When you’re in the market for a heartwarming TV drama, you can’t go wrong with Netflix’s Virgin River. Starring Alexandra Breckinridge and Martin Henderson, this charming show is a bit steamier than a Hallmark movie (hooray!), but just as comforting. Of course, that doesn’t mean it won’t play with your emotions along the way. Watching the second season, you may even start to fret that its main couple, Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan, could end up on the wrong side of the will-they-or-won’t-they? trope.
Did you hear a record scratch in your head? Is that a no-go for you? Believe me, I get it. As someone who consumes romantic fiction almost exclusively, I understand how important it is to know whether you can trust a story to leave you with a smile—or not. Personally, I have to know the answer ahead of watching or reading something new in order to set my expectations appropriately. It’s merely self-preservation!
Sound like you too? Then before you catch up on the latest episodes, or start Virgin River from the beginning, let’s dive into that all-important question…
Will Mel and Jack end up together in Virgin River?
The short, non-spoilery answer: As long as the Virgin River TV show stays true to its roots, then yes, they will get their happily ever after…eventually! How can I be so sure? Because Mel and Jack’s storyline is based on a romance novel, also titled Virgin River, in which they do indeed overcome all the obstacles in their path to true love. Of course, since said show is still ongoing, I can’t promise anything yet. But it’s a very safe bet the same will hold true onscreen.
Did that explanation set your mind at ease? If so, go ahead and press “play” without fear! If not, read on for more context…
The longer, more spoilery answer: There’s no doubt in my mind that this pair will, by the final episode of the series, be glowing with happiness and anticipating a long life together. My confidence comes from not only the setup of the show, but also its bookish origins.
Inspired by Robyn Carr’s contemporary romance book series by the same name, Netflix’s adaptation of Virgin River centers on a recently widowed nurse practitioner named Melinda Monroe and the owner of the local watering hole, Jack Sheridan. Reeling from grief and desperate for a fresh start away from painful memories, Mel moves from Los Angeles to the small town of Virgin River for a job with family physician Doc Mullins.
What she finds is a community of quirky, nosy, caring residents who quickly welcome her into the fold. None take better care of her than Jack, who’s instantly dazzled by the beautiful, talented, and strong midwife. He understands that she’s still mourning the loss of her husband, but he’s willing to wait however long it takes for a chance to build a future with her. Little by little, Mel opens herself up to the prospect of loving him right back. Their relationship is unquestionably the heart of the story.
Now, I’ll grant that the show has deviated from its source material, where Mel and Jack fall in love and start their family by the end of the first book. But that’s only that’s only to draw out the suspense and drama into multiple seasons! One of the basic tenets of Romancelandia is that every story must have a happy ending. The creative team behind the show clearly respects this rule or they wouldn’t have wanted to tell this feel-good story in the first place. Even the expanded role of Charmaine and her pregnancy news can only delay, for a little while, what’s plainly inevitable: Mel and Jack, in love and sweetly supportive of each other for the rest of their days. I can’t wait to see it play out onscreen, and I hope you’re now feeling up to it too.
If you ship Mel/Jack, you’ll also love the couples in Hart of Dixie. To find out why, read my highly persuasive (if I say so myself) article Southern Loving: Why Hart of Dixie‘s Zoe/Wade Should Be Your Next TV Fling.