If you haven’t watched the current season, please note that spoilers are ahead!
Undeniably, Virgin River Season 6 was the season of Mel & Jack.
After multiple seasons of roadblocks, heartache, and trials and tribulations, Virgin River delivers a sexy, fun, relatively light, and joyful season.
The season tempers much of the drama, and we got to wrap ourselves in the culmination of Mel and Jack’s love story.
We discuss our thoughts on the full season, so be mindful if you want to avoid spoilers.
Virgin River Season 6 Finally Turns Up the Heat Again with Mel & Jack
The sixth season answered our prayers regarding the intimacy, love, and heat between Mel and Jack.
For a bit, it felt as if the series got so lost in the pain that both characters were constantly enduring that their love felt more like a union through shared traumas than a genuine love story.
And the sixth season rectified that, gracing fans with Mel and Jack at their absolute best, as a united front, utterly devoted to each other, and an incredibly sexy, romantic, and smoking hot pairing.
We haven’t had this much heat between these two characters in many years. It seemed like every other episode; we had the two of them taking steamy hot showers together, stealing kisses, canoodling, and ravaging each other.
Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson have always had incredible chemistry, and the season brings it to the forefront and takes full advantage of it.
Jack’s strip tease was one of the most notable moments—a testament to how much genuine fun the series had this season.
For starters, kudos to the music director for the needle drop. I’ll be adding Leon Bridges’ rendition of “Pony” to my playlist, and it’ll live in my head rent-free, every bit as much as Jack stripping and reminding a giggly, happily buzzed Mel to “Save a horse and ride a cowboy.”
A shirtless Martin Henderson is undoubtedly easy on the eyes, and he had the rhythm, hip winding, and pelvic thrusts DOWN. I’d go as far as to say he gave the actual stripper who dazzled the Sewing Circle a run for his money.
Virgin River finally remembered that Mel and Jack were an incredibly sexy couple. We viewers reaped the benefits, while both certainly received the rewards.
The Season Builds Toward Jack & Mel’s Wedding Day as a Coveted Event
The season felt like a love letter to fans of this pairing as much as to the pairing itself. It was a nice respite from all the wacky subplots and contrived drama that can often detract from the show occasionally or cause seasons to hit lulls and lags in the middle.
And we spent the entirety of the season gearing up for Mel and Jack’s big day, which naturally would be the equivalent of a royal wedding in Virgin River.
Unsurprisingly, we must wait until the final two episodes to reach the day. And I have genuinely mixed feelings about whether or not it was worth it in the end.
The town, led by Hope and Lizzie, devoted much time to taking over and ensuring this would be the perfect day. Mel and Jack had to do very little on their own.
Granted, the two of them would have probably happily eloped, but deep down, we know how important it was for both of them to have their family and friends take part in their special day.
It had the expected results, with Preacher and Mike (but not Brady?) serving as Jack’s Best Man and Groomsman, and Mel had Joey and Brie sharing the role of Matron/Maid of Honor.
We’ll get into that kerfluffle shortly.
It was an entirely beautiful setup. The wedding was set to take place at the gorgeous farm they called their own after taking over Lily’s property, and everything about the day seemed perfect.
The Big Day Fell Slightly Short Due to Manufactured Dramatic Moments and Little Thought
But Virgin River had to add that extra bit of drama, which we could’ve done without.
Mel “needed a moment,” which resulted in her and Jack briefly running away, which made for a visually stunning and maybe even romantic, intimate moment, I guess.
It was certainly gorgeous to see Jack galloping away on a horse like Prince Charming with Mel’s beautiful train splayed across Sugar’s back as she clung to him.
But what was really the point? It seemed unnecessarily insensitive on both parts to escape away for a beat after the entire town moved heaven and earth to make this wedding happen when it almost fell through.
In this case, Mel and Jack’s wedding comes with this form of drama for its own sake, delaying the gratification of witnessing their ceremony unperturbed. And then, by the time we returned to the altar, there was an odd disconnect and choppiness with the vow exchange.
