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Once again, Virgin River has left us hanging. Season 5 of the Netflix series dropped on Sept. 7, with a batch of 10 drama-filled episodes. So far, this season has featured a wildfire, a tense trial, surprising breakups, and more. And it’s not over yet. Netflix has split the fifth season into two parts, which means there are still more episodes from this season of Virgin River to come.

[Warning: The article contains spoilers for Virgin River Season 5 Part 1.] 

‘Virgin River’ Season 5 Part 2 drops Nov. 30 

Mel looking over her shoulder standing next to Jack in 'Virgin River' Season 5
Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan in ‘Virgin River’ Season 5 | Courtesy of Netflix © 2023

In a first for the show, Virgin River Season 5 is releasing in two parts. The first 10 episodes are streaming now. Then, the final two episodes of the season arrive on Thursday, Nov. 30. They’re being billed as holiday episodes, which means fans should get to see what a Virgin River Christmas looks like.

Netflix has not yet shared any titles or synopses for the upcoming episodes. But a teaser at the end of episode 10 offers a hint of what’s to come, and in true Virgin River fashion, it’s pretty juicy. 

Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson) are preparing for the holiday at her cabin. She’s on the phone with her sister Joey (Jenny Cooper), who tells her she’s found something strange in their late mom’s box of Christmas decorations. 

“You’re not going to believe this, but I found this whole stack of letters and postcards addressed to mom from Virgin River,” she says.

“They’re love letters,” Joey adds. “Mom was having an affair with someone in Virgin River. And I think this guy might be your father,” she says. 

Will Mel meet her real dad in ‘Virgin River’ Season 5’s holiday episodes?

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If Joey’s assumptions are correct and Mel’s is actually the product of her mom’s affair, that could change things in a huge way for the character. Obviously, it raises questions about who her dad really is – and whether she’s already met him. Doc (Tim Matheson) is an one candidate. He’s the right age, and he’s already something of a father figure to Mel. But he’s already discovered he fathered a child he didn’t know about with his college girlfriend. It might be too much for him to have another child he’s never met and didn’t know he had. 

Other than Doc, there aren’t too many other characters on Virgin River who seem like they could be Mel’s father. Another possible contender is Nick (Keith MacKechnie), who owns the bed and breakfast with his wife Jo Ellen (Gwynyth Walsh). We don’t know much about him or his past, but perhaps Mel’s mom visited Virgin River, stayed at the B&B, and started a relationship with Nick?

Whoever Mel’s father is, we hope his identity is revealed in the upcoming holiday episodes. But there’s a chance the show is just setting up a longer-running storyline regarding Mel’s paternity for season 6. If that’s the case, we’ll have to wait a while longer for answers to this mystery. 

Virgin River Season 5 Episodes 1-10 are now streaming on Netflix. 

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