Fans of the popular Netflix romantic drama, Virgin River, have criticised characters Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) and Denny (Kai Bradbury) for their controversial decision regarding their unborn child. In the show’s sixth season, Lizzie is heavily pregnant and excitedly anticipating the arrival of her baby.
However, she and Denny face a difficult choice following Denny’s diagnosis with Huntington’s disease, a genetic disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to deteriorate over time, leading to severe coordination issues. The couple are aware that there is a 50% chance their child could inherit the condition.
Despite Denny being the grandson of doctor Vernon ‘Doc’ Mullins (Tim Matheson) and having close ties with nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), they have chosen not to test their baby for the disease.
This decision has left many viewers perplexed and concerned about the potential health implications for their child.
One viewer recently expressed their frustration on Reddit, stating: “Not opting for prenatal testing for HD is for me the weirdest (and most selfish) turn of events with Doc as the grandfather of the baby, and Mel guiding Liz through the pregnancy and all,” they vented.
“It’s a 50% chance of passing it on! The burden of care for caregivers is very high.
“I have a health science background and I am used to series being unrealistic and I am okay with that (like applying a tourniquet but the person it’s being applied on is not screaming bloody murder…), but this HD baby stuff is next level. Anyone else who feels this way?”
This sentiment was echoed by some viewers with one user responding, “Honestly, it’s irresponsible to casually have children when there is a 50% chance they will have a horrifying genetic disease and early death”, reports the Mirror US.
Meanwhile, another viewer added, “Yes, it’s a preposterous storyline. I don’t even want to watch any more.”
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.
Sky Stream lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like The Day of the Jackal and the second season of Squid Game.
£15
SkyHowever, other Virgin River enthusiasts are speculating a different angle as to why Lizzie is opting out of testing for Huntington’s disease, suggesting paternity issues. A viewer theorised: “OK, the whole reason she won’t genetic test for Huntington’s is because the baby is likely not Denny’s correct it’s supposedly Ricky’s (Grayson Gurnsey),” while catching up on the subplot in a forum.
Another speculated about the direction of the story: “The storyline is pretty boring and extra. In my opinion it doesn’t really add much and most likely, the baby isn’t even Denny’s.
“I really don’t think the writers know how to write a storyline where the baby is positive for HD.”
There are also theories that Parker (Markian Tarasiuk), Lizzie’s former flame who appeared in season three, could be the father, leaving fans questioning if the timeline aligns with her pregnancy.
Curious viewers are left to await the developments in Virgin River’s seventh season for answers.
Virgin River is available to stream on Netflix.