Fans of Netflix's Virgin River have expressed frustration over the departure of Lexa Doig's character, Paige Lassiter, whose storyline with Preacher (Colin Lawrence) ended abruptly. Paige exited at the start of season five after a close call with her ex-husband's twin brother, Vince, leading her and her son Christopher to leave Virgin River for safety.
Since leaving the series, Doig has taken on numerous roles, including a recurring part in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries TV films and appearances in Chucky and Goosebumps. This suggests she never intended to be a long-term cast member, as her character was always recurring rather than central to the plot.
Speculation among fans on Reddit ranges from the actress choosing to leave to the writers struggling with the relationship's direction. One fan wrote: 'I will never forgive the writers for how things went with Paige/Michelle and Preacher.' Another noted that child actor Chase Petriw's rapid aging may have disrupted the show's timeline, as Virgin River spans less than a year over multiple seasons.
Doig, married to actor Michael Shanks, met her husband on the set of Andromeda and later worked with him on Virgin River. Despite her exit, there is no evidence of bad blood, and the actress continues to balance motherhood with a busy career.
