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Who Is Mel’s Father on ‘Virgin River’? New Fan Theory Targets a Beloved Character

We hope it's true

virgin river mel father theory
Courtesy of Netflix

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

We can’t stop thinking about the first half of Virgin River season five, which left us with countless unanswered questions. For example, what will happen between Charmaine and Calvin? Will Mel and Jack purchase land and build a home? And will Denny stay in town after Lizzie’s bombshell announcement? While some of these questions won’t get addressed until season six, there’s one cliffhanger that’s on the verge of getting solved: Who is Mel’s father?

virgin river mel father theory netflix
Courtesy of Netflix

In the mid-season finale, Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) discovers that her mother had an affair with someone in Virgin River…and that person could be her father. Fans are already beginning to speculate who the mystery man could be, but there’s one theory that stands out from the rest. According to Good Housekeeping, many believe that Vernon “Doc” Mullins (Tim Matheson) is Mel’s dad.

We know what you’re thinking, It’s too good to be true. However, there’s evidence to support the theory. To start, VR director Gail Harvey says that part two of season five (premiering on November 30) will reveal the identity of Mel’s father. Since there are only two episodes, it seems unlikely that the writers would introduce an entirely new character. And aside from Doc, there are very few people who are old enough to be Mel’s father.

virgin river mel father theory alexandra breckenridge
Courtesy of Netflix

It wouldn’t be the first time Doc discovers a relative he didn’t know about. In season four, he learns that he has a long-lost grandson, Denny (Kai Bradbury). Apparently, Doc unknowingly got his college girlfriend pregnant, and she raised the baby (aka Denny’s dad) without Doc. Denny decides to track down his grandfather after the recent passing of his father. (Denny’s dad had Huntington’s Disease, too.) So, if wasn’t for Denny, Doc would’ve never known about his lineage. Perhaps it’s the same case for Mel.

Plus, there’s something to be said about the relationship between Doc and his current wife, Hope (Annette O’Toole). She is very open about their marriage and how it took a turn for the worse after Doc cheated on her. What if the other woman is Mel’s mom? The characters never specified when the affair took place, and we wouldn’t put it past Hope to hold a grudge for 30+ years.

virgin river mel father theory tim matheson
Courtesy of Netflix

If Doc has a son and grandson he didn’t know about, could he possibly have a daughter? Excuse us while we process this information.

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