Virgin River returned to Netflix screens earlier this year with Season 5 Part 1, and with it came plenty more drama between the residents of the titular town. As fans wait for Part 2 to arrive shortly, does Mel lose her baby?
Season 5 Part 1 of Virgin River debuted on Netflix last week, bringing more from the residents of the fictional Californian town. Though Mel initially moved to the countryside from LA in favor of the quiet life, she soon finds Virgin River is anything but sleepy.
Based on Robyn Carr’s books of the same name, Virgin River is packed full of drama, from drugs and deaths to affairs and attacks. One of the plotlines between the main characters Mel and Jack has been their up-and-down journey to starting a family.
In the Season 3 finale, Mel announces to Jack that she’s pregnant, while in Season 4 she’s feeling apprehensive about the news after losing her first baby in a stillbirth. So, what happens in Season 5 Part 1? But first, a warning: Major spoilers ahead!
Does Mel lose the baby in Virgin River?
Yes, Mel has a miscarriage in Season 5 Episode 6, ‘Trial By Fire’, while trying to save her community from a wildfire. It’s a devastating blow for both Mel and Jack, with viewers and critics alike praising the Netflix series for how it deals with the storyline.
Mel star Alexandra Breckenridge spoke with Netflix’s Tudum before the actors’ strike about why she felt it was an important story to tell. “Not everyone gets their miracle baby,” she said.
“And so, talking to a friend of mine who had dealt with fertility issues, it seemed as though we were going to be talking about it in an honest way that would be appreciated by women who have experienced that.
“It was very hard for me, though. There was a lot of crying. It’s a really sad storyline, but in the end, I think Mel comes out of it on the other side in a better way.”
Speaking about the Season 5 storyline, Stylist wrote: “From wildfires to miscarriages and sexual assault, Season 5 examines a wide range of sensitive topics, all of which are handled with the care and nuance that we’ve come to expect from this show.”
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And as Dexerto said in our four-star review: “With a new showrunner on board, Patrick Sean Smith, the pace is swift and packed with strong themes that are handled sensitively, without running the risk of romanticizing them.”
Viewers have also lauded the series for how it portrays the story, with one writing on X/Twitter: “Virgin River handles the heart-wrenching topic of miscarriage with class and sensitivity.”
Right now, it’s unclear whether the couple will try again, with Breckenridge adding: “Obviously, it’s hit Mel a lot harder in some ways than it has hit Jack, but I think that they find their way through it together as a couple. So it just shows you how much stronger their bond is through this really tragic experience.”
In Episode 9, Jack suggests they could try surrogacy or go down another route, but Mel insists that she doesn’t want to keep dealing with the heartache. However, in the Season 5 Part 1 finale, she seems more optimistic as they talk about buying the land where Lilly’s farm once stood.
Readers of Carr’s books will know that the situation will likely change moving forward. The show’s time frame is one of the most significant differences to the source material, as it moves at a much slower pace.
In the novels, Mel and Jack go on to have not one but two babies, welcoming a boy named David and a girl named Emma into the world. Could this be in store for the couple in Season 6 and beyond? Time will tell.
Virgin River Season 5 Part 1 is available to stream on Netflix now, and you can check out our other coverage below:
- When is Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 on Netflix?
- Virgin River filming locations
- Virgin River cast & characters
- Virgin River Season 5 Part 1 ending explained
- Virgin River Season 5 review
- Virgin River Season 6: Everything we know
- Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 trailer
- Do Mel and Jack have a baby in the books?
- Does Jack die in the Virgin River books?
- Does Doc Mullins die in the Virgin River books?
- Does Calvin die in Virgin River?
- Does Charmaine lose the babies in the books?
- Is Lizzie pregnant in Virgin River?
- Does Preacher leave Virgin River?
- Does Brie break up with Brady in Virgin River?
- What happened to Mel’s husband Mark in Virgin River?
- Does Charmaine have the twins in Virgin River?
