The second half of Virgin River Season 5 brings us Christmas episodes to lift our spirits and heal our hearts after a tumultuous and emotional part 1.
SEASON 5 PART 2 SUMMARY
MEL SEARCHING FOR HER FATHER
Mel reads the correspondence between Champ and her mother that Joey had brought with her from Los Angeles. After reading it, Mel decides to start searching for her biological father, with Jack always by her side.
They embark on a scavenger hunt to find Mel’s Father Christmas, armed with only a PO BOX number. Jack knows that Hope started the post office in the ’80s. The mayor gives the couple the name of the former postmaster, Chip Copper, who was Lydie’s high school sweetheart.
WHY THE NICKNAME CHAMP?
Although Chip does not know Champ’s real name, he remembers where he got his nickname from. He won the 1976 Lumberjack Games. Chip describes Champ as kind, charming, and sweet but not humble. (we appreciate that the writing team has made numerous references to scenes, moments, or events from previous seasons throughout the 12 episodes of the fifth season).
After doing a quick search of the digital archives of the Virgin River Quarterly, they discover that Champ’s real name is Everett Reid. Unfortunately, he is nowhere to be found. Jack asks Preacher to locate him through the private investigator who helped him track down Wes and Christopher in season 4.
Mel goes to Everett’s home, hoping to find some answers. However, he denies being her father. The nurse practitioner notices the 1976 lumberjack trophy in the background and realizes that he wants nothing to do with her.
DOES MEL FATHER COME TO HIS SENSES?
At the end of the episode, the man finally comes to his senses. Everett was shocked when he saw Mel as she looked so much like her mother. He explains to her that he is no longer the man who wrote those love letters ever since her mother passed away. Before the series concludes, Mel’s father informs her that he has something important to tell her, but the music cuts off the conversation, and the credits roll in.
CHARMAINE GIVES BIRTH FINALLY
Charmaine goes back to her original birthing plan of season 2 and, assisted by Mel and Doc gives birth to her twins.
Mel discovers that Calvin is the father of the twins, but Charmaine urges her to keep it a secret from Jack. The couple promised to be honest with one another, with Jack telling Mel in Episode 303 that he would always want to know the truth, even if it might upset him.
LIZZIE IS PREGNANT
Lizzie is pregnant with a baby girl, and everyone is overjoyed, including Lizzie’s mother who comes around towards the end of the episodes.
Doc asks Hope to marry him again.
PROBLEMS AHEAD FOR THE NEW COUPLES IN TOWN
Kaia has been appointed as the new fire chief. Preacher learns through Mike that the body discovered in the woods at the end of episode 10 has been identified as Wes’ body. This revelation is expected to cause a major uproar. Furthermore, the new relationship between the two characters is set to become even more complicated.
DOES CAMERON WANTS A FAMILY?
Cameron and Muriel’s relationship, which started as a May-December romance, is still going strong. However, during the Virgin River Holiday Musical, Cameron’s ex-fiancé, Michelle, unexpectedly appeared. Michelle, who has been attending AA meetings, wants to reconcile with Cameron.
The man who arrived in Virgin River with the intention of starting a family, unfortunately, Muriel tells him that she no longer wants children. Although Cameron reassures her that the two of them are more than enough, Muriel seems hesitant and asks him to think things through carefully.
BRADY IS BEING TRICKED
The relationship between Lark and Brady is going well, and getting quite serious, as Lark asks Brady to meet her mother. In the finale, we discover Lark has been working with Jimmy, who is the father of Lark’s daughter.
OUR TAKE
If we didn’t know the filming schedule, we would think these episodes were made after analyzing viewers’ feedback after part 1 aired.
In season 5 part 1, Henderson and Breckenridge did not receive as much screen time as they did in previous seasons, which disappointed fans and viewers who gave negative feedback. In our previous review, we also expressed our own dissatisfaction with the ensemble aspect of Part 1.
It’s no coincidence that in every poster or promotional material for the show, only Breckenridge and Henderson are highlighted. Why is that? Simply because they are the show’s main draw. The characters of Mel and Jack, combined with the on-screen chemistry between Breckenridge and Henderson, have created something incredible that’s not easily found in every show.
They are the reason why people keep watching, and if Part 1 is any indication, they can make or break the series. For season 6, changes have been made to the scripts to include a more prominent storyline for Mel and Jack.
SEASON 5 HAS SHIFTED GEARS
Season 5, part 1 of the series marks a shift in the writing and style from the previous seasons. It has a lot more action and drama, with romance taking a back seat.
However, with season 5 part two, the quintessential and iconic elements of Virgin River return. The episodes become sweet, cozy, and full of love, with still drama and cliffhangers, but more similar to the style of seasons 1-4.
Part 1 was a breath of fresh air for the series but after watching the Christmas-themed episodes, we have to admit that we missed this style. It’s not just because they are Christmas episodes, but the writing style was different. Cardillo and Keith seem to have perfectly understood what the viewers of this show want to see portrayed on screen.
NEW ELEMENTS
We really enjoyed the new comedic bits and the witty dialogues between Mel, Jack, and other characters in the show. The conversation between Mel, Jack, and Lydie was both funny and charming. The scene in which a very nervous Mel and Jack sat in their car in front of Everett’s house was also hilarious. We hope that this new approach to the show will be continued in season 6.
As a drama series, Virgin River is expected to have certain elements that come with the genre, but it is also meant to provide an escape for viewers. Season 5 brought the necessary changes for the characters and multiple storylines to move forward, but as we head into season 6, we are ready to sit back and enjoy the show even more.
The goal for season 6 is to replicate the elements and quality of writing present in the Christmas episodes without the Christmas theme. If it was up to us, we would like to include a bit more romance for the lead characters, but we are hopeful romantics at heart.
WATCH OUR REVIEW
Virgin River is a romantic drama series based on the Virgin River novels by Robyn Carr.
Episodes Season 5 Part 2: 2
Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 drops on Netflix on November 30
CAST
- Alexandra Breckenridge
- Martin Henderson
- Tim Matheson
- Annette O’Toole
- Colin Lawrence
- Benjamin Hollingsworth
- Zibby Allen
- Sarah Dugdale
- Marco Grazzini
- Mark Ghanimé
- Kai Bradbury
- Kandyse McClure
