Virgin River Season 6 recap & ending explained: Do Mel and Jack become parents?

Can you believe the day has finally arrived? We’ve been waiting a year for Mel and Jack to say I do – here’s the full rundown of Virgin River Season 6 and its ending.

At this point, Mel and Jack’s wedding might be a bigger TV event than any royal nuptials in the last few decades, and it’s easy to see why. Not only has the entire town rallied together to make the day perfect, but viewers will be tuning in in their thousands.

In fact, it’s contributed to the reason why the binge-worthy TV show is now the longest-running Netflix original. Season 7 has already been confirmed… and boy has the explosive finale set up some juicy drama.

But before we get that far, Virgin River Season 6 has a lot to answer for. Here’s a play-by-play rundown of everything that happened, including that ending. Warning: spoilers ahead!

Episode 1: “Hope Springs Eternal”

Episode 1 kicks off with a wedding at a town all, but surprise! It’s not Mel and Jack – just two people who look remarkably like them. They’re watching on from a distance though, revealing it’s only three weeks until they say “I do.” Mel is trying her dress on, with Brie and the sewing circle on hand to deliver critiques.

While she does, we get some key details about the ceremony. It’s going to be held in the barn, with Hope officiating. Charmaine has even offered to do Mel’s hair. Most surprisingly, she’s asked Everett to be there. 

We flash back to the Season 5 cliffhanger here, where Everett reveals, “Some people in this town aren’t gonna like me being a part of your life. I’ve made some enemies… hurt people. Done things I’m not proud of. Some of those folks might be friends of yours. Vernon (Doc) Mullins, for one.”

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Back in the shop, Mel claims the wedding dress she’s been given isn’t the one she ordered. There’s a problem though – the seamstress is away and it’ll take too long to reorder what she wants. So, the sewing circle offers to fix what she does have for the perfect wedding. 

Attention turns to Preacher’s upcoming trial. He’s clearly nervous, trying to distract himself by being Jack’s best man. Kaia wants Paige to come forward and have the whole thing over with. Meanwhile, Hope is with Doc for his clinical trial – it’s good news, his tests have come back clear.

Mel and Jack go to Everett’s for dinner, where it’s clear he’s not quite right. Mel asks to hear more about her mom before the wedding, which Everett dodges like his life depends on it. She also now has her own birthing center at Doc’s, which is perfect for Lizzie – she’s struggling with pregnancy.

Cameron’s left the center, meaning he and Muriel are no more. She’s taking it in her stride, stating their time together has given her a renewed sense of hope (“hope springs eternal,” as the episode title says). The sewing circle is intent on setting her up with someone new, which she reluctantly agrees to after repeated persuading. 

Kaia, Hope, and Brady come across an injured horse who used to belong to Lily, which Hope nurses back to health (with the help of Doc) in Mel and Jack’s barn. Mel tries to help Everett with his clearly labored breathing, which he takes offense to. He ends up breathing so badly that he has to visit the clinic, resulting in a frosty reunion between him and Doc. 

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After it’s suspected Everett had a heart attack, he actually has a form of arrhythmia. He refuses to let Doc administer treatment, with Mel having to step in. Mel drops him home, with Everett admitting he’s not used to having someone looking out for him. 

He teases telling Mel more about Sarah, saying she took a picture of him that Mel really likes. Lizzie convinces Denny to ask Doc about working with him at the clinic. Doc celebrates the 30th anniversary of the clinic with a surprise party organized by Hope. 

Preacher tells Jack he can’t bring Paige into his trial, explaining “If I give her up now, this would have all been for nothing.” He’s convinced he won’t be going to jail and wants everyone on his side to believe the same thing. Meanwhile, Brady gets his insurance check, much to Lark’s delight. He wants to buy a motorcycle shop named after his uncle, making his trade a “new way to pay it forward.”  

Mel and Everett go for a walk, where Everett shows her when he first met Sarah. “Our love story started long before those letters,” he tells her. Lark visits her boyfriend Jimmy in jail, explaining about Brady’s insurance money. Preacher’s trial officially begins with a twist – Jack is called as a witness by the prosecution to testify against him. 

Episode 2: “The Broken Places”

We’ve got two separate timelines in his episode: the 1972 flashback to Sarah and Everett, and Preacher’s trial in the present. Everett tells his stories to Mel as they walk along the river. 

