Netflix‘s Virgin River closed out its fifth season with a two-episode Christmas special set during the holidays, more than three months after the “Labor Day” Season 5 Part 1 finale. As suggested by the aptly titled Episode 512, “Father Christmas,” the special’s main storyline follows the bombshell cliffhanger in the Part 1 finale, that Mel’s biological father is likely a man from Virgin River.
With only a couple of clues to his identity in the man’s love letters to Mel and Joey’s mother Sarah to go off of, Mel and Jack launched a search that eventually led them to Everett Reid, who lives in a cabin outside of Virgin River. At first, he wanted nothing to do with Mel but by the end of the two-hour special, in a true holiday spirit, he came around and, in the finale’s biggest cliffhanger, started telling her “something important” but was cut off by a Christmas song, a shot of Mel, Jack and their new puppy, followed by end credits.
While she was rejected by her biological father, Mel asked her surrogate one, Doc, to walk her down the aisle, and he said yes. Doc, getting ready for the risky trial to tackle his macular degeneration, helping the ever-competitive Hope win the town’s Christmas tree decoration contest by integrating a marriage proposal into their display. She also said yes.
Elsewhere, Charmaine finally gave birth to her twins after being pregnant since Season 1. Calvin, who resurfaced in the Part 1 finale to be revealed as the babies’ father, was back for the occasion, as was his right-hand man, Jimmy. In another cliffhanger, Jimmy was revealed to be Hazel’s father, calling Lark from prison to conspire against Brody.
While still with Lark, Brody clearly had not gotten over Brie as evidenced by their two Christmas time run-ins, while Virgin River’s surprise new “it” couple — and stars of the town’s Christmas musical — Cameron and Muriel, faced crossroads after Cameron’s ex -fiancee reemerged to suggest they start a family, something Muriel is not interested in.
Preacher’s relationship with Kaia is moving at lightning speed but he got more bad news from Mike that the body found in the fire cleanup had been identified as Paige’s abusive husband Wes whom he had helped dispose of.
In an interview with Deadline, Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who took the reins of the popular Netflix romantic drama after Season 4, dissects all of the Christmas special’s twists and their implications, including how Everett will fit into the show and Mel’s life.
He reveals another time jump will kick off Season 6 and teases shorter future seasons with no more holiday specials planned.
He also promises more Mel and Jack in Season 6, reveals Doc’s prognosis, shares whether Paige will be back and hints at how long Lizzie will be pregnant on the show. Additionally, Smith provides a status update on Season 6, which is scheduled to start filming in the first half of 2024, and reveals whether it could be the series’ last.
For Smith and star Alexandra Breckenridge‘s take on the main developments in Season 5 Part 1, including Mel’s polarizing studio storyline and the bombshell revelation of Mel’s Virgin River-residing biological father, read Deadline’s story from earlier this week.
