Virgin River's Upcoming Season 6 Already Fell Into Grey's Anatomy Trap

Summary

• The Netflix series Virgin River is heading into its 6th season.
• The show has evolved from a gentle romance into a full-on soap opera
• It's not the first scripted series to fall into this trap, as Grey's Anatomy fans already know.

Remember when Virgin River was a cozy comfort watch about Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse who moves to a sleepy small town? Remember when it was a sweet little romance that soothed you with quaint vibes and lingering shots of the sunset?

Well, the sunsets are still beautiful and the fictional town of Virgin River is still cute as heck, but we're heading into Season 6 and we need to address the elephant in the room.

Is this show just a soap opera now?

A Familiar Flaw

This isn't the first time a show has had to prop up its storyline by getting increasingly melodramatic. Grey's Anatomy (2005) started out as a medical drama with an ensemble cast of interns and resident doctors working at a Seattle hospital. Grey's had the benefit of an endless stream of medical emergencies to keep the plots coming – instead of depending just on relationship drama, they could lean on medical mysteries to keep viewers entertained.

But even with that driving factor, Grey's still took a slow turn away from being 'Grey's Anatomy: Medical Drama' and turned into 'Grey's Anatomy: Soap Opera'. Instead of trying to save victims of drive-by shootings, the show had to top itself by having patients with bombs in their chests. Instead of doctors getting into an argument in the break room, doctors got into helicopter crashes.

Grey's at least has the excuse of heading into their 20th season this year, while it only took Virgin River a few years to veer into soap opera territory.

Surprise!

It used to be that we tuned into Virgin River for the gentle romance and general cozy vibes. Sure, there was some spice to keep things interesting (like someone's abusive husband getting buried in the woods), but largely it was just a sweet little romantic drama.

Now Virgin River is up to its soft-focus elbows in dead mothers, sudden revelations (BAM! It's Mel's long-lost father!), love triangles, forest fires, paternity switcheroos, and traumatic brain injuries.

Also, for fans that haven't been paying attention, Charmaine was pregnant for five seasons – meaning that everything that's happened so far on Virgin River has happened in the space of a mere nine months. For a 'sleepy' small town, this place sure has a lot of crime and life-threatening disasters. Where can they go next? If we look to traditional soap operas as a guide, maybe we can expect to meet Mel's evil twin.

Is It Too Much?

Some fans would argue that Virgin River was a melodrama to begin with – after all, it was based on a series of romance novels. Even the end of Season One was awash with soapy tropes, like the revelation that Charmaine was pregnant with Jack's twins (a revelation that has since been reversed) and the murder of Paige's husband.

Still, when things get this convoluted it might be time to turn down the drama and return the show to its homey, cozy roots. That's the vibe that got us all watching in the first place, and it's a vibe that's slowly disappearing.

When Will It Continue?

Fans will be relieved to know that after the multiple cliffhangers of this past season, the show has been greenlit for a Season 6. No word yet on when the show will start filming – that will depend in part on the weather in British Columbia, where the series films.