Some of the wedding touches didn’t feel carefully and thoughtfully curated. However, Mel looked stunning in her dress.
The season does a decent job of exploring how Jack makes peace with his military experience, as it has always been a pain point.
Jack Makes Peace with the Past, the Marines, and Finds Healing
Interestingly, we see a lot of focus on that without the dark, dreariness, and trauma that typically cloaks him, which is a great way of showcasing how Jack has evolved as a character and has even healed.
He feels more stable mentally and emotionally, which means he’s in the perfect position to marry Mel without issue and actively pursue and embrace the happiness that awaits him.
We even see Jack in that leadership position again, as he spends some quality time with his old unit. They openly discuss where they are in life, how they’ve made it, and the dark days of their time in the Marines.
Jack brings them together and grounds them when the Bachelor party takes a turn due to tensions between Mike and Brady.
A chapter turns on Jack’s complicated sentiments regarding his service when he puts his foot down and celebrates that they’re all still together and need to leave the past behind them.
The season carries this over into Jack’s relationship with his father, as he finally opens up to Jack about why Jack departing for the Marines upset him (he couldn’t bear to lose another son).
The Sheridan men make amends and move beyond their friction since Jack left.
Making Amends with His Father and Ex-Wife Showcases Jack’s Healing Journey and Growth
The season was all about making peace with the past, and we saw that with Jack having an open conversation with his ex-wife as well, as they unpacked what pulled them apart and recognized how they were different people at the time and life demanded different things from them.
It all felt very satisfactory and healing for Jack. It dovetailed nicely with his opting to stand proudly in his Marine Dress Blues at the altar, even though initially, he seemed conflicted by the idea.
As a side note, he looked good but needed a haircut to pull it off fully. Also, because of his last-minute move, despite the season trying to build to it, the others couldn’t partake in this process and support him.
Preacher, Mike, and the others donning the uniform and maybe even doing the sword ritual would’ve been beautiful. But that’s where so much of the wedding felt like we rushed through and threw things at the wall for the ceremony itself after spending more time on the journey there.
Jack’s peace with his military past and conflict also seemed to extend to Ricky, which is presumably why they brought him back. Sadly, he sees the same fear and reservations in young Ricky, whom he treats like his own son.
Ricky’s Return Underwhelms and Leaves Things on an Ominous, Foreboding Note
Ricky’s return was nice for what it was, but it felt like it came with some unforeseen string attached that we may not learn about until the next season.
It was like he was there precisely to drudge up some concern from Jack and further touch on his feelings about the dark side of serving. Ricky is drinking, terrified, and he feels like he lost out on something now that he’s realized that Lizzie is pregnant by someone else.
There’s an uneasiness to Ricky falling apart and disappearing overseas, like tragedy is looming just around the corner.
Meanwhile, Mel, for her part, devoted hersef to Everett and making peace with the past ahead of her wedding day.
Mel’s Uncompelling Obsession with Everett Doesn’t Hit the Mark
Unfortunately, Everett wasn’t that compelling of a character.
Still, we spent an exorbitant amount of time with him, and any fond feelings we may have had largely went out the window because Mel crammed Everett down everyone’s throats the whole season.
She tried so hard, but there was this disconnect as we learned about how he and Sarah met, what happened when she returned, and that he knew about Mel at some point but was resigned to letting her go for her benefit, which felt empty.
It also was frustrating that he allowed Mel’s other father to ice him out, and he never made any more attempts to reach out over the years. So much of Everett’s storyline felt hollow, including the feud between him and Doc, which we eventually learned stemmed from something more tragic than anyone realized.
I sympathized with Everett, but I still cannot say I’m invested in him, which is unfortunate.
And the flashbacks did very little to make the case for the Virgin River prequel. Seriously, what more can they explore in this spinoff that centers young Sarah and Everett?
