Netflix drama Virgin River has proven divisive among fans in recent seasons.

The serene landscape of Virgin River was disrupted by controversial plot lines in its latest seasons, prompting some fans to fast-forward through scenes featuring specific characters.

Season six focused on Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan’s (Martin Henderson) journey down the aisle. While Mel hammered out the kinks in her relationship with her biological dad, Everett Reid (John Allen Nelson), other town residents faced their share of highs and lows.

Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) captured hearts as she first cozied up with Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey), an employee at Jack’s bar before he enlisted with the Marines. Following Ricky’s exit, she found a new flame in Vernon ‘Doc’ Mullins’ (Tim Matheson) surprise grandson, Denny Cutler (Kai Bradbury).

Complications arose when Lizzie became pregnant amidst Denny’s run-in with Huntington’s disease, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their baby’s health.

Season six was all about Mel and Jack’s wedding

Despite their tales being laced with intense drama, Lizzie and Denny’s storyline split opinions.

A particular fan unabashedly confessed to bypassing swathes of their scenes, lamenting, “I’m really not into Denny,” and “He just doesn’t seem well placed at all and has a lack of emotion. Maybe he will grow on me, but idk”, reports the Daily Record.

“It feels like he was thrown in. I was never a huge fan of Lizzie but started to like her until the end of S3. Now I just don’t care for her.

“Denny is my least favorite. I’ve been skipping a lot of his scenes and Lizzy’s scenes. I’m kinda done with them.”

While these fans still get their kicks from Mel and Jack’s storyline, and find the Brie Sheridan (Zibby Allen) and Dan Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth) drama gripping, they can’t help but notice something feels awry in the recent instalments.

Commentary continued to roll in, including one person advocating for better utilization of Denny as a character representing Huntington’s disease: “Agree with Denny,” they said. “Feels like it’s wasted potential – he could’ve been such an interesting character representing something that is pretty severe but real for a fair amount of ppl.”

Fans have branded Denny as ‘wasted potential’

Others chimed in on their acting qualms: “I agree, Denny’s acting makes me cringe and he’s barely even showing emotion.”

With the anticipation for season 7 not reaching previous peaks, one person admitted: “Same. I’m not even excited for season 7.”

Despite criticisms and eye-rolls at some over-the-top plot twists, Virgin River remains a sanctuary for many viewers. One fan delights in the show’s escapism: “I think this show provides a great escape from my everyday stressors,” and finds solace in tuning out the real world: “I enjoy settling in after a long day and watching – even though unrealistic it has a certain charm to it. Sure some of the characters or plots annoy me yet I am looking forward to season 7.”

Others have also suggested that disgruntled viewers might want to delve into the original novels by Robyn Carr if they’re unhappy with the trajectory of the Netflix adaptation.