Six years and six seasons later, and the show has made numerous new fans and loyal viewers; it also has a neverending inspiration for plots, new events, and the potential for introducing new characters (and even a prequel) into an already amusing small town, Virgin River. While the showrunners develop the relationship between nurse Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and bar owner Jack (Martin Henderson), they also focus on other characters, which often are the heart of the show. Throughout six seasons, they laughed, cried, made monumental life decisions, and endured some life-changing situations; but it’s fair to say some seasons were better than others.

 

6 Season 3 (2021)

The One Where Mel and Jack Break Up

While this is resolved within the next episode and things become peachy once again, the frustrating moment of trying to explain to each other leads Mel and Jack to a crossroads. For fans, this was a disappointing development, but nevertheless, a dramatic one. Though it fits the mold of a melodrama, Virgin River showed its characters’ most realistic sides here; veterans do struggle with PTSD, and losing a partner is devastating, and seeing Mel and Jack work on their problems individually while trying to be together is a realistic side of relationships that the show tries to depict. This is why fans stuck around even after season 3 – the story shows the characters’ human side, both in good and bad ways, which is why people love Virgin River so much.

5 Season 4 (2022)

The One Where Jack Can’t Handle His Past

This season also gives more attention and love to one of its most wholesome characters, Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale), who goes from being spoiled and rebellious to finding her strengths and purpose. Though she shows up at her aunt Connie’s – one of Hope’s friends – around season two, she doesn’t plan on staying for too long and seems to be an episodic character. But, as it turns out, Lizzie feels more at home when she becomes Hope’s carer and assistant and falls in love with Doc’s grandson, Denny (Kai Bradbury). Virgin River‘s season four is all about its characters overcoming health problems, as they’re the most dominant topic throughout; whether it’s mental or physical health (or often both), the show emphasizes how people like Hope and Jack don’t want to, but ultimately have to rely on others to get help for their health.

4 Season 2 (2020)

The One Where Mel Needs to Decide What’s Next

With Mel unready to move on and still trying to face her fears, she also has to, navigate her feelings towards Jack while he visits her with his on-and-off girlfriend Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), who’s pregnant with twins. Season two mainly focuses on Mel becoming established in Virgin River and getting used to the dynamics of the locals; she’s still considered an outsider to many of them, though they accepted her with open arms from day one. Finding her footing and deciding whether this is home or just another stop before the next one helps Mel face her past, as well as her fears. With Mel having struggled with fertility and pregnancy, seeing the girlfriend of the man she likes carrying twins is pure melodrama territory, but it’s also meant to represent a challenge where she has to understand life doesn’t stop for anyone, and moving through is the only way forward.

3 Season 5 (2023)

The One With All the Action

This season is also full of new romances and even endings of some favorite ones; Jack’s sister Brie (Zibby Allen) faces her assaulter in court, and a romantic triangle between her, Brady, and police officer Mike (Marco Grazzini) develops. The best romance of the entire season also happens, and it’s between Hope’s inner circle friend Muriel (Teryl Rothery) and doctor Cameron, who is younger than her but is smitten by her wonderful personality and charm. Finally, season five also offers more insight into the dangerous investigation Mike is following together with Brady, with a tense gunfight taking place in one of the season’s last episodes. With the season five finale being one of the best episodes of Virgin River, it wraps up an incredible series of events that make the show even more exciting than when it first started.

2 Season 1 (2019)

The One Where Mel Arrives in Virgin River

Since this is how season one started, it’s great because of the story it desires to establish. The trope of a big city girl moving to a small town and meeting the love of her life feels like a Hallmark movie, which is why the show is so popular in the first place. Season one gives Virgin River that essential comfort-watch quality, something fans can get into at any moment and enjoy on both slow and fast days. Season one also establishes all the major characters, from Mel, Jack, Doc and Hope to Preacher, Brady, and the “Sewing Circle” ladies Connie, Jo Ellen, Lydia, and Muriel (besides Hope). The season shows off the dynamics between the characters, and viewers step into the Virgin River world from Mel’s perspective, which in later seasons shifts from time to time to more of an ensemble series, giving the other characters a lot more airtime, too.

1 Season 6 (2024)

The One When Mel and Jack Get Married

Also on the docket: Doc’s clinic may be in trouble, Lizzie and Denny are expecting a baby (and handling it as well as people in their early 20s could), Brie and Brady may be back on again (yay?!) but Mike proposes to Brie, and Charmaine goes missing? Finally, the season also establishes the appearance of Mel’s biological father, Everett (John Allen Nelson), and takes viewers through flashbacks of him meeting Mel’s mom Sarah (Jessica Rothe) right there, in Virgin River, sometime in the 1970s. The flashbacks also show some of the current Virgin River residents (like Connie as a young woman and Burt the mechanic as a child), giving viewers a teaser of a potential prequel about Everett and Sarah. Though fans know how their story ends, Everett’s flashbacks to the time he met Sarah are as romantic as Mel and Jack’s story. Overall, season 6 did have some plot holes, but it was beautifully shot, and gave viewers a lot more to expect when the seventh season finally comes.