Season 4 of Virgin River is an upgrade from Season 3 in basically every way, with the show succeeding at that tricky balance between heartfelt and dramatic. Annette O’Toole’s return as Hope helps that, as the show doesn’t have to give all the drama to Mel and Jack, and though some of the cliffhangers were still borderline too much, and some storylines harder to care about than others, overall the season feels like a win.
Not just because of the way it ends, though there is that. It’s easier to sit tight and wait for next season with the confirmation that yes, Charmaine did lie and her babies are not Jack’s, and yes, despite Mel’s drive-thru IVF treatment, her baby is Jack’s. This second time being the charm in the proposal respect means that we have both a possible wedding and a baby to look forward to in Season 5.
And look, this is why we watch Virgin River in the first place. For this kind of satisfaction. We also watch for the quiet, comforting kind of drama that, in the end, is about people loving each other, even through their difficulties. For neighbors holding each other up, and couples who stick together through thick and thin. And, of course, we watch for people facing their fears, and friends not letting each other off the hook. And okay, for Mel and Jack, who, despite some angst, have finally figured out that the best way forward is together.
So let’s talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what we want to see next as we review Virgin River Season 4.
WHAT WORKED
Mel and Jack
Mel and Jack worked in a way they didn’t always work in Season 3. This is both because of the natural progression of their story, and because of the way the setup for this season allowed the show to focus on them as individuals. The more the main couple is made up of two clearly defined characters, the easier it is to invest in their romance.
Another thing that helped was the lack of any real drama that was about them as a couple — even the baby thing was handled as maturely as possible, even in the midst of the show exploring Jack’s issues. Jack and Mel have, at this point, chosen each other, and that means all external issues are just that …external issues they will face together. It’s a great thing to see going into a Season 5 that will, hopefully, deliver quite a few milestones for them.
Hope’s return
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they said, and we never knew how much we’d miss Hope until she was gone, and the hole she left was gaping. She was missed not just for who she is, or for her relationship with Doc (who also really worked this season, not just with Hope), but for her role in the community and yes, in Jack and Mel’s life.
But Annette O’Toole’s return was handled perfectly, and the show really gave the actress a great deal of material to prove how good she is in Season 4. We still sort of missed her getting to interact with everyone else, but that doesn’t mean we would trade this journey that Hope, Doc, and us, the viewers, have gone through. Instead, we just want so much more of Hope in the middle of all storylines come Season
The way the show handled grief
Grief is a sneaky thing that follows its own rules, and Virgin River Season 4 clearly understood that. It allowed Hope to grieve over Lily in her own time and her own way, and in doing so, the show paid homage to everyone who lost someone during the pandemic. Because loss is hard, but the type of loss the world has had to grapple with in the last few years, which is loss plus separation, is a special form of heartbreak. And though Hope’s experience wasn’t exactly that, it was similar enough that there was a certain catharsis in her journey for everyone who’s experienced the loss of a loved one.
Brie and Brady
These two keep surprising us, we’re not going to lie. At times it felt like this had to be heading towards a breakup, and that the show was establishing a love triangle, or at least the basis for one, but then they kept rallying and rallying, and at this point, we admit we’re a little torn. Because we do like Brie and Brady together. We’re still not at the point of saying this is 100% what needs to happen, but we’re more open than we thought we could be considering where the books went with this storyline, And even that feels like a win for the show.
Jack’s PTSD
This might just be the most important storyline of the season, and one of the reasons the show worked so well. His PTSD was established early on in the show, and then never forgotten, but also never quite explored to the extent it was in this Season. Like grief, trauma doesn’t exactly follow a pattern, and we all have to handle our own in our own way, but to see Jack struggle, to see him fight, to see him try was not just incredibly effective, storytelling wise, but very rewarding too. Trauma doesn’t have to rule us, and though most often than not, we need professional help to climb out of the holes we get ourselves into, it is possible. And that’s a great message for the show to send.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
Ricky and Lizzie
Virgin River has truly struggled in making us care about these two in any real way. They’re bland, they’re mostly boring, and the idea of the show focusing on them for any long stretches of time feels more like a chore than anything. Ironically, both mostly work as they interact with other characters, it’s just that as a couple, there’s very little to differentiate them from a bunch of other couples we’ve seen before.
The back and forth with Preacher
Preacher’s storyline went from working, to not working to working again and the back and forth hurt Preacher, in general. He deserves some peace and quiet, and he deserves the family he clearly wants. Let this man get some quiet time next season, please. Let us not be worried about if someone’s going to end up pointing a gun at him at some point in the season. He truly shined when he got to be a friend, and when the show focused on his wants and needs, so it’s time for the show to let him fully explore the things that make him happy, once and for all. No more big drama. Only little dramas.
Cameron
Why was he even around? He was a nice guy, but no one was ever going to root for him over Jack, and we weren’t even rooting for him over Doc, so what was the point of him? I mean, he was low-key drama, so it wasn’t like he was that bad, all things considered, he just didn’t add much, particularly as most of his scenes were with Mel. The fact that he projected all of his issues onto her and her relationship with Jack didn’t help endear him to us, but in general, there was just nothing special about Cameron. He won’t be missed.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE NEXT
This one’s pretty straightforward, a baby and a wedding next season! Mel and Jack have gotten here, they’re so close to getting everything they’ve ever wanted, and what we deserve, as people who’ve followed their story, is to get to see it. To enjoy it. No time jumps, no off-screen big moments. We want to see the wedding, we want to see Mel being pregnant, we want to worry and we want to be happy with them.
As for the rest of the town, we truly hope we don’t get to see Charmaine ever again, now that it’s been revealed the twins aren’t Jack’s. Goodbye, good luck, hope to never see you again. And we would really love to see more of Hope and Doc, together, and more of Hope as the mayor, which everyone seems to have forgotten she is. Finally, Mel is going to need both Hope and Doc’s support going forward, and the entire town’s as well, so we hope we get to see that. The show works best when it’s about people caring for each other, and Season 5 has a chance to really hone in on that.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Virgin River Season 4? Share with us in the comments below!