Addictive Netflix drama soars to number 1 after ’emotional’ season 7 drops

One of Netflix’s longest-running original dramas has already soared up to the number 1 spot on the chart after the release of its seventh season this week.

Virgin River, which originally premiered on the streaming platform in 2019, follows the story of lead character Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner and midwife who moves from Los Angeles to the rural town after her husband’s death.

Despite the cancellation of other Netflix shows over the years, such as Shadow and Bone, Glow and 1899, Virgin River has kept going strong, with season seven dropping on Thursday.

Since the release of the 10 new episodes, the romantic drama has stormed up the top 10 chart, and is currently beating other programmes, including Morgan Freeman’s The Dinosaurs, season two of One Piece and season four of Bridgerton, which has slipped down to the number eight spot.

The new season of Virgin River continues to follow Mel’s relationship with Jack (Martin Henderson), after they tied the knot.

‘I think we’ve only just begun to see Mel and Jack function as a married couple, which is exciting,’ said showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, adding that season seven will ‘explore the honeymoon phase for them as they’re building their lives on the farm, which can come with its own obstacles’.

For any fans worried that Mel and Jack could end up splitting, Patrick has some words of reassurance that will soothe their fears.

‘I can’t imagine creating a scenario where you think Mel and Jack are going to break up,’ he explained. ‘It forces you to dig a little bit deeper into, well, what other issues can they have in their relationship? Especially when you want to keep it through the romance lens.

‘I think Alex and Martin play all of those [moments so well]. It’s just resting on emotional stakes as opposed to will they, won’t they.’

Over the years, Virgin River has been branded ‘corny’ and ‘cringey’, but dedicated fans have explained why they still come back, as they love how comforting it is to watch.

‘I’m someone who usually watches all the “prestige” TV shows, but I make the exception for Virgin River because despite all the cringe and corniness it really does feel like a community you wished you could belong to where people are essentially good, life mostly works out, and you get to lose yourself in the gorgeous scenery,’ one user Reddit called brash246 shared.

‘It doesn’t require deep thoughts, and it’s fun to laugh at the characters while still liking them. Even when the show is dealing with heavy topics it doesn’t feel heavy, you know?

‘It’s very refreshing to just chill out and indulge in their small town problems while seeing what new drama will be on the horizon that requires them to resolve. All in all, an entertaining show that I hope lasts 10 seasons.’

ImaginaryOwl_9 added: ‘I love Virgin River. It’s definitely cheesy and my god can you imagine how traumatised you’d be if you were Mel in real life?! Literally every time she rounds a corner, someone she loves is in a medical emergency.

‘But the cosy, small town, beautiful scenery vibes are comforting. Also I just love cheesy shows like this. I still watch Hallmark movies when I want to completely check out of the real world. 🤭 makes me want to live in a small town so bad.’

When Virgin River season seven wrapped production in Vancouver and Mexico, it was officially confirmed that it will be returning for an eighth outing.

‘On behalf of myself and the whole Virgin River family, we’re eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters,’ Patrick previously said.

Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix.

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