Is Virgin River Season 5 Really as Bad as Fandom Paints It?

Netflix's Virgin River is unquestionably one of the most popular melodramas in the streaming giant's huge library, as thousands of viewers continue to follow LA nurse Mel's pursuit of a new life in the tranquil Northern California town.

However, quite a few fans are saying they've been disappointed by the show's recent seasons. The show's first two installments are generally regarded as exceptional, offering a charming atmosphere, positive vibes, and intriguing storylines. However, the quality went off a cliff in subsequent seasons as the writers inexplicably transformed the show into a daytime soap opera.

Season 4 was particularly disappointing, as all the characters began to resemble caricatures of themselves. A dubious crime storyline intended to breathe new life into the show only succeeded in further boring the fans. Then, Season 5 premiered.

New Chapter

The first part of Season 5 was dropped earlier this month, and fans immediately started throwing shade at the writers and actors, accusing the former of being lazy and the latter of a complete lack of chemistry on set. While the latest batch of episodes does not compare favorably to the first two seasons in terms of quality, it has to be said that they still represent a substantial improvement over the previous few installments, and here's why.

The writers have clearly recognized their errors and have wrapped up some long-running storylines while introducing new ones, including the revelation about Mel's biological father being a resident of Virgin River. Yes, the idea of Mel's father living next door to her in the same town all this time may seem overly dramatic, but the show thrives on drama, so however absurd this twist may seem to some, it works beautifully in the show's overall context.

Moreover, the episodes centered on a massive forest fire threatening the homes and lives of Virgin River's residents were arguably some of the most exciting in the show's history. It was inspiring and uplifting to see all the characters pull together to combat the fire.

It would appear that the trend of hate-watching has intensified more than anticipated, and even a reasonably well-executed season has been met with disdain simply because people now seemingly love to hate Virgin River. The fans have lost faith in the writers after the last season, which is entirely understandable. However, the first half of Season 5 should be seen as a triumph for the fandom, not a failure.