Virgin River season 5 recap guide: All 12 episodes explained

We’re officially back to the world of Virgin River, where everyone in town knows each other, there’s no such thing as secrets, and there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a great meal cooked by Preacher over at Jack’s bar. The wholesome Netflix series has been capturing hearts around the world since its premiere in 2019, and the highly anticipated fifth season arrived on Thursday, Sept. 7. The two holiday episodes premiered on Nov. 30 as an extension of season 5 as well.

After that explosive season 4 cliffhanger, in which Charmaine breaks the news that Jack is actually not the father of her twins after all, fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for more episodes. Charmaine doesn’t reveal who the dad is before season 4 comes to a close, but fans hoping to figure out the truth are in for a wild ride with Virgin River season 5. Mel, too, will have a paternity crisis in the Christmas episodes as she searches for her real father.

So let’s break down every episode of Virgin River season 5 and recap the most important (and most shocking) moments that go down! For a quiet small town, a lot of dramatic events occur.

Jump to a specific episode:

• Episode 1 recap (below)
• Episode 2 recap
• Episode 3 recap
• Episode 4 recap
• Episode 5 recap
• Episode 6 recap
• Episode 7 recap
• Episode 8 recap
• Episode 9 recap
• Episode 10 recap
• Episode 11 recap
• Episode 12 recap

Season 5 episode 1 recap: A Second Chance

Virgin River season 5 picks up immediately after the events of season 4, showing the fallout of Preacher and Paige’s confrontation with Vince. Mike shows up and arrests Vince (who turns out not to be dead) for kidnapping and attempted murder. Paige and Preacher are left trying to process what’s just happened, with Paige, understandably, crying, and Preacher comforting her. As always, he is her biggest fan and protector.

An ambulance shows up at the house to tend to any injuries and Preacher talks to Mike in confidence about Vince and Wes. Mike says that no one is investigating the claims Vince is making so there’s nothing they have to worry about. Finally, at last, Paige is free. She doesn’t have to keep running.

The next morning, Mel finds Jack chopping wood outside the airstream, and he tells her that he couldn’t sleep. She questions if he’s upset about Charmaine, but he denies it. Mel wants to talk about what happened the night prior but he doesn’t. He claims he accepts the fact that he’s not the father to Charmaine’s twins but Mel is not convinced. For Mel’s part, she’s angry that Charmaine lied to them for months, but Jack says he doesn’t want to dwell on it.

Out on the road, Bert is driving his truck when he notices another truck on the side of the road. He pulls over and talks to the man, who claims he has a flat tire but doesn’t have a spare. When the suspicious man walks away to make a phone call, Bert takes a look and realizes he does have a spare tire. While looking under the truck, he ends up cutting his hand, but when offering his help, the man sends Bert on his way. This guy is definitely sketchy, and we’ll find out why soon enough.

Meanwhile, Brie has decided to press charges against her ex-boyfriend Don, and Brady is there to comfort her. Brady wants her to move in, but Brie doesn’t want to rush things because they’re perfect how they are. They definitely seem happy together, but Brady’s still got secrets. He gets repeated calls from someone but doesn’t answer when Brie is around.

Over at Doc and Hope’s, Hope is super protective over Denny because of his Huntington’s Disease, and Doc urges him to go to a clinic to get checked out. Denny assures them that he’s okay and he doesn’t want to go see a doctor. He opens up about Lizzie, explaining that he thinks he overwhelmed her by telling her about his diagnosis. But at the best timing, Lizzie shows up and offers to be Hope’s aide.

While on the phone with her friend from the District Attorney’s office, Brie finds out that there’s a case being built up against Don, with multiple sexual assault charges against him. The woman tells Brie it would really help if she could testify against him in court.

Brie decides she’s moving out of Jack’s bar, while Preacher shows up and tells them what happened with Vince’s arrest. Jack is shocked the cops finally got the guy who shot him, which is, needless to say, a huge deal for him. Jack then opens up and tells Brie and Preacher about Charmaine, and when Charmaine sends Jack a text, Brie agrees that he shouldn’t talk to her.

Mel goes to Doc’s clinic to pick up her things, and Doc very clearly still doesn’t want her to quit. Cameron also takes the blame for her decision, but Mel is set in her choice. Eventually, Doc comes around and tells her that he’ll miss her, but Mel assures him she’ll still be around. Suddenly, Bert comes into the clinic needing immediate help.

Bert is feeling very woozy but he claims he hasn’t taken any medication. Cameron suspects he’s having a drug reaction, and though Doc disagrees, they decide to administer a urine test just in case.

At the lumber yard, Brady faces trouble. He’s been delivering fentanyl for Melissa, and she’s mad at him for not picking up his phone. She tells him that she can give him a better life through her business, as she wants to keep expanding. She needs him, but Brady is conflicted.

After catching up with Connie, Preacher and Paige talk about their new reality. Preacher has been seeing Julia, but he’s open to starting over with Paige if she wants to. There are definitely still lingering feelings between the two, but also some awkwardness in navigating their new normal.

Melissa and Nick show up at Jack’s airstream and Melissa says he should dream bigger with his business plan. Jack just wants to make some extra cash, so he turns her down, but he’s grateful for her offer and the two baby gift baskets they give him. One is for his baby with Mel, and one is for the twins. Of course, this hits a soft spot for Jack.

Preacher goes to see Julia to let her know that he still has feelings for Paige, apologizing for thinking that everything with her was in the past when it’s not. Julia is upset by this but seems understanding and wishes him the best with Paige.

Mel pays a visit to Jack’s bar and meets Tara’s sister Ava who is visiting. She breaks the news that she’s quit the clinic and needs some downtime during her pregnancy, and the ladies agree to teach her how to sew. When Mel gets home she tells Jack that she’s the newest member of the sewing circle and is surprised to see the two gift baskets. They discuss the Charmaine situation again and it’s apparent Jack isn’t over it, understandably.

Paige and Preacher have dinner together but Paige isn’t being herself. When Preacher says something about the two of them being a good team, that sets her off, and she tells him that she doesn’t feel comfortable being in Virgin River anymore. Because of her toxic relationship with Wes, the town was taken from her once he arrived. She knows she doesn’t have to run anymore, but Virgin River no longer feels like home and she has to leave. And though she invites Preacher to go with him, Preacher tells her that Virgin River is still his home, so he can’t.

Paige and Christopher say goodbye to Preacher, and Paige says that Preacher showed them what a good man looks like. They share a kiss before parting ways, leaving Preacher to wonder if he’ll ever see Paige again.

At the clinic, Bert is starting to feel a lot better, and Doc has to tell him what they discovered. According to the test, Bert has fentanyl in his system, which is an extreme shock to him. Doc explains that fentanyl exposure is a thing, but the drug isn’t typically just lying around. That’s when Bert realizes what might have happened and tells Doc about the truck driver he tried to help on the side of the road, showing him the cut on his hand.

Denny gets home and opens up to Lizzie, apologizing for keeping his diagnosis from her and admitting that he likes her a lot and doesn’t want to hurt her. Lizzie kisses him and tells him she wants to be with him despite the fact that he might not have a lot of time left.

As she gets further into her pregnancy, Mel starts to have flashbacks of being a child visiting her mom at the hospital. She remembers spending time with a nurse, suggesting this might be when she started feeling the desire to become one.

At work at the lumber yard, Brady is surprised when Jeb joins the team, saying he doesn’t understand the extent of what this job is. But Jeb explains that he and his family really need the money, so he’s doing it. Angry, Brady storms off.

Mike shows up at Jack’s bar and tells Jack and Preacher that they look far too sad considering they just caught the guy who shot Jack. The three of them decide they’ll hang out that night at Preacher’s to watch the game together. But when Jack is driving there, he spots two little boys with their dad and grows sad. He decides to make a change of plans and drives to Charmaine’s instead.

Hope had been preparing to return to the town council meetings for the first time since her injury, but when she shows up she’s surprised to see they’ve pretty much moved on without her. And to make matters worse, they seem to want to replace her as the mayor of Virgin River.

Mel spends more time at Jack’s bar sewing, and when she spots Ava, they sit together and talk. But there’s something wrong with Ava. As she’s talking, she experiences some type of extreme pain and drops her wine glass to the floor. The scene cuts before we can find out what’s happened, but of course, Mel is very concerned.

