Virgin River enthusiasts are expressing their dismay over a perplexing aspect of season five, with one viewer confessing it left them with "whiplash".
The hit Netflix show tracks the life of nurse Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge), who relocates to a quaint town following a personal tragedy and swiftly falls for former Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson).
Upon her arrival, she secures a position at the local clinic managed by Vernon 'Doc' Mullins (Tim Matheson) and encounters his spouse, the town's mayor Hope McCrea (Annette O'Toole).
Throughout the five seasons and two festive specials, Mel becomes entangled in an array of town dramas, emergencies, and even criminal activities, discovering that small-town life is far from dull.
Season five ramps up the action as townsfolk navigate new romances, health worries, and a forest fire - leading one viewer to suggest it was all becoming overwhelming, reports the Express.
"Why is everyone jumping from one relationship to another?" they pondered on a recent Reddit thread.
"None of the main characters are allowed to just be single for ONE MINUTE even after a breakup.
"Haha getting whiplash from the quick jumps between people in relationships/situationships.
"And it's supposed to be a small town! Where are all these eligible dating prospects popping up from!"
Jack's sister Brie Sheridan (Zibby Allen) is a prime example, with her love life accelerating rapidly with Mike Valenzuela (Marco Grazzini) following her split from Dan Brady (Ben Hollingsworth).
Meanwhile, Preacher (Colin Lawrence) has been getting close to firefighter Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure), even confessing his love for her surprisingly early in their budding romance.
One viewer expressed concerns about Preacher's character development, saying: "Preacher is the main one I'm thinking of, he just seems very passive, like he is fine to date any woman in his proximity for 5 minutes.
"And he's just so unaffected when things don't work out. I do like his character, I just have been unimpressed with the writing/plot for his relationships."
The same sentiment was echoed regarding other characters' romantic entanglements: "This also happens with Brady, Brie, and Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale), even Jack and Mel at the beginning. No one seems to resolve one relationship before falling into the next one."
Another fan chimed in on the show's pacing issues, remarking: "Especially considering that all of this happened within one year!"
With the entire whirlwind of events in Virgin River unfolding before Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) has even had her baby, viewers are left reeling trying to keep pace with the series' relentless drama.
Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix.
