There’s massive flaws in the Virgin River timeline – and we can’t unsee them

“Poor Charmaine. She’s been pregnant for three years.”

If you are anything like us, you had been eagerly awaiting the fourth instalment of Netflix's Virgin River series – and binged it all as soon as it hit the streaming service a mere week ago. And – spoiler alert – season 4 did not disappoint. There was plenty of drama, as we have come to expect from the show, as well as some truly romantic highs too (Jack's proposal to Mel – SWOON!). However – can we all agree that when it comes to the timeline in the northern California town – things don't quite add up? For starters, the show has been airing on Netflix since 2019, and yet, in the world of Virgin River, only about five months have passed.

Charmaine's neverending pregnancy

Cast your mind way back when to the first season aired – when it was revealed that Charmaine was pregnant with Jack's babies – despite the pair having broken up and Jack had now low-key started to fall in love with newbie-in-town, Mel. And yet, here we are, a full three seasons later, and not only is poor Charmaine still pregnant with the twins, she on only five months along. During a 911 phone call in the Season Four finale, Jack reveals to the operator on the phone that Charmaine is five months pregnant. Meaning, that while viewers are three years older than they were when the show started, the characters on the show are only five months older. And for some viewers, the cognitive dissonance is too much. “Poor Charmaine. She’s been pregnant for three years,” one Twitter user wrote. Another eagle-eyed fan agreed:

4 seasons. 4 whole seasons. Charmaine has been pregnant for for 4 seasons, & she’s only 5 months pregnant. I can’t.#virginriver

— Shelley (@ShelleyCara) July 23, 2022

In fact, some viewers are calling for "Virgin River" to “pick up the pace.“ “Charmaine on #VirginRiver has been pregnant with the same twins for 3 real-life years and 4 seasons, it’s getting ridiculous. Even the elephants are starting to roll their eyes,” one Twitter user wrote.

Charmaine been pregnant for five years #VirginRiver pic.twitter.com/LupCRUvXTe

— “One Reckless Weekend” (@onerecklessweek) July 20, 2022

Other things are moving far faster than Charmaine's pregnancy

But aside from Charmaine's pregnancy, things are moving pretty fast in the town of Virgin River.

Say we use Charmaine's pregnancy as a yardstick for everything that's occurred in "Virgin River." If she's five months pregnant in Season Four, that means the past three seasons — and all their action — took place in five months.

As one Twitter user added up, "That means, in 5 months, Jack broke up with (Charmaine), got together with Mel, got shot, recovered, broke up with Mel, got together with Mel and is engaged to her and she is six weeks pregnant."

That's not even counting Mel and Jack’s entire debate about whether to have kids, and Charmaine’s whirlwind relationship — and marriage — to Todd (Patrick Sabongui).

A few events that have also taken place in the last five months? Doc’s surprise grandson, Denny, coming to town. Lilly’s death. Hope’s absence and brain injury. The Paige-Preacher saga.

As one Twitter user put it, "How does everything move so fast ... yet so slow."

Well, we know Netflix has renewed the show for season 5, so maybe things will start to make more chronological sense then? Here's hoping!