Songbird – As this episode of Virgin River begins, Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) asks Charmaine Roberts (Lauren Hammersley) how she can be so selfish. Charmaine argues that she can only apologize over and over. She thought he’d be relieved. Jack says he would’ve done anything for those boys and she just took it away. When he says she broke his heart, Charmaine believes he knows how it feels now. It was torture to watch Jack fall in love with Mel right under her nose. Charmaine lied because she was afraid she would lose him forever. Then, she admits she hasn’t told the real father because it was only a one-time thing.

He isn’t cut out to be a father because he isn’t like Jack. Charmaine lied to give the twins a better future. Jack tells her she has his sympathy but not his forgiveness. Brie Sheridan (Zibby Allen) tells Dan Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth) that she moved so the coward couldn’t intimidate her out of testifying. Dan isn’t sure they should just assume it is Don. He promises not to let anything happen to her. During a run, Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) remembers a moment from the past. She gets a call from Dr. Kane at the Grace Valley Hospital. Mel thanks him and calls him a lifesaver for getting Ava in. She returns to Jack moments later.

Mel reveals she watched the sunrise and she hasn’t lost track of time like that in forever. Jack thanks her for supporting him through this mess with Charmaine. He admits that he went to speak to her last night. Although he couldn’t forgive her, he felt better in the morning. Mel tells Jack about Ava. Jack says he and Brie are going to hike Angel’s Peak today because she wants to speak to him about something. Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) speaks to Denny Cutler (Kai Bradbury) about their first date. He calls it a second first date and he wants to get it right. Dr. Vernon Mullins (Tim Matheson) says goodbye to Hope (Annette O’Toole) and the others before leaving.

Hope complains about the council members trying to replace her as mayor. Although she doesn’t want to see them again, she has to give a welcome speech at the community garden opening later. Hope decides to use the speech to convince the council she is still a good choice for mayor. John ‘Preacher’ Middleton (Colin Lawrence) tells Jack he is thinking about changing up the menu. He thinks he is done with dating for a while because it is too much work. Brie comes in and finds out so she tries to change Preacher’s mind. Ava (Libby Osler) tells Mel that she is ready to leave the hospital because they give her the creeps.

Mel suggests getting some lunch since it is a long ride back to town. When Vernon asks Dr. Cameron Hayek (Mark Ghanime) about the insurance claims not being filed, Cameron says Mel used to handle that. Vernon wants Cameron to handle the claims quickly. Cameron argues he isn’t a medical biller. Vernon says he always figured it out when he couldn’t do something. If Cameron isn’t going to help, Vernon recommends getting out of the way. Muriel (Teryl Rothery) interrupts when she arrives for her follow-up. Brady confronts Melissa Montgomery (Barbara Pollard) and is stopped by Gene Sackheim (Darcy Laurie). Brady reminds Melissa he agreed to play company man if she’d stay away from Brie.

Once he complains about them throwing a rock through her window, Melissa claims his disrespect is becoming a pattern. Then, she tells him she needs him to stay late to supervise another shipment. Gene warns Brady they would’ve hurt her if they wanted to. During their walk, Brie makes jokes at Jack’s expense. She assures him that he’ll have a million babies with Mel although he’d like to start with one. Brie tells him about Don. Ava and Mel get something to eat. Ava reveals she came out to her mother at this restaurant and she was supportive. Mel thinks she has a lot on her mind when she came out of the doctor’s office.

Ava reveals that she had laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis a few years ago. It’s back. She is lucky it didn’t rupture last night, but the tissue is spreading again. Dr. Kane thinks she should consider a hysterectomy. Mel informs her it is a big decision so she should think about it. Ava would prefer to talk about something else or get the check. Hope gets help from Lizzie and Denny writing her speech. Denny thinks he can help since he ran for class president during his senior year in high school. Hope steps out of the room when she gets a headache.

Locals talk about Charmaine when they see her in town. Vernon asks her to wait in his office. Muriel asks Cameron how they’re doing without Mel. Cameron claims they’re doing fine. She tells him that doc can handle a little backbone. Cameron will give it a shot, but he needs to figure out how to file the insurance papers first. Muriel offers to do it for him since she used to be a dental biller. After checking on Charmaine, Vernon tells her not to worry about the gossip mill. She feels like her life is a series of bad choices just like her mom. Vernon says the right person will see it when she lets herself see how wonderful she is.

