What happened to Mel and Jack's baby in Virgin River season 5?

You might be wondering what happened to Mel and Jack’s baby in Virgin River season 5 as season 4 confirmed that the couple were expecting their first child.

Mel and Jack have been through a lot throughout Virgin River and have sparked plenty of questions. These range from who shot Jack in Virgin River to if Jack was the father of Charmaine's twins and whether Mel was pregnant and if Jack was her baby's dad. The answer to this last one was a big “Yes” and things were looking wonderful for Mel and Jack who got engaged in Virgin River season 4 ending. Now the first 10 episodes of the latest season have landed and fans might be wondering what happened to Mel and Jack’s baby in Virgin River.

Here we reveal what you need to know about Mel and Jack’s baby in Virgin River season 5 and where the hit Netflix drama left things for the couple ahead of the final two episodes… 

Warning: This article contains sensitive subject matters which some might find upsetting. This article also contains spoilers.

What happened to Mel and Jack's baby in Virgin River season 5? 

Ever since her pregnancy was revealed in Virgin River season 4 and it was confirmed that Jack was the father, fans will no doubt have been excitedly waiting to see the couple welcome their new arrival. Very sadly, Virgin River season 5 had heartbreak in store for them as the midwife and nurse practitioner went through a miscarriage in episode 5. After wildfires began to spread dangerously across the local area, Mel’s protective instinct kicked in and she threw herself into helping others at Doc’s clinic and rescued Ava and her baby sister Chloe from Lilly's Farm.

It was during the chaos that Mel discovered she was bleeding and later took the heart-wrenching step of doing her own ultrasound. It was then that she found that the baby wasn’t there and in a moment that likely resonated with many, Mel was visibly distraught, before bravely and selflessly heading back out into the waiting room to continue working.

Later, after being reunited with Jack, she fully allowed herself to grieve and told him she was “sorry” before dissolving into tears in his arms. What happened to Mel and Jack’s baby led her to declare to her fiancé in episode 8 that she no longer felt able to try for another pregnancy after all she’d been through. 

“This has been just such an emotional rollercoaster for me and I’m so tired,” she said. “So tired of living on hope and having my heart just ripped out of me over and over again. And I can’t do it. I’m done.”

Mel and Jack then went for a hike in the forest in episode 9 where they delved into their feelings about the loss of their baby and about her wanting to stop trying to conceive again more in-depth. Upset, Mel explained her thought to Jack that “not everybody gets their miracle baby” and that she’d tried but she had been through a “mountain of grief”. Jack reminded Mel that there are “other ways” to have a family, not just biologically, but Mel was initially adamant.

“I know that this sounds selfish and I hate myself for even saying it out loud, but I just, I always wanted a child that was my own. You know, I wanted to look down at my baby’s face and see my mother’s hazel eyes or hear my father’s laugh,” she said.

By the end of the first part of Virgin River season 5 there had been a shift in Mel’s perspective. After finding an amazing view for Mel on their hike Jack gave an impassioned speech about how they could still have their dream, even if it wasn’t how they imagined they’d achieve it. This struck a chord with Mel and in episode 10, Mel brought Jack to Lilly’s burnt down farm and declared how wonderful it would be for them to buy the land.

“We could build our home right here on this plot of land. Fill it with kids, our kids,” she said. “However they come, whenever they come.”

The time jump to what looks decidedly like the festive season saw the couple decorating the outside of their new home. So it looks like not only did the purchase and move go smoothly, but Mel and Jack are still as in love as ever and they now have a wonderful place where Mel can envisage them, maybe, trying to grow their family in some way. 

Speaking with Netflix Tudum, Mel’s actor Alexandra Breckenridge discussed how important she felt it was to sensitively portray what happened to Mel and Jack’s baby in Virgin River. 

“I felt like it was an important story to tell,” she explained back in 2022. “Not everyone gets their miracle baby. And so, talking to a friend of mine who had dealt with fertility issues, it seemed as though we were going to be talking about it in an honest way that would be appreciated by women who have experienced that.”

Alexandra reflected that filming that heart-breaking storyline was “very hard” for her and that, understandably, there “was a lot of crying”. However, she believes that after this “really sad storyline” Mel “comes out of it on the other side in a better way.”

After what happened to Mel and Jack’s baby in Virgin River the two have seemingly been brought even closer together as they grieved and started to look ahead to their family. Whether they might grow their family in the remaining two episodes of Virgin River season 5 remains to be seen.

If you or someone you know finds themselves in need of support or someone to talk to in a safe space, they can reach out to Sands via their helpline at 0808 164 3332 or via email at helpline@sands.org.uk.