Virgin River returned to Netflix with a sixth season that saw Preacher (played by Colin Lawrence) hint at wanting to marry Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure). The pair met shortly after Preacher was getting over the loss of Paige (Lexa Doig) and Christopher (Chase Petriw).
Paige left the series at the start of season five after escaping a run-in with her ex-husband’s twin brother, Vince (Steve Bacic). She and Christopher went to start a new life out of harm’s way and she has not appeared on screen since.
Following an abusive marriage with Wes, Paige moved to Virgin River and formed a new identity, which led to an unlikely friendship with Preacher. Following an altercation that saw Wes end up dead, Paige knew it would no longer be safe for her to stick around.
Fans have wondered whether actress Lexa chose to leave the series, or if the storyline simply meant she was no longer required to be a part of the show.
The actress has taken on a lot of roles since leaving the series, most notably playing Sally Allison in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries TV films.
Colin Lawrence as Preacher and Lexa Doig as Paige Lassiter
She went on to land recurring roles in Chucky and Goosebumps.
From this it appears she never intended to be a part of the show long-term. As a recurring character, Paige’s storyline was not central to the plot.
There is nothing to suggest Lexa left the series on bad terms or that she was forced out.
The Canadian actress is married to actor Michael Shanks and the pair met on the set of Andromeda. They also worked together on Virgin River with her husband having guest roles as Paul and West in two episodes.
They have two children together, a son and a daughter, so Lexa is juggling motherhood with her acting career.
Lexa Doig left Virgin River in season 5
Fans took to Reddit to share their thoughts on Paige’s exit from Virgin River, with Ollies_mama22 saying: “I will never forgive the writers for how things went with Paige/Michelle and Preacher.
“The way things ended with Paige and Preacher is so upsetting. They both deserved so much better. Instead, she is back to running from the law with her son. It’s not fair.”
InterviewCautious649 shared their own insight: “I thought it was because the actress wanted to leave but I think it was because they didn’t know what to do with their relationship.”
Another fan, Typical-Ad4773, observed: “To be honest I think it’s mainly because the actor who plays Christopher is growing up and it doesn’t match the shows timelines.”
Splashy717 echoed the thought, sharing: “This is what happens with a show that is this slow-paced (Mel’s not even in VR for a full year and we’re how many seasons in?) and a child actor is involved. He grew up and they needed a way to write them off. Sad.”
