Virgin River: Meet the Characters

6th Jul 2021

Virgin River Season 5 is on the horizon and we could not be more excited! We’ve taken a deeper look into the characters we know and love from the quirky, small-town community.

New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr wrote the Virgin River series, stories of love and new beginnings in a small Californian town, which have now been adapted into a major Netflix Original Series.

There are twenty books in the Virgin River series, and together they have sold more than 13 million copies, making their way onto HarperCollins’ list of the top 200 most influential books.

The Netflix series perfectly encapsulates the endearing characters of Robyn’s books – let’s take a look at who they are…

Please note spoilers below!

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Mel Monroe

Nine months after losing her doctor husband Mark in LA, Mel is burned out and needs a change of pace. A certified nurse practitioner and midwife, Mel answers an ad to assist the local doctor in Virgin River. Mel is level-headed, loyal and kind. As the series progresses, we become much more aware of the loss Mel has gone through and her strength of character.

She moves to Virgin River in search of a fresh start but gets so much more than she bargained for when she moves to town, as she falls in love with local bar owner, Jack. And as we go into Season 5, the two are newly engaged and Mel is pregnant with their baby girl.

Jack Sheridan

Jack is a retired, decorated Marine who now owns Jack’s Bar in Virgin River, the center of social life in the town. A fierce protector of what he loves, including his home – Jack has no problem wading in to save the day, even from the dangerous gang who live nearby. We have seen Jack struggle with PTSD and alcohol through the series, but Season 4 saw him reach out for help from a recommended therapist from Preacher.

Things get complicated when he finds out his ex-girlfriend Charmaine is pregnant. But that ultimately can’t stop the love between him and Mel, as we go into Season 5 they are engaged and she is pregnant with his baby!

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Doc Mullins

The surly Vernon ‘Doc’ Mullins is Virgin River’s grumpy 70-year-old doctor who has a difficult time accepting Mel’s help when she first arrives in town.

But over the course of the series, it is Doc who (often begrudgingly) offers the people of the town the best advice. After he reconciles woth his estranged wife, Hope, we root for these two as they are face multiple obstacles, with the long-term consequences of Hope’s accident and Doc’s own health.

Hope McCrae

Meddling town mayor Hope always has people’s best interests at heart, but her tendency to gossip often complicates situations. But she is as loveable as she is interfering and we can’t forget that it was Hope who first brought Mel to Virgin River. In Season 4, we see Hope battle grief over her best friend Lilly’s death and her own recovery from an accident in Season 3.

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John ‘Preacher’ Middleton

Jack’s Marine buddy and chef at Jack’s Bar. He is as tender as he is strong and like Jack (and everyone one else in Virgin River) he is always there to lend a helping hand.

Preacher grows closer to Paige and is the only one who looks closely enough to uncover the dangerous mystery of her secret past, and continues to support her and her son, Christopher, as they face dangers and plots of revenge.

Dan Brady

Another of Jack’s Marine friends, Brady has a hard time returning to home soil. He often stirs up trouble in the town, despite Jack’s best efforts to keep him on the right path. However, he falls for Jack;s sister, Brie, who brings out the best in him. But after being falsely imprisoned for shooting Jack, Brady continues to be caught in the middle of local drug trade and faces threats from a newly revealed boss…

Charmaine Roberts

Charmaine loves to stir up drama and perhaps offers one of the most dramatic plotlines as Jack’s ex-girlfriend who reveals she is pregnant with their twins. Wanting to win back Jack, Charmaine disrupts Mel and Jack’s burgeoning relationship. But just as fans started to warm to Charmaine, the final moments of Season 4 revealed that she lied about the paternity of her twins!

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Paige Lassiter

The show often cuts to mouth-watering scenes where mysterious baker Paige lays out a spread of delicious pastries and cakes. Her food truck is definitely the place we’d go to start our day in Virgin River.

But there’s more than meets the eye with Paige. On the run from her abusive husband, Paige and her son Christopher find shelter and protection in Virgin River and particularly Preacher. But after Paige and Christopher are threatened at first from Paige’s ex-husband and then his twin brother, Vince, it seems as though they will never find peace. At the end of Season 4, we see Christopher’s safe return after being kidnapped and Preacher finds Paige…but then must take on Vince…

Joey Barnes

As protective older sister to Mel, Joey Cooper tries to keep Mel’s best interests at heart while navigating her own marital struggles. Joey is often the character with the most relatable lines and urges Mel to have fun and move forward with her life. In Season 4, we see Joey spontaneously marry her high school boyfriend and looking extremely happy after her previous divorce.

Lilly

Lilly’s life takes a shocking turn when Mel discovers that the baby abandoned on the Doctor’s doorstep is hers! Mel helps Lilly find her feet again after experiencing post-natal depression. But we sadly learn that Lilly has terminal cancer is Season 3 and she sadly passes away.

Mark

Mark only appears in flashbacks as Mel’s husband, before the tragic accident that cost him his life. These flashbacks often show their marital bliss and provide further insight into the pain Mel is experiencing when she moves to Virgin River.

Ricky

Teenager Ricky looks up to Jack and works alongside him in his bar and fixing up Mel’s cabin. Like most other characters, Ricky’s good heart and intentions shine through. When Lizzie arrived in town and the two became a couple, our hearts melted. But after he lied to her about signing up for the marines, the two break-up. And the arrival of Denny in Season 4 throws a spanner in the works as a love triangle is formed…

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Mike

Mike is a former Marine who fought in the conflict with Jack and Brady. He now works in law enforcement and comes to Virgin River as a favour to Jack to help investigate drug kingpin Calvin. But something about him isn’t quite right… especially when it seems like he has framed Brady for Jack’s shooting. However, we see him working together with Brie to work on Brady’s case, which starts to reveal some of his hidden feelings for Brie.

Dr Cameron Hayek

Cameron joined the Virgin River scene in Season 4 when he was hired by Doc to lend a hand at the practice as Doc attends to Hope’s health and his own. His arrival is the buzz of the town, except it’s clear that Cameron only has eyes for Mel…

Denny

Denny is Doc’s grandson…that he never knew he had! On his arrival in Virgin River, a new love triangle is formed in the wake of Lizzie and Ricky’s break up. But Denny continues to struggle with a health diagnosis that he is determined to keep a secret.

Brie Sheridan

Brie is Jack’s sister, who is a lawyer that moved to Virgin River. Brie falls for Jack’s former comrade, Brady. And while trying to come up with a plan to free him of his criminal boss, Calvin, Brie’s personal troubles come to Virgin River. The former colleague who sexually assaulted her comes to Virgin River and tries to get her to sign an NDA about what happened between them.