Aahana Swrup
Created by Sue Tenney, Netflix’s ‘Virgin River,’ a drama show, charts the course of multiple relationships within a small town populated by closely bonded residents. The series starts with a focus on the protagonist, Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a former LA nurse practitioner who finds a new start in Virgin Rivier with the local bar owner, Jack Sheridan. Nevertheless, the narrative gradually expands to involve several other characters. Jack’s friend from the Marines, Dan Brady, introduced in the first season, makes up one of the most popular couples in the show with Brie, Jack’s lawyer sister, who becomes a town staple around season 3.
Brady and Brie’s push-and-pull dynamic creates an entertaining storyline with their ardently passionate relationship. However, halfway through season 5, the couple’s heat begins to diminish. During the fallout of his relationship with Brie, Brady meets Lark, a single mother, who seems to understand him on a deeper level. If you’ve felt a spark between the couple and are curious to know if it takes their relationship anywhere, here is everything you need to know about it. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Brady Finds Comfort With Lark
Brady meets Lark at arguably one of the worst moments in the Virgin River’s town history. Amidst a flurry of forest fires in the area, the forests near Virgin River and Grace Valley catch wildfires, leading to growing destruction. The town, struggling under Nick’s new leadership as mayor, haphazardly attempts to ensure everyone’s safety. The resident physician, Vernon “Doc” Mullins, assigns Jack the responsibility of emptying out the camps deep in the forest where financially and socially struggling individuals/families live.
Since the campers are known to have a distrust of the townfolk, Jack employs Brady’s help to convince the people there to evacuate. Brady, having worked for the former local drug boss Calvin, has knowledge about the camps and its people. Therefore, he’s able to evacuate the area with relative ease. Nevertheless, while everyone flees, Brady runs into a distressed single mother, Lark, whose six-year-old daughter wanders off into the woods.
The fateful chance meeting sets the stage for Lark and Brady’s acquaintance after Brady manages to save her daughter, Hazel, with Jack’s help. From there on, the pair occasionally bumps into each other and expands their casual acquaintance into friendship. Brady’s protectiveness over the mother-daughter duo can be spotted early on when he unsuccessfully tries to prevent them from living at Jack’s glamping site due to its relation to Montgomery.
Where Brady’s protective nature had led to the downfall of his relationship with Brie, Lark seems to have less of a problem with it. While still operating within the confines of “just friends,” Lark invites Brady for a night of board games with her daughter. In a moment of seclusion, the pair divulge their past traumas coming from unstable families. Brady grew up with an uncle who was a petty criminal after his mother abandoned him and his four siblings with an alcoholic and abusive father.
As a result, Brady has a natural instinct to protect those he loves. While being with Brie, Brady had to actively fight his overprotectiveness to be the kind of partner she needed. In contrast, Lark can appreciate him for his protective nature. Similar to Brady, Lark grew up with a father who was abusive to her mother. At 15, when Lark faced abuse from him for the first time, she stood up for herself and stabbed him in the leg with a hunting knife. Even though her father stopped tormenting her and her mother after that, Lark left her home after giving birth to Hazel because she didn’t want her to grow up with him around.
Therefore, Lark can relate to Brady a lot more and even find comfort in his protectiveness. Although Brady tries to fight for Brie until the end, as the season ends, he realizes they don’t have a future together. Furthermore, Brie is starting to move from him with Mike, one of Jack’s other friends. Consequently, Brady begins a new chapter of his own and goes on a date with Lark (and Hzael) to the town’s Labor Day Carnival. Although Brady and Lark’s relationship is in the early stages, the couple seems to suit each other and will likely go on to be together for some time.
Read More: Virgin River Season 5: Who is the Father of Charmaine’s Babies?
