emotional without being emotionally manipulative. Predictability doesn’t have to be a bad thing. And interestingly, chemistry doesn’t have to be on fire to work just fine. 

All of those factors may be the difference between award-winning and “cozy” TV, but both have their merits. 

Alexandra Breckenridge is perfect as Melinda “Mel” Monroe. Her face just belongs in a cozy small town. It must be said that this isn’t the most original role to appear in a script. In fact, comparison of the actresses aside, Mel is an exact combination of Emily VanCamp’s Amy Abbott on Everwood and Nic Nevin on The Resident. 

That’s not a bad thing at all, but one would think Mel would have just a touch more spice to her. Martin Henderson’s Jack is similarly bland, but it all works because the goal of cozy TV is never to be “spicy.”

Plus, their respective pasts add a little bit of flavor to the show. In fact, flashbacks are one of its best elements.

Any fan of dramas today knows that “flashback TV” is a trend of sorts. Think This Is Us or A Million Little Things Season 1 where flashbacks have their own arcs.

Virgin River similarly weaves the past into its narrative. But what’s unique about the execution of these stories is that they are classic flashbacks. Someone in the present is always prompted by their memories before the show moves backward. It’s a small detail but a refreshing one nonetheless. 

Melinda’s past, centered by her stillbirth child and subsequent inability to conceive, is a strong core for the show.

Virgin River Season 1 Episode 3, “…And Found,” is a standout of the series because it flashes back to tell the story of Mel & Mark’s child’s birth and Melinda’s immediate depression while Mel grapples with the idea of being baby Chole’s temporary guardian in the present. 

The show cut this particular arc too short. Perhaps they are following the books, I don’t know. But, if Mel finds out Lilly is Chloe’s mother a little bit later than episodes two and three, she’d have more time to bond with Chloe. 

That would add emotion throughout the whole series. Mel giving Chloe over to Lilly to be taken care of by a family member would’ve been harder to watch. It would’ve also been absolutely gut-wrenching to watch Mel deal with the fact that Charmaine is pregnant with Jack’s baby toward the end of the season. 

That pesky detail is the most predictable part of Season 1. But everyone involved in Virgin River — including its fans — knows they aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. That’s what makes it delightful despite heavy topics like grief and war. 

Speaking of annoying elements of the show, Hope McCrea is one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever met.

She has the most insatiable hunger for gossip and doesn’t seem to care about the damage her big mouth does to other people’s lives until the end of the season when it’s way too late.

Character growth is always commendable, and I don’t dislike Hope. She just needs about 10 chill pills. Also, the show would do good to give her a task that’s a little bit more important than organizing a dance for one episode. After all, she is the mayor of Virgin River.

But in this town, the more serious your job is the less you work, apparently. If the number of patients Mel sees this season fits on two whole hands, it would be surprising. But Doc doesn’t seem to have too many patients either. 

Everwood wasn’t about medicine at its core but had more medical conflict per season. A comparison is unnecessary. But I need to make it so you know that all I need from a show in regards to profession is to believe the characters go to work sometimes. 

It’s a low bar they only seem to fill with Jack and perhaps Paige. Jack is always at the bar unless he’s on an adventure with Mel. But to be fair, I guess hunger is often a more pressing need than health, and I’m sure others can say the same. What does that say about us? 

Illegal pot-growing camps are an actual issue in California. But it’s so unnecessary to make them as much a part of the show as they are. Virgin River doesn’t need a big bad wolf. 

If the town were Starshollow, Jack is the Luke to Brady’s Jess. Brady brings enough drama with him thanks to his shared military past with Jack and Preacher, his less than kind feelings toward Preacher, and his combative personality that would clash with basically everyone in town if he talked to more people than Jack. 

Involving Brady in the illegal pot-growing camp doesn’t legitimize that piece of the show. It just makes it seem even more contrived.

Virgin River Season 1 Episode 5, “Under Fire,” is the weakest of the series because even if being kidnapped and forced to provide someone medical attention on a camp is plausible, the show doesn’t do a good job explaining what the camps are and why they are dangerous. The offhand explanation Jack gives Mel early on isn’t enough.

Time would be better spent letting Doc, Mel, or Hope work more or even adding more context to Doc and Hope’s marital woes. I’d love to see flashbacks of the aftermath of Doc Vernon cheating or the deterioration of Hope’s friendship with Charmaine’s mom after the incident. 

Paige and Preacher also deserve more screentime together and individually. 

All respect to the fact that she’s a single mom and domestic abuse victim on the run, I find Paige rather unlikeable and more screentime might fix that. 

As for Preacher, I want to know more about his military history with Jack and Brady and how he got his nickname. 

We may be getting ahead of ourselves because while it hasn’t officially been announced, Season 2 is happening. 

So, more history and fluffier moments are coming. But the wait is long, so until then fill up on the sweet scenarios of your dreams. There is the town dance on Season 1 Episode 6, “Let’s Mingle,” and the obligatory blackout during an intense storm on Season 1 Episode 8, “Into The Light.” 

If you crave Hallmark movies with just a little bit more depth all year long, what are you waiting for? Grab your coziest sweatshirt, get the cocoa started, light the fire, and journey to Virgin River from your couch. You won’t be disappointed if you know exactly where you’re headed.

The Gossip Mill:

• This show gets so many points for having Martin Henderson drop his accent while playing an American veteran.
• That said, Henderson’s voice is so boring when he plays an American. 
• Flashbacks have a brighter aesthetic than present-day scenes. I don’t know why, but I like it. 
• I like Joey. She should move to Virgin River with the kids. That would give Brady an interesting story. 
• It’s worth saying again: I want to see flashbacks of Paige, Vernon, and Hope’s past. 
• I’m pretty sure Preacher is the only person of color who lives in Virgin River. That’s a casting failure and is unacceptable. 
• Note: A reader told me Paige (Lexa Doig) is bi-racial. I take full responsibility for the oversight. But one other character doesn’t take away a diversity problem. Guest, minor and extra characters should be diverse, too. 

What did you think of Virgin River? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Virgin River is available to stream now on Netflix. 

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