Aahana Swrup
Sue Tenney’s ‘Virgin River‘ is a Netflix romantic drama show set in a small town with a close community of people intricately woven into each other’s lives. Following Melinda “Mel” Monroe’s arrival in town as the new nurse practitioner at the physician’s clinic, the show heavily centers around the idyllic yet chaotic romance between her and Jack Sheridan, the local bar owner. Throughout the show, the couple goes through their ups and downs but arrives at a picture-esque future in season five, living together in a romantic cabin and awaiting the birth of their baby girl.
Due to the show’s densely packed timeline, as we leave the fourth season and enter the fifth, Mel is still in the first trimester of the pregnancy introduced in the third season. Considering Mel’s past medical complications and the general anxiety surrounding her situation, viewers must be curious to know how this storyline plays out for her. Let’s find out! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Wildfire Chaos Leads to Mel’s Miscarriage
Prior to the show’s events, Mel undergoes a taxing journey in Los Angeles when she tries to have a baby with her husband, Mark. Nevertheless, although she gets pregnant, she loses the baby after a stillborn birth. The tragedy has an adverse effect on Mel, which is only escalated by Mark’s death in a car accident that Mel blames herself for. Therefore, desperately needing a fresh beginning, Mel finds herself in Virgin River’s small town.
After meeting Jack, Mel finds a second chance at a happily ever after. Overcoming the obstacles in their path, Jack and Mel start the fifth season at a happy place, looking forward to starting a family together. In the previous season, Mel, aware of the high-risk nature of this pregnancy, fears she may have miscarried the baby on two separate occasions. However, she decides to equip a positive outlook on the experience and dares to hope for a bright future.
Mel has always wanted to have kids and continue her lineage. Since she lost her mother at a young age, a part of her feels like motherhood will help her overcome her past trauma. Furthermore, by giving birth to a daughter, Mel hopes to find a glimpse of her mother within the baby, which will help her feel more connected to her parents. Likewise, her daughter with Jack will mark the couple’s admission to parenthood as they undertake an entirely new adventure in their relationship. Ultimately, this pregnancy is one of the most significant moments in Mel’s life.
Still, when the destructive wildfires overtake the forest surrounding Virgin River and its neighboring town, Grace Valley, it takes an emergency precedent. As a nurse practitioner, Mel has a responsibility to the people to ensure their health and safety in this moment of turmoil. Therefore, even though she quit her job at Doc’s, she instantly returns to the clinic, aware that the two-person team there can use her help.
As expected, the overflow of patients has started to overwhelm Doc and Cameron, who greatly appreciate Mel’s help. Chaos reigns free outside as the wildfire edges closer to town, destroying numerous homes and endangering multiple lives. Similarly, the clinic sees a frenzied time it hasn’t before. However, somewhere in the middle of the endless stream of patients, Mel realizes something may be wrong with her own health. Following the realization, Mel rushes to check her baby through an ultrasound, only to find a heartbreaking discovery. The Ultrasound shows no sign of a fetal heartbeat, confirming that Mel has miscarried her baby.
The gravity of the situation wrecks Mel, who breaks down behind closed doors in secret. Still, she doesn’t wish to abandon the current all-hands-on-deck situation and simply puts on a brave face, returning to her patients. The loss is monumental to Mel, and although her initial avoidance of grieving over it is a result of the natural disaster, the walls will eventually have to come down. Nevertheless, once Mel faces the reality of this tragic incident, she’ll have the love and support of her fiance, Jack, alongside an entire community of people who love and care for her.
Read More: Is Calvin Dead or Alive in Virgin River?
