Virgin River Opinion: Mel Should Be Preparing To Be A Mom Instead Of Lizzie
Season 5 did the lead couple dirty.
If you've already binge-watched Season 5 of Virgin River, including the holiday specials, you'll have to agree that the fluffy Christmas episodes couldn't sugarcoat the tragic development of the first part, Mel's miscarriage storyline.
On the contrary, Lizzie's unexpected pregnancy, presented as a happy event for the whole town, reminded us of what Mel and Jack couldn't have. If the main couple seems to have come to terms with the loss of their baby, we still have a hard time dealing with it.
Changing the focus from one pregnancy to another feels like a poor substitute and ruins the show for many viewers. Here's why.
Jack & Mel were robbed of screen time
The protagonists are the heart and soul of Virgin River, and fans have been demanding for months that they be given more screen time in the new episodes. Yet the writers continue to steal the spotlight from the main couple, giving them fewer and fewer arcs.
At this point, Lizzie's pregnancy feels like another unnecessary storyline that will take a lot of attention away from Mel and Jack in future seasons.
It is hard to invest in Lizzie & Danny's arc
Representation matters, but do we really need a teen pregnancy in the lighthearted romantic series? Especially since Lizzie and Danny's storyline doesn't seem to present anything to get invested in, other than his illness that a baby could inherit. But that takes years to develop.
We would be thrilled to see Mel and Jack have a trouble-free, happy pregnancy, but with Lizzie and Danny it just feels boring.
The show has become repetitive
The theme of parenthood seems to be the running theme of the show. Over the course of five seasons, we have had numerous pregnancies, three daddy mysteries, and two miscarriages. And Mel has already lost a baby.
Season 5 made this trend ridiculously repetitive, and the news of Lizzie's pregnancy came as no surprise. We almost expect Lizzie's baby to turn out not to be Danny's in the next season.
The switch sends the wrong message
The main reason the pregnancy storyline following the miscarriage arc feels so frustrating is because it sends the wrong message. The creators explained that the miscarriage was featured to do justice to viewers with infertility issues. But giving Mel another tragic loss just to introduce a new, easy pregnancy for a local teenager does the exact opposite.
Yes, real life doesn't always work out the way we want, but it is not life. It's a comforting melodrama with lots of far-fetched plot arcs. So we'll take a miracle baby over any 'realistic' twist any day.