‘Virgin River’ Season 6 Ending: A Shocking Twist for Mel and Jack
Always expect the unexpected in Virgin River. Season 6 of the Netflix drama featured no shortage of twists and turns, from a secret hookup between two fan-favorite characters, a frightening rock slide, a cancer diagnosis, and an argument that almost derailed Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack’s (Martin Henderson) plans for their big day. But one of the most surprising moments came in the last moments of the season finale, when Mel received news that could change her life forever.
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Virgin River Season 6.]
Mel and Jack said ‘I do’ in ‘Virgin River’ Season 6
This season of Virgin River was all about Mel and Jack’s wedding. After navigating some difficult moments as a couple in season 5, this season, they were focused on the future as they prepared to say “I do” in front of their nearest and dearest.
Of course, there were some hiccups on the way to the altar. The bridal shop ordered the wrong dress, forcing the Virgin River sewing circle ladies to step up and make some much-needed alterations. Hope (Annette O’Toole) took her role as wedding coordinator a little too seriously. (Were the ice sculptures really necessary?). Mel’s decision to ask her biological father Everett Reid (John Allen Nelson) to walk her down the aisle led to some tense moments with Doc (Tim Matheson). And Mel and Jack caused some panic when they fled just before the ceremony on horseback. But in the end, everything came together for a beautiful wedding.
Marley asks Mel to adopt her baby
What’s next for Mel and Jack now that they’re husband and wife? They know they want to start a family together. But Mel has a history of infertility. She experienced a devastating stillbirth when she was married to her first husband. And in season 5, she had a miscarriage. After another loss, Mel wasn’t sure she could emotionally handle trying to get pregnant again. She and Jack began to consider adoption as a way to expand their family.
Though Mel and Jack had briefly discussed adopting, talk of having kids was mostly off the table in season 6 as they were both focused on the wedding. But the possibility of them becoming parents through adoption resurfaced unexpectedly in the season 6 finale.
In “The Big Day,” Marley, a patient at Virgin River’s new birthing center, showed up at Mel’s cabin the morning after Mel’s wedding. Marley was planning on giving the baby up for adoption to a couple named Phil and Darla. But now, they were having second thoughts. Mel offered to talk to the couple, but Marley wasn’t interested. She’d already decided who she wanted to parent her child.
“Mel, I want you to have my baby,” she told a stunned Mel.
Will Mel and Jack accept Marley’s offer?
We didn’t see Mel’s response to Marley. But it’s hard to imagine her turning down this opportunity to become a mom (assuming Jack is also on board), even if it’s a plot development that strains credulity. Giving Mel and Jack a miracle baby in this way delivers a happy ending for them and viewers, but it would have been interesting to see them go through a more realistic version of the adoption process. However, an adoption storyline fits with how Breckenridge predicted Mel and Jack would eventually become parents.
“I think that they’re going to start a family in the future in a different way,” she said in a 2023 interview with Deadline. “I think that that speaks to a lot of families, and I think that’s really heartwarming and beautiful, to understand that family is what you what you create around you, your family are your friends and adoptive family and it’s much bigger than biological. So I think that’s a powerful story point.”
Virgin River Season 6 is streaming on Netflix.
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