Virgin River fans spot 'obvious' detail missing from Mel and Jack's story

A fan of Virgin River has expressed confusion over a significant detail missing from the surroundings of Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson).

Netflix's cherished small-town drama is among the platform's most-watched shows, with millions anticipated to tune in for the forthcoming sixth season this December.

The show centres on nurse practitioner Mel, who relocates to a quaint town in Northern California after experiencing a tragedy, and soon develops feelings for bar owner and ex-Marine Jack.

Recently, it became Netflix's longest-running English-language series after being renewed for a seventh season. However, some sharp-eyed viewers have identified several inconsistencies over the years.

One recent criticism pertains to the absence of wildlife, given that Virgin River is filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, reports the Express.

"Having lived in BC for a few months (where VR is filmed) this summer I'm on a rewatch and I'm amazed at how bears don't even get a mention in the show," one viewer shared on Reddit.

"I went to 'Jack's Bar' in Squamish and there was fresh bear scat right outside it. Everywhere I hiked, never solo, we carried bear spray and local friends said that they'd even carry a firearm for protection in the back country.

"Meanwhile Mel, Brie (Zibby Allen), Cameron (Mark Ghanime), Jack and Denny (Kai Bradbury) are all out there running and fishing on the trails without so much as a bottle of water between them.

"Mel is even wearing earbuds so wouldn't be able to hear approaching wildlife. She and Jack think a rustle in the bushes is a squirrel."

Despite Virgin River not being set in British Columbia, there's debate among fans that bears ought to be referenced as they are in the books from which the series is adapted.

One fan pointed out after starting to read Robyn Carr's bestselling novels: "Now I'm reading the books for the first time and there's the thing they left out: Jack's Bar has hunting trophies all over the walls and Jack tells Mel how he had to shoot a mother bear who was charging him when he was fishing at the river,".

They went on to share a quote from the book: "'You don't take a minute to load your rifle if a bear is charging you. Bear fish in the same rivers we do.'"

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While Virgin River may appear to be an idyllic town, California, where the show is set, is home to between 25,000 to 35,000 black bears, posing potential risks to human residents.

Nevertheless, one viewer reasoned: "Because it's set in Humboldt County, CA. We have bears here too, but they don't roam that freely and aren't seen that often."

Furthermore, another commented: "Never been a bear attack here ever. Bears are smart and have manners and know how to cohabitate peacefully with the humans that are squatting on their land."

However, some viewers might still find it odd that despite these realities, the series completely omits this aspect, especially considering scenes where Mel is seen running through the wilderness alone without any form of protection.

Virgin River season 6 will be released Thursday, December 19 on Netflix.