Is Virgin River's Most Dubious Character Utterly Irredeemable?
At least she's got some character development, fans say.
While fans are counting days until Virgin River's fifth season premieres on September 7, some people are just discovering the romantic drama series for the first time. Making its debut in 2021, the Netflix show was largely overlooked at the time, lost in the shadow of more publicized projects like The Witcher and Sex Education.
Luckily, Virgin River still managed to build a loyal fan base and get renewed for numerous seasons.
As of August 2023, Virgin River boasts four installments, with the fifth on its way and the sixth already greenlit. The story follows LA nurse Mel Monroe starting from scratch in the titular small town, while also exploring the lives of the town's residents. In general, the series is full of compelling characters that the audience have come to love, but there's one person who just doesn't appeal to fans in any way.
Hope McCrea, Virgin River's long-serving mayor, is by far the most dubious character on the show. She is nosy, insolent, overbearing and condescending at times. To add insult to injury, Hope can be rather irascible, and if things ever go south between you, she won't hesitate to speak her mind without worrying about the consequences.
Obviously, that's the reason why so many Virgin River fans dislike the character.
'I hate Hope so much! She's so meddlesome and aggravating. AND that goddamn lip she does… gah!' one Reddit user vented their frustration.
But on the other hand, Hope can be fun to follow, as she brings much drama to her town by being mean to people and messing things up. She's also very energetic, adding luster and dynamism to the show's melodramatic storylines. For these reasons, we think Hope is an indispensable character and needs to be appreciated on her own merit.
Ultimately, there's no consensus among Virgin River fans. While some simply can't bear Hope, others find pleasure in watching her antics. Remarkably, some people note that Hope has had some character development over the course of four seasons, albeit fairly minor.
Hopefully, we'll see her shine in Season 5, which will focus on a natural disaster that sweeps through the town and its aftermath. As Virgin River's mayor, Hope McCrea is supposed to be at the forefront of action in the upcoming season.
Source: Reddit.