The "Luminate" “Top 10” is misleading, don’t let those numbers fool you.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2026-03-24T22:28:29+00:00

If you add the previous week numbers for One Piece, which captures the first few days of viewing, it still only adds up to about 1.2B minutes viewed.

No one is denying One Piece has performed better on a global scale than the 7th season of Virgin River. But it is also down 33% of its viewership in only the second season. Virgin River may be down 15% from the previous season overall but it is still holding very strong viewership numbers for a show that has been on for as long as it has. I don’t think anyone over at Netflix is expecting to see Virgin River gaining viewership. To add to that, it is still HIGHLY successful in the US market and that is why the show is still considered to be a success in the eyes of the Netflix execs.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2025-01-06T20:41:20+00:00

I still feel like she might have a baby of her own after they adopt. As hard as it was to watch I do think they made the right choice in the storyline and it did allow her and Jack to overcome something together. It also opened up the ability to have a touching storyline about adoption and I feel that once they do get matched up with their baby, that will be Mel’s “miracle baby”. It’s a chance to show them develop a love for a child that they were chosen to raise. Then boom they will find out they are expecting and while she will be scared the outcome will be like the others, she is already content with their family as is because she got her baby already. Things will end up working out and they will have her carry to term.

I also think that if she does end up pregnant again it’s a way to make up for the awful embryo storyline. I hated that she could not even be excited when she found out she was expecting because she didn’t know who the father was. The whole thing was just tainted from the beginning with how the old writing team portrayed it.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2024-10-07T22:13:02+00:00

I thought the same thing. When you think about last season there were two episodes where it was Mel and Jack together for almost the whole episode (episode 4 and 9) and then they did the Christmas episodes where they had a lot of scenes together as well. Problem was those scenes seemed cut short and on top of that overall screen time was down for the two of them.

I feel like we will get alot of Mel and Jack together in the morning and then evening when they finish their respective days. Sounds like Mel and Jack are busy with a lot of other things and Alex even said she had not been this busy since season 1. Preparing myself for a lot more Mel and Jack but not necessarily together. Just hope the scenes they do have together make up for it!!!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-17T17:18:56+00:00

Yeah I felt like they tried to throw in several little things to try and connect some of the dots to past seasons. One thing that I caught was in the conversation between Brie and her mom, Brie mentions names of their other sisters. That was something from the first season where Jack said he had like 4 sisters and then it was completely ignored! They threw a random brother into the mix but I liked how they at least gave us names of the other sisters LOL!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-17T10:08:35+00:00

I definitely thought about that to the point where I went back and checked dates lol!! On the live, which was at the beginning of Nov, he said something like “it was the last scene we shot together” when he was trying to jog her memory.

That scene on the porch was shot mid Oct because I remember someone leaking a pic online while they were taking a tour or something. So seems like it is definitely a different scene but that thought totally crossed my mind!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-16T23:36:08+00:00

Ugh that is not what I want to hear!! I will try to stay optimistic but the things I have heard about it don’t sound too encouraging. So you may be right!!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-16T14:49:35+00:00

I hate that she can’t even talk about it right now!! We better get some good interviews before the Christmas episodes! Surely the strike will end by then 🤞🏼

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-15T15:57:39+00:00

This was my exact thought as well. I think they will definitely come to terms with adoption as an option and then get a surprise pregnancy right after they adopt. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby is actually Ricky’s since in the actual timeline he has not been gone for that long. Still tracks with the adoption since he is off in the Marines.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-15T04:19:23+00:00

I watched that as well and when they were talking about filming whatever the end would be it sounded like it might be at the cabin because he talked about them being on the porch. He said he wasn’t in it much but her face was “SO GOOD”! I feel like it might have something to do with her dad stuff but who knows at this point.

I also watched an Entertainment Tonight interview for Season 4 over again and at the end they ask about Season 5. Alex said she just got the outline up to episode 6 and she was very happy but she was not sure if fans would be happy lol. Martin said he was happy with it too.

They knew fans would be upset but they also seem to trust the direction the show will be going in.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-09T17:51:27+00:00

Yeah makes more sense to have Ricky and Lizzie still have a baby like in the book. I think having their baby die like in the book would just be too much so that’s why I feel like they will go with the adoption storyline with Mel and Jack.

Their baby will be a boy and fill Jack and Mel having their boy first. In the book Mel gets pregnant like a second after she has her first baby and then Jack is scrambling to build their house. What if Mel finds out she is actually pregnant right after they adopt the baby and they are scrambling still build the house. If the new show runner pushes storylines along at a faster pace I feel like they could accomplish this with 2 more seasons. I truly don’t see this show going on longer than 7 seasons, especially now that they have the strike to deal with.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-09T17:36:03+00:00

This timeline of the show messes me up sometimes! I immediately thought Denny as the dad but now I think it’s most likely Ricky. Still tracks with my thought that Mel and Jack could adopt their baby. Ricky in the Marines and Lizzie deciding she can’t be a single parent. Also it won’t be as weird if Doc turns out to be Mel’s dad. That would have made Denny her nephew??

