Mel's Still Your Favorite Virgin River Character? You'll Have to Reconsider After Realizing This
Melinda has a trait nobody would like to see in their best friend.
Summary
- Sometimes, central characters don't deserve the audience's admiration and sympathy.
- Virgin River is skewed in Mel's favor.
- She wouldn't have been a lovable person in real life.
Humans have a strange tendency. No matter how horrible the main character of a story is, people will always find a way to like them. Take Venom, for example! A bloodthirsty monster who wreaks havoc wherever he goes and has zero respect for people, he's a fan-favorite character who thrives on audience adoration.
Still, there are seemingly nice and likable characters who get away with having nasty traits just because they're put in a position where fans can't help but sympathize with them. This is definitely the case with Virgin River's Mel Monroe, a widowed nurse who moves to the titular town in hopes of starting a new life.
Why Is Melinda So Beloved?
Certainly, Mel has many commendable character traits. She's kind and loving. She is protective of those she loves. And she knows how to appreciate the finer things in life without rushing. At least, these are the qualities that Virgin River's lead character has demonstrated throughout the show's five-season run on Netflix, where it debuted in 2019.
Arguably, though, VR fans have grown to like Melinda because of the drama, trauma, and heartbreak they've followed the character through. As a result, many viewers simply feel compelled to sympathize with Mel and feel partially responsible for her plight. This feeling creates a sense of responsibility for the woman, which further binds the audience to her and causes them to develop a liking for her. Meanwhile, Melinda is not a good girl to swoon over.
Mel Has Many Unacceptable Shortcomings
Given that Melinda has been through a lot of personal drama, you might expect her to be a mature individual. However, the reality is different, as she is delusional, somewhat childish, and capricious. But that's not the main reason to look down on her.
First and foremost, Melinda is a hypocrite. Consider the time she chastised her own sister, Joey, for jumping into marriage after only a few months of secretly dating the guy. Mel, on the other hand, accepted Jack's proposal with alacrity.
If you're confused at this point and wondering what's wrong with their romance, let us remind you that Virgin River is an extremely slow-paced show. While in real life it's been five years and seasons, in the show it's only been about a year. And since Mel and Jack started dating in Season 3, only a few months passed before she accepted his proposal in Season 4.
Sure, this argument might seem far-fetched and be chalked up to a flaw in the show's pacing, but it doesn't help Virgin River's main character recover from the fact that she's technically a terrible hypocrite.