Alexandra Breckenridge Loves Mel And Doc's Father-Daughter Dynamic In Virgin River
After four seasons on "Virgin River," the characters of the show have gone through a lot. Considering the series' confusing timeline, with only a few months passing despite the four years of filming, the characters have changed significantly over that short time.
For example, when nurse practitioner Melinda "Mel" Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) first appears in Virgin River, the fictional, seemingly gloveless northern California town she moves to at the start of the series, the bright truck headlights in her rearview cause her to have an accident. A gruff but helpful older man comes to her rescue, giving her a ride to town. After chatting for some time, without exchanging names, she tells him the mayor hired her to help the doddering older town doctor with his practice, as it might be too much for him. Naturally, she learns that her driver is that old doctor, Vernon "Doc" Mullins (Tim Matheson). So much for a good first impression.
Doc wants nothing to do with Mel, so he makes trouble for her with every step, initially refusing to accept her hiring, then forbidding her to see patients or do her job, expecting her instead to get him coffee and do filing. She needs to prove her worth, though that'll be near impossible if she can't see patients.
Fortunately, the relationship between Doc and Mel has grown a lot since then, with star Breckenridge listing them among her favorite scenes.
Both actors like the changing dynamic between Mel and Doc
Alexandra Breckenridge gave a lengthy interview with Intervieweros, where she was asked which was her favorite scene. She didn't mention anyone in particular but gave an answer that might surprise some fans. While shippers might think she'd talk about scenes with the local bar owner and Mel's love interest Jack Sheridan, played by Martin Henderson, she did not. Instead, Breckenridge said she enjoys the scenes she does with Tim Matheson as Doc Mullins.
"I like how their relationship is evolving," she said. "Doc becomes such a softie in Season 3, and it's been really fun to watch Tim navigate that arc and that character." Breckenridge also added that she enjoys how their dynamic evolved. Admitting that while the animosity they had toward each other at the beginning was fun to play as actors, she likes how they're developing now. "I like this sort of like father-daughter relationship that they've developed. I think it's really sweet."
For his part, Matheson agrees, calling Breckenridge's Mel "the heart of the show." "She's just one of the loveliest people I've ever met," Matheson told Parade of Breckenridge. "It's so great to work in a scene with her because it's just so real and natural." He explained that Mel has repeatedly proven herself to Doc. "That's the daughter Doc never had," he said. The unlikely pair has clearly come a long way.