Jack tells Brie he thinks she is a superhero. She isn’t sure he should be there for the trial because he could create problems if she loses. Brie says it is going to be hard enough to tell strangers what happened. She doesn’t want to have to worry about his reaction. Right now, she just needs his support. Brie insists she won’t be there alone because Brady will be there and he has been there every step of the way. She’d like Jack to give him another chance at dinner tonight. During lunch, Brady speaks to Jeb (Sandy Robson) about what is actually going on there. Jeb believes the job is going to put him in a better financial situation so he doesn’t have a choice.

Brady asks him to come to him first because these guys aren’t messing around. Once he gets a message from Brie about tonight’s double date, he doubts he’ll be able to make it. Jeb offers to cover for him until he gets back. They agree to watch each other’s backs. Mel tells Preacher she is sorry to hear about Paige. Preacher explains he wants a soul mate like his folks had. He tells Mel how his parents met before letting her try his mom’s famous mac and cheese. Hope says she is feeling better. She shows Denny and Lizzie her award for being the first mayor of Virgin River. Hope tells them how she became the first mayor.

It is who she is. Her job was the one part of her identity the TBI couldn’t touch. Once she finishes speaking, Denny and Lizzie agree that she should speak from the heart. Jack catches up with Mel and suggests he hasn’t really been there for Brie lately. Mel doubts this will end with Charmaine until he forgives her. Otherwise, she is going to remain a part of their lives. Mel asks him to get some of the mac and cheese before coming home. Cameron approaches Vernon to remind him he was hired to be a doctor and he is a good one. He asks Vernon to drop the patronizing tone and talk to him like a man. Vernon apologizes and shakes his hand.

He goes on to say Mel is irreplaceable so they’re going to have to find a way to pick up the slack. They soon find out that Muriel is a good fit. She agrees to accept the job. Mel apologizes to Ava for overstepping earlier. She knows it is sensitive since she has had fertility issues herself. Mel reveals that she lost her mom to cancer as well. When Ava walked out of Kane’s office this morning, she could only think about her mom. Mel says she is always there if Ava wants to talk. Hope speaks to the locals and opens the Lilly Anderson Community Garden. Denny tells Lizzie that today ended up being their second first date and it was amazing. Muriel tells Hope they’re going to discuss the matter tonight but she has her vote.

Charmaine visits Mel so she can apologize for everything. Mel says it is water under the bridge. When Jack enters the room, Mel leaves so they can have a moment together. Jack tells Charmaine he never lied to her about what he wanted when they were together, but he worries that his actions weren’t clear. Charmaine admits she has waited for a long time to hear him say that. She got her job back at the salon and put in an application for an apartment. Charmaine says she is going to make the life she always wanted. Later, Jack enjoys dinner with Brie, Mel, and Brady. In private, Jack thanks Brady for being with Brie through all of this.

Brady asks if they’re ever going to be cool again. Jack says he thinks that is up to Brady before stepping away to help the women. Brady sends Jeb a message letting him know he is wrapping up soon. After a call, Hope tells Denny she is out because only Muriel voted for her. Mel thanks Jack for being a good sport during dinner. She knows it takes a big heart to forgive someone who hurt yours. They listen to Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird. Mel reveals it was her mom’s favorite song. She tells Jack how the song makes her feel. In a flashback, Joey and Mel listen to the song and talk about the emotions they feel.

In the present, Mel asks Jack to dance with her. Mel tells him that she was like a mini-version of her mom. Chloe was just a baby before she was born. Mel explains how she felt during her pregnancy. It has only been a few days since she resigned, but she doesn’t want to lose that connection with her mom. After all, she only took up nursing because of her. Preacher hangs a picture and listens to a radio report about the Grace Valley fire spreading. When Brady makes it back, he finds Jeb collapsed on the floor. He sees drugs lying nearby.

 

Virgin River Review

This episode of Virgin River was good because it pushed the story forward and somewhat mended Jack and Charmaine’s relationships. The performances are just as reliable as always so that isn’t going to be an issue for the remainder of the series. One issue I had with this episode was Brady’s attitude towards Jeb.

At one point, he was worried about Jeb getting into the business and crossing Melissa and her guys. On the other hand, he was quick to let Jeb cover for him so he could join Jack, Brie, and Mel for dinner. It was pretty obvious this spelled bad news for Jeb so that was a little cheesy and predictable.

The episode was enjoyable overall though and the soundtrack was good. While not perfect, both episodes have been good so they will easily satisfy long-time fans of the series. This episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Virgin River are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.