Netflix romance series Virgin River has gotten more ridiculous as it’s gone on, with ever-more convoluted plots needing to beset the small community to keep things interesting. Season 5 recently reached the end of its first part, and of course, a juicy cliffhanger was needed to bring us back for part 2 on November 30. But some fans think the series may have taken things too far this time.
Virgin River season 5 episode 10 was a typical whirlwind – with the residents of the town having to contend with *deep breath* wildfires, kidnappings, comas, pregnancies, work promotions, and dating dramas. The Netflix series mid-season finale also included a glamping site being commandeered by the FBI, an impending golf course, a Labor Day carnival, Mel’s plans to buy land, and a body being found in the woods.
If all of that wasn’t enough, there was still time for a last-minute plot twist. A call comes from Mel’s sister Joey who reveals that she’s found surprise love letters addressed to their mother. And they’re from someone who lived in Virgin River. That means their mother was having an affair, and the secret guy could even turn out to be Mel’s father. The credits then roll, leaving jaws on the floor and the big question: who is Mel’s Dad?
A fan on Reddit has posed the question; “anyone else think the Mel cliffhanger has sent Virgin River into ‘jump the shark’ territory?” In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, ‘jump the shark’ originated from when the hugely popular 70s comedy series Happy Days had the Fonze jump over a pool of sharks on his motorcycle. It was widely considered that this marked a turning point when the beloved series lost its way.
Some fans agreed saying; “the cliffhanger was worse than a soap opera” and it’s “as dumb as it gets” and “what else are they going to put her [Mel] through?” Someone else thought “it jumped the shark after season 2” and several commenters weren’t happy at how much the series has deviated from the books.
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