TV & Movies

Will Hope and Muriel stay friends in Virgin River?

Jasmine Valentine
Hope and Muriel in Virgin RiverNetflix

The guy drama might finally be over for Hope and Muriel, but will they stay friends in the next stage of Virgin River? Here’s what we know.

It wouldn’t be a season of Virgin River without some kind of relationship drama rearing its head – and for Hope (Annette O’Toole) and Muriel (Teryl Rothery), the Doc (Tim Matheson) drama has been ongoing.

Things were going well for Hope and Doc up until the dramatic twist in the Virgin River Season 3 finale, which saw Hope in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. A sympathetic Muriel was waiting in the wings, igniting a connection between Doc and Muriel.

Now that bygones are officially bygones, will Hope and Muriel stay friends in Virgin River?

Will Hope and Muriel stay friends in Virgin River?

Though nothing is confirmed for Virgin River Season 6, one fan has a theory explaining why Hope and Muriel’s friendship could be likely to unravel.

“The most unrealistic plot point in my opinion is that Hope and Muriel are still friends,” Redditor Easy-Cup6142 posted.

“Muriel actively pursued Hope’s husband. Went on dates with him. Dressed super sexy. (And she was sexy. A lot sexier than Hope.) Threw herself at Doc. Sometimes he even liked it. Half of me thought surely they’d sleep together at least once for drama’s sake. (The fact they didn’t is ridiculously unrealistic IMO given the context and their interplay and hormones – even at Doc’s age.) Rubbed it in Hope’s face,” the post continues.

“The friends in the ladies’ group gossip about it like middle schoolers. Then after Hope and Doc rekindle; Hope and Muriel suddenly just bury the hatchet and now it’s fine for Doc and Muriel to spend time alone together again and Muriel is genuinely concerned for and taking care of Hope?”

“I disagree. It’s called emotional intelligence,” another Redditor argued. “Something many people develop over the years. Then there’s trust – which Doc established with Hope when he didn’t sleep with Murial, despite the temptation. And they live in a small town with a small group of common friends. They buried the hatchet. Life goes on.”

“Muriel has grown on me this season and I like watching her romance with the new doctor. I still find Hope annoying. I wonder what the Doc sees in her as he’s truly devoted to her,” a third weighed in, while a fourth commented, “Have you forgotten that Hope was kind of pushing them together so that people wouldn’t realize that she and Doc were back together?”

“If I were Muriel, I would be angry and really angry about BOTH … Doc and Hope. I do love them both … But … They really manipulated Muriel … Hope had a stupid idea and Doc also did not say ‘No.’ However, I’m really happy that Muriel met Cam and fell in love with him. She is really too sexy and youthful for the old bully Vernon Mullins,” one Redditor summed up.

Whether Hope and Muriel’s friendship can survive Virgin River Season 6 remains to be seen.

Virgin River Season 5 is available to stream on Netflix now, and you can check out our other coverage below: 

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