Lilly Anderson is a former recurring character in Virgin River. She owned a farm and was married to Buck, who died 6 months prior to the events of the series. Through this marriage she had five children, namely Tara, Ava, and Chloe. Her pregnancy with her fifth child was a surprise and feeling overwhelmed after the loss of Buck and work on the farm, Lilly abandoned her on the doorstep of the clinic. A search ensued, revealing her as the mother, and Lilly was eventually reunited with her daughter by Mel. She is close friends with the ladies in the sewing circle. In Season 3, she discovers she has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and dies of the illness. She is survived by her five children. Her storylines include her struggles with postpartum depression, cancer, grief over the loss of Buck, her relationships with her children and friends.
History[]
Not much is revealed about Lilly other than her marriage to Buck Anderson, resulting in five children. 6 months prior to Mel's arrival to town, she lost her husband and became pregnant for the fifth time.
Birth of Chloe and postpartum depression[]
After losing her husband, Lilly was surprised to find out she was pregnant with her fifth child on account of her advanced age. Feeling alone and already having to take care of the farm, Lilly decided to leave the child on Doc’s doorstep, believing it was in her best interest.
After the baby is discovered and in the process of searching for the mother, agrees to look after the infant. She gives her temporary name, Chloe, after her sister who died before she was born. Lilly brings some necessities for the baby like a stroller and clothes to feel closer to her. She is revealed to be the baby’s mother after she is caught breastfeeding the baby, who wouldn’t take a bottle, while Mel takes a break.
Mel, along with Doc, Hope, and Jack, try to convince Lilly to keep her baby but she is adamant that Chloe deserves better. Mel, seeing parallels between Lilly and herself after the stillbirth of her daughter, shares her story and tells her that she believes Lilly is suffering from postpartum depression. However, it is treatable and Mel offers to be Chloe’s temporary guardian until Lilly recovers. Eventually, with a little help from Mel and her friends, Lilly agrees to keep the baby and calls her daughter Tara, who agrees to help her.
Life after treatment[]
In Season 2, Lilly is shown to be improving, attending various town events like the picnic and spending time with friends. She considers selling the farm after receiving an offer and moving somewhere smaller and closer to town. The offer is made by Emerald Lumber, Brady’s company, which was working alongside a gang of drug dealers. Lilly is unaware of this and excitedly reveals the news to Jack, who later tells her the truth. Lilly changes her mind over the sale, which has not been finalized yet. Despite Brady’s attempts to persuade her, Lilly refuses to sign over her farm.
Cancer diagnosis[]
In Season 3, when Lilly’s daughter, Tara, comes to visit, Lilly is noticeably tired and appears unwell. Tara believes that she has too much on her plate caring for her and Chloe.
However, after feeling frequent back pain, she decides to go see the doctor. In an effort to not alarm anyone in Virgin River, she goes to see a doctor in Clear River. After several tests, she is diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which she reveals to Mel. She discusses her options, such as chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor but decides against it as she is terminal anyways and wants to enjoy whatever time she has left.
Lilly initially keeps her diagnosis secret before confiding in Vernon. However, she persuades him not to tell Hope, who is away from town and she doesn’t want to worry her. With the help of Doc, she confesses her sickness to Tara, who is hopeful that Lilly will get better. Unfortunately, Doc reveals that this form of cancer is more aggressive and has likely spread by now. Lilly cancer is revealed to the sewing circle ladies after Tara breaks down and confesses it. Everyone decides to be there for Lilly and her family as much as they can.
One evening, while spending time with Tara and Doc, Lilly decides to take a quick nap before dinner. Tara, who has witnessed Lilly improving, is optimistic that she will recover. Sadly, Lilly suffers a stroke whilst sleeping. When Tara goes to wake her up, she finds that she has already passed away. Tara is left devastated.
A wake takes place at the farm and is attended by close family and friends, including Doc, Mel and Jack. The whole town comes together to attend Lilly’s funeral, with numerous people making speeches talking about her memory.
Appearances[]
Lilly Anderson appears in the following episodes:
| Virgin River appearances | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 episodes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Season 2 episodes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Season 3 episodes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Season 4 episodes | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Season 5 episodes | ||||||||||||
| Season 6 episodes |