Virgin River Season 4, Episode 4 “Pipe Dreams” gives us our first big conflict of the season for Mel and Jack. And by big I, of course, mean not that big. This is Virgin River, after all. But with the pressure of taking over from Doc, a new baby, and getting the house ready, it’s no wonder Mel is feeling a little overwhelmed. If my husband started talking about farms as I’m trying to juggle all of that, I might lose it, too.
But that’s the theme of this episode, in a way. Miscommunications. It seems everyone’s a little out of step in Virgin River right now, not just Mel and Jack. Brie is finding that, even if she is the one who wanted to be alone right now, it’s hard to see people move on. And Kaia, well… she’s finding out that she and Preacher haven’t exactly talked about the future enough. Oh, and Denny and Lizzie have a newborn. That’s enough.
At least there’s Doc and Hope, right? Their relationship is doing better than it ever has, despite all the problems the two are facing personally. I guess we can’t win them all. Or, thankfully, lose them all.
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FINDING COMMON GROUND
But what all of our couples need is to just find some time to talk about things. Mel and Jack want the same thing, after all. They want a house where they can raise a family, and they want to have that family now. And of course, Mel is sensitive; this is a dream she’s had and lost so many times. It’s hard to let yourself believe that things are going to go well, even when it seems like they are. But she just needs to talk to Jack. They are on the same team; they just have to remember how to play together.
The same goes for Kaia. It’s fair to feel a little left out of all the plans Preacher is making, and he is letting himself get carried away without involving her too much. But she needs to tell him that. Right now, he’s too focused on what he’s gained to see what he stands to lose. A reminder wouldn’t be bad.
And as for Brie, well… it would be good if she could figure out what she wants. For her, for Brady, and for Mike. Because this back and forth has been going on for a while, and frankly, it’s tiresome.
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BAD TIMING
The thing about what’s happening with Doc is that, well… it’s bad timing for Mel. And for Muriel. And for the town, really. But that’s life, isn’t it? Things never really happen when it’s convenient for us. Instead, they just happen, and we have to find ways to adjust to them. Finds a way to process them. And yes, even find ways to move on.
Far be it for me to tell Hope that she should forgive Roland. In episodes like this, I find Hope the most relatable of all characters in Virgin River, because she’s one of the few who isn’t afraid to show us her bad side. And this angry, petty Hope isn’t her best side. But it’s a side we understand. Would we forgive Roland? Or our father? I’m not sure the answer is yes.
However, at some point, this becomes about more than Roland. Hope shouldn’t let go because he deserves to be forgiven, or even because her father deserves to be forgiven, but because she deserves not to have to walk around carrying the weight of that anger and that pain. And the decision to let go of that can be a really powerful one.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of this episode? You can share with us and leave your own rating in our Virgin River hub! And you can also let us know what you thought about Virgin River Season 7, Episode 4 ‘Pipe Dreams’ in the comments below.
Virgin River Season 7 is now available to stream on Netflix.
