Virgin River Season 5 came back with a vengeance. It may be a small, slow, and quiet town, but it sure does harbor its fair share of drama. 

Disclaimer — this review includes spoilers from the episode — proceed with caution.

It was a solid premiere, really capturing the heart of the series, and touching on all of the many storylines affecting the residents, while also getting fans excited for what’s in store. 

One of the better parts was that it ended storylines that were long overdue and had run their course. Paige storyline was giving me whiplash, so I’m glad that not only is she free from Vince and Wes’ grasp, but that she’s also solidified that she’s leaving town for good. We can’t have the back-and-forth with her, and neither can Preacher as it’s preventing him from fully moving on and embracing love. 

With Paige’s situation still lingering, he was never able to put it behind him, but he will now be able to start over fresh, though it’s a bummer he pulled the plug on his “situationship” with Julia too soon by thinking he and Paige were going to give it another go. Julia was good for him and she came with no baggage, so it was refreshing, not to mention she seemed to really like Preach. However, it’s also good that he did break up with her because it’s not fair for her to be a rebound or to fully invest herself in a relationship where the other party isn’t fully on board. Maybe, in time, when the dust settles, they’ll be able to revisit their feelings for each other, but I do think that Preacher has plenty of healing to do. Focusing on himself and getting in tune with who he is and what he wants is a necessary first step.

It was naive of both him and Paige to think that they could just move on the following day after everything that they’d been through. Paige, in particular, had a lot of trauma to work through before she could be in a committed relationship with anyone. And despite her feelings for Preacher, I’m not surprised that she decided to leave town and start over as everything there was a reminder of what she went through. The thing that’s especially heartbreaking is the fact that Christopher’s life is also getting upended; he’s suffered enough, so hopefully, their next destination is where they settle down for good and he can have a normal life.

Preacher’s friend Mike really came through for him, suggesting that the cops would not investigate Wes’ disappearance any further and seemingly alluding to the fact that he knows they killed him but doesn’t care? The world is better off without Wes in it, but I’m not entirely convinced that this is the last we’ve heard of the situation. 

New storylines were also introduced that will likely become the main focus of the season, like Melissa’s shady fentanyl business that she’s forced Brady into operating, and Brie’s decision to pursue charges against her abuser, Don. 

I hate that Brady cannot catch a break. His name was just cleared and yet, he’s thrown into this situation that not only forces him to lie to Brie, but also puts her in the line of danger. He’s not a bad guy, he just got mixed in with a lot of bad stuff that he seemingly cannot shake despite his best abilities. 

The worst part about Melissa is that she’s inconspicuous—no one is going to assume this sweet older lady is running a whole drug empire! And she’s found what she’s deemed to be the best new way to smuggle in the drugs, though Bert’s run-in with one of her men who had a flat tire definitely put the drug operation on the town’s radar. Poor Bert was just trying to help someone out when he got cut with the potentially deadly drug.

Melissa is trying to extend her reach as she sets her sights on Jack’s new glamping business by offering to provide capital. It’s likely a new way for her to clean money, but it comes off as genuine and sincere, and Jack trusts her because she’s Nick’s sister, but I just want to scream “Don’t do it!” Jack does not need to get enmeshed in this in any way, especially when he’s expecting a child and his income and livelihood are on the line.

My fear is that Melissa will become untouchable as the council meeting’s agenda, much to Hope’s surprise and disappointment, was to consider appointing a new town Mayor to replace her while she deals with the aftermath of her injury. Nick is on the board, and if he becomes Mayor, Melissa will have the ultimate protection? And it doesn’t seem like Nick would ever believe anyone about his sister even if they were to catch onto her. There’s so much potential for this to get so messy for so many residents. 

Brie decided to press charges against Don, phoning a lawyer friend only to find out that there is currently a case against him with several women testifying. Unfortunately, it seems that Don got word of it, and since he’s a powerful and connected man, he’s using that pull to try and scare her into silence.

Brie moved out of Jack’s place after feeling unsafe since Don found her there with no issues, but while moving into her new house, someone threw a rock through her window. Is it a sign of danger to come if she doesn’t drop the charges? Or could this be Melissa’s goons reminding Brady to fall in line or else?

