The last episode of the first part of season 5 of “Virgin River” ended on a cliffhanger which surprised more than one. Mel has indeed made a discovery that should change her life…
Warning, the following paragraphs contain spoilers for season 5 of Virgin River. If you don’t want to know anything, move on!
On September 7, Virgin River made its comeback on Netflix for a season 5 which proved to be rich in emotions and twists and turns. While Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) are now engaged and awaiting a happy event, the young woman had to face a terrible ordeal that will change her forever.
And if in the last minutes of the last episode, she finally seems to have found a semblance of normality with the man who will soon become her husband, she receives a call from her sister which will once again turn everything upside down.
A new mystery in Virgin River
While Mel and Jack are preparing their house for the Christmas holidays, the young woman receives a call from her sister who confides in her that she found love letters belonging to their mother.
Letter exchanges which seem to suggest that she had an affair with a man living in Virgin River, and that this stranger could be Mel’s father. It is on this unexpected cliffhanger that the first part of season 5 ends.
And according to the trailer for the two special Christmas episodes, which was put online immediately, this mystery will be at the heart of the intrigues since Mel will seek to lift the veil on the identity of her mother’s lover. But who could the nurse’s father be?
Who is Mel’s father?
Considering Mel’s age, in his mid-30s, three Virgin River residents could be old enough to be his father. The first and most obvious is Doc (Tim Matheson), who has an almost paternal relationship with the young woman.
But the character having already discovered the existence of a hidden son (and a grandson) in previous seasons, there is little chance that the writers will decide to add an illegitimate child to him.
The other potential lead is the character of Nick Montgomery (Keith MacKechnie). Jo Ellen’s husband has indeed made himself much more present in this season 5 of Virgin River. He would be old enough to play Mel’s father, and he never had children.
During a conversation during season 5, Jo Ellen wonders how she would react if she learned that Nick had a hidden child… A premonitory dialogue?
Finally, the third possibility, which would go in the direction of the intrigues of season 5, would be Buck, Lily’s late husband. A hypothesis born from the very special bond that Mel has with Lily’s family.
During this season 5, she formed a very strong friendship with Tara, the eldest in the family. And in the last episode, she convinces Jack to buy Lily’s family farm which burned down in the fires in order to build their family there as she always dreamed of.
Knowing the writers’ love of making the suspense last as long as possible (remember, it took 2 seasons to know the identity of Jack’s shooter), we will perhaps not have the answer to this question in the two Christmas episodes, which will be posted online on November 30 on Netflix.