Warning: This review includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Virgin River season 7!
Virgin River season 7 had so much potential, but Netflix’s romantic drama failed to live up to expectations. After a year and four months, the hit show based on Robyn Carr’s books has returned with some of the biggest and most-anticipated storylines yet.
The ending of Virgin River season 6 set up a lot of drama for season 7 to explore. We knew, going into the season, that Mel and Jack’s potential adoption and Doc’s investigation would take center stage. Charmaine also disappeared, which would need to be explored.
These three storylines alone are hefty and require a lot of time. We also needed closure on Mike’s proposal to Brie. Lizzie was also bound to give birth, given how far along she was. Sadly, Virgin River season 7 tried to do too much, weakening the Netflix show as a whole.
Parenthood Storylines Are The Biggest Strength of Virgin River Season 7
Virgin River is known for being extremely soapy, but season 7 has the least soapy storylines since season 1. I don’t mind making the show a little more grounded and less packed with unbelievable twists. However, “grounded” doesn’t have to mean “boring.” Unfortunately, only three of the storylines really stand out as consistently interesting and well-written, two of which center on parenthood.
Jack and Mel’s journey to parenthood was given the most time out of any storyline, and that turned out to be a good thing. Their journey balances happy moments with compelling conflicts that don’t feel contrived. Mel and Jack both have strong emotional arcs that push them to grow, and they’re stronger for it. Moreover, their reaction to their son’s heart defect proves that they are going to be great parents in future seasons.
Aside from the parenthood storylines, this season of Virgin River felt like the writers threw spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick rather than carefully planning things out.
The other parenthood storyline took me by surprise. Most fans agree that Lizzie and Denny are the worst major couple in Virgin River. This made it all the more surprising that their story in Virgin River season 7 is beautifully written, making both characters empathetic.
They had a difficult start to parenthood, given Lizzie’s postpartum anxiety. However, Denny really showed up for her in a way he hadn’t previously. He’s an incredibly involved parent and a caring boyfriend. His patience with her made me understand why Lizzie likes him.
On the other side of things, Sarah Dugdale gave the best performance of the season as Lizzie. The character’s anxiety spiral and struggle with mild compulsions were palpable, getting stronger with every scene. This eventually hit a breaking point in one of the show’s most emotional scenes.
The final great storyline was Muriel’s cancer treatment, which was handled with sensitivity and compassion. It should be no surprise to anyone that Hollywood legend Teryl Rothery gave a compelling performance. However, the strengths of this storyline don’t end there.
Virgin River has been criticized for sometimes being “trauma porn,” and Muriel’s cancer could easily have gone in that direction. However, the show leaned into the fact that Muriel is resilient and a fighter. Her boyfriend reacted exceptionally well to finding out she had cancer, and they continued to have a very happy relationship. Plus, the storyline showed how much love and support Muriel has from her friends.
Every Other Virgin River Season 7 Storyline Had Very Little Impact
Aside from the parenthood storylines, this season of Virgin River felt like the writers threw spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick rather than carefully planning things out. The show bounced from story to story without smooth transitions, indicating problems with direction and editing. Plus, the plotlines were pretty lackluster due to quality-control issues.
Doc’s investigation had some worthwhile moments. The best moments were the interactions between Doc and Dr. Hayes, which had good tension and acting. Unfortunately, the quality of the writing dipped many times, and the pacing was painfully slow.
Despite the season’s many issues, season 7 includes a few shining moments that represent the very best of what Virgin River has to offer.
Preacher’s desire to open a fancy restaurant wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to care. Jack starting a farm felt completely random. Hope’s conflict with Roland felt overblown, and it really didn’t get interesting until the final episode.
Everything about the Brie, Brady, Mike love triangle felt off this season. Zibby Allen, Marco Grazzini, and Ben Hollingsworth are usually among the strongest actors on the show, but none of them gave their best in Virgin River season 7. The chemistry felt weak with both pairings. The dialogue in their scenes felt clunky. They never really gave me a reason to root for Brie and Brady to get back together. It just wasn’t up to par.
Truly, the most upsetting storyline failure was Charmaine’s disappearance, though. That was the most dramatic and soapy storyline of Virgin River season 7, but it was written so blandly that it’s hard to care about what happened to her. Then, the kidnapping plot twist was just thrown in there without any foreshadowing.
Ultimately, it seems like Virgin River season 7 threw together a bunch of interesting ideas with potential but left them half-baked rather than developing them. This writing weakness seeped into all other areas of the show.
Virgin River Season 7 Has A Few Shining Moments That Make It Worth Watching
Despite the season’s many issues, season 7 includes a few shining moments that represent the very best of what Virgin River has to offer. Doc and Hope’s visit to the maze is the most heartwarming scene, and the younger versions of the couple show why Virgin River’s rumored prequel should focus on Hope and Doc, not Sarah and Everett.
The scene where Lizzie breaks down in the bar and shuts herself in the bathroom is perfect. It’s emotional, well-written, well-acted, and brilliantly cut together. They make it feel very realistic, rather than sensationalizing her struggle. The same goes for Mel yelling at Jack about the homestudy. The scene felt earned, and it was executed well. Kaia and Brady’s interaction at the wildfire was the best moment for both characters.
Lastly, Virgin River season 7 ended on a high note. The hospital scene, from Marley giving birth to Jack and Mel leaving with the baby in the ambulance, was perfect. The writing and acting hit all the right emotional notes. Mel and Jack experienced a true moment of joy when the baby was born, an emotion that’s rare in Virgin River.
Even though they were infrequent, these moments in Virgin River season 7 make the show worth watching. When these perfectly crafted scenes are combined with the parenthood storylines, the positives are so strong that they outweigh the many weaknesses. Hopefully, as the creative team and cast begin filming Virgin River season 8, they will use these strengths as a model.
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