Just When Exactly Virgin River Went From Drama to Cheesy Soap Opera?

Summary

• After a strong first season, the writers decided to make the show as ridiculous as possible, and the fans initially hated it.
• Virgin River started morphing into a soap opera soon after season one, but fans eventually learned how to still enjoy it even after the unfortunate transformation.

When Netflix debuted the first season of Virgin River in 2019, thousands of melodrama fans instantly fell in love with the show. The heartwarming narrative of LA nurse Mel relocating to the serene eponymous town in search of love and acceptance looked like the ideal cozy show to binge-watch. The first season was indeed exceptional, with the rustic ambiance of the town and intriguing side characters making Virgin River a delight to watch and revisit.

However, the second season was a massive letdown for fans. The writers chose to emphasize the dramatic elements of the melodrama genre, forgetting why viewers initially tuned in, and entirely neglecting the love story between Mel and Jack. But when exactly was it that the show transformed into a cheesy soap opera?

Lots of Mistakes

It's undeniable that the first three seasons of Virgin River were solidly grounded in the conventions of melodrama, with only occasional forays into soap opera territory to generate some dramatic moments. Fans were already somewhat disillusioned with this storytelling approach, but things really went off a cliff in season 4.

Numerous fans claimed that they lost interest in the show the moment it was revealed that the father of Charmaine's unborn twins was not Jack. Such a pointless and clichéd twist turned the show into a cheesy soap opera, and even a minor return to form in Season 5 couldn't rescue Virgin River from being labeled as Netflix's most popular cringe-fest.

Some Are Still Loving It

While many fans began watching the show for its small-town charm and cozy storytelling, most of them chose to stick with it even after it morphed into a soap opera for one reason - to hate-watch it.

The concept of cringing through the new season of Virgin River just to poke fun at it with friends online managed to extend the show's life. The writers started to incorporate increasingly absurd storylines to keep viewers entertained: seeing how quality is now completely out of the equation, the writers figured they might as well just pile on the cringe.