Before Jack Sheridan (played by Martin Henderson) officially wooed Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) in season one of Virgin River, fans were taking aim at his behavior.

In the show’s early episodes, Jack was entangled in a casual affair with Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), who, unbeknownst to him, considered their dalliance far more serious.

Fast forward to season five, and Charmaine is rapidly advancing with her new beau Todd Masry (Patrick Sabongui), yet the arrival of her twins remains on hold.

With the sixth season of Virgin River set to drop on Netflix just in time for the holiday season, fans have been reflecting on the series’ rollercoaster journey.

Some viewers might find themselves stunned when revisiting Jack from the first season and noting the extent of his emotional evolution throughout the show, reports the Mirror.

A Reddit user expressed their dismay: “I’m re-watching Virgin River and Jack’s emotional immaturity is really off-putting.”

They elaborated on this sentiment, saying, “In my home country there is a term for that kind of behavior, ‘a slipper’, like the shoe. Instead of taking any action or responsibility in a relationship they just.. exist, and even the simplest form of communication is beyond them.

“They just seem completely unable to take any kind of charge within that relationship.”

Jack’s initial portrayal on the series showed him as quite reserved, especially towards Mel and Charmaine, possibly using detachment as a coping mechanism to protect them from the scars of his military past.

Fans of Virgin River have come to terms with Jack’s rough-edged past, finding that his and Mel’s former tough exteriors have mellowed, leading to a more emotionally open relationship.

Yet, even the dedicated Virgin River followers found it hard to look past his previous wrongdoings.

One fan pointed out the shift in Jack’s behavior post-Mel, saying, “The way he treats [Charmaine] after meeting Mel is not nice,” They added their initial perception of Jack’s indifference towards Charmaine: “I remember when watching the show for the first time I wondered about how Jack never seemed into Charmaine at all, even when they were intimate he just seemed.. bitter? And slightly repulsed.”

Support was evident in the comments where another viewer chimed in, “When Charmaine finally went off on him, I was HERE for it.”

They criticized how Jack’s mistreatment went unchecked for five seasons before being confronted. Another replied, highlighting Jack’s dishonest nature: “Here we call that being an Fboy.. Jack totally Fboy’d Charmaine, he played her.

“He attempts to backtrack and claim he told her there was basically no future but his actions didn’t match his words – he strung her along using her until something better came along. Men like this are not to be respected.”

While most viewers believe Jack has made significant strides in bettering himself to recapture their esteem, questions linger about whether he can maintain this growth in season six.

Virgin River season 6 premieres Thursday, December 19 on Netflix.