Virgin River Season 7 Ending Explained: What Happens to Jack and Mel’s Baby?

Season 7 of ‘Virgin River’ finds its residents at different stages in their lives. While some are on the mend from hurdles of the past, others are unraveling exciting new chapters in their stories. Coming off the wedding of the century for the townies, Jack and Mel find themselves thrust straight into the possibility of parenthood. Yet, just because they’re considering adoption this time around doesn’t mean their journey will be uncomplicated or straightforward. Lizzie and Denny themselves learn about the challenges of becoming new parents as they welcome their baby into the world. On the other hand, Brie deals with a long-standing dilemma in her love life, dealing with the aftermath of her one-off hookup with Brady and Mike’s ensuing proposal. To round things off, the medical board’s investigation into Doc Mullins’ practice continues, instilling uncertainty about the town’s future healthcare. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Virgin River Season 7 Recap

Initially, when one of Mel’s patients, Marley, pitches the idea of giving her baby up to the nurse and her husband, the idea seems too erratic. For one, the only reason the expecting mother even considers it is because the original future adoptive parents decided to bail on the entire thing at the last second. Mel recognizes the same and advises the young woman to take her time before jumping into any hasty decisions. Still, after a history of failed pregnancies, she and Jack can’t deny that they would be happy to adopt Marley’s baby if that’s what the mother wants. However, the nurse also has a lot on her plate as she ends up inheriting Doc’s patients in light of his medical license suspension. Although the arrangement is only meant to be temporary, until the medical board investigator, Victoria Ellis, brings the case in front of the board, the pressure of the change still proves to be high.

On the other hand, Mike finds his hands full with a new criminal case in town. Jack has found Calvin’s dead body in Charmaine’s house, with the woman and her two kids missing. Therefore, not only does the LAPD cop have to deal with the murder case, but he’s also on the hunt for Charmaine. However, while she becomes the prime suspect for the authorities, Brie remains concerned about her and thus appoints herself as her attorney. This forces her to interact with Mike shortly after she turns down his proposal. Similarly, circumstances also put her in Brady’s orbit, which contributes to its fair share of tension. Meanwhile, the investigation into Mullins’ practice gets bleaker by the day. When he and Hope try to hold a town council meeting to emphasize the need to keep corporations out of the town’s healthcare, Dr. Hayes of Grace Valley Hospital ends up crashing the event and swaying the public opinion in his favor.

Alternatively, Hope has to deal with her ex-husband, Roland, as circumstances compel the town to hold their Founder’s Day event at his farm. Eventually, Marley also makes the well-thought-out decision to pick the Sheridans for her baby’s adoption. However, things get complicated when her ex-boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Eamon, shows up. This pushes her to rethink her entire decision to give the baby up for adoption, a decision that Jack and Mel support despite the suffering it causes them. Nonetheless, in time, while the young couple decides to give their relationship a shot, they also realize they aren’t ready to be parents yet and conclude the Sheridans should be the baby’s rightful family. Meanwhile, Mullins manages to get his license back by calling in an emergency meeting with the medical board. Even so, the war is far from over. In lieu of failing to acquire Doc’s clinic, Grace Valley simply starts a mobile clinic in the town to lure away all of Mullins’ patients.

Ultimately, these storylines culminate at the town’s much-anticipated Founder’s Day event. Early in the day, Marley experiences some health complications, which reveal that her baby has a health complication. This means the hospital wants her to give birth the next day so that the baby can undergo necessary pediatric surgery. This revelation comes partly in thanks to the advanced technology present at Hayes’ mobile clinic. As a result, Doc can’t help but wonder if he should consider a future partnership with the other doctor for the betterment of the town. However, the abrupt nature of this epiphany drives a wedge between Mullins and Hope. The latter becomes frustrated that her husband would even consider making such important decisions without her, while she has been battling for him since the start. As a result, this pushes her into the wrong kind of company, namely that of her ex-husband’s.

Virgin River Season 7 Ending: What Happens to Jack and Mel’s Baby? Is He Okay?

The conclusion of ‘Virgin River’ season 7 leaves many storylines uncertain and up in the air. The fate of Jack and Mel’s baby is no exception. Parenthood is something that has always been a sensitive topic for the newlyweds. Mel has struggled with pregnancy complications for a long time now and has already undergone multiple miscarriages. Therefore, it took her and Jack a lot of effort and tragedy before they finally decided to seek parenthood through adoption. For the same reason, the timing of Marley’s fallout with the other set of adoptive parents and her inclination towards the newlyweds as prospective parents comes as a miracle for them.

Similarly, when the expecting mother starts having second thoughts, on account of Eamon’s reentry in her life, Jack and Mel are torn in yet another direction. Overall, the journey remains something of a rollercoaster. However, towards the end, Marley finally makes up her mind and declares that she wants her baby to go to the Sheridans for them to raise as their own. By then, the couple themselves become so attached to the unborn child, they can’t help but think of him as their own son. As such, when the devastating news arrives that the baby has a congenital heart defect, Jack and Mel never have a moment of doubt about the kind of future they want. They already consider the baby to be a Sheridan, and Sheridans are fighters.

Therefore, they decide to stick with the plan and adopt Marley’s son, ready to face the challenge that the aftermath of his birth will bring. In the end, Marley gives birth at LA’s Children’s Hospital, where the Heart Institute has the required resources to provide help to the baby for his heart condition. Eamon is with the birthing mother, offering his support while the adoptive parents also keep her company, with Mel serving as the midwife. Afterward, the baby is taken to the NICU, as a hard and arduous battle awaits him. Nonetheless, he has Jack and Mel right there beside him, who step into their roles as the baby’s parents without any hesitation. The family has a tough battle ahead of them. Still, they face this challenge together.

