Virgin River – Season 6 Episode 1 “Hope Springs Eternal” Recap & Review

Hope Springs Eternal

Episode 1 of Virgin River season 6 starts with Mel and Jack excitedly talking about their wedding as Mel heads for her dress fitting. She invites the ladies from the sewing circle and Brie. Unfortunately, the shop delivers the wrong dress, but the sewing ladies offer to step in and create Mel’s dream dress for her. However, everyone is curious if Mel’s dad, Everett, will attend the wedding. This brings her back to when her dad confessed that he feels uncomfortable with the people in town because he hurt them in the past. He is especially wary of Vernon.

Meanwhile, at the barn with Preacher, Jack is working on the roof. They are worried about Preacher’s upcoming trial and if he will make it to the wedding. Preacher is putting on a brave face though and promises to be there. He better be, since he is the best man.

Jack is not the only one worried about Preacher’s fate though. Kaia runs into Brie at the restaurant and asks for her opinion. As Preacher’s lawyer, Brie is hopeful that the prosecution has circumstantial evidence and she can win the case. However, she later admits to Mike that she is nervous.

At the hospital, Hope and Vernon get good news. He is better, and it is a reason to celebrate. As for Lizzie and Denny, they are going strong. She is heavily pregnant and due for a test.

In the evening, Jack and Mel return home and get ready to have dinner at Everett’s place. Mel has noticed that Everett is not forthcoming when it comes to talking about her mom. She wants to know more about his history with her mom and find a way to honour her at the wedding.

At the dinner, Mel notices Everett’s breathing is off, and he is still tight-lipped about his past. Still, he shares that he was a musician and in a band that went on a few tours.

At the fire station, Kaia and Brady discuss how a secret ruined his relationship with Brie. At the clinic, Vernon informs Mel and Muriel that Cameron is doing well wherever he is and he won’t be returning. Everyone worries about Muriel, but she insists she is over her heartache. Still, the sewing circle ladies decide to meddle and find her a boyfriend.

Later in the day, Mel brings up Everett while talking to Vernon. She is worried that Everett is sick but unwilling to accept help. She opts to visit him, and as they talk, he starts struggling to breathe. She rushes him to the clinic, and she and Vernon treat him. He has atrial fibrillation; they perform cardioversion, and Mel drives him home later. She offers to spend the night, but he sends her home. He promises to tell her more about her mom the next day.

Jack and Preacher continue fixing the barn. Jack asks Preacher to consider giving up Paige, but he refuses. He asks Jack to have more faith in how things will turn out.  

At the restaurant, Brady informs Lark that the insurance cheque has finally come through. He is hoping to buy an old garage and turn it into a motorcycle shop. He believes the money will do them a lot of good.

In the meantime, Lizzie convinces Denny to think about asking Vernon to hire him as an intern at the clinic to get experience since he is interested in emergency medicine.

Meanwhile, Hope rescues a horse, Sugar, that got injured and lost since the fire. She brings Sugar to Jack’s barn and begs Mel and Jack to keep Sugar until she can find him a home. The couple agrees as long as Hope does so by the wedding day.

In the early morning, Jack sneaks out of bed and finds Preacher finishing up the roofing at the barn. Preacher is anxious about his trial and wants to finish the project before he learns his fate. He finally admits he is scared, and Jack assures him that he has his back.

The following morning, Hope and a few Virgin River residents surprise Vernon with an anniversary party to celebrate 30 years since he opened the clinic. Later, Mel and Everett go on a walk, and he opens up about Sarah, Mel’s mom. He tells her that his love story with Sarah started long before those letters.

The episode ends with Lark visiting Jimmy in prison to inform him that Brady’s insurance money has come through. Meanwhile, Preacher’s trial is a few minutes away when Brie learns that the prosecutor has added Jack as their witness. Of course, everyone is shocked to hear this and curious about what the prosecutor is planning.

The Episode Review

Virgin River is back and picking up where we left off. This season will heavily lean on Mel’s reunion with her biological dad. I am curious to see why Vernon doesn’t like Everett though. There seems to be bad blood between the two, but why?

We also have Mel’s and Jack’s upcoming nuptials. It has been a long journey, but they are finally walking down the aisle.

Elsewhere, we also have the drama involving Preacher. Hopefully, they will wrap up the whole Preacher-Paige storyline this season and to be honest, it’s time he moves on, and Kaia seems like an amazing woman.

It will be interesting to see how Jack’s testimony will turn things in this case. The prosecution is out to get Preacher and will probably use sketchy ways to pin Wes’s murder on him.

Lastly, Lark is out to carry out Jimmy’s revenge on Brady. Sadly, Brady is planning on starting a life with her and Hazel. He has no clue she is a snake in the grass, just biding her time, waiting to strike.