The new prequel series will star Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr.

‘Virgin River’ Prequel News Garners Mixed Reactions From Fans: ‘So Odd’

The new prequel series will star Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr.

A new Virgin River prequel series is in the works, but fans of the popular Netflix drama have mixed feelings about it.

Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith recently confirmed the plans for a new Virgin River prequel series at Netflix, which will star Jessica Rothe and Callum Kerr as Sarah Jensen and Everett Reed, the parents of Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge.)

But instead of feeling excitement over the franchise expanding, many fans were disappointed by the subject of the prequel, which will dig further into the story of Mel’s parents, who were featured in flashbacks throughout the most recent season.

“Why are they making a prequel based off Mel’s parents?” one fan asked on Reddit, sparking a conversation about some of the problems fans are having with the news.

“The flashbacks were a snooze-fest this season. The thought of a spin-off based on those two is just ‘NO THANKS,'” someone else argued.

“So odd. They have such good source material- the books- which they are ignoring,” another Reddit user wrote.

Some fans insisted that a better idea for the prequel would be to center the storyline around Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson), who has been practicing medicine in the small town for decades.

“At least make one about Doc starting his practice / his past in the town,” the original poster lamented, while someone else agreed that a prequel about Doc would be “much better.”

However, there were some fans who defended the showrunners’ choice to center the story around Mel’s parents, considering Breckinridge’s character “is the main character.”

“You may not find her likeable, but the VR story IS about her,” one more fan argued.