Virgin River Mel and Jack's Miscarriage Wasn't Pointless, Here's Why
It was a means to test their love – one they seem to have passed successfully.
Summary
- Despite being a feel-good show, Virgin River tackles many serious matters.
- The main character's miscarriage upset many viewers.
- Virgin River's showrunner believes the dramatic twist was necessary for the development of Mel and Jack's relationship.
Since its debut, Virgin River has been one of the most popular shows on Netflix for a very simple reason. It is a feel-good series that people watch to cheer themselves up and feel good about life again. And thanks to its success, VR has spanned five seasons and brought joy to audiences.
Still, Virgin River isn't as bright and shiny as it seems, with plenty of dramatic and sordid twists and turns. For example, the Netflix show delves into such unseemly topics as domestic abuse and drug-related crimes, and explores the unsavory sides of human relationships such as manipulation and lies.
In addition, viewers witnessed the epitome of the show's darker side in the recent fifth season, in which VR's main duo, Melinda and Jack, suffered a miscarriage.
Given that Virgin River revolves largely around these two characters and their relationship, it is no surprise that the show's fans were enraged by this tragedy. Obviously, the audience wants Mel and Jack to have a happy life together after all the hardships they've gone through over VR's five-season run. However, there's a reasonable reason why the miscarriage was necessary.
An Ordeal to Test the Characters' Love
Sure, Mel and Jack have been through a lot of rough patches over the course of the show, breaking up and getting back together. But because their love story is meant to be special, the couple has to endure a lot of hardship to earn that right.
'I talked with the network before I came on to the show about the storyline. First, it felt like I was trying to find a way to kind of deepen Mel and Jack's relationship, and to have them go through something pretty profound together,' Patrick Sean Smith, Virgin River's new showrunner, revealed in an interview.
Mel's miscarriage had to be the point of no return that would show the strength of their love for each other if they made it through.
'The first couple of seasons had been about the romance and then both with their respective traumas. This felt like a pretty organic way, given her medical history and given how quickly and easily she became pregnant with Jack's baby in season four, that we could ground it a little bit, bring it down to reality and have them go through something challenging together as a couple in a way that we had seen previously with Mark, that their relationship didn't survive,' Smith added.
Fortunately, Mel and Jack seem to have weathered that storm, which means their relationship will only get stronger and more beautiful as the story unfolds..
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.