Just before Jack shows up at Charmaine’s house, we watch as someone throws a rock through the window of Brie’s new place. Is it Don? Is it someone from Melissa’s operation? We’ll find out soon enough.

Written by Natalie Zamora

Season 5 episode 2 recap: Songbird

The second episode of Virgin River season 5 wastes no time showing us what goes down between Jack and Charmaine. Once he arrives at her place, they begin talking about the situation and Jack admits that Charmaine humiliated him and broke his heart. He says he would’ve done anything for the boys. In a surprise response, Charmaine tells Jack that now he knows how she felt. He broke her heart when he fell in love with Mel right in front of her eyes, and she felt so alone when she found out that she was pregnant, that she decided to lie.

Charmaine doesn’t reveal who the real father of the twins is, but she does say it was a one-off thing and he’s not fit to be a dad. She explains that she lied to give the boys a future with a good father because Jack would be a great one. Jack is able to sympathize with Charmaine but tells her that he doesn’t forgive her before leaving.

Brie tells Brady about the rock being thrown through her window, convinced it had to be Don. But Brady deflects, telling her it was probably a group of kids. He believes it was one of Melissa’s people, but he can’t tell Brie that.

Mel goes for a run and starts having flashbacks again, this time remembering a memory between her and her sister Joey. Her mother passed by this time and the two of them look at old photos while listening to Fleetwood Mac. Her memory is interrupted by Mel’s doctor, who calls her to tell her they’ve gotten Ava an appointment with a specialist.

Brie and Jack go on a hike together and talk about Charmaine and Mel before Brie tells Jack about Don. Jack apologizes for what happened to her and calls her a superhero, though he’s surprised she doesn’t want him to come to the courtroom when she testifies. She explains that if she doesn’t win, Jack will freak out, and that’s not what she wants. She wants his support, not his protection, assuring him that Brady will be there for her. Brie also asks Jack to give Brady a second chance, and he agrees to a double-date dinner with them and Mel.

Mel drives Ava to see the specialist, Dr. Kane, and they grab lunch on the way back to Virgin River to talk about what happened. The two ladies get to know each other a bit, and Ava tells Mel that she had surgery for endometriosis a few years back, but now it’s back. The tissue is spreading and her pain has returned, which explains the episode she had at Jack’s bar. The doctor told her she should consider a hysterectomy, but Ava doesn’t know how she feels.

At the clinic, Doc is starting to feel Mel’s absence. Cameron isn’t fully filling in, ignoring the non-medical tasks like filing their insurance claims. Cameron pushes back on the request and tells Doc he’s not a medical biller and essentially doesn’t want to have to do anything that’s not in his job description, which frustrates Doc.

Brady shows up at the lumber yard and yells at Melissa and the group for getting Brie involved. She doesn’t deny she’s the one who had the rock thrown through her window, and instead tells him he has to stay late to help with another shipment. The guy Bert tried to help on the side of the road is there working, and we find out his name is Gene.

Working alongside Jeb, Brady warns him about the bosses and says he should come to him if there’s ever trouble. They agree to watch each other’s backs, and Jeb offers to fill in for him that evening so Brady can go on the double date.

Hope prepares to give a speech to the town council to try and convince everyone she should stay on as the mayor, and Denny and Lizzie help her come up with something that’s both convincing and emotional. She explains to them why being mayor of Virgin River is so important to her, and they tell her she must include that in the speech.

Charmaine goes for a check-in with Doc, and everything looks great with her pregnancy. Doc supports Charmaine amid all the drama, telling her not to worry about the ongoing gossip. She confides in him and tells him she’s continued to make bad life choices, reminding herself of her mom. But Doc won’t stand for the negativity and comforts her by saying nice things about her and her mom. Meanwhile, Muriel tells Cameron he should stand his ground and offers to help file the insurance claims.

Cameron eventually talks to Doc and tells him he needs to start treating him like a professional doctor. Doc agrees but says they need to figure out a way to pick up Mel’s slack. It doesn’t take long for them to realize Muriel could be a great fit, as she’s already been around helping out, and they offer her a part-time job.

Jack and Mel talk more about Charmaine at the bar and Mel says he needs to forgive her so he can officially move on.

Mel then talks to Ava again, apologizing if she got too into her business after the doctor’s appointment. She tells her that she’s had infertility issues of her own and her mom died of cancer as well. Ava opens up and explains that she never wanted kids, but now that she knows she might not ever be able to have them, she’s conflicted.

Hope gives her speech at the community garden opening, which is dedicated to Lilly. She tells everyone she wants to stay on as the mayor of Virgin River, and the crowd seems receptive. She gets a round of applause and does a great job. But will she stay on? We’ll find out by the end of the episode.

Charmaine shows up at Jack and Mel’s house and apologizes to Mel, also congratulating them on their pregnancy. Mel is quick to forgive her and goes to get ready for dinner so Charmaine and Jack can talk alone. Jack takes responsibility for his actions while they were together, like leading her on when he didn’t want to be with her, and apologizes. Charmaine seems really satisfied and thanks him for saying sorry.

During their double-date dinner, Jack thanks Brady for being there for Brie. When Brie and Mel are in the kitchen preparing dessert and Jack and Brady are alone for a moment, Brady asks if they’ll ever be cool again. Jack has a simple answer: it’s up to Brady. He must show with his actions that they can be friends again. Brady then gets a text message from Jeb asking for his ETA.

Muriel calls up Hope and tells her that the council voted against her — everyone but Muriel, that is — and now she’s out as mayor. Doc gets home just in time to hear the bad news.

Back at home that night, Mel is still thinking about her mom and tells Jack all about her. They listen to the song “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac, and they get up and dance to it in their living room. She also tells him about the sister she lost, Chloe.

In the closing moments of the second episode, Brady gets back to the lumber yard and finds Jeb on the floor. There’s an open bag of fentanyl next to him, suggesting he’s dead.

Written by Natalie Zamora

Season 5 episode 3 recap: Calculated Risk

The third episode of Virgin River season 3 opens on an unexpected note as we see a party unfold. Whether it’s an engagement party for Mel and Jack or their actual wedding, we’re not entirely sure, but all we know is Jack drinks more than he should. As fans will remember, Jack has dealt with substance abuse in previous seasons and is now sober. So this scene is incredibly surprising as we see him continue to chug champagne and beer and dance around.

But just as things escalate and he falls to the floor, he wakes up in bed, indicating that this is just a dream. Or a nightmare, as Jack calls it. He also has a vision of his brother Adam who died.

As it turns out, Jeb unfortunately died after overdosing on fentanyl, and Brady attends his funeral. But the thing is, he lies to Brie and acts like he doesn’t know the guy, and definitely doesn’t tell her how he died. This will come back to bite him.

Mel and Cameron run into each other while Mel is on a run and it’s, unsurprisingly, awkward. Cameron starts asking Mel a bunch of questions about her personal life, which weirds her out given their history.

As seen on the news, there are wildfires starting to spread nearby, and Lizzie suggests she and Hope pack meals for the first responders. Not only will they be doing a good deed, but this will also show the community that Hope cares about their people and those around them. Doc is concerned and doesn’t want Hope to overdo it, but Hope thinks it’s a great idea. They head out to ask Connie to use the food truck and Preacher to help prepare the food.

Jack goes to therapy and talks about his drinking nightmare, to which the therapist says he might be feeling uncomfortable whenever he’s not in control. He suggests that he should find a calculated risk to take, like doing something in nature.

Over at the clinic, Doc starts to feel concerned about his eyes and calls his doctor to tell them that there’s been a change in his vision. Muriel is doing well at her new job, and when she notices something’s wrong with Doc she suggests he takes the day off. Surprisingly, he agrees and goes to Jack’s bar to find Hope. When he shows up, he helps Hope, Lizzie, and Preacher form an assembly line to make sandwiches faster.

At the bar, Jack confides in Preacher and tells him about the therapy session, to which Preacher suggests he should go rock climbing with Denny. At first, Jack doesn’t want to, but he agrees after Preacher talks him into it.

Cameron talks to Muriel about his awkward run-in with Mel, and Muriel advises him he that shouldn’t get involved in other people’s relationships. A call comes into the clinic from a firefighter named Kaia saying she saw a woman pulled over on the side of the road and when she went over to her, she discovered she was in labor. She can’t get to the hospital because a road is blocked off, and the pregnant woman, named Fiona, is asking for Mel. Cameron tells them to come to the clinic and he’ll try to find Mel to get her to come in.

