John ‘Preacher’ Middleton is a fan favorite on Virgin River and viewers were left devastated when he had his heart broken after Paige Lassiter’s departure

Virgin River fans can’t seem to agree when it comes to deciding who is the best fit for John ‘Preacher’ Middleton.

Preacher has become a firm fan favorite on the hit Netflix show and he’s been involved in some huge storylines. The character (played by Colin Lawrence) was in a relationship with Paige Lassiter (Lexa Doig) until she was forced to leave town after escaping a run-in with her ex-husband’s twin brother.

While he was heartbroken by Paige’s departure, Preacher soon moved on with Kaia Bryant (Kandyse McClure), even hinting he wanted to marry her. However, some fans on Reddit are unhappy with the romance and have never gotten over Preacher’s relationship with Paige.

Taking to the social media platform, one person asked, “Preach & Paige or Preach & Kaia?” In a lengthy post, they shared their thoughts.

Paige Lassiter was in a relationship with Preacher ( 
Image:
© 2023 Netflix, Inc.)
“I empathize with Paige for what she went through, but at the same time, it feels like she took advantage of Preacher’s kindness and loyalty,” the fan said. “He put his life on the line for her, even risking his freedom, and yet when it truly mattered most, she wasn’t there for him. That kind of betrayal is heartbreaking, especially for someone like Preacher, who has always been a rock for the people he cares about.”

The fan contrasted, “Kaia, on the other hand, also came from a difficult relationship, but instead of running or leaving Preacher to fend for himself, she chose to stand by him. From the moment they got together, she’s shown unwavering support and belief in their love. It’s a stark contrast – Paige let Preacher take the fall, while Kaia is willing and holding his hand without fear or judgement. That says a lot about their characters and what real partnership looks like.”

They concluded, “Kaia’s feelings about getting married again are valid, and although his speech may not have been so much about Jack and Mel, you gotta admire the reassurance infront of the entire town, knowing their wedding brought up a lot of uncomfortable feelings for Kaia. She truly is a gem and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them. They deserve each other.”

He’s now dating Kaia Bryant ( 
Image:
Netflix)
Some fans agreed. “Kaia for the show. I’m glad they went in this direction. The Paige storyline was bad,” one person wrote as someone else echoed, “Definitely Kaia.”

A third Kaia fan wrote, “Definitely not Paige. He risked his entire future for her and she dumped him and took off. Good riddance. I didn’t like Kaia at first, I thought some of her behavior was below par, but she has grown on me. Specifically for standing by Preacher during the trial, and being a good sport during the interminable wedding crap again supporting Preacher as the best man. I am happy to see them continue to grow in their relationship.”

However, others are staunch Paige supporters. “Preacher and Paige. Something just doesn’t seem right with Kaia, I feel like there’s gotta be another shoe to drop. Like she’s hiding something. I dunno though, that’s just the sense I get,” one person commented.

Another pointed out, “That’s sad the show does this. Paige is awesome & always there for preacher, there is no Kaia in the books.” Someone else suggested, “They should have just replaced the actress who played Paige (she went on to star in other Hallmark dramas), I think that’swhy they had to pivot.”