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Plucky young musician Everett comes across hitchhiker Sarah on his travels. He’s instantly taken with her, explaining she’s on her way to a peace march in San Francisco. Their lives seem to be completely different. Sarah is engaged in new-wave politics, while Everett buries his head in the sand as the Vietnam War looms. 

Everett’s van gives out, causing the pair to pull into Virgin River for repairs (you’ll notice younger versions of characters including Connie and Bert here). It’s an overnight job, meaning Sarah and Everett need to camp out by the river. This is the night the photo is from, with Everett playing his guitar for Sarah. He tries to convince her to ditch plans to spend more time together, but as sizzling as their chemistry is, she doesn’t budge.

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They talk about their beliefs and the future, with Everett saying, “I believe if I don’t kiss you, I will regret it for the rest of my life.” They spend the night together, making San Francisco the next day. They part ways, with Everett chasing Sarah down to try and see her again. She believes fate will bring them back together someday. Modern-day Everett says she was “a hopeless romantic, and the love of my life.”

Present day

Brie says there are no red flags against Preacher in terms of surprises, guessing the prosecution wants to ask Jack about their shared history in the military. We actually learn they’ve got hold of Preacher’s call to Jack after he left Paige’s, meaning his phone was tapped. Brie tries to get it cleared as inadmissible, which the judge overrules. She has flashbacks to her own past, doubting her abilities. Brady texts Brie to wish her luck. 

Mike reveals Jenkins (prosecutor) got the phone records without a warrant under limited consent, leading Brie to motion for getting the voicemail suppressed and striking Jack’s testimony from the record. Even if it goes through, damage has been done to the jury. Brie, Preacher, and Kaia hang back to “talk strategy.” 

The prosecutor approaches Brie to try and strike a plea deal for manslaughter, which would mean jail for two years. If he doesn’t take it, they have to roll the dice with the jury. Brie also thinks it could incentivize Paige to be tracked down too. After talking to Kaia, Preacher refuses to take the deal, asking to be put on the stand. 

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Meanwhile, Lark’s scheme comes into play. She claims her mother is sick and needs $120,000 for treatment. Brady takes the bait, offering to loan it to her. Doc agrees to take Denny on as an intern. 

Mel’s desire for kids comes back to the surface after teaching a pregnancy yoga class, hinting she and Jack are considering adoption. The sewing circle sets Muriel up on a date with a guy called Walt, reluctantly agreeing he’s attractive. When she gets ready to meet him, she feels a lump in her breast. 

Episode 3: “The Jury’s Out”

Planning is back on for Mel and Jack’s wedding. The barn is almost ready, with Hope suggesting a reception tent – the whole town wants to come and there’s not enough room. Programs are about to go to print, and Hope wants decisions made… fast.

Brie tells the prosecution that Preacher isn’t taking the deal. At Jack’s bar, Ricky makes a surprise return from boot camp, with Lydie already there with the sewing circle. He tells Jack and Lydie that he’s shipping out to the Middle East in two weeks, with Jack offering an ear if Ricky needs one. 

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Everett reveals the next part of his story with Sarah. She never gave him her last name but always said they’d meet back in Virgin River one day. Everett went straight back, which is where Sarah found him.

“Life pulled us apart over the years, we always found our way back to each other,” he adds. He confirms this came after Sarah met Mel’s supposed dad, loving her enough to give her up to the family unit. “We helped each other heal, and out of that came you.”

Ricky bumps into Lizzie, surprised at her pregnancy. The two catch up, with Ricky upsetting Lizzie by saying her life will never be the same. It’s revealed he’s an alcoholic, swigging from a flask in the park before driving drunk to the farmyard barn. Jack clocks him a mile off, with Ricky saying it’s his way of coping with deployment. Jack tells him he’s strong enough to face it

Denny shadows Doc at the clinic, leading to a boy who’s fallen into a sinkhole. Brady helps to rescue him, whose dad Frank is an old friend. Frank asks after Lark, and reveals Lark’s mum isn’t actually sick – they play cards together every week.

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Mel examines Muriel’s lump and suggests a biopsy to be on the safe side. Mike and Brie have an argument when he brings up her own sexual assault after mentioning Paige’s at the trial. 