Mel comes to the clinic, but Kaia says they won’t be able to make it there in time. Instead, Mel and Cameron have to deliver Fiona’s baby over FaceTime. Though they’re doing okay at first, Fiona starts feeling woozy and passes out while doing contractions. Mel and Cameron try to figure out what’s happening and come to the conclusion with Kaia’s help that her glucose is low. Mel instructs Kaia to rub glucose gel on Fiona’s lips, which works and she comes to. She’s able to start pushing and successfully delivers the baby, but he looks blue and isn’t crying. Kaia has to give the baby CPR, and fortunately, he starts crying and is alive and well.

Cameron tries to bring up their earlier conversation, but Mel brushes it off and tells him they did well today.

Connie loans the food truck to Lizzie and Hope, but in a major surprise, Lizzie’s mom Deirdre comes with her. Lizzie is confused when seeing her, and is even more shocked when her mom says that her dad pulled some strings to get her accepted into a college for the fall. Lizzie hits back, saying her mom only sent her to Virgin River so she didn’t have to take care of her. She says it’s not fair for her to come and tell her what to do when they haven’t spoken in months. Lizzie’s mom is very clearly not proud of her daughter and doesn’t have a problem making that known.

Brie opens up to Brady about the case against Don, and she tells him about her Xanax use. Her lawyer friend says that Don’s lawyer might spin the incident and claim that Brie must not have remembered what happened that night because she was mixing Xanax and wine. As a result, Brie could have her license revoked. But despite the risk, she’s still going to testify.

Jack and Denny bond while they go on their hike, and during a rock climb, Jack has a moment of calculated risk when he starts to fall. He thinks of his brother and gets emotional, but Denny’s got him on the rope and tells him not to panic. Jack is eventually able to climb up to Denny and assures him that he’s okay.

Denny opens up about having Huntington’s and explains that he’s coming to terms with it. He says being able to rock climb feels like he’s on top of the world, and he’s trying to live in the moment. He explains that being depressed over his diagnosis takes away from all the good he can experience right now. This definitely inspires Jack as he tries to work through his own trauma.

The ladies arrive at the site to start helping the first responders, and Connie accidentally lets it slip that Jo Ellen told Nick about Hope’s car accident. Hope is extremely angry, assuming this is why she was overthrown as mayor. A local news station shows up and wants to interview Hope for organizing the food delivery, but she gives the credit to Lizzie, who needs it. Lizzie needs her mom to see that she’s been doing good things around Virgin River, and she should be proud of her.

Kaia shows up to the food tent a little late and is given the last sandwich by Preacher, and the two flirt a little bit. Preacher seems happy to start getting back in the game.

While Brie is shopping at a farmer’s market, she runs into a woman named Pauline, who was Jeb’s wife. Pauline tells Brie that Brady’s speech at the funeral was so emotional, which surprises Brie considering he acted like he didn’t know him. To make matters worse, Pauline tells Brie that the two men had been working on a bike together for months. And when Pauline references Jeb’s overdose, Brie is truly in shock. Brady is obviously lying to her.

Lizzie and her mom talk about college again, and she says she just needs time to decide. While her mom agrees to that, she says that if she doesn’t go to school she’ll have to figure out how to be financially independent. Lizzie takes offense to this, but her mom says she just wants to make sure she can survive on her own.

Later on, Kaia shows up at Jack’s bar after hours to talk to Preacher. They clearly have chemistry, and it doesn’t take long for Kaia to make the first move and kiss Preacher.

At home, Mel tells Jack about delivering Fiona’s baby over FaceTime, and he tells her about her rock climbing experience. He agrees with his therapist that he needs to take more calculated risks, and decides he’ll take Melissa up on her offer to expand his airstream business. Jack proposes he and Mel go away for a few days, wanting to go camping.

The episode concludes with a scene of Brady and Brie. While Brady is ready for a cute date night, Brie comes over and has a bone to pick with him. She tells him all about what Pauline told her, and his response is that it’s complicated. That’s not good enough for Brie, understandably, and she says that while she can handle complicated things, she won’t stand lying.

Brady finally comes clean about the fentanyl being delivered through the lumber yard, explaining that if he doesn’t follow orders, she’ll get hurt. He’s been trying to keep her safe until he can find a way out. But Brie doesn’t want to be kept safe, though; she wants the truth. She tells Brady to leave so she can have time to think.

Written by Natalie Zamora

Season 5 episode 4 recap: Never Gonna Be the Same

As Jack and Mel are getting ready to embark on their camping trip, Brie is preparing to testify against Don. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have Brady by her side after she finds out he has been lying to her. Though he tries to text her, she doesn’t want to talk yet.

Preacher and Kai spend the night together and though Preacher offers to make her breakfast the next morning, Kaia gets out of there pretty fast. When he gets to the bar he opens up to a waitress and tells her he’s not used to being the one in control, though he’s happy about getting together with Kaia.

After getting all set up at their campsite, Jack and Mel’s alone time gets interrupted by a group of kids with water balloons. Their dads show up and apologize before realizing they’ve all met before in town. Though their dads take them back to their campsite, the kids return soon enough and ask Jack and Mel to play with them. Jack and Mel are happy to, and they play a ball game before their dads come and find them again. After the two men reveal they haven’t had alone time in years, Mel offers to watch the kids so they can go on a hike and enjoy some private time.

Connie comes over to Hope’s and invites her and Lizzie to a day at the spa. Though Hope doesn’t want to go if Jo Ellen is there, she agrees and becomes angry when she sees her. Evidently, this is Connie’s plan to bring the two ladies together and make amends, but it’s not going to be easy.

Brie and Mike run into each other and catch up, and though Brie doesn’t tell him about the court case, she confides in him about feeling like a mess. He gives her some advice, which seems to do the trick. At home, Brady shows up at Brie’s door and gives her his dog tags from his time in the Marines, telling her that they’ll remind her that she’s strong. Though she appreciates the gesture, it’s not enough to fix things.

Jack and Mel play games with the kids at the campsite, but they butt heads when discussing their parenting styles. Mel believes there should be structure and rules, while Jack wants childhood to be all fun. One of the kids gets hurt, but fortunately, Mel is able to help him. Jack later explains that he never felt like he was free to be himself as a kid because his father was so strict, so that’s why he wants to be a fun dad. Mel assures him that he’ll be a great dad.

Doc invites Denny to go fishing with him and they bond. Denny talks about Lizzie, and Doc tells him how proud of him he is for how he’s dealing with his diagnosis. He also tells Denny about his macular degeneration and how worried he is that he’ll have to retire soon. He’s concerned he won’t have an identity if he’s no longer a doctor, pointing out that his nickname is literally “Doc,” so what will people call him when he’s not one? Denny has the perfect answer, telling him he’ll be “grandpa.”

During their spa day, the ladies talk about youth and growing older, which makes Lizzie appreciate being young. But Lydie makes an important point that puts everything into perspective for the ladies, basically saying that not everyone is lucky enough to grow old. They then take mud baths and continue bonding, up until Hope and Jo Ellen get into an argument.

Hope calls Jo Ellen a “traitor” for telling Nick about the car accident and throws mud on her, which turns into a mud fight between the ladies. This results in them getting kicked out of the spa, and Jo Ellen and Hope have to get real about their problem. Jo Ellen says she’s worried the next time Hope gets behind the wheel she might hurt herself or someone else, and she doesn’t want to lose another friend. This resonates with Hope, who finally comes around and admits she’s angry with the situation, not Jo Ellen specifically.

Hope explains that she fears she’ll never be the same again after her injury, and Connie responds with a joke that gets everyone laughing. Hope and Jo Ellen share a hug, which turns into a group hug between the ladies. Jo Ellen tells Hope that she’ll get through it and will be better than ever before.

Brady meets up with Mike and is ready to come clean in order to reconcile with Brie. He explains that although Calvin is dead, his business is not because of Melissa at the head. He says he’ll tell Mike anything he wants if he makes him a confidential informant, but Mike is hesitant. He doesn’t trust Brady. Eventually, Brady is able to convince him to give it a shot and he starts to give Mike more information about the operation.

