Fans of ‘Virgin River’ have been left puzzled after a storyline involving key character Paige Lassiter, played by Lexa Doig since the first season, appeared to fade out.
Paige, a central figure in the plot, had formed a close bond with Preacher (Colin Lawrence) after fleeing an abusive marriage with Wes (Steve Bacic).
After relocating to Virgin River for a new beginning, she was relentlessly pursued by Wes’s twin, Vince, who even shot Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and kidnapped Paige’s son Christopher (Chase Petriw). While Vince is eventually apprehended in season five, fans were confused when Paige decided to leave town at the start of the new season and hasn’t been seen since.
One frustrated viewer took to Reddit to voice their confusion over the sudden shift, writing: “They go through all this drama, and in the end, she just leaves town, and they don’t even end up together.”
Their criticism extended to Preacher’s new romance with Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure), claiming it lacked the chemistry he had with Paige, according to the Express.
They added: “After all the buildup, he ends up with this random firefighter with zero chemistry, unlike Paige. What was the point of this whole side plot about Preacher doing everything for Paige? There’s no real payoff for him. I think the writers had a bigger role planned for the actress, but maybe she couldn’t fit it into her schedule, which makes sense since she was absent for most of the later seasons and then only came back to tie up loose ends.”
Since her time on Virgin River, Lexa Doig has landed roles in popular series like Goosebumps, The Power, and Chucky, as well as the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries TV films, fueling speculation that her busy schedule may have limited her availability for a full season on the Netflix series.
Many fans voiced their disappointment with the outcome, especially when comparing Preacher and Paige’s arc to Robyn Carr’s books, which inspired the show.
“I’ve always wondered about this. It went on for so long, and for what?” one fan asked.
“I assumed the actress got another acting job, so they wrote her off,” another speculated.
“They surely intended them to end up together, like in the books. But I agree, it felt unnecessary,” a third fan added.
Another fan pointed out: “In the books, Preacher does end up with Paige. My guess is the writers didn’t know she was leaving the show.”
Speculation continues about whether Paige might return, especially if Preacher’s current romance doesn’t work out, or if an unexpected declaration of love in season five signals Preacher’s desire for a more lasting relationship.