But Mel’s entire personality for most of the season was being Everett’s daughter and forcing him into accepting and embracing her while also slighting those she cares about in the process.
The Everett Situation Presents Plenty of Conflict with an Unearned Resolution
Mel was shockingly self-absorbed and obtuse when she never seemed to consider or properly address that Joey would have mixed feelings about the man who her mom cheated on her dad with, and it was hurtful every time Mel behaved as if their mom was just hers.
Meanwhile, it was such a slap in Doc’s face when she kept cramming Everett down his throat and then rescinded the offer to walk her down the aisle so Everett could do it.
Then, she acted shocked that Doc would be hurt. Instead of leading with empathy and compassion about the situation or stepping outside herself, she picked a fight, behaved like a brat, and channeled her inner Bridezilla instead.
Fortunately, everything worked out in the end, and everything was great and nice, but almost unrealistically so, as it feels like they handwaved past all the conflict and swept it under the rug for the sake of basking in joy.
An Underbaked Charmaine Plot Leads to a Troubling Cliffhanger
Much of the conflict surrounding Mel and Jack felt that way, as the season sprinkled the real drama with Charmaine throughout, but alas, we didn’t have the chance to process how dire things could be until the finale.
It’s a horrifying thought as to what Jack may have stumbled upon. And the break that Mel and Jack may have taken from any heavy drama is purportedly over now.
It is saddening that the entire town essentially promised to support Charmaine when she had the babies, and that doesn’t appear to have happened.
The seventh season should adequately delve into the dangerous domestic abuse situation that’s been building in the background with Charmaine and Calvin, and it also leaves one to wonder where the twins may be in all of this moving forward.
Jack makes a startling discovery about Charmaine just as Mel’s patient comes to her, proposing, for whatever mysterious reason, that the helicopter couple who has been with her every step of her pregnancy journey isn’t cut out for this and that Mel may be the best option.
The bedsheets from their honeymoon are barely cold, and now Mel and Jack are thrust into resolving Virgin River’s problems and likely facing new potential parenthood options.
Recycling a Bleak Plot is a Frustrating Misuse of Muriel
It sets things up for a dramatic Virgin River Season 7 when the series returns. And it may also be heavier if we have to worry about Charmaine’s fate and characters like Denny and Muriel because of their health.
A downside to the season is Muriel’s diagnosis. The season tries to keep things light despite dropping the “Big C” bomb, and it manages to do that, but it’s still a bitter pill to swallow that we’re rehashing a cancer arc after Lily and everything we know about Mel’s mother.
Muriel, frankly, deserves so much better as a character. She’s evolved into one of Virgin River’s best, and it genuinely sucks to saddle her with this, especially since they already torpedoed her romance with Cameron over something as contrived as starting a family.
It’s like they don’t know what to do with this vibrant character and resort to some of the cliches one finds in story arcs for “women of a certain age,” which is disappointing.
Lizzie & Denny’s Plot Meanders, While Doc’s Has Potential for Next Season
Doc’s arc, potentially losing his license, is marginally more entertaining. It speaks to the threats of for-profit healthcare and Big Business encroaching on small practices in communities like Virgin River.
And we can trust that he won’t go down without a fight as they face this new battle on the heels of the practice’s 30th anniversary.
Lizzie and Denny monopolize a great deal of time in the season, mostly rehashing the same things about the future and planning for Denny’s regression while simultaneously changing his entire life and plans to be a father now.
It becomes redundant midway through the season, and some of their time could’ve been better served on other characters and possible couples.
Preacher’s Unrealistic Trial Plot Blessedly Ends Paige’s Hold on His Stagnant Development
We sailed through Preacher, standing trial for Wes’ murder rather quickly. But it didn’t stop Virgin River from trying to heighten the stakes. Some of it was frustrating and implausible.
The series often struggles with basic and realistic acknowledgment of race and its societal effects. Preacher, as a Black man, standing trial for the murder of a white police officer is pretty significant, and that’s something that would rarely work in his favor.