As the episode starts to wrap up, Hope and Doc tell each other about their days while Lizzie and Denny get intimate. Kaia shows up at Jack’s bar again to hang out with Preacher. And in a surprising moment, Mel and Jack wake up at their campsite the next morning and smell something burning. When they get out of their tent, they see that there’s a ton of smoke right in Virgin River’s direction.

Written by Natalie Zamora

Season 5 episode 5 recap: Trial by Fire

Trigger Warning: Pregnancy Loss, Sexual Assault

Buckle up, Virgin River fans, because the fifth episode of season 5 is very eventful. So much goes happens in this episode, so let’s start our recap with the wildfire. The morning after spending the night at Preacher’s, Kaia is called into work because of the fire and Preacher gets an alarming alert to his phone. Kaia says it looks like the fire is just on the outskirts of town so they should be okay.

People affected by the smoke start coming into the clinic needing assistance, and Mel agrees to help out. Apparently, the smoke is especially bad up at the camps, but the people residing there are afraid they’ll face charges or even be deported if they leave. Doc asks Jack to convince them to evacuate, and he recruits Brady to go with him.

Hope, realizing Nick has ignored her fire-readiness plan for the town, heads to Jack’s bar with Lizzie and Denny to figure out what’s going on. She also convinces Lydie to come to her side of town to be as far away from the fire as possible.

When they arrive, Nick says he’s just following orders from the professionals, but Hope tells him he can’t just sit around and do nothing. Denny and Lizzie agree to go check on the elderly people of Virgin River to try and evacuate them, while a chief from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection gets a call that a firefighter is down. Preacher overhears and his mind immediately goes to Kaia.

At the clinic, Mel goes to the bathroom and realizes she’s bleeding, but before she can check herself out in one of the examination rooms, Doc comes in and asks her if she can stay and look after the clinic while he goes to help the hurt firefighter. Clearly, a lot is being asked of her right now and she understands that she has a responsibility to help, but she’s also potentially going through something extremely traumatic. More and more patients start to pile in and Mel asks Muriel to do their intake so she can have a moment alone.

Eventually, Mel is able to give herself an ultrasound, and sadly, there’s no heartbeat. She realizes she’s lost her baby, but amid everything going on, she hardly has time to react. It’s a heartbreaking moment.

Jack and Brady show up at the camps and convince people to start evacuating, but one woman says she can’t find her six-year-old daughter. The two men run into the woods to try and find her.

As the fires continue in and around Virgin River, it’s time for Brie to testify against Don. And as expected, it’s not easy. She recalls what happened the night she was sexually assaulted (though, fortunately, the show does not show her recounting all the details) and she explains that she feels that if she brings Don to justice she can finally move on. Don’s lawyer is extremely hard on her, however, and she asks Brie if she mixed alcohol and Xanax the night in question. Brie admits that she did, but she remembers everything that happened.

Don’s lawyer claims that Don wanted to marry Brie until he realized she had a substance problem, and suggests that Brie is testifying against him only because he broke up with her and she wants revenge. Of course, this is a ridiculous suggestion and Brie is taken aback by it. She maintains that everything she’s said is true.

Doc and Cameron go help the firefighter who got injured, named Jay, and realize they need to take him to the clinic because he’s got a piece of wood sticking out of his leg. Kaia is also there, unharmed.

Hope and Preacher bond and Preacher calls Hope a “warrior” for Virgin River, which makes her feel better about everything. They find out that Kaia is safe, and Preacher opens up to Hope about her. Hope gives him advice, saying he should just tell her how he feels, and he decides to text her and tell her he’s thinking about her.

Lizzie and Denny drive by Lydie’s house and see her still there packing up her car. She seems to be packing up everything in her house, and when they ask her what’s going on, she explains that she wants to take all of Herb’s and Ricky’s stuff because it’s all she has left of them. Lizzie assures her that Ricky is coming home, and convinces her to leave before the fire spreads.

Doc, Cameron, and Mel all start working on Jay at the clinic, and Cameron gives Doc all the credit for making the right call.

Lydie shows up at Jack’s bar and Hope is relieved, though everyone begins to worry when they get a new phone alert that says there’s an evacuation order for Lydie’s part of town. Lizzie and Denny are still out there, and according to Nick, the cell towers are down so they won’t have any idea they’re in danger. Nick blames Hope for sending them out there and says that her decision proves she’s not fit to be the mayor.

Brie runs into Mike at the courthouse and they seem to have a moment, but Brie’s lawyer interrupts her and she has to go. After a break, Brie continues to testify against Don and is asked why she waited so long to report the incident. Brie explains that she knows how cases like these usually go, and that lawyers will destroy women on the stand just to defend their clients.

Brie’s lawyer then asks her questions, and Brie gives a great response about doing the right thing. Her speech plays over a montage of the other characters in Virgin River, as she talks about sexual assault and how much it affects women across the country. As her voiceover plays, we watch Jack and Brady find the little girl, and Lizzie and Denny as they try to flee the fires surrounding them.

Mel hasn’t heard from Ava so she drives out to see if she’s okay, meanwhile, Jay’s heart rate begins spiking. Doc and Cameron have to start doing chest compressions to try and save him.

Mike waits at the courtroom for Brie to make sure she’s okay and he tells her that he’s here for her if she ever needs someone to talk to. Their conversation is interrupted when Brie’s mom calls to tell her about the fire.

As they’re getting ready to evacuate everyone, Jack checks his phone and sees a text from Mel, who tells him she’s going to check on Ava. But he also sees a wildfire alert saying a mandatory evacuation has been issued, and he immediately is worried about Mel driving in town. He tells Brady he’s got to go find her, and Brady assures him he’ll drive everyone out of the camps.

Denny and Lizzie are completely cornered by the fires and don’t know what to do, as Mel shows up at Ava’s house to find it surrounded by smoke. She hears Lilly’s baby Chloe crying and she runs in to save her as the credits begin to roll.

Written by Natalie Zamora

Season 5 episode 6 recap: Heroes Rise

The pacing doesn’t slow down a bit in episode 6, which opens with Mel saving Chloe from the fire and attempting to wake up a passed-out Ava. Back at the clinic, Doc and Cameron work together to help keep Jay alive. Unfortunately, during a needle decompression procedure, Doc’s eyesight prevents him from seeing clearly, leading him to have Cameron place the needle in Jay’s chest instead.

While they’re still trapped in the car surrounded by fire, Denny freezes up and Lizzie suggests they “make a run for it.” Right in the nick of time, Bert drives up in his tow truck and moves the car that was blocking their path. Thankfully, Denny comes to and drives them off to safety.

Jack arrives as Lilly’s house and saves Ava as Mel runs out of the house with Chloe. Mel takes Chloe and Ava to the clinic to check on Chloe’s lungs due to smoke inhalation while Jack stays back and saves the animals from the farm. (It’s later revealed that he successfully saves the animals, but it happens offscreen and it’s not explained where he took them to safety.)

As Hope spirals in concern at the bar over Lizzie and Denny, they arrive unscathed to hugs from their family and friends, though Denny seems to be carrying the guilt of freezing up. Following a compliment from a firefighter, Hope and Nick seemingly make a pact to work together as a team to help get the community through this disaster.

In Sacramento, Brie and Mike watch the news at Mrs. Sheridan’s house as they worry about Mel and Jack. Brie’s mom, Amelia, makes a not-so subtle dig at Brady not being present to support her during the trial, and it’s clear there’s some unresolved tension between Brie and her mother. Although Brie tells him he can leave, Mike stays by her side.

When confronted by Cameron about what happened during the procedure, Doc finally comes clean about his macular degeneration. Naturally, he’s none to pleased to have found out about the status of Doc’s eyesight while they were trying to save a patient’s life. Before the conflict reaches a fever pitch, Muriel interrupts to summon them to help Mel with Ava and Chloe. Cameron takes charge, and Mel senses the steely vibe shift between him and Doc. Unfairly, Cameron confronts Muriel about Doc’s eyesight, and she later tells him it wasn’t her place to share that information.

Having a moment to let the dust settle, Lizzie asks Denny what’s going on with him and apologizes about yelling at him in the car. He still doesn’t open up to her about how he’s feeling. Across the bar, Lark thanks Brady for saving her and Hazel’s lives, but there’s weirdness from Preacher toward Brady. When the fire chief makes an announcement about the fire’s devastation and its wider reach, Hope springs to action to lock down water planes.

