Christmas has finally arrived in Virgin River. The Netflix romantic drama, based on the Virgin River books by Robyn Carr, has just released the back half of Season 5, which consists of two episodes. The series’s glacial pace means this is our first taste of Virgin River’s holiday traditions, and even though its structure doesn’t really demand holiday specials, the truth is that nothing goes better with a small-town show than the Christmas season.
The two episodes, which were released today, explore the town’s Christmas traditions and how they mix with Mel and Jack’s extended families coming together to celebrate. Add Jack’s newly divorced parents, Lizzie and Denny keeping their baby a secret from her mother, and Mel’s quest to find her biological father, and there’s plenty of drama in Virgin River, even during the happiest time of the year.
But there’s also plenty of cheer and love, romantic and otherwise. It wouldn’t be Virgin River if it were any other way. From Christmas musicals to tree-lighting competitions, there are plenty of moments in Season 5’s final episodes that will appeal to fans seeking out holiday specials, as well as those looking for more of the show’s signature romance.
We’ve put together a list of the most festive moments in Season 5, Part 2 — so if you want to avoid spoilers, bookmark this post for later. Otherwise, get ready to enjoy the holidays in Virgin River.
Mel and Jack Find the Perfect Christmas Tree
The Christmas specials start with Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack’s (Martin Henderson) quest for the perfect Christmas tree. As they search, they discuss their first Christmas together — a chance for fans to once again marvel at how slow time passes in Virgin River — and the fact that their families are coming together to celebrate the holidays. There’s even some cute banter about if the tree they’re searching for is technically the Monroe-Brenner-Sheridan Family Christmas Tree or the Brenner-Monroe-Clivesdale-Sheridan Family Christmas Tree. Either way, Mel has a point: both sound a little like a law firm. The simpler the better when it comes to Christmas trees. Or law firms, really.
The discussion then turns to Mel’s quest for her biological father, with Jack pledging that one thing he can promise for Christmas is his full support. It’s a pretty sweet moment, and one the show plays off perfectly, as Mel takes the serious declaration for what it is, then quips: “And maybe some jewelry?” Yes, Jack. No girl wants just support for Christmas. Support is a given. Jewelry is the real present.
Mel Asks Doc to Walk Her Down to Aisle
It might not be festive in the traditional Christmas sense of the word, but Mel asking Doc (Tim Matheson) to walk her down the aisle might be the biggest full circle moment in the Virgin River Christmas episodes. And it is festive in the same way Die Hard is a Christmas movie: It happens in the Christmas episodes, ergo — festive!
Mel spends most of the holiday episodes searching for her biological father, but Doc has been a figure to her since she arrived in Virgin River. At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone else walking her down the aisle to Jack. Even if, by the end of the Christmas episodes, her father does come around and wants a relationship with her. Family is about more than blood. Family is about being there when you need it; Doc has certainly been that for Mel, and vice versa. If Christmas is a time for family, this is the perfect moment to include in the holiday specials.
