Romance and relationships are the bread and butter of Netflix's Virgin River. With that, the show has some of the best couples of any show on the streaming platform. A few of the pairings have been going strong for some time now, while others are just kicking off what could become epic love stories. The fourth season left fans wondering where the relationships stood. Thankfully, Season 5 answered those questions and introduced a few new wonderful couplings, including Cameron (Mark Ghanime) and Muriel (Teryl Rothery).
Those two have quickly become my favorite romantic pair on the show. The fifth season displays their development from friends to one of the hottest new pairs in town. In short, Cameron and Muriel are the duo I didn’t know I needed to see. Their infectious chemistry and charming love story made them fun to watch in this latest batch of episodes, and there are several reasons why they're may faves.
Warning: Virgin River Season 5 spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.
Muriel And Cameron Have A Great Season 5 Arc That Endeared Me To Them
Muriel and Cameron spend most of Season 5 dealing with the same issues as the whole town, including the wildfires. All the while, they have their own personal problems, such as Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson) not communicating well with Cameron. Of course, they also spend a good chunk of the season falling for each other.
The VR writers excelled at building a foundation for the two, with them starting as friends before making their way towards a romance. Muriel is a really good friend to him and even acts as a sort of mediator between Doc and him.
Their initial bond makes their eventual romance even more enticing and strong. If I had to pick a favorite "love story" trope, it would probably be the popular friends-to-lovers journey, because that’s the most grounded and solid foundation for romance, in my opinion. All in all, they work so well as a couple, because their well-developed arc had them starting as such good friends.
Their Chemistry Is Undeniable
Almost instantaneously, one can be drawn to Muriel and Cameron. They connect in a way that gives one the impression they’ve known each other for decades. I found myself smiling every time they were on screen together. Actors Teryl Rothery and Mark Ghanime are just pure magic in the way that they naturally display the reactions between these characters.
Honestly, the writing is so good, you almost make you almost kind of wish that they were paired together sooner. Muriel and Cameron, on their own, are very likable characters but, together, they’re even more compelling. The Virgin River cast in general are so natural together that you'd think building chemistry like that were easy. With that in mind, I'm not surprised that the show created another great couple in Cameron and Muriel, but I am still impressed.
Their chemistry makes them fun to watch, and that was compounded by the fact that most of their storyline was lighthearted in nature. A breezier romance offered a much-needed break from some of the more serious storylines of Virgin River this season. Hopefully, they continue to offer some relief when VR becomes stressful.
I Found Cameron And Muriel’s Mature Approach To Their Relationship Refreshing
The pair's biggest issue in Season 5 is whether they should even pursue a romance. They both want to date, but they’re worried that Doc may not like it, especially when Cameron is trying to prove himself. Initially, they try to extinguish any kind of sparks between them, before their feelings further develop. However, they then do the right thing by just telling Doc about their budding relationship.
So many TV couples do everything but the smart option when it comes to their love affairs. They sneak around, instead of revealing it, or they act inappropriately in the wrong scenarios. These two characters don’t fall into those TV couple traps, though. They opt for no shenanigans and are just open and honest about their relationship, which automatically sets them up to have a healthy one moving forward.
Like most couples on the show, and just characters in general, they Muriel and Cameron both have a lot of baggage. However, because they’re already making smart and healthy choices with their romance, they have better odds of survival as a couple than some others in the next season.
It’s A Hot Romance That’s Subtle About Its Steaminess
Virgin River loves some hot, steamy romantic pairings. And that’s great and fine, but it’s also nice to see couples who can exude those qualities without engaging in acts you'd find in a sexually explicit Netflix movie. That isn’t to say that Muriel and Cameron's heat meter won't increase in future episodes. However, right now, it’s nice to see them at the wholesome stage of their bond. It's definitely impressive that they can ooze sex appeal even through only a few kissing scenes.
Cameron and Muriel are just one of those couples who can exude hotness through simply some lingering gazes, hand-holding and some singing and dancing sessions. They’re sweet in a way you don’t often see when it comes to TV couples over 40.
It Represents A Second Chance At Love For Both Characters
These two haven’t been the luckiest in love. For one, Cameron mentioned his ex-fiancé quite a bit, and the implication is that his love life has been rough in certain areas. Virgin River viewers also saw some of Muriel’s difficult relationship history. Therefore, it’s nice to see two characters who haven’t had successful bouts with romance finally find each other.
They also both admit that this is the first time in a while that they have had this type of intimate connection with another person. I have to believe that because of this, they won’t easily give up on making it work. I truly believe they could become one of those couples that can handle any obstacle that comes their way.
It Made Me Excited To See Their Romance Playout In Future Seasons
Netflix has already renewed Virgin River for Season 6, much to fans' delight. Additionally, the fifth season still has two more episodes to grace the Netflix TV schedule in November. So there's more of Cameron and Muriel’s romance to come — unless the writers do something crazy like break them up. All in all, their continued development as a couple is what I'm most looking forward to in the rest of Season 5 and the upcoming Season 6.
I have a feeling Cameron’s ex-fiancé will make an appearance at some point, so it’ll be interesting to see how the couple might navigate that theoretical return. I'm also looking forward to some of their firsts as a couple, especially the first “I love you." Let's hope they have the same longevity as some of the other popular pairings on the show.
It's exciting to think about what the future holds for them and, if that includes more singing and dancing, then we’re all better for it. Those who want to see more of Cameron and Muriel will want to have their Netflix subscription handy when Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 premieres on November 30.