Even though he’s feeling insecure about his ability to help patients, Mel snaps Doc out of his guilt and self-pity, and they continue to monitor Chloe together. Mel and Jack reunite, and he brings the unfortunate news that Lilly’s house burned down. It’s not the moment for Mel to tell Jack that she lost the baby, but you can tell it’s weighing her to not be able to share this with him.

Over lunch, Mike informs Brie and Amelia that the evacuation zones have been expanded in Virgin River, and he ensures her that Jack has been able to pull through lots of dangerous situations. When Amelia calls Jack “the strong one,” Mike steps in to defend Brie as strong, too, but all she says is “Yeah.” Brie bites back about her mother not showing her the same support as her siblings, prompting Amelia to call Brie selfish. Obviously, Brie leaves the table. The mother and daughter later have a heart to heart and get to a much better place.

Tensions are rising in Virgin River as well. Preacher snaps at Brady for acting like a “war hero” for saving Lark and Hazel, and Brady snaps back about Preacher believing he’s better than him and not letting go of what happened between them in Iraq. In the midst of their argument, Jack interrupts and brings them outside to show them that the fire has crossed the river and nears the bar. Mass hysteria erupts among the evacuees at the bar, but it’s Hope who steps in to calm them down and get them evacuated to the Kid’s Camp field.

Just when they need the water planes most, their time has run out… until Hope realizes she knows someone with a plane who can assist in a time crunch. Jack, Brady, and Preacher lead a group by the river to fight the fire. Preacher pushes back against Brady’s instruction to start a backfire because it will turn the fire away from the bar. Although Preacher doesn’t trust Brady, Jack backs Brady’s idea because it’s the only one they have.

As the situation worsens, there’s decisions to be made at the clinic. Jay can’t be moved because they won’t have the supplies necessary to keep him alive. They decide Doc and Cameron will stay with Jay while the rest transport Chloe to the safety zone. Meanwhile, Hope and Jack convince a man named Charlie to allow them to use their plane to drop water on the fire. Despite his reservations, he lets them use the plane, but Jack must fly the plane. Hope calls other farmers to get more planes in the air.

In the field, Denny finally opens up to Lizzie, telling her that he thought he was prepared for death because of his condition, but when faced with death in the middle of the fire, he realized he hadn’t. He tells her he’s in love with her, and she reciprocates. Speaking of more conflict resolution, Kaia and the firefighters arrive on the scene and commend the backfire plan, leaving Preacher to eat his earlier words of doubt for Brady.

The town celebrates the arrival of the water planes as they fly overhead across the river to the fire. Nick admits that Hope has acted as a better mayor than him throughout the disaster and announces that he’s giving her back her mayorship at the next town council meeting. With a little bit of hope and faith restored, Muriel takes Hope aside to inform her about Doc’s episode earlier that day.

The next morning, the wildfires have been stopped, though a lot of the town has been burned. Preacher thanks Brady for his work that saved the bar, but Brady rebuffs his gratitude and tells him he needs to believe that he’s changed. Right after, Preacher speaks with a firefighter and learns that Kaia is married, and her husband is the injured firefighter Jay.

Mike reveals the good news that there were no casualties in the Virgin River fire, giving Brie and Amelia relief and peace of mind. While leaving Amelia’s house to return to his hotel, Mike and Brie have a moment of romantic tension by the door. The episode ends with Hope reassuring Doc, and Jack reuniting again with Mel. This time, her grief can’t be hidden. All she can do is breakdown in tears and say “I’m so sorry.”

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 7 recap: From the Ashes

Picking up in the ashes of the fire (literally), episode 7 opens with a montage of the devastation around town as Brie drives back home. Mel’s cabin has ash coming in through the windows, and Brady’s place has been destroyed. As Preacher declines a call from Kaia, Brady arrives at the bar to stay in the apartment above, a symbol of his truce with Preacher. Brie goes straight to Mel and Jack’s place, which allows Jack to finally fall apart while Mel sleeps.

Hope’s first day back as mayor finds her dealing with a disgruntled community with an unending list of concerns. It’s nothing compared to what Mel’s going through with her grief and talks of aftercare. She and Jack discuss her undergoing a D&C (dilatation and curettage) procedure, but she doesn’t want to go through with another one. Even though Jack suggests being around people who care about her, Mel can’t bear to be around anyone just yet.

Cameron visits Doc and they have an honest conversation about Doc’s eyesight. Doc admits that he should have told Cameron sooner and apologizes for not having done so. In addition to his apology, Doc tells Cameron he wants him to take over the clinic in the event that his eyesight worsens. However, Cameron has reservations, which doesn’t sit well with Doc.

Brady and Brie meet for coffee, and though their banter seems to indicate they’re back on better footing, talk of the trial brings Brie back to the central concern surrounding their relationship: She can’t trust him and she doesn’t feel safe with him after that rock went sailing through her window. When she asks what he’s doing to remove himself from the situation, he says he can’t tell her (obviously because it’s a classified situation), and she walks away from him disappointed. Ironically, he receives a text message from Melissa with a meeting time later that night.

Throwing herself into her community work with Hope, Lizzie informs Denny that she’s no longer thinking about going to college in the fall. She hasn’t told her mother yet, but she knows it’s not the right path for her and she loves being in Virgin River. Denny also tells her that in the wake of the fire, he realized that she’s most important to him and he doesn’t want to go back to Stanford.

Kaia visits Preacher, and he acts cold toward her. When she presses, he reveals that he knows she’s married to Jay and he’s mad she didn’t tell him. In response, Kaia explains that their marriage is over, that they’re separated and fire season prevented a divorce from happening sooner. He’s still mad that she didn’t tell him, which seems reasonable but also slightly unfair.

While Brie’s Brady drama helps distract Mel, Cameron teases Muriel about wearing a random combination of Connie and Lizzie’s hand-me-down clothes. She expresses her frustration about living with a rule-oriented Connie after her house burned in the fire, and Cameron offers that she can stay in his guest room. (She later takes him up on that when Connie continues to give her grief about blow drying her hair and the scent of her perfume.)

Since the fire demolished Lilly’s house and farm, Ava has been staying above the clinic. She reveals to Hope that her sister Tara received a great job offer in San Francisco and will be taking the job and Chloe with her. Because she lives in Portland, Ava plans to sell the farmland before returning to her own home. Developers called with interest in the land, but Hope asks her to hold off from accepting the offer to allow her to find someone else to buy Lilly’s land.

Even though Preacher keeps giving Jack a hard time about giving Brady chances, Jack opens up about losing the baby. Jack insists that he doesn’t want the situation to be about him, but Preacher reminds him that he’s going through the loss, too. He confesses that he didn’t even know he wanted to be a father, but when faced with a family of his own on the way, it became a dream he could picture and wanted.

Brady has his secret meeting with Melissa in the back of her black SUV with tinted windows and she reveals to him that their operation will now be running money through Jack’s glamping business. She wants Brady to manage the daily operations to keep Jack in the dark. He asks about the drugs, and she simply tells him to do as he’s told. Little does she know, he recorded their entire conversation.

Before she leaves for San Francisco, Tara visits Mel for a tearful goodbye with Chloe. The next morning, Jack takes Mel to her D&C procedure, but they’re early so they stay in the car for a moment. Mel tells him about the last time she had a D&C and how she felt in the waiting room among the expectant mothers.

Brady plays the recording of Melissa for Mike, and he connects the dots with previous pictures he had of Mel and Jack having dinner with Melissa and Nick. Suddenly, it all clicks. Brady wants to tell Jack about what Melissa has planned, but Mike talks him down and explains that they only have one opportunity to bring Melissa down, and they can’t do anything or tell anyone yet. Mike wants Brady to wear a wire, and he agrees.

Mike drops by Brie’s place for a beer, and she informs him that Don’s guilty verdict came in earlier that day. While it’s what she wanted, it’s still not making her feel completely better. He apologizes to her for nearly crossing a line and kissing her in Sacramento, but she doesn’t seem too sorry that their connection almost went to a different place.

After her procedure, Mel rests with Jack on the couch and they talk about opening up to others about what they’re going through, so they have more loved ones to lean on. During the community clothing and food drive, Denny shares with Lizzie that he’s lined up job opportunities, and she announces that she told her mother about not going to college. Luckily, Hope offers her a promotion from personal aide to chief of staff to the mayor, which she accepts.

