Virgin River’s Mel experiences grief over the loss of her husband, Mark, throughout the series, and the way he died is essential to the overall narrative. Based on the book series by Robyn Carr, the Netflix romantic drama has run from 2019 to the present, with Virgin River season 7 being confirmed before the sixth season was released. The story starts with Mel arriving in the eponymous town to escape the loss of her husband, Mark.
Once she arrives, she meets Virgin River’s lovable characters, including a man named Jack Sheridan, with whom she falls in love. After six seasons, the pair are finally getting married. However, the death of her husband continues to have negative impacts on her, especially leading up to their wedding in Virgin River season 6.
Mel’s Husband Mark Died In A Car Accident Before She Moved To Virgin River
Mel Feels Guilty Because She Believes She Caused The Accident
When Mel gets to Virgin River, there is mystery surrounding Mark’s death. However, the show eventually reveals that Mark died in a car accident, and Mel blames herself. The pair experienced a stillbirth, but they agreed to keep trying to have a baby through in vitro fertilization. After failed IVF attempts, tensions grew between the pair.
In the car, Mark and Mel started arguing about whether to continue IVF. Mark told Mel that he wanted to stop trying to have a baby because of the impact it was having on her mental health. However, Mel wanted to continue with the treatments. Sadly, Mark took his eyes off the road during the argument, leading to a car accident. After being taken to the hospital, he died, causing Mel to blame herself.
How Long Ago Mark Died In Virgin River’s Timeline
The Virgin River Timeline Is Maddeningly Inconsistent
Whenever Virgin River’s timeline is brought up, guesswork comes into play. The show moves very slowly, so real-time doesn’t match the narrative timeline. Unfortunately, Virgin River also provides confusing details, like Jack’s gunshot recovery time and Mel’s pregnancy timeline, that muddy the waters.
A Reddit user called u/papabear_kr theorized that the entire show takes place in the Afterlife, which could explain the wonky timeline, if true.
Using Charmaine’s pregnancy as a time marker, the best estimate is that one year has passed from the first episode to Jack and Mel’s wedding, and two years have passed since Mark died in Virgin River. Charmaine announces her pregnancy in the first season, and she gives birth at the end of Virgin River season 5 part 2. Then, the story jumps from Christmas to the Spring at the start of Virgin River season 6.
This is then added to the one year that Mel says has passed since Mark’s death in Virgin River season 1. Based on the two-year estimate, it’s completely understandable that Mel continues to fall back into a state of despair and guilt. Healing isn’t linear, so she might never stop hitting difficult points. However, time often helps lessen the feeling of being overwhelmed by loss.
How Mark’s Death Continues To Impact Mel’s Virgin River Story
Mel Fears Marriage Because It Could Cause Her To Lose Another Loved One
When Mel arrives in Virgin River, she figures out that she’s not ready to move on after the death of Mark. With a bit of time, she realizes that she can love Jack without it invalidating her love for her late husband. Still, the trauma of her loss and her guilt about his death periodically come up. For most of Virgin River season 6, she seems to have processed most of her grief until she nears her wedding to Jack.
Mel thinks she’s ready to part with the engagement ring that Mark gave her, sending it to her sister-in-law, but the decision makes her rethink giving up her last life in favor of her future. She also worries about committing herself again, knowing that will open her up to loss again. Luckily, she finds a way to honor her previous marriage and love — keeping Monroe as her middle name — while moving forward with Jack. He also offers her unconditional support, validating her fears and insecurities.
Ultimately, Jack’s response reassures her that she’s safe with him, even if she can’t guarantee forever, allowing her to take the risk of marriage at the end of the Virgin River season 6. It seems unlikely that Mel will ever fully get over the loss, fear, and insecurity. Hopefully, the impact will lessen over time, though, with her loss having less impairment on her relationship with Jack in Virgin River season 7, which is confirmed, and any future seasons. It would also be nice to see Mel remembering not just the pain of losing Mark but the happiness in her past.
