This Virgin River Theory About Mel’s Father Has Reddit Divided

If Virgin River’s going do one thing, it’s drop game-changing mysteries during end-of-season cliffhangers, like Who shot Jack? in Season 2 and Is he the father of Mel’s baby? in Season 3. But in Season 5 Part 1’s final moments, the beloved Netflix drama teased arguably its biggest puzzle yet: Mel’s dad might be someone her mom had an affair with years ago, who lives in Virgin River.

While looking through their mom’s old letters, Mel’s sister, Joey, stumbled upon the discovery, and the upcoming holiday special trailer seems to confirm that Mel will find her biological father. “He’s still right here in Virgin River,” Preacher says. Mel looks happy about whoever the mystery man is.

Fan Theory 1: Doc

But who could he be? The show takes place in a small town, so it’s unlikely that viewers haven’t met him. In a recent Reddit post, user u/Green-Papaya-9908 said their “mind went straight to Doc.” Another post also suggested Doc as a possibility. “I’ve always felt he and Mel had an interesting, almost father/daughter like bond/relationship,” wrote the fan, noting how Doc’s always been “protective” over Mel.

But several commenters have noted that Doc just had the long-lost-child storyline with his grandson Denny, so it’d be predictable to repeat that.

Fan Theory 2: Nick

Nick — Mel and Jack’s friend and glamping business investor — is another intriguing candidate. Users pointed to one specific Season 5, Episode 9 scene as potential evidence: Here, Hope is complaining to Jo Ellen (Nick’s wife) about Doc’s ex not revealing she had his child all those years ago. “Can you imagine keeping a secret like that?”

“I’ve always wondered what my life might be like if Nick and I were able to have children,” Jo Ellen responds. “But to actually discover you have a child that no one ever told you about? It’s unimaginable.” User u/mregghead_ pointed out that it would be “perfect foreshadowing” for Nick to be Mel’s long-lost father.

There’s another reason why Nick being Mel’s father makes sense. In a Netflix interview from set, Martin Henderson (who plays Jack) teased Mel and Jack’s journey for the two-part holiday special, which drops on Nov. 30. “Mel and Jack are on a scavenger hunt for a very personal [thing] — I can’t give it away, though — which leads them to all sorts of new and unexpected histories of Virgin River. A few skeletons in the closet.”

That “personal thing” has to be Mel’s dad, right? The fact that Henderson mentioned the town’s history suggests that the mystery man is part of the fabric of Virgin River, which Nick very much is. Plus, the whole “skeletons” comment points to a dramatic reveal, which wouldn’t be the case if Mel’s father were some random guy fans had never met.