Does Brady Die? Does He Survive the Accident?

Despite the rough beginning to Brady’s story this season, he finds himself in a pleasant and stable place by the end. His biggest challenge this time stems from his complicated relationship with Brie. The two have tried to be exes before. However, the only thing their time apart proved was how difficult it is for them to stay away from each other. For the same reason, Brady finds it very difficult to move on from Brie, especially when he keeps running into her across town. Ultimately, the lawyer’s attempts to pursue a friendship with her ex-boyfriend do not work well for the latter. Fortunately, before he can do anything adverse, like skipping town, Brie comes to her own conclusion.

She realizes that she has only ever felt free with Brady. As a result, in a charged confrontation between the two, she reveals the same to him, which becomes the catalyst for them getting back together. Since the two are no stranger to letting their passions get ahead of them, they decide to give their relationship a fair and real chance. Consequently, unlike their last attempt, this time feels more sincere and hopeful. Little do they know, tragedy awaits them in the future. Later in the day, Brady makes plans to swing by Brie’s house for dinner. However, on his way over, he ends up getting in a motorbike accident. As the season ends, Brady’s fate remains ambiguous, further dooming his narrative.

What Happens to Doc Mullins’ Clinic? Does He Work With Hayes?

The biggest challenge that Doc Mullins faces this season remains the fight he’s in against the powers that be at Grace Valley Hospital. His decision to breach protocol one time in order to save a life gives Dr. Hayes the perfect ammunition to prey on his downfall. The latter goes directly against Mullins’ medical license, plunging the town into a healthcare crisis. While Mel takes over in his absence, she doesn’t have the same certifications and experiences as Doc. This means many patients have to suffer, emotionally or financially, until the doctor can return to his clinic.

The small town doctor has his own reasons for his distaste against corporate medicine. Thus, their greed, which compels them to push him out in search of profits, furthers his hatred for them. Initially, Hope tries to solve this problem by pushing the town council to sign off on a bill that would ban any outside corporation from setting down roots in their town. Nonetheless, this bill fails to gain traction as the residents fall into the beguiling entrappings of the corporations, and even the Grace Valley Hospital. Thus, even when Doc manages to get his license back, he still faces an uphill battle.

Hayes has enough resources to lure the town’s patients until Mullins is driven out of business. Yet, regardless of his menacing schemes, his ability to help out Marley in an emergency opens Mullins’ eyes to previously unconsidered facts. With a corporation’s backing, Hayes does have access to advanced technology that the town could potentially benefit from. Therefore, even though Doc doesn’t come to any conclusions yet, he considers the possibility of working with Grace Valley Hospital to conjoin his personal care approach with their advanced healthcare systems.

Does Hope Cheat on Doc?

Even though Hope and Doc’s relationship remains at a stable place in the beginning, the couple faces some challenges that take them down unexpected roads. Off-the-bat, both spouses are committed to their relationship, leaving little possibility for infidelity. Even so, Hope goes on a journey that forces her to look back on some of the more complicated aspects of her past, particularly her failed marriage with Roland. The Founder’s Day event consistently puts the two in each other’s paths, much to the chagrin of the mayor. Hope’s first marriage fell apart after her father left his lumber business to his son-in-law rather than his daughter, who was expecting to take over the family business.

Before she could contest the will, Roland sold the business off to a competitor that her father hated. For the same reason, Hope grows to detest both her then-husband and her father. Nonetheless, years later, Roland seems to believe he can work his way back into her good graces. After her fight with Doc, the mayor feels once again betrayed by a man in her life whom she had loved and trusted implicitly. Perhaps for the same reason, she ends up going to Roland, confronting him with what had happened between them and her father all those years ago. Thus, Hope finally finds out the bitter truth.

As it turns out, her father hadn’t given the business to Roland out of a sense of misogyny or something else. Instead, it was because the business was already going down, and he didn’t want to tie his daughter down to a sinking ship. Once Hope learns this, it helps her properly mourn her father’s passing with Roland by her side. Ultimately, despite the ill-advised late-night visit, nothing happens between Hope and her ex-husband. Still, her decision to stay away from Doc, even when she spreads her father’s ashes, raises a question about the state of their marriage.

Does Preacher Leave Jack’s Bar? Does He Open His Own Venture?

Preacher’s professional partnership with Jack is another big future change that season 7 sets up. At the beginning of the narrative, the chef begins to see heightened tourist attention to his bar after one of his dishes ends up on his food critic friends’ blog. As a result, his friend, Jamie, pitches the idea of expansion, which would allow the bar to cater to more customers without overcrowding issues. The idea is appealing to Preacher, and he ends up throwing himself into it headfirst. In fact, his intense prioritization of the bar even leads him to neglect his relationship with Kaia for a while. Although the couple is able to work through the rough patch together, it seems a bigger complication awaits Preacher’s relationship with Jack.

Unlike the chef, Jack, the part-owner of the bar, is not enthused by the idea of expansion. He already has enough on his plate, with a new house and a baby on the way. Therefore, he’s not looking to shake things up professionally. Once Preacher realizes this crosses out any space for his dreams, he realizes it might be time for him to walk away from the bar. The chef realizes he wants to step out of Jack’s shadow and create something of his own. Even though it’s difficult, Jack decides to buy his friend out in order to show him that he truly believes in his potential. However, by then, Preacher begins to second-guess his own intentions. While he is excited at the prospect of starting his own project, he is no longer sure Jamie’s more luxurious ideas are what he wants. Thus, he has a big decision to make in the future.