Love stories like Jack and Mel’s take center stage in this show, but even friendships
and familial bonds make Virgin River a wholesome show.
With Virgin River set to return to Netflix for Season 5, many fans are more excited
than ever for the homely, wholesome show. Community and romance are some of the most significant themes in Virgin River, but the relationships in the show are of many kinds. While Mel and Jack’s romance takes center stage, the platonic relationships in the series are just as riveting and complex.
Being the small town that Virgin River is, its inhabitants are close-knit and share beautiful relationships. Always ready to help and support each other, these bonds are the foundation of Virgin River. At the same time, some relationships, like Jack and Charmaine’s, are full of bitterness and deception, and the warmth and empathy of others, like Preacher and Christopher’s, eclipse the bad parts.
10 Mel and Doc
Mel immersed herself very quickly into the culture and community of Virgin River, but everything was not smooth sailing for her in the town. She had been hired to handle the Doc’s clinic with him as he grew older, but Hope had hired her without his knowledge. This led to some hostility from Doc towards Mel.
However, what made the show so comforting was how Doc and Mel’s relationship evolved throughout the four seasons. Doc came to respect Mel in due course as she showed him how capable, kind, and caring she was as a Nurse Practitioner and a friend. Eventually, there was such trust between them that Doc told Mel about his macular degeneration before anyone else.
9 Preacher and Jack
The brotherhood between Preacher and Jack runs deep, especially since they’d been in the army together. They stood by each other on the front lines and continued to do so even when they retired and ran Jack’s Bar together. Jack could always count on Preacher to have his back against Brady, Calvin, or anyone else who didn’t have the best intentions for him.
Virgin River does a great job of showing every side of their friendship. When Preacher felt shortchanged at the bar, Jack and he figured out a plan where he would be partner and make a healthy profit too. Their friendship ebbed and flowed naturally, and showing male friendships sensitively made Virgin River a feel-good show for an even bigger audience.
8 Doc and Muriel
Muriel’s introduction to the series was as a flirt intent on “stealing” Vernon from Hope while Hope manipulated her and Doc from the wings. However, Doc and Muriel’s friendship graduated from shallow dates to a genuinely supportive bond, especially from Season 3 and onward when Doc was struggling with his disease, his long-lost grandson, and his distance from Hope.
Muriel dropped all pretenses and stepped in to help and distract Doc from his worries. Whether it was a backgammon game, a glass of wine, or a home-cooked meal, Muriel went above and beyond to care for her friend without any romantic agenda, which was heartwarming.
7 Joey and Mel
As sisters, Joey and Mel ensured they were always present in each other’s lives. Both have gone through traumatic times: Mel lost her husband and baby, while Joey was going through a traumatic divorce. Thankfully, they had each other’s backs through thick and thin, and it was moving to see a sibling bond like this one.
What made Mel and Joey’s relationship even more endearing was how different they both were. Joey was a savvy and busy West Coast woman who loved her job and home, while Mel was quieter and happier with the small joys of life (which led her to Virgin River). The sisters managed to find common ground and understand one another’s perspective, and their love showed when they dropped everything to be present for each other.
6 Lilly and Hope
Lilly was a beloved member of the Virgin River community, and her death hit everyone hard, especially Hope. Hope and Lilly had been best friends for decades and knew each other very well. Lilly was calm, while Hope was a force to be reckoned with, so they balanced each other out — especially when Lilly reined Hope’s wilder impulses in.
Gut wrenchingly, Hope had an accident while she was returning to Virgin River to attend Lilly’s funeral, and the brain damage that she had made her forget that her best friend had died. Ultimately, she realized that something was wrong. Lilly may have died, but fans will always have the memory of Hope and her friendship forever.
5 Preacher and Christopher
Few relationships were as genuine and heartwarming as Preacher and Christopher’s. Preacher had not even dated Paige, but his commitment to protecting Christopher was commendable after she got into trouble. He safeguarded Christopher like his own son and also made sure that he was happy and healthy like other children.
Preacher put his own life on the line for Christopher, which was a credit to him. From summer camp to sports, Preacher carved out time to spend with the child. They may have been drawn together under horrible circumstances, but the father-son dynamic that emerged was only because Preacher was a gentle soul and Christopher was a good kid.
4 Hope and Jack
Hope and Jack’s relationship had as many lows as highs, but that didn’t detract from how much they cared for each other. Hope was a friend and a parent to Jack, but she could get overbearing in his life sometimes. True to her personality, she could interfere or have too many strong opinions about Jack’s personal life, but he knew that she meant well.
Even after big altercations, Jack and Hope would reconcile. Their relationship improved when Hope started meddling less, but fans are hoping she is a pillar of support to Jack now that he will know the reality of Charmaine’s babies and who the actual father was. It was also refreshing to see a relationship that was a bit spirited and not just saccharine-sweet like others in Virgin River.
3 Brie and Brady
Brady’s bad boy image in Virgin River did cast aspersions on his relationship with Brie initially. However, Brady soon made it clear that he was nothing but sincere when it came to his relationship with Jack’s sister. Their love had a bit of a forbidden angle because Jack and Brady were not on the best terms, but Brady had been there for Brie during a tumultuous time in her life.
As a couple, they could be sweet and sensitive as well as outrageously fun — a quality that Virgin River fans adored. Brie brought out the best in Brady and inspired him to be a more honest man. The good-girl, bad-boy romance was a riveting one.
2 Doc and Hope
The depiction of older love and desire set Virgin River apart from others, and Hope and Doc’s relationship was a deliciously convoluted one. After being married for years, Doc’s infidelity separated the couple for twenty years. However, when love came knocking upon their door again, Doc and Hope gave their relationship a second chance.
Even when separated, Doc and Hope were close friends who looked out for each other. It was clear that they were meant to be together, and with some forgiveness and communication, they rekindled the flame. Fans were dismayed when Hope almost died in Virgin River, but the couple made it through that adversity as well.
1 Mel and Jack
The attraction between Jack and Mel was magnetic from the moment they laid eyes on each other. The beauty of their relationship lay in the fact that Jack understood Mel’s situation and was content to help her while being a friend for as long as she needed. He never rushed her for anything but only tried to make her stay as comfortable as possible.Predictably, the chemistry between them was too great to ignore, and Jack and Mel decided to pursue a relationship. Their love story was full of hurdles like Charmaine’s pregnancy, the uncertainty of the paternity of Mel’s baby, and various emotional factors, but these only strengthened their bond. Jack and Mel’s relationship grew and evolved as they fought to stay together.