Preacher takes the stand in his trial. He admits to burying Wes’ body, saying Paige said it was an accident. He also reveals the extent of her domestic abuse. While they wait for a verdict, Jack bumps into Charmaine and Calvin outside of the court. She now has full custody of the twins. 

There’s a hung jury, prompting Brie to petition for 200 hours of community service and a misdemeanor for illegally disposing of human remains. The prosecutor agrees, and Preacher is essentially a free man. 

Brady congratulates Brie at the bar, bumping into Lark in the process. “You never should have let him go,” Lark tells her. Lark talks about her mom’s treatment, not knowing Brady is now suspicious of her motives. 

Mel decides to ask Everett to walk her down the aisle, having to let Doc down gently. She asks him to give a reading instead, which he takes well. Preacher and Brie ask to throw bachelor and bachelorette parties. While Charmaine is inside the bar with the rest, Calvin waits sinisterly outside.

Episode 4: “Brothers & Sisters”

It’s time for Mel and Jack’s bachelor and bachelorette parties. Mike apologizes to Brie for what happened after the trial, and the pair make up. Joey surprises Mel in a stretch limo which picks Brie and Kaia en route. The idea is to take a trip through Mel’s past, present, and future through three locations – a boozy brunch, axe throwing, and karaoke. 

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Joey doesn’t take the fact Brie is Mel’s maid of honor well, and clearly doesn’t want to hear about Mel’s new bond with Everett. During a drunken moment, Joey thinks she’s going to lose Mel for good, but the pair make up. Kaia questions Brie about Mike and Brady – and it’s clear there’s some indecision. 

The boys go paintballing, which brings up some painful memories from their time in the Marines. Mike and Brady argue about Mosul, almost ending in a physical fight. Jack’s had enough, telling the boys it’s time they all changed their ways. They break into the school football field to let off some steam. Brady and Mike accept Brie will always be a sticking point between them. 

Hope takes Muriel to her biopsy appointment, leading them and the sewing circle to have their own version of a bachelorette at Jack’s bar. A stripper Brie ordered for Mel turns up after Kaia’s voicemail canceling doesn’t go through. 

Brady flat-out asks Lark if her mother is really sick, explaining what Frank has told him. Lark effectively gaslights him into needing trust if they’re going to work, adding, “I’m not Brie.” Later, Brady tells Lark he’s falling in love with her, but Brie has left a drunken voicemail telling him she “can’t stop thinking about him.”

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Ricky meets up with Lizzie, apologizing for what happened in the park. They both admit to each other that they’re scared for their futures, consoling each other. He goes to Jack’s football game, with Marines welcoming him into the “brotherhood.”

After treating a patient with Parkinson’s at the clinic, Denny doesn’t think he should marry Lizzie. Instead of burdening her and the baby, he wants a long-term care plan in place for himself. 

Episode 5: “Love Story”

Jack’s dad is in town and wants to take him and Mel to lunch in Clear River. Mel says she was planning to meet Everett, with Jack asking to get the dads together. She also asks Everett to walk her down the aisle, to which he says nothing would make him prouder. 

However, Everett struggles to connect with anyone at lunch, revealing more trivial things about himself that Mel didn’t know. Mel asks him to play the song he wrote for Sarah at the wedding, which he declines. Later, Everett tells Mel he’s finding the combination of the wedding and suddenly being her father overwhelming. 

Preacher starts his community service, who struggles with the way one of the fire guys treats Kaia. He asks to fight Preacher as “practice,” but Kaia takes him down on his own. 

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Brie phones Brady, who tells her not to worry about the voicemail. He also tells Lark about it, who’s confused about why he told her. He claims he doesn’t want to keep secrets in the name of their newfound trust, but she’s impacted by it. 

Brie sees Lark waiting for Jimmy in the prison and becomes suspicious. She tracks down Brady at Jack’s bar to tell him, thinking he’s Hazel’s father. She also tells Brady what he said, though he doesn’t believe it. After her voicemail, Brady thinks it’s a ploy to get back together. But piecing together Lark’s mom and the money, he knows he’s being played. 

