But just because Mel’s seeking a fresh start in a small town doesn’t mean her life there is simple, and it’s certainly not as idyllic as it seems. Mel has a past, as do the people she meets, making for some compelling stories and conflicts. With five seasons behind it—and a sixth on the way—Virgin River has delivered plenty of great episodes, and the show is known for its twists and turns throughout the series, especially when it comes to season finales. Season 5 in particular has some of the highest-rated episodes on IMDb, with a wildfire closing in on Virgin River.
10. “Everybody Has a Secret”
Season 1, Episode 9 (2019)
IMDb Score: 7.9/10
Hope, having already read Charmaine’s letter to Jack, urges him to read it, and Preacher confronts Paige about what he’s learned of her past and identity. Meanwhile, at the clinic, Mel and Doc treat a family who has been exposed to some sort of toxin.
“Everybody Has a Secret” is an apt title for the episode leading up to the end of Season 1, as everyone’s secrets threaten to come out—and threaten Mel and Jack’s budding romance, which will become a common theme as the series progresses.
9. “Unexpected Endings”
Season 1, Episode 10 (2019)
IMDb Score: 7.9/10
In the Season 1 finale, Charmaine tells Jack he must make a decision, and Mel learns about Charmaine’s pregnancy. Meanwhile, Paige comes clean with Preacher regarding her identity and reveals she lost custody of her son, Christopher, to her abusive ex, and the two are now in hiding in Virgin River.
“Unexpected Endings” has some major revelations, ones that have a huge impact on the series moving forward—life in Virgin River isn’t so peaceful after all. It’s the most compelling episode of the season, with complications in Jack and Mel’s romance and hints at darker elements outside the town’s borders.
8. “Once Again”
Season 4, Episode 11 (2022)
IMDb Score: 8/10
Doc and Hope disagree over in-home care after a car crash caused a traumatic brain injury, and Mel confronts Cameron about how he’s been acting towards her, which he reveals is because he overheard the news of her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Paige and her son, Christopher, return to Virgin River, and at the end of the episode, Jack proposes to Mel.
7. “Into the Light”
Season 1, Episode 8 (2023)
IMDb Score: 8/10
Everyone gathers at Jack’s bar when a storm knocks out the power in Virgin River, which triggers Mel’s memories of the night her husband died in a car accident, also during a storm. Meanwhile, Preacher digs into Paige’s past and learns that she’s not who she says she is and is wanted for kidnapping.
Like other episodes in Season 1, “Into the Light” is an emotional episode for Mel, with flashbacks tying the past life she left behind to her present in Virgin River. The revelations about Paige’s past also raise more questions and present compelling drama moving forward.
6. “Heroes Rise” – 8.1
Season 5, Episode 6 (2023)
IMDb Score: 8.1/10
As the wildfire keeps closing in and getting more intense, Mel and Jack rush to get Ava and Chloe to safety. At the clinic, Doc and Cameron fight to keep Jay alive, but Doc’s declining eyesight due to macular degeneration complicates things.
5. “Trial by Fire”
Season 5, Episode 5 (2023)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
A wildfire threatens Virgin River, and everyone in town is making preparations for it. The clinic experiences an influx of people seeking treatment for smoke inhalation, and although Mel isn’t supposed to be working there anymore, she helps treat them.
Like in “Heroes Rise,” “Trial by Fire” brought more intensity and drama while also highlighting the best of the series’ characters. Just about everyone had great moments as they all stepped up and came together.
4. “Never Gonna Be the Same”
Season 5, Episode 4 (2023)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Mel and Jack get to know each other on a camping trip, and Lizzie and Hope enjoy a spa day. Meanwhile, Brady gets in touch with Mike and volunteers to serve as a confidential informant to help take down the drug ring, and Doc reveals to Denny that he has macular degeneration and is thinking of enrolling in a clinical trial that could just make things worse.
3. “Calculated Risk”
Season 5, Episode 3 (2023)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Jack struggles as he goes rock climbing with Denny. Meanwhile, a blocked road prevents a woman in labor, who happens to be one of Mel’s former patients, from getting the medical help she needs, and Cameron and Mel help deliver the baby via video call while Preacher hooks up with the firefighter who assisted.
The citizens of Virgin River went through a lot in Season 5, but “Calculated Risk” is a nice early episode with some great moments, especially between Denny and Jack. The harrowing birth also hearkens back to Mel’s own experiences and is an emotional reminder of her past.
2. “Blown Away”
Season 2, Episode 10 (2020)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Despite all that happens, “Blown Away” ends of the cliffhanger of Jack being found after having been shot. As the episode wrapped up some storylines and focused on unfolding romances, it also signaled that there’s a danger in Virgin River.
1. “The Long Goodbye”
Season 4, Episode 12 (2022)
IMDb Score: 8.3/10
In the Season 4 finale, Lizzie organizes a send-off for Ricky, and Denny comes clean with her about why he doesn’t want a relationship—he has Huntington’s disease. Meanwhile, Charmaine reveals Jack isn’t actually the father of her twins, but just who is remains a mystery.
Fitting for a season finale, “The Long Goodbye” has a lot happening, and Charmaine’s reveal ends it all on a cliffhanger, with even more questions to be addressed in Season 5. It’s also an emotional episode, between Ricky’s departure and Denny’s illness.
