Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 ending explained 

Jess Bacon
Mel in Virgin River

While the Virgin River residents got festive in Season 5 Part 2, there was also plenty of drama – so, we’ve broken down the ending of the holiday specials.

The final two episodes of Season 5 of Netflix’s romance drama Virgin River have arrived. Earlier in the season, the residents of the picturesque small town suffered immeasurable loss and grappled with difficult storylines from a wildfire to miscarriages to sexual assault.

Season 5 Part 2 offers some much-needed light relief to this intense season, as our three-star review reads: “Even though, their vision of a big, happy, family Christmas crumbles, the mood is deliciously light, flirty and joyful.”

By the finale, most of Season 5’s events are wrapped up nicely: Lizzie reconciles with her mum; Jack’s parents make amends and Mel’s father apologizes for his frosty reception on Christmas Eve. However, as much as we wish it could be Christmas every day, it isn’t. Families disperse, the ice rink shuts down and the wholesome haze that shrouds these two episodes comes to an end, as Virgin River hurtles back down to reality. With another season on the horizon, the Season 5 finale teases plenty more drama to come. Spoilers ahead!

Virgin River Season 5 ending: Which couples are still together? 

Christmas is a time for reflection and several couples had difficult conversations over the festive period about their future. In the meantime, all our couples have decided to stay together. 

Muriel shared her worries with Cameron, as she doesn’t want kids and doesn’t want him to resent her if he stays. The sweet doctor reassures her that she is all the family he needs, but Muriel encourages him to take the time to consider what he’s giving up. 

Meanwhile, Brie is still with Mike, after he swooped onto the scene when her then-boyfriend Brady. Her ex also moved earlier in the season with local girl Lark, but it doesn’t seem their happiness will last for much longer. 

The former flames are still drawn to each other, especially over the holidays as they bump into each other at festive events. Brady even confesses that he still loves her and they almost share a kiss. There’s also potential for the couple to rekindle their relationship now that Brady’s double life as a police informant is out in the open.   

Does Mel find her father? 

After traipsing across town and getting Santa’s help, Mel discovers who her father is. Locals fondly refer to him as Champ, after he won the 1976 Virgin River lumberjack games, but his real name is Evert Reed. 

Initially, Evert doesn’t welcome Mel when she arrives at his door. Instead, he turns her away, telling her he’s not the man she’s looking for. Later, Evert visits her cabin to apologize and admits he struggled with her surprise appearance as she looked so much like her mother. He promises to be here for her now and wants to be part of her life, and even offers Mel the gift of hearing her mother’s voice again by reading the letters that she wrote to him.

However, before they begin to get to know each other, Evert ominously reveals that he has “something important” to tell her. The camera pans away, as the conversation continues and Mel’s face falls. But what did he tell her? And how will this affect the future of their relationship? Only time will tell. 

Does Charmaine give birth?  

Charmaine in Virgin River

In the season finale, Charmaine gives birth to two healthy baby boys, after being pregnant for four seasons. The hairdresser even jokes about her obscenely long-running (even by TV standards) baby bump and says: “I feel like I’ve been pregnant for years.”  

Mel even has to scrap her festive, romantic plans with Jack to help his ex-girlfriend give birth. Despite Charmaine’s history of using the twins as a means to distance herself from Mel, she graciously accepts her help, and even compliments her when Jack wishes her luck with the birth. She says: “I don’t need luck, I’ve got Mel.” 

What happens with Wes’ body? 

In the Season 5 Part 1 finale, Kaia lets slip that the raging fire scorched away some of the land to reveal a previously buried body. Fans of the show will remember this is Paige’s abusive ex-husband, Wes, who she killed in self-defense and Preacher helped her dispose of the body.  

During the festive season, Preacher’s buddy, Mike, reassured him that there was nothing to worry about while the body was unidentified. Later, Mike calls to let him know that it’s been confirmed that the body is Wes, and this could mean major repercussions for him and Paige.  

Yet, Paige is gone, without a trace to anyone other than Preacher, therefore it seems he might be the one to pay for her crimes. The question is what this will mean for his blossoming relationship with Kaia. 

Who does Brady’s new girlfriend call? 

After his heroic action of saving Lark’s daughter from the wildfire, Brady struck up a fast-moving romance with the single mother. With talk of meeting her family over the holidays, the former bad boy seemed to have changed his ways and gone all-in on family man life, after Brie broke his heart and ended their relationship. 

However, Lark dips out of the idyllic festive tableau to take a phone call from her daughter’s father, who happens to be Jimmy’s right-hand man, Jimmy. It’s revealed that Jimmy and Lark plan was for her to strike up a relationship with Brady, as a means of revenge, after he helped put Jimmy behind bars and dismantle Calvin’s operations.  

Now not only Brady’s love life, but his entire future is uncertain, as it seems the criminal gang has something sinister planned for the ex-marine. 

Virgin River Season 5 Part 2 is streaming on Netflix now. You can check out more of our coverage below:

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About The Author

Jess Bacon is a freelance culture journalist and editor who loves to over-analyze her favorite TV shows and films. She's also a major Marvel nerd and is writing a YA novel.