Virgin River is a Netflix series starring Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Annette O'Toole, and Tim Matheson, based on a series of novels by author Robyn Carr. Beginning in 2019, the show has aired five seasons, with a sixth on the way.
Melinda "Mel" Monroe, a nurse practitioner and midwife, goes to work in the remote Northern California town of Virgin River, thinking it will be the perfect place to start fresh and leave her painful memories behind after family tragedies. But she soon discovers that small-town living isn't quite as simple as she expected and must learn to make the town her home.
The following tropes are associated with the show:
- …And That Little Girl Was Me: A literal example as Connie talks about knowing a little girl who saw her father constantly abuse her mother to the point he eventually killed her. She states that the girl "never forgave herself" with Preacher instantly able to tell Connie is talking about herself.
- Dead Guy Junior: Mel names the baby she finds at the practice after her sister, Chloe, who died as a baby. Chloe's mother Lilly keeps the name.
- Dr. Jerk: Vernon is the only doctor in Virgin River and is very proud of the practice he had built but he can be very stubborn and ornery towards other people, especially at Mel whom he frequently clashes with.
- Foot-Dragging Divorcee: Hope and Vernon have been separated for twenty years and it wasn't until Hope's minor heart attack that she handed the divorce papers to Vernon to sign, much to his surprise.
- From New York to Nowhere: Mel moved from Los Angeles to Virgin River.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Mel can't get pregnant but Jack's Friends with Benefits partner, Charmaine does.
- Innocently Insensitive: Charmanine was curious about Mel and began asking about Mel's husband, not realizing that Mel was getting increasingly uncomfortable with those questions, as did Jack and Hope who were in the same room.
- My Secret Pregnancy: Lilly Anderson hid her pregnancy from everyone, including her family and the whole town, after her husband's death caused her to drown in grief and depression. The truth wasn't discovered until after she had the baby.
- Quirky Town: Virgin River's a bit unusual.
- Small Towns: Virgin River is a pretty small town and everybody knows everyone's business.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Jack was a former US marine and memories of his time served and of his injuries occasionally still haunt him.
- Tragic Stillbirth: It's revealed that Mel went through one and the experience of having postpartum depression after helps her connect with Lily Anderson.
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: Mel's deceased fiance proposed to her during their movie night by listing a bunch of wedding related movies for their choices and hiding the ring in her popcorn.
- Wham Episode:
- The Season Four finale is a dozy. Mel and Jack get engaged and they learn her baby is his, who is also a girl. However, Cameron plans to leave after his awkward conversation with Mel and she decides to resign in hoping he'll stay, as she worried about who'll help out at the clinic when she eventually has to be put on maternity leave, putting the future of Doc's practice into question. Lizzie is hesitant to become Hope's nurse after her talk with Denny, but he finally comes clean about why he doesn't want to be with her: he has Huntington's Disease, and he doesn't want her to be with a guy with no future. Brady is found innocent of the shooting thanks to Brie's tip exposing Deputy Howard as the one who planted the gun in his truck. Vince is revealed to be Jack's shooter, and he holds Paige hostage demanding to know where Wes is buried only for Preacher to save her and reveal he's the one who buried Wes. At the same time, Brie, sick of Don looking like roses after he raped her, decides to press charges against him. Ricky leaves town to join the marines and an emotional send off is held for him. As if that's not enough, Mel and Jack go to dinner with their friends where it's revealed Nick's sister is Calvin's boss Melissa as a unknown figure takes photographs. Suddenly, the couple gets a call from a distraught Charmaine, and they hurry to her place when she tell them Todd is gonna leave her which she thinks is karma. She then drops a bombshell on Jack: he's not the father of her twins.
- The Season 5 finale has some big ones too: Mike is shot helping Brady with the drug dealers as Melissa is arrested. Lizzie realizes she might be pregnant. Doc decides to go for a clinical trial that might either restore his eyesight or ruin it forever. Just as Kaia comes back to town to be with Preacher, she gets a call someone has found Wes' body. Mel and Jack decide to buy up Ava's farm and build a home. Charmaine is confronted by a still-alive Calvin who turns out to be the father of her twins. And the final scene has Mel getting a phone call from her sister who tells her that some family letters hint their birth father is someone in Virgin River.