Brie tells Brady it isn’t his fault and that he’s worthy of love. “The only reason I know anything about love is because of you,” he replies. The two kiss… which leads to a bit more. Meanwhile, Lark tells Jimmy it’s over because Brady loves her. 

A drive-in movie theater opens at Twin Lakes to raise money for the Wildfire Relief Fund. Hope freaks out once she realizes the movie they’ve chosen features someone dying of cancer (meaning she doesn’t want Muriel to see it). As a result, the sewing circle finds out and rallies around Muriel. 

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After taking a patient who almost lost his life to hospital, Doc is told by the medical officer that he will be investigated for performing emergency surgery without supervision. Doc says he stands by his decision to save a life, yet will have to argue his case to the medical board. 

Everett tries to find Mel at the drive-in but comes across Doc instead. “Because of you, a boy is dead,” Doc reveals, before Everett disappears into the darkness. 

Episode 6: “Ghosts”

Hope and the sewing circle debrief Mel and Jack on wedding planning. Sugar the horse is still living in the barn, leading Hope to have to call her ex-husband Roland (a ranch owner) for help. An exhausted Charmaine hasn’t realized there’s only four days left until the wedding, with Mel and Jack offering to babysit the twins for a night. 

When the couple applies for a marriage license, there’s a problem. Jack doesn’t have the dissolution papers from his divorce, meaning a license can’t be granted. They visit Jack’s mom in Sacramento while they try to track his ex-wife down. Jack finds out his mom and ex still talk fairly regularly. 

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Ex-wife Mandy gives him the papers, alongside a military medal that turned up after he’d left. They confront their past as married teens, agreeing they both ended up “where they were supposed to be.” Mel lets go of some of Mark’s stuff, feeling “ready to be a Sheridan.” However, she asks Jack if she can keep Monroe as her middle name, which he thinks is “beautiful.” 

Calvin turns up at the barn while Jack is seeing to Sugar. He blames Jack for Charmaine thinking he’s an “unfit father,” saying nobody will take him away from his kids. He thinly threatens to kill Jack, saying he’s good at “removing obstacles.” 

Brie and Brady run into each other, and it’s clear they need to talk. Brady tells Kaia what happened, with Kaia about to tell Preacher when Brie and Mike walk hand-in-hand into the bar. Brady arrives too, seeing them kiss. Later, Brady throws Lark’s stuff out, confronting her about Jimmy. When Lark tells him she loves him, Brady replies “Nothing about this is real.”

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Cameron pays Doc and Denny a visit, who runs into Muriel… fresh from being Charmaine’s bridal guinea pig. While they talk, the hospital calls. The biopsy confirms she has breast cancer, with Cameron offering to fast-track her treatment. Denny and Lizzy argue about Denny’s long-term care. 

Doc prepares for his investigation, alluding to a little boy named Jordan who once died before he could make it to the hospital. It seems an underlying condition wasn’t known by those who treated him – and he could well be the same boy Everett is linked to. 

Episode 7: “I Climbed a Mountain and I Turned Around”

Jack tells Mel what happened with Calvin, roping in Brie to try and file a restraining order for Charmaine’s protection. Mike offers to snoop around any potential criminal activity Calvin is still involved in. Jack and Brie visit Charmaine, who agrees to their ideas. 

While Brady gives Hazel her tiara back, Lark does her best to try and convince him that her feelings are real. He says giving her a second chance “isn’t going to happen.” However, he visits Lark again later, saying he’s “going to try” giving her a second chance. While trying to break Sugar in, Brie tells Jack what happened with Brady. She later doubles down on her feelings for Mike after talking her family trauma through with Jack. 

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Mel visits Everett after days of radio silence. She thinks she’s been putting too much pressure on him, with Everett explaining he never finished the song he wrote for Sarah. He also explains his absence: it’s because of his run-in with Doc. 

On a drive, Mel and Everett run into a rock slide. Mel helps six passengers while Everett weighs in where he can. When Doc turns up, the atmosphere is frosty, with Doc snapping at Mel. As Pauline – the most injured – is lifted out of her car, she blames Brady for why her husband is dead. 

Mel takes Jack to where Everett was trying to get to – a field with flowers planted by her mom after Chloe died. We see a flashback of young Sarah and Everett having a picnic, planting wildflowers as a “going away present” to him. When she promises to come back to see them bloom, Everett tells her he’ll be waiting, and they kiss. 

