Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) was first introduced in Season 2, moving to Virgin River with her aunt and quickly developing a budding romance with Ricky (Grayson Maxwell Gurnsey), one of the employees at Jack's bar. In the 3rd season, however, it's revealed that Ricky is enlisting in the Marines, leaving Lizzie's future totally uncertain, and leaving many fans questioning what the point of her story was.
One fan took to Reddit and started a thread questioning Lizzie's purpose, and many commenters echoed that sentiment. As pointed out by u/PippyTarHeel, while the show seems to have left Lizzie's story in a state of total uncertainty, the books have a much different reason for her story progressing the way it does. In the books, Ricky and Lizzie actually have a baby together, but the child is stillborn. The traumatic event leaves both of them utterly devastated, and their story starts to focus on how they deal with their mental health as they grow up together.
In the end, Ricky is unable to deal with his heartbreak and joins the Marines just to escape from it all. This is a stark contrast to the show's portrayal of their relationship, and from where the series is right now, it's entirely possible that Lizzie might even leave Virgin River next season.
