Virgin River devotees have been taking pot-shots at Jack Sheridan (played by Martin Henderson) well before his blossoming romance with Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) took off in season one.
Initially, Jack was entangled in a casual affair with Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), who unfortunately misread how serious their fling was.
Fast forwarding to season five, Charmaine and her current beau Todd Masry (Patrick Sabongui) have steadily advanced despite the twins’ delayed arrival.
With season six set to land on Netflix just in time for the festive season, fans have been reminiscing over earlier seasons, pinpointing both the triumphs and woes that have unfolded.
Some viewers may find themselves startled upon revisiting Jack in the series’ infancy, realising the extent of his emotional evolution throughout the show, reports the Mirror.
A Reddit user remarked: “I’m re-watching Virgin River and Jack’s emotional immaturity is really off-putting.
“In my home country there is a term for that kind of behaviour, ‘a slipper’, like the shoe. Instead of taking any action or responsibility in a relationship they just.. exist, and even the simplest form of communication is beyond them.”
The critique didn’t end there; they further added, “They just seem completely unable to take any kind of charge within that relationship.”
On reflection, during his early tenure in the series, Jack’s reticence towards both Mel and Charmaine could be perceived as a protective measure borne out of the traumas encountered during his Marine service.
Thankfully, the tough exterior has since melted away, with both Jack and Mel now more open about their emotions towards each other.
However, even the most ardent Virgin River fans found it hard to overlook his past transgressions.
“The way he treats [Charmaine] after meeting Mel is not nice,” continued the same post.
“I remember when watching the show for the first time I wondered about how Jack never seemed into Charmaine at all, even when they were intimate he just seemed.. bitter? And slightly repulsed.”
Several viewers echoed these sentiments in the comments section, including one who responded:”When Charmaine finally went off on him, I was HERE for it.
“He basically got off scot-free for five seasons before they addressed his treatment of her.”
Another viewer chimed in: “Here we call that being an Fboy.. Jack totally Fboy’d Charmaine, he played her.
“He attempts to backtrack and claim he told her there was basically no future but his actions didn’t match his words – he strung her along using her until something better came along. Men like this are not to be respected.”
While many fans believe Jack has made sufficient amends to regain their respect, the question remains: will he maintain this positive trajectory in season six?
Virgin River season 6 premieres Thursday, December 19 on Netflix.