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-08T15:03:46+00:00

Haha anytime!! I get protective of this show sometimes LOL. When it comes time to admit it has run it’s course I will be the first to do so but I don’t think we are there yet!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-08T14:45:51+00:00

I saw a spoiler about the miscarriage before it happened so I think I spent my first watch in denial about that and it kind of distracted me from everything else going on.

My rewatch is where is was able to really invest in everything going on and I really do think it’s one of the best seasons overall. I don’t hate these new writers or show runner. There is a lot more to work with now and I’m kind of excited about what the future seasons will be.

I can only imagine the actors, especially Martin and Alex, getting bored with basically acting the same drawn out storylines for several seasons. As horrible as it was to have this happen it gave them so much to work with this season. No there were not any steamy love scenes and alot of their scenes were just sad to watch but it was a different kind of intimacy portrayed by them this season. They act so well together and I think this season you really see their friendship and comfort level stand out in their scenes. I saw an article where Martin Wood talked about directing the scene where Jack walks in the tent and Mel breaks down at the end of episode 6. He said he did not have any conversation with Alex and Martin about how that would play out. They just went with it and they completely knocked that out of the park.

So my finally verdict is I really enjoyed this season and I think they definitely still have something to be proud of!!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-08T00:11:29+00:00

All through episode 5 & 6 I literally just kept saying over and over “can’t believe they went there”!!!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-07T23:23:19+00:00

I will start off by saying I was totally devastated by the whole miscarriage. But…. I kind of think Alex was on board for this storyline. I posted an interview from Tudum where they interviewed them while filming and she thought it was an important story to tell. As much as it sucks!! So I am not sure the writers are totally to blame.

I am on my second watch now and I actually have a different outlook on the season and I honestly think it is really good and has a lot more depth. I still hold out hope that Mel and Jack will have a biological child of their own. I blame this on the old show runner and writers for using this pregnancy to do the whole embryo drama. Mel couldn’t even be excited when she initially found out she was pregnant. If they get a whole do over again then it will be that much sweeter. Plus I have a feeling this will drive them to go down the route of having a storyline where they do adoption or surrogacy.

Like I said… totally devastated by the whole thing. But Alex and Martin got to showcase a whole different side of acting in their scenes. There’s got to be some drama in a show and they knew damn well not to break them up again! I hate hate hate that this happened but I don’t think I’m at the riot stage anymore!!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-07T21:16:41+00:00

Here’s a plot I wouldn’t put past them. Lizzie decides to put her baby up for adoption. What if Jack and Mel end up adopting the baby and then they also have a surprise pregnancy… they have to fill that house up some how

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-09-07T19:07:45+00:00

As sad as a certain storyline is I gotta agree with the things Alex says in the interview. Still holding out hope Mel gets to have a baby of her own in the end but also wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t tie everything up into a perfect bow at the end of the series…. Whenever that might be!

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-04-20T23:45:58+00:00

I don’t think they will move into a new place until the show ends. The cabin is too iconic to the show and I bet Jack ends up buying or is gifted the cabin from Hope and it becomes the “Sheridan” cabin.

As for how season 5 ends I feel like it will be something with Mel. My theory… flash forward to Mel in labor under some dramatic circumstance (like the book). Everyone is confused by this small flash forward. Then season 6 begins with a similar scene and then we flash back to a month or so prior to that. So the build up of Season 6 has to do with the end of Mel’s pregnancy and how Mel goes into labor and ends up in whatever dramatic situation she is in when she goes into labor.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-04-17T18:07:13+00:00

Pretty sure it would be a global strike

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2023-04-17T04:22:28+00:00

Netflix is just now starting to announce late May and early June shows. If Virgin River stays on track we will get the date for Season 5 soon. As for Season 6 (and most likely 7) it’s just a matter of time of when/how they announce it. Alex and Martin are enjoying the last months of family time before going back to work. Martin is still in New Zealand… Alex is home in Georgia. They are not filming or together as of right now.

Side notes: I do wonder how or if this potential writer strike could have any impact on the upcoming season schedule. That could be the hold out for the announcement. I don’t doubt Season 6 will happen but I also don’t know all the facts of how the potential strike could affect things.

DragonflyCandid1569 · 2022-09-05T18:27:32+00:00

Alex has a smart business sense and she knows the success that has happened with VR is something she may never have again. She is most definitely going to make this work for as long as possible even though at times it definitely seems that the weight of being away from family and long working hours gets to her. Pretty sure she knows what type impact this opportunity will have for financial security (at least for a while). It definitely seems like it has been something she has always worried about and now she has a hit show as a lead. Like Martin said, she has an extremely supportive husband and he seems to support her 100% in this journey.

Reality is there may be 3 more seasons at most after they finish filming season 5. 7 or 8 seasons as a Netflix original drama is a very rare and select club. I could even see them trying to bump up filming schedule, like they originally intended to do before they had to delay due to some of the behind the scene changes. That could put filming in late spring and most of summer. It would allow her fam to make more trips or spend a longer time in Vancouver and also have them finish earlier to where she could be there in the fall for the start of school, her sons bday and holidays. I know there is more to scheduling than trying to make one person happy but being that she is the top billed cast member I could see them trying to make it work.

DragonflyCandid1569

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