The Virgin River universe is expanding, and details surrounding the upcoming prequel indicate that one twist of fate in the original television show likely wasn’t a coincidence after all. The Netflix romantic drama series, developed by Sue Tenney and based on Robyn Carr’s book series of the same name, revolves around Mel Monroe, played by Alexandra Breckenridge, a midwife and nurse practitioner who moves to a small town to escape her past. The show premiered in late 2019 and was an immediate hit among critics and fans alike, resulting in multiple renewals and now a prequel series.
After five successful seasons (and the renewal of a sixth one), Netflix has greenlit a Virgin River prequel. According to Deadline, the Virgin River prequel will depict the origin story of Mel’s parents — Sarah and Everett. As fans recall, the Christmas special of the romantic drama revealed that Everett “Champ” Reid was Mel’s biological father following years of speculation regarding the man’s identity. Now that the secret is out in the open, Netflix has jumped at the opportunity to produce a prequel centering around Mel’s parents and their time in the town of Virgin River (which makes one coincidence quite unlikely).
Virgin River’s Prequel Show Will Strengthen Mel’s Ties To The Fictional Town
Mel’s newfound complex connection to Virgin River makes the probability of her unknowingly moving where her father was located much more unlikely.
Netflix constructing the Virgin River prequel around Mel’s parents will exponentially increase the character’s connection to the small Northern California town. When season 1 premiered, Virgin River seemed like an escape for Mel that she chose on a whim. Mel’s move from Los Angeles to Virgin River didn’t appear to be a purposeful choice since she explained early on that she had decided to relocate to the small town because of an advertisement. As a result, many believed that Mel’s ties to Virgin River didn’t form until she stepped foot in the city. However, that is no longer true.
Mel’s connection to Virgin River is much stronger than anyone first imagined. Her biological father lives there, as revealed when Everett appeared in Virgin River season 5. Plus, based on the description of the Virgin River sequel, it seems like it was Everett’s birthplace. Mel’s mother fell in love with a man from the town and gave birth to her, so her ties to Virgin River run deep. Consequently, Mel’s newfound complex connection to the city makes the probability of her unknowingly moving to where her father was located much more unlikely.
Mel’s Virgin River Origins Make 1 Series Coincidence Even More Unlikely
When viewers learned that Mel’s biological father, Everett, was in Virgin River during the Virgin River Christmas special, the coincidence of him living in the city Mel randomly chose to move to seemed somewhat unbelievable. However, with the knowledge that Everett is from the small Northern California town and Mel’s mother was undoubtedly aware of his place of origin, Mel’s move probably wasn’t an accident. Perhaps Mel ended up in the city for a reason yet to be revealed, and she may have already known of her roots there.
The odds of Mel randomly picking Virgin River, not knowing that her father lived there, are low. The more plausible explanation is that Mel’s arrival in the city in the Virgin River premiere wasn’t an accident, and either she or someone else purposefully intended for her to end up in Virgin River. It seems strange that Mel’s mother wouldn’t tell her about her ties to Virgin River, but only time will tell if the writers just bank on the audience believing Mel’s move was a coincidence or if another twist awaits viewers.
How The Virgin River Prequel Can Explain Away Mel’s Ignorance
With the knowledge that the upcoming prequel will revolve around Mel’s parents and their history in Virgin River, the writers hopefully consider their story while constructing Virgin River season 6. The possibility of Mel randomly choosing Virgin River, her biological father’s hometown, as her new home at the beginning of the series is now quite unbelievable. However, if the next season fails to provide an explanation for Mel’s ignorance, then the prequel will have to get the job done. Otherwise, fans will be mulling over this significant plot hole for many years.
Ultimately, two justifications for Mel’s apparent ignorance of Virgin River being her father’s hometown exist — either Mel was never ignorant of this fact, or someone influenced her decision to move to the city, unbeknownst to her. Both reasons are conceivable, especially within the context of a fictional television drama. But viewers will have a long wait before learning how this storyline plays out in Virgin River season 6 or the upcoming prequel.
