Netflix’s Virgin River

I recently decided to try Netflix again after being off the streaming service for years. So, I am in the exploration stage….seeing what I like and what really catches my fancy. I found this series….Virgin River, which is now in it’s 3rd season. So, I had the pleasure of watching 2 full seasons, already in the can when I started watching. The 3rd season premiered a few days after I watched the last episode of season 2. I was hooked within a few minutes of the first episode of season 1….beautiful scenery and lovely characters. I thought….that scenery looks familiar. Lo and behold, the show is filmed in Vancouver and surrounding areas – in the province of British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. I know most people will probably say, their part of this majestic world, is the most beautiful, and that’s natural and fine. Nevertheless; the outdoors in Canada is truly magnificent…big open spaces, mountains, forest, trees, lush greenery, lakes and rivers. This is all highlighted in the scenery shown in Virgin River. Not to mention, the animals familiar to these parts. Nature at its finest. The scenes being played out, against the backdrop of beautiful Vancouver is breathtaking. It’s the unnamed actor in this series. The series is based on a book and the fictional town in the book, is actually a small town in northern California. For logistical purposes, the show is shot elsewhere.

This series, the ambience, and the scenery reminds me of a small, rural town I visited for many years in northern Ontario. I eventually lived there for a short time. Believe it or not; though this show is fictional, there are places similar to that in this world and not just in Canada. The general store, the fairs, the local hang-out…in this case, Jack’s bar. They all seemed so familiar. I can understand the appeal for many folks, even if you are a fan of big city life. The 3rd season of Netflix’s Virgin River premiered on July 9th and I have already watched the entire season. I must say….it took me a bit longer to watch all of it than the first 2 seasons. I took my time this time around, savored it a bit more. As I said to my friend recently – streaming is the new way of watching a lot of TV, but I’m still getting used to it. Sometimes you cannot help yourself and end up binge watching and then what? The search is on for something else. The joy of anticipation is lost in binge-watching. But, there are also benefits to streaming. People, like myself, can discover a show long after it has premiered and watch every episode, from beginning to end, without missing a beat.

Overall, this series was comforting and nostalgic. I felt I was revisiting some of my earlier life. It was almost like being on a road trip through the beautiful Canadian outdoors. You get drawn into a world with all these interesting and believable characters. The character, ‘Doc’, played by the actor, Tim Matheson, said something interesting and profound in the 3rd season…”If you spend all your time focusing on the ending, you are going to miss the show.” Ah….I really needed to hear that. Just a sampling of some of the great dialogue on Virgin River. These wise nuggets, great characters, along with the gorgeous and peaceful scenery, keep us coming back for more.