Cameron explains to Doc that he initially was tepid to Doc’s offer because he hadn’t planned on staying in Virgin River long-term. He thought he would miss San Diego and his old life, but he doesn’t and he finds being a small-town doctor and working with Doc personally fulfilling. They shake on giving a new partnership a try. Hope gives a moving and inspiring speech to the community about rebuilding the town that tugs on everyone’s heartstings.

Circling back on Melissa making Brady work for Jack, he comes to Brady with the construction job on the construction site. Brady accepts, as if he even has a choice. Meanwhile, Preacher and Kaia clear the air and start fresh. Unfortunately, her ex-husband Jay ruffles Preacher’s feathers and tries to come off as a threat to make him insecure.

Ava plans to stay in town until she finds the right buyer for the farm, which brings joy to Mel since she will have another friend sticking around. Her relief about Ava deflates when Jack abruptly brings up trying again for another baby. While Brie and Mike playfully talk to each other, Brady approaches them full of jealousy and almost gets physical with Mike, prompting Brie to officially break up with him.

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 8 recap: Full Moon

In the previous episode, Mel was left on a rather somber note with the prospect of Jack wanting to try for another pregnancy, but in the opening of episode 8, she’s dancing it all out to some catchy pop music in her kitchen. Jack walks in on her dancing and brings her coffee and flowers. He’s surprised when she tells him she’s going fishing with Doc. But she’s also got a packed day of sewing club with the ladies and girls’ night with Brie. Before she heads out the door, he brings up “trying again,” but she pushes it aside for a conversation later.

Following their almost altercation over Brie, Brady and Mike clear the air about Sacramento, but Brady still asks why Mike didn’t tell him he was with Brie. (It honestly doesn’t seem like Mike and Brady are close enough for Mike to have to run that by him.) Mike refocuses Brady on taking Melissa down, which could help him get Brie back. Nevertheless, Brady gets his wire with the hopes of getting her to admit to laundering drug money through the glamping site. Brady’s getting antsy because he doesn’t want to keep lying to Jack and Brie.

Before Hope and Lizzie get started as an official team, Lizzie and Denny share a sweet moment together. He made her a campaign-style sticker that says “Hope and Liz mean biz.” While they all embark on new journeys, Doc and Mel take it slow on the lake, fishing and talking. He asks Mel to come back to the clinic whenever she’s ready to start working again, and she immediately reaccepts her role alongside him and Cameron.

Brady discovers Lark has been living in one of the trailers on the glamping site with her daughter since they have nowhere else to go after the fire. The elementary school with fellow evacuees wasn’t working out. Jack arrives on the site and hears about the situation. He allows them to remain in the trailer on the site, which Brady lightly protests, knowing what he knows that Jack doesn’t. Ironically, Melissa pops in right after their conversation. She agrees to Jack’s idea of allowing evacuees to stay at the glamping site during construction. She tells him she’s asked Brady to handle the books, a minor knock on his pride, but she assuages him by calling him family. (Jack later has doubts about Brady organizing the books.)

Preacher makes Kaia breakfast and he broaches the topic of her ex-husband not being over her. She brushes it off and focuses instead on the plans she has for them, which entails riding dirt bikes through the woods. After their ride, they talk to get to know each other better, and he explains how he got the nickname Preacher from his mother. She said that when he talks, people listen. He jokes that his given name is Engelbert, but it’s actually John. That evening, she shares how she met Jay and what ultimately led to their divorce.

Mel rejoins the sewing group at the bar, and she gets back to work on the baby dress with a bird patch. She explains that her mother gave her the pet name of her “little bird.” The group gives Mel support and gets her mind off of things with a bit of town gossip. Cameron drops by the bar and pulls Mel aside, officially apologizing about what he said about Jack last season now that they will be working together again. The hatchet has been buried.

Before girls’ night with Mel (and Ava, who Mel invites to tag along), Brie watches baseball with Mike, and despite the casual spirit of the hangout, it’s clear that there’s something between them. She asks him to sub in for her company softball team, who lost a player to a broken leg. Obviously, he agrees to join the team, as if he would ever turn her down. While he grabs another round of beers, Brie ignores a text message from Brady.

Brady checks on Lark before leaving the site for the night, but she invites him to stay for a beer. They commiserate over their parents: Brady’s mom taking off and Lark’s abusive father she stabbed in the leg. They aren’t the only ones connecting under the full moon. Cameron and Muriel share not only dinner but a kiss. Because they work together, they agree to keep things professional moving forward.

Girls’ night at Brie’s house includes wine, talk of the Brady breakup, and Ava’s guilt over what happened during the fire. Since there’s a full moon and they all have things they want to let go of to free their minds, Ava gets the idea to write down what’s troubling them, toss it into the fire pit, and manifest positive energy for the future. Ava and Brie are both able to go through with the ritual, but Mel struggles with letting go of her fear of trying to have another baby and experiencing more loss. This time, because it was supposed to be her hopeful “next time,” hits her harder with grief.

Even though Denny’s job interview with Bert didn’t go so well, he’s looking forward to staying in Virgin River and being around Doc. But he has to break the news to his grandpa that his Grandma Rose wants to come to town for a visit after being worried during the fire. There’s bad blood between Doc and Rose, because she didn’t tell him he had a son for 50 years, but Doc agrees to the visit from Rose for Denny’s sake (in spite of Hope’s supportive distaste for Rose).

As Brady calls it a night, Gene waits for him by his motorcycle and casts doubts about his loyalty. They’ve caught wind that Jack wants to see the books, and it’s spooking the higher-ups. Gene asks Brady to lift up his shirt, suggesting he’s wearing a wire. When Brady lifts up his shirt, there’s no wire.

Back at home, Mel and Jack talk about their days, and she informs him she’s going back to work. Of course, he brings up trying to get pregnant again in relation to her renewed role at the clinic. Finally, she breaks the news to him that she doesn’t want to try to get pregnant again. She’s honest about how she’s been feeling, that she’s tired of having her “heart ripped out.” It’s a tough conversation, and Jack appears to feel equally as heartbroken.

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 9 recap: Angel’s Peak

After Mel’s confession the night before, Mel and Jack seem to be at an impasse. As Jack wakes up, Mel’s heading out the door for a run to clear her head, but she isn’t ready to talk about the situation just yet. He asks to join her for a hike, and she agrees.

Hope bakes scones in preparation of Rose’s visit, but she’s no less full of goodwill and welcoming spirit. She’s mad enough for her and Doc combined and offers a motto to live by: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, say it behind their back.” Denny and Rose arrive, and they’re cordial — with a touch of tension.

Following a day of getting to know each other better, Preacher and Kaia share a quiet morning, and she explains she’s still responsible for helping Jay through his healing process until she ships out and he returns home in Colorado. Preacher seems to already be worrying about the future when Kaia might be leaving Virgin River. But for now, she’s showing up to support him for his new “just like mama made it” menu at the bar.

Considering the last time we saw them they shared a kiss, the vibe between Cameron and Muriel at the clinic is kind of awkward, especially since it’s just the two of them for the day. Although Cameron wants to talk about what happened, Muriel cuts him off and tells him she’s moving in with Lydie. She thinks they spent enough time together at work without the added temptation of being together in a shared living space after hours.

Mel and Jack’s hike isn’t peaceful for long. The topic of starting a family naturally comes back up when Jack comments that the forest is resilient after everything it’s been through. He’s not as subtle as he thinks he is. Jack wants to take Mel to the vista at Angel’s Peak, hopeful that it will help change her perspective. A disagreement emerges about the intricacies of the situation, including Mel’s grief from years of trying, Jack’s newfound dream of having a family with Mel, and Mel’s feeling of letting Jack down.

Jack suggests that there are other ways of having a baby, and she explains that she’d always wanted to have a child of her own. Thinking about surrogacy is physically and emotionally taxing on Mel, and she can’t put herself through that again. She wants to embrace (or at least attempt to embrace) the new path she’s been placed on.

Hope and Denny leave Doc and Rose to catch up and have a long overdue chat. Naturally, Doc asks why she didn’t tell him they had a son. She gives the reason that he told her he didn’t want to be a father. He pushes back by saying he would have taken responsibility, but Rose insists she made the decision to keep their son from him out of love and respect so he could follow his dream of becoming a doctor. Still, she made a lot of choices that left Doc feeling hurt.