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Though Everett hadn’t been back since Sarah died, he wanted to share it with Mel. He also re-agrees to walk her down the aisle. Mel picks some of the wildflowers for her bouquet. She also checks in with Doc, who doesn’t tell her about the investigation. They have a fight about Everett, with Doc making Mel leave the clinic. 

Meanwhile, the rest of Virgin River is knee-deep in wedding planning. Hope is stressing out about small things going wrong, while Preacher gets a visit from Jamie while perfecting his menu. 

Episode 8: “Going Overboard”

The wedding weekend has arrived, and Jack can’t believe Mel and uninvited Doc from the ceremony. Hope is frog-marching every worker and resident in her sight to organize it, and she can’t believe what’s happened between Doc and Mel either. They come up with a plan to reunite them both at the rehearsal.

However, their plan is foiled when Mel and Doc both realize what they’re up to. Hope comes up with a second plan, moving the rehearsal to the playhouse. Doc is called there for an “emergency,” forcing the two to talk. Mel is exasperated that neither Doc nor Everett will tell her what’s going on between them. “When I got married the first time, my dad wasn’t there. This time I thought I’d get to have two, but apparently not,” she tells Doc. 

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Everett runs into Doc at the cemetery and we finally get a glimpse into what happened between them. From Doc’s perspective, Jordan died the night he did because Doc couldn’t get to him in time. Instead, he was saving Everett’s life after getting drunk and driving into a tree on purpose. He’d told Doc, “I wish you’d let me die,” thinking he had nothing to live for after Sarah died. Losing the chance to know Mel then tipped him over the edge.

Everett thanks Doc for his actions that night, saying it’s the reason he gets to be a father to Mel now. He asks Doc to at least forgive himself for something that wasn’t his fault, even if Doc can’t forgive Everett. As the rehearsal dinner sets sail, Doc appears and makes a toast to Mel in forgiveness. Everett finishes the song he wrote for Sarah but suddenly collapses. He calls Mel, who rings for an ambulance. 

Our happy couple are having their wedding rehearsal dinner on an old steamboat – but there’s a problem. Preacher tells Mel the power went out, causing all the food in the fridges to spoil. He hides his panic but needs to devise a whole new menu. Kaia struggles to pull off Preacher’s requests, but a paella is born from the disaster. 

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Brie asks Mike to move in with her, to which he enthusiastically agrees. Lizzie and Denny continue to bicker with each other, questioning if their relationship can even work. After talking through their fears about Denny’s disease, they make up. Muriel tells the sewing circle about her diagnosis. 

Brady visits Jimmy in jail, explaining that Lark has spilled the beans, promising to take “real good care” of her and Hazel. This enrages Jimmy, who lunges at him. “You’re gonna get what’s coming to you, I’ll make sure of it,” he shouts as Brady walks off. Lark leases the shop Brady wanted to open as a surprise. 

Episode 9: “Prelude to a Kiss”

Mel and Jack barge in to find Everet without a pulse on the floor. They administer CPR while Doc arrives, who is able to get a faint pulse with a defibrillator. He’s airlifted to the hospital while Mel flies with him. Doc and Jack promise to get there as soon as they can. 

The next morning, Mel tells Hope and Doc it was a heart attack. Everett is left fighting for his life, causing Mel and Jack to postpone the wedding. Doc tells Mel what Everett revealed at the cemetery. Everett pulls through surgery, much to everybody’s relief. He claims he saw Sarah while he was out, who said, “There’s no way my little girl is going to lose her father on her wedding day.” He tells Mel not to wait and marry Jack.

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Everett asks Doc to walk Mel down the aisle for him and to give her the song lyrics he finished as a wedding present. Meanwhile, Hope gives Dr. Hayes – the man investigating Doc – a piece of her mind, which Doc is appalled by. Jack decides to keep Sugar at the farm.

There’s a new emergency – Charmaine is nowhere to be found. She texts Mel saying “Something has come up,” leaving nobody to do Mel’s hair and make-up. Mel asks Joey to do the honors, who gives her their dad’s cufflinks (not Everett, if you’re following) as a present. 

