TV

Virgin River Season 5 is the Last Chance to Fix Mel & Jack

Virgin River Season 5 is the Last Chance to Fix Mel & Jack
Image credit: Netflix

Mel and Jack have changed over the seasons, and their romance has changed with them.

The long-awaited Season 5 of Virgin River is just around the corner, and viewers are excited to return to the beloved small-town community. But let's face it, we need some real changes this season. First and foremost, we need Mel and Jack to make their love arc work.

Over the past four seasons, the lead couple of Netflix's romantic drama has gone through an on-again, off-again, complicated relationship that has significantly changed the way fans perceive them. While Mel and Jack started the show as the new shiny couple, perfect for each other, time and a few twists proved otherwise.

When Mel Monroe first stepped foot in Virgin River, viewers were charmed. She was that relatable female protagonist with real struggles that couldn't help but elicit sympathy. But over the course of four seasons, she has become so perfect that it's hard to relate to her anymore.

Despite questionable choices like going through with IVF in Season 3, the character never seems to do anything wrong in the Virgin River universe — and that puts Jack on thin ice. If you were swooning over Jack Sheridan at the beginning, you might be a little disappointed in him at this point. After all, how many shockingly bad decisions can one man make?

Jack spent the last four seasons dealing with constant drama and apologizing to Mel for one thing or another. It got to the point where they no longer feel like the perfect couple. However, fans are still invested in the Jack/Mel relationship and believe that both characters deserve to be happy. So the creators have a chance to fix the main love story in the upcoming season.

Now that Charmaine's pregnancy is no longer weighing on Mel and Jack, their own baby is on the way, and the couple is engaged, things desperately need to go from rocky to romantic in Season 5.

Instead of turning the whole 'you're not a daddy' situation into a source of more pain for Jack, the writers should think about getting the chemistry and romantic vibes between the lead couple back to where they were in Season 1. Of course, that would require some character development and probably a shift in focus, but it feels like the only way to keep Virgin River going.