Did Virgin River's Charmaine Broke the Record for Longest TV Pregnancy?
The annoying character has seemingly been pregnant forever.
Netflix's Virgin River has consistently ranked among the most popular melodramas since its 2019 premiere. Fans have been captivated by the story of LA nurse Mel, who relocates to a quaint North California town in search of love and acceptance. The primary narrative was masterfully crafted, with the central romance between Mel and ex-Marine Jack appealing to viewers from the outset. However, Virgin River hasn't been without its flaws, some of which continue to vex fans.
The biggest gripe fans have had with the show has been its pacing. Astonishingly, the first five seasons span just one year in the show's timeline. Understandably, many viewers got frustrated after investing four years in characters that only saw very limited growth because of the snail pace of the show's timeline.
Charmaine's Problem
Charmaine, Jack's ex and a character many found grating was introduced as expecting twins. Viewers expected the children's birth by the season's end. Yet, even as the first half of Season 5 has wrapped up, Charmaine remains pregnant. It seems fans might have to wait for the season's latter half to finally see the twins.
Given Charmaine's extended on-screen pregnancy, viewers speculated if this might be one of the longest pregnancy arcs in TV history.
Miles Ahead of Competition
Soap operas are notorious for dragging out storylines. For instance, when Empire's Lucy Lively was pregnant across two full seasons, viewers took it in stride. The renowned British soap EastEnders also had a character, Kat Slater, who remained pregnant for almost a year. That did stir some controversy, though.
Yet, Charmaine's multi-season pregnancy sets a unique benchmark; few characters have sustained an on-screen pregnancy over five seasons.
Hopefully, Charmaine will welcome her twins in Virgin River Season 5's second segment, set for release on November 30th.