When Mike hits the field for Brie’s company softball game, there’s some apparent flirting between the two of them. Unsurprisingly, Mike and Brie are both great at softball, and a few of her teammates and coworkers tease her about being into Mike. Still, they lose the game, but it’s not the game that’s important. Brie and Mike finally kiss!

On the glamping site, Lark invites Brady over for dinner and game night, but before he can enjoy his evening with a romance that’s clearly blossoming, he looks over invoices for the company and he seems to find something shady. He later goes to the warehouse where Melissa runs her operation and takes a video of their sketchy happenings. Meanwhile, Cameron and Muriel are still awkward at the clinic, though they talk themselves into giving their budding relationship being somewhat of a good idea and trying to make it work.

Back on the hike with Mel and Jack, she opens up about the fact that she wonders if becoming parents is part of their plan. She’s had four miscarriages and a stillbirth, and that’s what’s weighing on her. Jack says that he understands, but Mel presses that he doesn’t know what it feels like to be in her position. She agrees that she’s been running, and if she hadn’t run to Virgin River, she never would have met Jack. Adding to the symbolism of their situation, Jack informs Mel that they are lost. Just then, it starts to pour down rain. They just have to laugh!

Rose arrives at the bar for dinner with Denny and Lizzie, and Hope notices Doc isn’t with her due to where they left things after their conversation. Hope goes home to check on Doc, and armed with the realization she received from her friends (that you don’t have to like or forgive family to live with them), she convinces Doc to join the dinner — not for Rose but for Denny.

Mel and Jack reach Angel’s Peak, where Jack lets her in on what he’s been holding back. When he first came to Virgin River, he was lost. For much of his life, he was repressing the death of his brother, but when it came back around, the grief caused him to enter a darkness. He believes that he and Mel can keep pushing to get out from under their grief, to start a family in some form. It might not be clear-cut, but they still want to chase that dream. Later while sewing on the porch, a bird sits on the chair opposite for a few seconds. She takes it as a sign.

While tasting Preacher’s new menu, Kaia’s ex-husband Jay drops by the bar to inform her that there are wildfires in Alaska and they’re shipping out the next day. Jay, still being on crutches, has been made Incident Commander, and Kaia will be the team lead. She jumps at this career opportunity and immediately leaves the bar to pack. Again, Preacher and Jay lock horns.

Even though Rose pushes about Denny going back to college and living the rest of his life beyond Virgin River, she pulls back when he tells her his dream was to be in love. After their dinner with Lizzie, Hope, and Doc, Rose gets back on her agenda with Denny. She doesn’t mince words when she drops the bomb that she thinks he’s making a mistake.

Jack drops extra blankets off to the evacuated families at the glamping site, and he notices a light shining in a particular trailer. When he enters the trailer with a flashlight, he finds Brady in the back hovered over something suspicious. Brady has been caught!

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 10 recap: Labor Day

Picking up where we left off in the previous episode, Brady insists to Jack that it isn’t what it looks like. Don’t you know that’s what they all say, Brady?! Jack doesn’t believe him, saying that it looks like he’s selling drugs out of his trailer and threatens to call the cops. As Melissa drives up outside, Brady has to give Jack a quick explanation about the situation in order to not escalate anything. From inside the trailer, Jack watches as Melissa holds Brady at gunpoint and her minions throw a bag over his head and toss him into the back of the car.

Immediately, Jack calls Mike to tell him what’s going on. Well, as much as what he know is going on. Because he’s Jack, he’s following Melissa’s SUV to the warehouse Brady followed them to before. Mike instructs him not to engage, but when he watches Brady being tortured (over the surveillance footage of him sneaking into the warehouse), Jack stealthily creates a distraction. When does Jack every listen to what he’s told? Once Melissa drives off, Brady and Jack work together to fight off her footmen.

Thankfully, the police arrive in time to arrest Melissa and save Brady and Jack. However, one of the footmen from inside the warehouse emerges at the door. Mike shoots him, but Mike is shot as well, right by his heart.

On a less intense note, Preacher catches Kaia trying to sneak out in the morning because she doesn’t like goodbyes. They agree not to make a big deal when she ships out and leave it on an “I’ll see you when I see you” note. Later, Kaia returns to the bar to surprise Preacher with the news that she turned down the Alaska team lead position to be with him and work the post-fire cleanup in Virgin River.

Meanwhile, everyone congregates at the hospital. Mike isn’t dead, but he lost a lot of blood and remains unconscious. He’s not out of the woods yet. Brady’s being interrogated by the FBI, and without Mike awake to corroborate his story, he’s facing an uphill battle. Preacher and Mel both leave the hospital, but Brie and Jack have each other.

In spite of the continued craziness happening, the town still prepares for the Labor Day carnival. Lizzie’s busy running around to make sure everything’s running smoothly, giving her no time to catch up with Denny. But they both have things they need to talk to each other about and plan to get together later during the carnival to talk.

The full staff of the clinic — Doc, Cameron, Mel, and Muriel — have their first staff meeting. Muriel receives the title of office manager, Cameron proposes a telehealth initiative to help broaden their reach to patients in rural areas, and Mel suggests opening a birthing center. Looks like the clinic is working like a well-oiled, forward-thinking machine. Later in the episode, Muriel talks to Doc about her relationship with Cameron, and he gives them his blessing. During the carnival, Cameron and Muriel kiss and Jo Ellen spreads word around town.

Brady leaves questioning and catches Brie holding Mike’s hand at his bedside. They talk in the hallway, and Brie expresses that she wished he had told her that he was acting as a confidential informant. But he believed that the less she knew, the better for her safety. She tells him that she appreciates what he’s done for her and she will love him forever (her exact words!), but the circumstances of her feelings have changed. She can’t go backward just because the dangerous situation is over.

Ava asks Mel to help her come up with a list of questions for her doctor for the hysterectomy consultation, in the event that she spaces and forgets what to ask. Mel offers a list of wise and vital questions, and Ava quips about her question surrounding potential regret of not having children. But Mel counters with what she and Jack have been discussing lately, that becoming a parent isn’t solely about how you became one. Later, Ava decides to go through with the hysterectomy, but opts to freeze some of her eggs before the surgery.

Brady and Jack rush to the glamping site as the FBI arrive on the scene, where Jack learns that the site and its assets are now property of the FBI for the investigation. The investigation could potentially tie up Jack’s plans for years, but the tenants (a.k.a. evacuees) have to be out of the trailers by the end of the day. Jack and Nick plan to move some of the evacuees to the rooms of the bed and breakfast that are still usable. Lark finds out Brady knew what was going on the whole time, but doesn’t hold it against him for not telling her. They plan for a date at the carnival.

Mike finally wakes up, and Brie’s right by his side to greet him. Although the authorities are quickly on hand to take his statement, he and Brie later have milkshakes and have their first date. Since Jack was feeling sorry for himself about losing the land, Mel decides to take him to the carnival to lift their spirits. Before working his shift at the beer garden, he’s surprised to learn Brie and Mike have gotten super close. While talking with Ava, Mel learns about the plans to sell the farm to a company turning it into a golf course. When she hears that the tree swing survived, she gets an idea.

Doc receives a phone call about the clinical trials for his macular degeneration, and at the carnival, he talks with Hope about his decision to go through with the trial. She questions his decision, since there’s a chance it won’t work and he could go blind, but he’s willing to roll the dice since he will eventually lose his vision anyway. Doc also catches up with a very still pregnant Charmaine, who’s doing well. But she encounters Calvin in the parking lot. He’s alive and reveals that he’s the father of her twins.

Lizzie and Denny finally have a chance to sneak away for a talk during the carnival, and he admits to her what Rose told him about making a mistake staying in Virgin River and leaving the med school track. He disagreed with his grandmother at first, but he decided to bet on his future and ask Lizzie to come with him to college. In that same moment, Lizzie tells him that she thinks she’s pregnant.

After having a cute moment on the ferris wheel, Mel and Jack run into Preacher and Kaia, who receives a phone call from her brigade. They were busy doing cleanup near a service road and found a body in the wreckage. There were no casualties in the fire, meaning the body had been buried and been there for a while. Preacher has a memory of burying Wes’ body. Uh oh!

