The key storylines of Virgin River season 6 differ greatly from those of the books that inspired the Netflix romantic drama. The series of romance novels on which the Netflix show is based is written by Robyn Carr and it includes 21 books that are all set in the titular town of Virgin River. While the Netflix show focuses on separate storylines simultaneously, Carr’s books work differently, and Mel and Jack’s story was at the center of only the first book, Virgin River. Mel and Jack indeed appear in other books in the series, but they aren’t the main focus.
Is The Virgin River Book Series Finished? What We Know About Robyn Carr’s Upcoming Romance Novels
Netflix’s romance series Virgin River is based on novels by Robyn Carr, but how much do the books and the television series actually align?
The different pacing between the books and the Netflix show inevitably made some characters appear for a longer time, shifting their storylines consistently. This was the case for many storylines that are part of Virgin River season 6, especially so Mel and Jack’s, whose story continues to be told in the books but their wedding isn’t shown as their book ends before then. The storylines of some characters, like Brie, Brady, Mike and Charmaine, shift more than those of others, but Virgin River season 6 ends up giving them more depth at last because it spends more time on them.
The difference of opinions between Jack’s parents over Jack’s choice to join the Marines has been a burdensome weight in Virgin River. Mel and Jack’s marriage bringing the Sheridans to Virgin River was the perfect occasion for discussing it, and Sam offering Jack to pay for his wedding tuxedo in Virgin River season 6, episode 5 made a talk about Jack’s service possible. Throughout Virgin River, Jack was always proud of it, despite the problems it caused him after returning home. However, Jack’s parents didn’t take his choice well, and Sam’s speech highlighted how he saw Jack’s life as off-track.
[Sam talking about Jack’s choice not to continue his education to serve in the Marines showed how] he didn’t see Jack as a “highly decorated hero” like in the books.
Sam is instead prouder of Jack’s path in the book of the same name. While talking to Mel in Virgin River, Sam admits that Jack had accomplished more, saved more lives and done more good than others with education, although choosing to serve stopped him from continuing school. Not going to college was a sore spot in Virgin River season 6 too, but how Sam talked about Jack’s sacrifice showed how he didn’t necessarily see Jack as a “highly decorated hero” like in the books, instead seeing Jack’s choice to join the Marines as an disrupting bump in the road.
