Summary
“Rumor Has It” shows the town coming together for a large picnic, which means plenty of gossiping and rumours.
This recap of Netflix’s Virgin River season 2, episode 4, “Rumor Has It” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
While out on a jog, Mel sees Jack fishing at the lake and speaks to him. She’s worried because she hasn’t seen him around for a couple of days. Jack is worried about having twins and what it means for him and Charmaine. He believes they are going to have to live together. Mel tells him to learn how to ask for help in what she sees as a supportive community. After this enlightening conversation, Jack shows Mel how to fish. No matter what these two do to keep away from each other and remain friends, they always find themselves alone.
Charmaine gets straight to the point
Charmaine asks Jack about fishing and sarcastically says Mel is “being thoughtful” by joining him. She then gets straight to the point and asks Jack if he’s slept with her. He admits that they have once but that he doesn’t want to discuss his personal life as his intentions are not to hurt her. Jack then tells Charmaine that it’s a bad idea for him to stay the night as he wants to maintain boundaries. The whole dynamic at this point is so dysfunctional, and it almost feels impossible that there will be a resolution.
The second date
Doc and Muriel attend a music concert, and Doc opens up about his love for certain instruments. Jo Ellen is watching them both in the distance, and she starts gossiping. Afterward, it’s the Virgin River Community Picnic, and Hope launches it. Jo Ellen tells Hope that Doc was very friendly with Muriel. She makes out like they were canoodling. The whole cover-up is starting to backfire here, but Hope cannot see it. She’s too wrapped up in the secret.
Helping out
At the picnic, the community is taking funds to help the Hamilton family. The family suffered from a bad storm and need reparations for their home. While Mel helps out with the money collection, she meets a woman called Jamie — she’s spending time at Virgin River once a month to clear her head. But something is irking Mel; she feels like everyone is looking at her. Her paranoia is heightening as Jo Ellen tells Mel that she’s “on her side”. “Rumor Has It” shows how incestuous this community has become — everyone knows each other’s business.
Lilly’s “Good news”
Lilly attends the picnic, and Jack checks up on her. She’s excited that she got an offer on her farm from a lumberyard business — Brady is leading on the business transaction. Jack is concerned as he knows Brady is now part of the drug gangs.
Teams
Mel asks Ricky why people keep on telling her that they are “on her side”. Ricky doesn’t want to be involved, but Mel persists; rumours are flying around that Mel slept with Jack and stole him off Charmaine. There are a Team Mel and a Team Charmaine in town. Mel confronts Jack about the teams. Jack reveals that he told Charmaine because he didn’t want to lie to her. Mel tells Jack that Charmaine is not okay with it and he asks him to “muzzle his girlfriend” in anger. Virgin River season 2, episode 4 is not giving Jack a break from all the drama at all.
The egg relay prep
While Doc trains Muriel on the egg and spoon relay, Hope comes over and tells him that he should do the egg and spoon relay with her, so the whole town doesn’t believe they are together. At this point, it seems absurd that Hope is putting so much effort into a cover-up. Ricky, who is infatuated at this point, asks Lizzie if she’d like to do the egg and spoon relay, but she has her attention on Brady. She approaches him, and they are instantly flirting with their introductions.
The egg relay begins
After apologizing to Jack, Mel asks him to be his partner for the egg relay. Doc has to ask Muriel to be his partner. Meanwhile, Rick looks for Lizzie, but she’s too busy sitting on a bench with Brady. She asks for a beer, but he asks about her age, and she jokes that she’s 23. The egg relay begins and Mel and Jack win. Doc is disappointed because he was champion for 7 years. Afterward, Hope speaks to Jack about how important the egg relay was to Doc, but she didn’t realize. One of the key elements of this series is that Hope has zero self-awareness at all.
“It’s a legitimate offer”
Jack confronts Brady about the offer Lilly has for her farm and wonders if Calvin is behind Emerald Lumber. Brady says it’s a legitimate offer. Jack walks up to Brady and states that he doesn’t like people he cares about being lied to. These two are going to fight soon, aren’t they?
Charmaine fires Mel
Mel confronts Charmaine about spreading a rumor of taking Jack off her. She asks her to keep her name out of her mouth. Charmaine tells Mel that she isn’t going to win. Mel asks Charmaine if she wants the best for Jack which offends Charmaine, so she fires her as her midwife. Every time these two women find common ground, they are then instantly at war with each other about something else.
The ending
Jack heads over to Mel’s place. Mel admits to him that she went to see Charmaine and said her piece. Suddenly, Mark’s sister Stacey comes over, and there’s tension. Jack immediately leaves, and Stacey says that Jack is hot. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other since the funeral.
Jack heads over to Charmaine’s place and offers to stay on the couch on one condition — no more gossiping about Mel. Charmaine tells Jack that he seems to care more about Mel, while she’s in bed, pregnant and sick. Jack reiterated that wants her to put a stop to it, and she agrees. He’s trying to put his foot down, but it’s evident that it is not going to work.
Stacey tells Mel that she’s engaged. She shows the ring; Mel wonders why she isn’t wearing it. Stacey explains how it doesn’t feel right and brings up the ring Mark gave Mel for her engagement that was their grandmother’s. She tells Mel that she’d like the ring back — it seems Mel isn’t getting a break either.
Virgin River season 2, episode 4 shows the town coming together for a large picnic, which means plenty of gossiping and rumors. The story so far seems to suggest that there is trouble coming from the drug gangs and that Charmaine has a chance of legitimately stopping Mel and Jack from being together. On the other side, Hope is slowly ruining her newfound relationship with Doc with all the cover-ups and using Muriel as cover. There’s plenty to play for still as we reach the halfway point of Season 2.
The Virgin River Diaries
- Lizzie asks Mel if she can attend the clinic and wants full confidentiality.
- Ricky has a crush on Lizzie, and Jack tells him to talk to her.
- Preacher is still fretting over the Paige/Wes situation. Connie makes matters worse by bringing up Wes again.