His desire to continue protecting Paige, who has, unfortunately, held Preacher’s character development hostage since the first season, was frustrating and illogical.
Even in a system that does not protect survivors of abuse as well as it should, her odds may have been marginally better if she addressed what happened on the stand.
It had an implausible conclusion, with a jury unable to reach a verdict and Preacher accepting a misdemeanor charge of improper disposal of a body and community service hours.
But it does serve Preacher and Kaia well in their relationship, as they start to feel like a real couple with lasting power on Virgin River.
More importantly, it brings some balance and reciprocity to the Jack and Preacher brotherhood, finally succeeding at balancing out that bond, selling it, and making it feel equitable and sound.
The Brie, Mike, Brady Love Triangle Gets Steamy and Brings the D.R.A.M.A.
Much of the relationship drama was reserved for the Brady, Brie, and Mike love triangle, which took some twists and turns during the season.
Brie discovering that Lark was working with Jimmy was a perfect way to add some tension to this situation, and it certainly delivered a smoking hot hookup between her and Brady on the pool table.
Those two are like drugs when it comes to one another, and there’s no extinguishing the fire between them. It’s hard to simply ignore the electric chemistry and connection between these two even if, for reasons I still can’t comprehend, it doesn’t make sense to everyone else.
They’re smoking hot, utterly devoted to each other, balance one another out and bring out the best in each other. What more does everyone else want for them? Get on the winning team ship, people?
However, there was proper criticism of how Brady genuinely wanted to move on with Lark, even if it meant forgiving her and not judging since he’s familiar with how that feels, but Brie couldn’t quite let him.
She came across as sympathetic, yes, but like a woman who had her cake and wanted to eat it, too. She cares about Mike and feels he’s good for her but doesn’t want to lose that connection with Brady.
It results in her unintentionally playing with both of their feelings, and it’s unfair to either man or herself. What’s evident this season is that Brie is going through a lot, and maybe jumping into any relationship when she still has anxiety about her assault and hasn’t processed any of that isn’t good.
Brie’s Unresolved Feelings about Her Traumas and Loss May Require Her to Focus On Herself First
Ideally, Brie will choose herself. It’s the safest bet and best way to avoid hurting anyone.
But we’re in an interesting predicament where Brady can’t move on since Lark absconded with the money after all, proving that there were conditions to her love if her response to overhearing how he’d always love Brie was to be everything she convinced him that she wasn’t.
Mike knows the truth about that night, so the tension between him and Brady will surely continue. And Brady likely won’t have Brie, as she’s grappling with everything and at her wit’s end.
And Brie has to decide whether or not she wants to accept Mike’s off-the-cuff proposal (Please say, “No!!!!”).
Brady’s only stable relationship going into the new season is his newfound and wonderfully endearing friendship with his boss, Kaia (More of them in Season 7, please).
It’s increasingly concerning that “good guy” Mike cannot read the room or often puts his territorial interest above genuinely ensuring that Brie is okay.
Virgin River Season 6 Pays Homage to Mel & Jack’s Love Story, Setting Up a New Chapter
The sixth season wrapped up some storylines and pushed us toward the next phase in Mel and Jack’s relationship: marriage.
They may be spinning some plates with other arcs, but it feels like a season of transition setting us up for a new show phase.
It’ll be interesting to see how the seventh season plays out and how it’ll pick back up on the drama and run with it.
It feels like an in-between season for the series, a light, easy season before we get walloped by some major storylines. They’ve definitely hooked us for what’s to come.
Over to you, Virgin River Fanatics.
Was Mel and Jack’s wedding everything you imagined it to be and more? How do you feel about the love triangle?
What are your theories on what happened to Charmaine? Are you frustrated with Muriel’s diagnosis? Sound off below.
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The post Virgin River Review: Mel & Jack’s Romance Takes Center Stage in Sexy, Heartfelt & Fun Season 6 appeared first on TV Fanatic.
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