Virgin River's Jack Is Wrong for Mel, Here's All the Proof
The two characters are too different to really understand each other.
Summary
- Melinda and Jack are the ultimate fan favorites on Virgin River.
- Season 5 showed that the couple isn't really compatible.
- Jack is unable to understand Mel's misery and pain.
Just like any other show, Virgin River revolves around a variety of characters. The Netflix show follows the lives of the residents of the titular town - from the mayor and doctor to the local bar owner and drug dealer. But most of all, VR focuses on Melinda Monroe, who came to town to start her life over after her husband's untimely death.
Moreover, as a romantic drama, Virgin River focuses primarily on Mel's wax and wane relationship with Jack Sheridan, as the duo repeatedly breaks up and reunites over the course of the show's five-season run. As a result, viewers can't help but get invested in this romance, no matter how awkward and complicated it seems from time to time.
Fortunately, Melinda and Jack seem as strong as ever at the end of Season 5, as no tragedy has managed to ruin their love. But it also seems that the couple isn't exactly a match made in heaven. Here's why.
Season 5 – A Watershed Moment
Although Mel and Jack stay together throughout Season 5, the fifth episode is arguably the most difficult for the couple as they experience a tragedy they haven't seen before - a miscarriage.
It was no secret that Melinda had trouble conceiving with her late husband, but her desire to be a mom never went away. So when she miraculously became pregnant with Jack's baby, both characters were over the moon. Frankly, so were the show's fans.
However, the writers of Virgin River decided to ground Mel and Jack and have them go through a miscarriage together. And while it seems that the couple's love for each other held up through the tragedy, it also proved that they weren't as perfect for each other as the audience may have thought.
A Lack of Emotional Connection
Sure, Mel and Jack look sweet and affectionate to one another. But in reality, they are quite incompatible. Thus, Jack lacks the ability to understand the depth of Mel's feelings and suffering.
Although he offered Mel his support and a shoulder to cry on after the miscarriage, Jack proved to be extremely insensitive to his partner's pain, as it took him only a few days to forget the tragedy and urge Mel to try again for another baby. Given his knowledge of her medical history, it was downright assholery to pressure Melinda into continuing her attempts.
Eventually, Mel recovers from the miscarriage and is able to find joy in life, and her relationship with Jack returns to normal. But the question is, is it the normal Melinda deserves? So far, it doesn't look like it.