Brie’s mom tells her she’s “open” to getting back with her dad, claiming they are “bound soulmates, even if we’re not perfect.” This calls her feelings for Brady into question. Brie later runs into Lark, who gives her a piece of her mind. 

The entire town clubs together to get the wedding back on the road. While the guests assemble for the ceremony, Brady pulls Brie aside to ask why he’s still with Lark. In her eyes, Lark isn’t good enough for Brady, prompting him to ask whether Brie still loves him. She admits to falling in love with him before they broke up, saying he “ruined everything” and now nothing can happen because she’s with Mike.

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Brady says he’s still in love with Brie and has been since the moment they met. He says he would lie in order to protect her all over again “in a heartbeat” – with Lark overhearing the entire conversation. 

Mel asks to see Jack before she walks down the aisle. She tells him she’s having a problem “trusting in forever,” saying she can’t marry him with old ghosts floating around in her head. Jack’s idea is for them to elope from their own ceremony. Hope finds out Mel, Jack, and Preacher are all missing, with the couple riding out of the farm on horseback.

Episode 10: “The Big Day”

Jack takes Mel to where the pair first spent time together back in Season 1 (fittingly, by the river). The sudden eloping has left Hope pulling her hair out, snapping at everybody in her orbit. Mel explains how almost losing Everett has reopened her old wounds of loss, contributing to her feeling overwhelmed. She doesn’t want to bring so much baggage with her, which Jack thinks is just part and parcel of a life lived.

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After telling her he wants every part of her, Jack manages to calm Mel down enough to head back to the farm. The wedding is back on – and as Mel walks down the aisle, Jack has changed into his Marine formals. The ceremony goes without a hitch (apart from one) and there isn’t a dry eye in the house. 

Preacher nails his best man speech while making it up on the fly, with Mel and Jack’s first dance plans coming as a total surprise. Outside, Everett has set up with the band, ready to perform the song he’s finally finished. “Because of you, this heart of mine is finally starting to heal,” Everett explains. Cameron has offered to be Everett’s medical expert for the evening, getting permission from the doctors to be discharged. 

Kaia accidentally tells Preacher she doesn’t want to get married. The wedding also prompts Lizzie to confront her sadness about not marrying Denny. Brady lies about his talk with Brie, claiming her only asked her to give Lark the benefit of the doubt. Brie ends up in tears, telling Mel what happened earlier in the season. She doesn’t know if she can trust Brady, not knowing what to do with what he told her earlier in the day.

Mel and Jack could become parents after Virgin River Season 6 ending  

Virgin River Season 6 ends with Mel potentially adopting a surrogate baby, Mike asking Brie to marry him, Brady’s money being stolen by Lark, and Charmaine missing without a trace. 

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The weddinggoers gather together to see Mel and Jack off in style. Brady goes looking for Lark, with Jo Ellen telling him she took Hazel home ages ago – but Lark said she’s checking out of the B&B altogether. When Brady checks his phone, all of the money has been withdrawn from his account (Hazel had been playing on his phone, so it was unlocked during the day). 

Meanwhile, Mike and Brie go for a walk. Mike asks Brie to marry him, who tells him she slept with Brady. Amazingly, he tells Brie he already knows.

After Mel and Jack do the, ahem, marital deed, the next morning attention turns to Charmaine. Not only did she not arrive for bridesmaid prep, but she didn’t show up to the entire ceremony. Mel’s surrogate patient turns up at the cabin – the parents are backing out of the adoption. The surrogate wants Mel to have the baby, leaving her stunned. 

Doc learns he’s been suspended pending investigation, meaning he can’t practice at the clinic. Hope says she got a call from a woman on the Grace Valley Hospital Board of Directors, who claimed they are “expanding their network” into Virgin River. Not knowing they are married, the pair work out this is a trap – they’re looking to buy Doc out to take over medical care in the town. 

When Jack arrives at Charmaine’s the place has been ransacked. Jack hears the sound of a lullaby coming from upstairs, walking into the nursery with a look of horror. Before we can see what’s waiting, the screen cuts to black. 

Virgin River Season 6 is on Netflix now. Find out more about the original book series, filming locations, and more shows to watch if you like Virgin River.

You can also check out updates for Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 and When Calls the Heart Season 12, alongside more TV shows streaming this month.