Back to Hope, we saw her trying to figure out her new normal with Lizzie as her home health aide, and these two rebellious women might be the must-watch team-up this season. Lizzie also made it very clear that she wasn’t scared off by Denny’s health condition, nor was she willing to risk losing a present with him out of fear that they had no future. And it’s not like she doesn’t understand the realities of his condition as she was reading up on it so that she’s completely informed. Lizzie’s character has come such a long way since first arriving in Virgin River and it’s a joy to watch her simply be a helping hand to whoever may need it, all while maintaining the free spirit that she’s always possessed.

It’s a bummer that we didn’t see Jack’s reaction when Charmaine told him he’s not the father of the twins after lying to him for months and letting him go out of his way to take care of her, though based on the next morning reactions, he was pretty pissed off.  Also, Charmaine is still pregnant…. 5 seasons in… let that sink in. 

Jack pulled his usual behavior—bottling up all his feelings and repressing them until he exploded. He should know by now that this isn’t a healthy way to cope with things as it’s never worked well before, but Jack’s Jack, and who are we to argue with his process? Thankfully, Mel is the little angel on his shoulder who keeps dropping sound advice like breadcrumbs that he eventually follows. 

The more he tried to ignore the truth and pretend it wasn’t a big deal, the more it bugged him, and he eventually confronted Charmaine, which is a healthy first step. It’s unclear how much information Charmaine provided him that night, but since she was in distress, my guess is that no clarity was provided, and Jack needs to know why she lied in order to heal and move on. 

While he’s likely not exaggerating when he says it’s a relief that Charmaine will no longer play a role in his and Mel’s life, the fact is that Jack lost a lot with Charmaine’s truth bomb. He’s still going to be a father, but he’s no longer going to be a father of two twin boys; he lost the future he envisioned for himself, and in a way, he lost those children, who he will likely see grow up around town despite never playing a role in their childhood. 

It’s completely heartbreaking if you think about it, and the scene of Jack seeing a father walking out of a baseball game with his sons drove that home. 

Maybe he’ll eventually get on good terms with Charmaine and stick around as the fun uncle?

Charmaine’s lie also impacted Mel and it was a terrible thing to do to another woman regardless if she was jealous, hurt, or abandoned that Jack got into a new relationship. Mel was a champ that put up with all of Charmaine’s  crap, supported her when she was ill, accepted the situation and never tried to turn Jack against his “kids.” Mel took the high road through all of it, even when Charmaine threatened to destroy their relationship. 

They both deserve a world of apologies from Charmaine, but sadly, I don’t know if they’ll ever get a proper one. I could see her simply excusing her behavior as something she deemed was “necessary.” Even now, Mel is encouraging Jack to talk to Charmaine and get closure, rather than making it about herself because she’s a good person with a big heart.

Mel is also going through a season of change. She’s engaged and leaving Doc’s practice because of her high-risk pregnancy. On one hand, it’s a smart idea considering her situation, but on the other hand, as Hope pointed out, nursing has never been just a job for Mel. She’s not just a nurse while she’s on the clock, it’s a lifestyle for her and she does it to help people, especially the people in a community she cares about so deeply. All of that was emphasized when we saw her developing a love for the career when one of her mother’s nurses took such great care of her and went out of her way to make a little Mel feel comfortable and supported–and she’s carried that into her own career. 

I can’t see Mel just walking away from the practice, and since she’s in a small town where everyone knows everyone—the idea of it takes a village to raise a child is actually feasible here—she can likely still stay on in whatever capacity she sees fit, even a semi-part time schedule.

Even after hanging up her scrubs, Mel’s skills are undeniable, so when Ava suddenly had a medical episode at Jack’s bar, it’s a good thing Mel was around. It’s unclear what happened to Ava, but I hope it’s nothing serious considering Lilly’s recent death. Her family could not deal with that. Plus, she seems like a fun character and a potential friend for Mel, so it would be nice to have her stick around Virgin River for a while considering there aren’t many young people around.

I also love that Mel was inspired to join the sewing circle and learn how to sew in hopes of carrying on her mother’s legacy of making handmade baby clothes. When a mother is not around for the big moments in life, you have to go out of your way to stay connected to those memories. And it goes to show just how deep of an impact our parents have on us, even if we don’t realize it until we have our own children. 

What did you think of the Virgin River Season 5 premiere episode? Who is Charmaine’s baby daddy? How will Jack deal with his new reality? Will Mel rethink leaving Docs? Will Brie face off against Don? Will Brady find a way to bring down Melissa? And can Hope find a new place for herself without her role as Mayor (if they vote to replace her)?