Virgin River

During a recent illness, I was laid up for several weeks, and this was a pleasant, undemanding way of passing the time. It made zero demands on me. Annette O'Toole is always a pleasure to watch, even if her character is annoying. This is an actress who has never gotten the credit she deserves. The men are handsome in non-threatening ways. The heroine is pretty and smart, but not too pretty, and not too smart. It's like a Harlequin romance for TV.

Two things bug me: That's not Humboldt County. Trinity Alps, maybe, or somewhere in the Sierras. It rarely snows in Humboldt, and there are no snow capped mountains. Humboldt, especially the pot growing areas, is cool, foggy, and green. I lived there, and that ain't it.

The other things is endemic to almost all TV and movies: the perfect hair and make up at all times. A woman spends the night in basically a hobo camp and the next morning her hair is smooth, glossy, and blow-dried, her eyeliner and mascara intact. lip gloss undisturbed. It's a pet peeve.

I love Virgin River but I am so annoyed with Charmaine in Season 2.

Every episode recap for you here if you don't care to watch.

The words said between Jack and Mel's constant flirting and loin-panting. Jack: I want you, only you. Mel. I think I'm falling in love with you.... Mel: I can't. I'm not ready (I really want you too though say my puppy eyes and lip biting) wait, no. I can't.....

Hope is absolutely annoying in Season 2 (Ok, she was throat-punch annoying in Season 1, and now she is extra ick and I take her screentime moments to scroll TikToks.

Charmaine - please go away, squat out the spawn and be gone already. There is a book called "He's Just Not Into You" please read it.

Yet, I'm sitting here watching it, so, yah....

I didn't know there were books and I've never watched Heart of Dixie so I can't compare this to either like other viewers. But I just binge watched the entire first season on the strength of the chemistry between the two lead actors and I definitely want a season 2 since 1 ended on such a cliffhanger. Please keep making this show. It might be predictable and formulaic in the same ways so many things are these days, but it's no less addicting for that.

Wrap it up! Story lines gets messy but I'm still entertained. How many seasons does Charmaine have to be pregnant? I lost count. The actor playing Calvin was switched out in Season 6. I'm too invested in this show to drop out now. Think they got new writers for season 6 because the dialog feels different. No real focus and too many characters makes this all confusing and difficult to swallow at times. Why did it take a year for season 6 to come out? The show is going off the rails and I don't think a season 7 will fix it. Beautiful scenery but it's time to wrap it up and move on from this soap opera-y baby mama drama.