Last week, Netflix delighted fans with the release of two Christmas episodes of the much-loved series Virgin River. I'd been suffering some terrible withdrawal symptoms since finishing season five back in October; my daily dosage of charming life in a small town had been ripped from me (a tad dramatic, I know). That was until a friend of mine, a fellow fan, informed me that they'd be coming back for two more episodes before the release of season six next year. That was more than good news, to say the least.
In a nutshell, Netflix's Virgin River series details the lives of folk in a small American town in Northern California called, you guessed it, 'Virgin River'. It primarily follows Mel Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner who moves there from Los Angeles after experiencing some rather traumatic events. Much of the series pays particular attention to Mel building and cultivating relationships with those in her new town, most notably Jack Sheridan, with whom she later forms a romantic relationship.
Stories centred around small town life have long held a special place in people's hearts throughout the course of television and movie history. Why exactly? Well, it has much to do with the community aspect and what that means to people. If you look at cult classics like the early 2000s TV series Gilmore Girls and the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias, what made them so popular was the way such media portrayed the idea of community as something that keeps you grounded, something that reminds you how love is all around you and how you are never alone, especially during a crisis. Indeed, that is a great comfort to many who watch those kind of stories. Speaking of Gilmore Girls, if you've ever had a listen to the popular Gilmore Guys podcast, something I highly recommend to any fan, there's an episode where they discuss the successes in Lorelei's life and her relationships within her community in particular. We often think about success through an academic, career, or financial lens, but as a guest on the podcast once said, sometimes success comes from whom you share your life with. That certainly rings true if you think about Lorelei and her close relationships with her daughter, friends, and townies, all of whom she treasures. She loves her life, despite her lack of money at times, and feels incredibly content because of her connections to these people. It's a stark contrast to her mother, Emily, who, on the surface, may appear to have it all (wealth, a big house, nice cars, yearly trips to Europe, etc.), but she remains unfulfilled in her relationships with others. Her friendships are superficial at best; her husband often makes important decisions regarding their livelihoods without consulting her; and her connection to her daughter, mostly due to Emily's hostility, is often compromised. There is, therefore, a big gap in her life that arguably causes her a great deal of unhappiness.
In Virgin River, community and people are what drive Mel to a more emotionally complete place. At the start of the series, Mel has a stable career and financial security, but the events in her life, such as the stillborn birth of her child and the later death of her husband, have resulted in her feeling somewhat disconnected from the world and, therefore, unhappy. After moving to Virgin River, Mel comes to better terms with the tragedies of the past, beginning to heal from them thanks to her ability to confide in kind-hearted people. Her listening and understanding of the pains that others go through also help broaden her perspective and make her realise that she is not alone. As well as this, taking part in communal town activities shows her that joy can be found in the everyday, which is something that can be shared between different people. When you reach Virgin River's Christmas episodes, you see that Mel has become an integral part of her community. If we consider the series' film editing briefly, the colour saturation, with its warm, cosy colours, highlights the extent to which she feels comfortable in herself and the life she has created within the town. Interestingly, when you observe where Mel physically ends up, she is not living in some luxury million-dollar apartment replete with several walk-in wardrobes, heated pools, and expensive cars. Instead, she's cozying it up in an enchanting little cottage with a tree swing outside and the woods encompassing her. It's nothing fancy, but it's a home she's proud of. She is no longer burdened by the past, choosing to forgive those who've wronged her, like Jack's ex-girlfriend Charmaine, who treated her horribly, being happy to assist as her midwife rather than hold a grudge and reject her.
What's also so endearing about Virgin River is how it teaches you that you can have two families: the one you were born into by blood and the one you create with individuals you deem worthy. I was especially touched by Doc when Mel confided in him after being disappointed by her biological father, whom she tracked down in the Christmas episodes. Earlier in season five, Mel discovered that her mother had engaged in an affair with a Virgin River resident, resulting in her birth. When unravelling her feelings to Doc, the latter explains that while he may not be her father, should she need anything, he'd be right there for her, just as a parental figure should. But Virgin River also stresses that you should be there for people, regardless of whether or not you're a parental figure in someone's life. In the Christmas episodes, when Lizzie is apprehensive about telling her mother that she is pregnant, Hope offers her full support, providing her with security should Lizzie's mother react badly and disappear. Hope never tries to replace Lizzie's mother, instead encouraging Lizzie to make amends with her and holding the door open for the mother to have a future relationship with her grandchild. Virgin River evidently shows that community is what makes us thrive.
How did you enjoy Virgin River's Christmas episodes? What does community mean to you? If you haven't watched it already, get on Netflix pronto! This is a pocketful of wholeness you don't want to miss this festive season.
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