According to some fans, the friendship between Virgin River actors Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson is undermining the romance between their characters in the Netflix romantic series.
Should Preacher have followed Paige instead of letting her go again? Should Brie get back together with Brady rather than continue her relationship with Mike? If you’re a fan of Virgin River, you probably have an opinion on these questions about the couples in Netflix’s flagship American romantic series.
And you are not the only ones! Millions of subscribers have passionately followed the adventures of Mel and Jack, the heroes played by Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson, for five seasons already. And they are impatiently awaiting season 6 of Virgin River, filming of which should start at the beginning of the year and which will not be broadcast before 2025 on Netflix. During season 5, spectators notably witnessed with fear the terrible fire which put all the characters in danger and they cried, hating the writers, when Mel lost her baby again. But on social networks, the romance between Mel and Jack seems to be debated among Virgin River fans. Some spectators believe that the chemistry between the actors, and therefore their characters on screen, was spoiled by the videos published by the two actors on social networks.
Virgin River: “It ruins their romantic image on the show”
It’s no secret for Virgin River fans who follow the actors on Instagram: Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson are also close in life. If the actress is happily married, married to musician Casey Hooper, with whom she has two children, she spends a lot of time outside of filming with Martin Henderson, who has become a close friend. The two actors particularly like cooking together and posting videos of their creations on their respective accounts. According to some Virgin River fans, these videos spoil the romantic aspect of Mel and Jack’s relationship. “In the show, there’s a great romantic chemistry between them, which was better played out in the first two seasons, but seeing their cooking videos and the behind-the-scenes videos they put on Instagram, I see them more as a brother and sister, and it ruins their romantic image in the series for me,” laments a fan on the Reddit forum. “I think so too,” added another viewer. “It seems like someone asked them to develop their relationship outside of filming but it’s more like friendship or like a bond between brother and sister. I think it’s That’s why their relationship in the series is no longer the same.” Same story from another fan: “It ruined their chemistry on the show.”
“I find it unhealthy”
Other spectators, on the contrary, point out that a distinction must be made between the series and reality: “Martin and Alex are not Mel and Jack. They play roles, no more, no less. Martin has a girlfriend and Alex is married, for God’s sake!” Another viewer also protests the state of mind of some fans: “The number of fans who honestly expect him to leave his girlfriend because he ‘belongs’ to Alex is really scary. I read this from fans and I find it unhealthy.” It may indeed be good to remember, as with other Netflix programs, that it is indeed fiction and actors who play roles. Roles they will reprise in season 6, in which fans hope to see Mel and Jack get married and finally become parents.
