Summary
- Season 5 of Virgin River introduced two shocking twists.
- One of them was the revelation that the protagonist Mel has a biological father living in Virgin River.
- While such a development is quite unrealistic and messes with the show's canon, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith explains it as Mel's subconscious sympathy for the town, inherited from her mother.
- Smith hasn't revealed who the father is, but the Christmas specials premiering this week are set to shed some light on the mystery.
The new fifth season of Virgin River, which premiered on Netflix in September and is set to conclude with two holiday specials this Thursday, November 30, has proven to be divisive among fans.
On the one hand, it features a very welcome faster-paced timeline (Charmaine is reported to finally give birth to her twins in the upcoming specials) and some compelling storylines, like Brie testifying in her ex's abuse trial and a wildfire that united the residents of Virgin River. Not to mention the first-ever Christmas specials.
On the other hand, the season included two shocking twists that didn't sit well with the majority of fans. Mel's miscarriage arc was nothing short of devastating. And the finale cliffhanger with her biological father being a Virgin River local was too out there and unconvincing.
We all saw Mel randomly choose Virgin River to move to in the premiere season. So how in the world could her biological father also be from that tiny remote town?
It runs in genes, says showrunner
Season 5 showrunner Patrick Sean Smith recently addressed the confusing storyline in an interview with Deadline. He explained that it was some kind of subconscious, almost magical moment that drew Mel to Virgin River.
'In my mind, there was something magical about what this place represented to her mom, and Mel somehow inherited the idea as a young girl and it just lived in her subconscious,' Smith told Deadline. 'When she was looking through the ads and happened upon the place, there was something that pulled her to that place.'
Well, magic sounds appropriate for the holiday season. The showrunner added that even though the twist messes with the show's canon, it is a good development point for Mel and an opportunity to deepen the protagonist's arc, delving into her background and giving her new intriguing relationship and plot lines.
Who is Mel's father?
Virgin River fans seem to have accepted the unrealistic storyline and can't stop speculating about who exactly Mel's biological father could be. Theories range from the most obvious (Doc) to the craziest (Calvin) and everything in between.
While Smith didn't spill the beans in the interview, luckily we don't have to wait too long to find out. In just a few hours, the Christmas special will reveal the identity of the mysterious father.
Source: Deadline.