Why Mike Still Proposes To Brie Despite Knowing About Her Affair In Virgin River Season 6

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Virgin River season 6.

Virgin River season 6 was recently released on Netflix, and in a shocking twist, Mike revealed that he knew Brie had cheated on him—but he proposed to her anyway. Virgin River is an incredibly popular Netflix show, which is quite clear given Virgin River season 7 is already confirmed, even though Virgin River season 6 was only released on December 19th. Virgin River features an ensemble cast of characters living in a small town of the same name, although the main characters are unquestionably Mel and Jack.

However, many other characters have become increasingly important throughout the show, among them Jack’s sister, Brie, and two men who served alongside him in the Marines, Mike and Brady. Brady has been a particularly interesting character, as he is frequently getting himself into trouble and has a nearly younger brother role with Jack. Brie and Brady were together previously, and although they had a rocky relationship, they remain one of the most popular Virgin River romances. Currently, though, Brie is dating Mike, who has just proposed in the Virgin River season 6 ending, despite knowing Brie was unfaithful.

Mike Still Loves Brie & Knows That She Doesn’t Really Love Brady

Even Brie’s Infidelity Wasn’t Enough To Shake Mike’s Faith In Her

At the end of Virgin River season 6, Mike proposed to Brie, who was carrying immense guilt because she had only just recently slept with Brady. As Brie herself said to Mel and Kaia, this act of infidelity was extremely out of character for her, but she was feeling conflicted about her feelings for both Mike and Brady. Because of that guilt, when Mike proposes, Brie decides to do the right thing. Shockingly, in response, Mike simply says, “I know.”

This was surprising not only because it means that somehow Mike had quietly uncovered the truth but also because it revealed a level of grace and forgiveness within Mike that certainly isn’t common. This raised the question: why was Mike so quick to forgive, and why would he still want to propose? The easiest answer is that Mike genuinely loves Brie and sees her sleeping with Brady as a mistake he is willing to forgive (presumably as long as she is committed to not repeating this transgression).

Brie and Mike had no such conversation before his proposal, though, which is more than a little odd. Surely, before making such a commitment, Mike would want confirmation that Brie was truly sorry for what she had done and did not still have feelings for Brady. Yes, Brie came clean of her own accord, which was likely a validating sign for Mike, but that only came after Mike had already popped the question.

Given that, it seems safe to assume Mike believes Brie doesn’t really love Brady and instead had a momentary lapse in judgment and inhibition and made a mistake. He’s also well aware that he provides security and trustworthiness, areas where Brady has been known to struggle. While Mike might be objectively better for Brie than Brady is in that sense, that doesn’t automatically mean she and Brady don’t have genuine feelings for one another. Only Virgin River season 7 will reveal whether Mike’s beliefs about Brie and Brady are correct.

Are Brie & Brady Really Over For Good After Virgin River Season 6?

Brie And Brady’s Conversation At The Wedding Suggests Otherwise

The final scene between Mike and Brie in Virgin River season 6 is the proposal, and no scene between Brie and Brady follows, which means that it is currently unclear what the future will hold for Brie and Brady. Brie telling Mike the truth seems to suggest that she is ready to put the past behind her with Brady, yet she had just before this told Mel and Kaia that she wasn’t really ready to let Brady go. Brie and Brady had also said they loved each other in the final episode, leaving their romance very much on the table.

Before the season 6 finale, Brady was also in his own relationship, with Lark. This was yet another obstacle to Brie and Brady ending up together, making it seem even less likely. However, in the final episode, Lark seemingly stole all of Brady’s money and ran off. Assuming there isn’t some very complicated explanation for this behavior, that undoubtedly means Brady is now single.

Assuming there isn’t some very complicated explanation for this behavior, that undoubtedly means Brady is now single.

One Version Of Virgin River Season 6’s Ending Didn’t Have Mike Tell Brie He Knew The Truth

This Change Would Have Concluded Season 6 On A Very Different Note

Per Entertainment Weekly, Virgin River season 6 almost had a very different ending for Brie and Mike. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith explained that, in an alternate version of this proposal, Mike was not going to indicate that he knew the truth about what Brie and Brady had done. This would have made for a very different ending between Brie and Mike.

In an alternate version of this proposal, Mike was not going to indicate that he knew the truth about what Brie and Brady had done.

Rather than ending with this shocking twist, in the alternate version, Brie would have had to decide what to do, knowing that Mike was ready to marry her when she had just cheated. This is a truly fascinating choice for the show to make, and Virgin River season 7 will no doubt reveal how Brie reacts and why Mike was so willing to forgive her. Clearly, there is so much more to come in Virgin River season 7, especially for the love triangle between Mike, Brie, and Brady.