Mel takes Jack to Lilly’s farm and shows him the tree swing that’s still standing. She reminds him of the first time they came to the farm and bonded at the tree swing, sharing her dream of having a farmhouse and filling it with kids. They plan to buy the farm and make it their home and their future for their family. In a time jump to the holidays, Mel talks on the phone with Joey, who tells her she found love letters her mother wrote to someone she was having an affair with in Virgin River. Joey believes this man could be Mel’s real father.

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 11 recap: The More the Merrier

In the opening moments of the first holiday episode, Mel and Jack search the woods for the perfect Christmas tree as they prepare to ring in the holiday with their whole family, including Mel’s sister’s family, Jack’s parents, and his sister Mary’s family.

Unfortunately, as Brie learns, Mary and her family are snowed in back in Boston, leaving Brie and Jack to wrangle their divorced parents — and their mother’s new boyfriend Javier — on their own. But Mel and Jack have Joey and her kids to keep them company, as well as the lingering mystery of the letters from Mel’s biological father.

Meanwhile, Doc and Hope prepare for the town’s Christmas tree decorating contest with Lizzie and Denny, and they are all excited about Lizzie’s pregnancy. (They’ve decided not to test the baby for Huntington’s Disease in utero.) However, she still hasn’t told her mom about her pregnancy, fearing her reaction. When they first reunite, Lizzie chickens out on telling her mom the big news.

During preparations for the town Christmas musical, everyone has their eyes on Cameron and Muriel’s budding romance. Back at the cabin, Mel and Joey dig into the romance between their mother and father… and Mel’s biological father. They discover that their mother told Mel’s real father about her and he wanted to be in her life, but her mother chose to stay with her dad to keep the family together. From the letters, she has his PO box and nickname “Champ” as clues to find him.

Preacher talks on the phone with Paige about the fact that DNA hasn’t been found with the body that had been discovered. He’s lucky Kaia doesn’t overhear his conversation when she pops her head in the bar’s office to grab him to join the Toys for Tots festivities. It’s clear he feels guilty about what he’s keeping a secret from Kaia and from everyone.

In spite of Brie’s mounting stress over her parents, her mother isn’t sorry for bringing her new boyfriend Javier to town for Christmas. Brie’s even begrudgingly roped in to talk to her father about the situation. Speaking of dads, Jack jumps on board to help Mel find her father, their first stop being Hope to track down the old postmaster to identify the PO box.

Brady and Lark have some fun while ice skating, and he reveals he once lost out on a hockey scholarship, which led to him enlisting in the Marines over going to juvie. She thanks him for changing her life and asks him to meet her mother. While looking for Hope, Mel and Jack run into Charmaine, who’s having Braxton Hicks contractions. Hope reveals the original postmaster’s name was Chip Cooper, and she sends them to Lydie, as she was his high school sweetheart.

Lydie tells them, in confidence from the sewing circle, that they can find Chip Cooper as the Santa Claus at the community center in Clear River. She and Chip are still in touch, and it seems like it’s in a romantic way. You go, Lydie! When Mel and Jack ask Chip who sent the postcards. He shares a story of how often the man came in to send the postcards and how the staff became wrapped up in the romance until Mel’s mom’s letters stopped coming. While he doesn’t know who “Champ” is, but he does know he won the 1976 Lumberjack Games.

A quick online search uncovers the winner of the 1976 Lumberjack Games as Everett Reid. There’s no photo, but now they know the name of her biological father. (Sorry, fans who wanted it to be Doc!) Everett was seemingly off the grid, but they connect with Preacher and ask for his help to ask his private investigator friend to find her biological father.

While Hope reassures Lizzie about her pregnancy and telling her mother, Lizzie’s mom overhears the word “baby” and puts together the fact that her daughter’s pregnant. And let’s just say her reaction is enthusiastic in the wrong way. The holiday musical is the perfect setting for all kinds of drama to take place, including Cameron’s ex returning to make amends with him now that she’s six months sober and in AA. Jack’s dad threatens to leave because of Javier, and Brady and Brie have an awkward run-in.

Preacher tells Mel and Jack that the private investigator found Mel’s biological father, and here’s the good news: He’s still in Virgin River!

Written by Reed Gaudens

Season 5 episode 12 recap: Father Christmas

Mel and Jack drive up to Everett Reid’s property on Christmas Eve as Mel works up the nerve to knock on his door and tell him she’s his daughter. Despite initial hesitation, Everett makes the decision for her. He stands in his doorway wondering who the random people are sitting in his driveway. Mel works her way to his door and rips off the bandage. She drops the daughter bomb and explains the love letters, but he quickly shuts her down. Apparently he’s not the man she’s looking for. When a timer goes off and he leaves the doorway, Mel notices the Lumberjack Games trophy on a shelf in his home and the realization that he’s lying sets in.

Even though Mel’s upset, she’s thankful to have gotten clarity on the matter. Just as they’re about to settle in with Christmas festivities, Mel receives a call from Charmaine about her Braxton Hicks contractions. They meet at the clinic and Charmaine brings along Calvin, the twins’ father. Mel forces him to leave the clinic. Right after, Charmaine’s water breaks. Before going into labor, Charmaine explains that the FBI dropped the charges against Calvin and he went into witness protection. Doc and Mel worry that Charmaine might have preeclampsia, and it’s a slightly dramatic birth, but it happens. Charmaine finally has the babies!

Preacher and Kaia take a dip in the lake in spite of the cold temperatures, just like her family used to do, and he lets an “I love you” slip. He attempts to sweep it under the rug, but she won’t let him. She doesn’t reciprocate just yet, though it doesn’t ruffle either of their feathers. Later on, Kaia tells Preacher that wants to stay in town for him and that she’s the new Virgin River fire chief.

Lizzie finally has a conversation with her mother, who isn’t receptive or ecstatic about her daughter’s pregnancy. She doesn’t want Lizzie to sacrifice her life for Denny or a baby, but Lizzie insists it’s not a sacrifice. She will keep working and building a life while raising her child. At long last, her mom wears down and promises to support Lizzie and the baby. Doc gives Denny an envelope containing the sex of the baby. They’re having a girl!

Cameron tells Muriel that he met with his ex-fiancée Michelle to talk about getting back together and starting a family. He turned her down because he’s with Muriel, but she tells him that she doesn’t want to start a family anymore. Cameron insists that he doesn’t want that either, so long as he has Muriel. Later on, Muriel attempts to give Cameron an out on the basis that she fears future resentment from him on not becoming a father. She’d rather break up now than suffer heartbreak down the road.

Mel opens up to Doc about finding her biological father and how he rejected her, which is in direct opposition to how Doc tells her he feels like a proud father when they work together. From this conversation, it’s clear that no matter what happens with Everett, Mel will always have a surrogate father in Doc. She asks him if he’ll walk her down the aisle, and he happily accepts.

Again, Brady and Brie have a run-in during the Christmas tree decorating contest festivities, and they seem to get closure on both of them moving on. Ironically, they’re standing under mistletoe and Brady moves in for a kiss until they’re interrupted by Jack. Earlier in the episode, Brie and Jack ran interference between their parents, who were still fighting. Fed up, Jack resorted to locking their parents in a room with each other until they sorted out their differences on their own. They arrive at the celebration with the news that they talked about their issues and their dad and Javier actually hit it off.

During the Christmas tree contest, Doc asks Hope to marry him again with a vow renewal ceremony. Obviously, she accepts his proposal! Adding to the joy of the moment, Doc and Hope walk away as the winners of the Christmas tree decorating contest for their nutcracker display. Mel and Jack finally get to ice skate and it starts to snow, and the next day, they have the big family Christmas dinner they had been planning for. Jack gifts Mel some diamond earrings and a “pony” in the form of a Labrador puppy.

While celebrating Christmas with Brady and Hazel, Lark receives an ominous phone call from Jimmy in jail, who asks about Hazel (apparently his daughter!) and Brady, and Lark says, “He doesn’t suspect a thing.” Preacher also receives a phone call from Mike and he learns that the medical examiner identified the body as Wes Logan and the situation is “about to blow up.” Kaia walks in with questions, but now it’s a question of whether he’ll tell her the truth. The Christmas surprises don’t stop as Everett arrives on Mel’s property and finally admits the truth: He’s her father. He brought her a stack of letter that her mother wrote him. Before the episode ends, he says he has something to tell her. What is it?!

Written by Reed Gaudens

Watch Virgin River only on Netflix.