Summary
An explosive installment, brimming with character development and emotive scenes. Their depiction of PTSD continues to feel authentic and respectfully thought out.
This recap of Netflix’s Virgin River season 4, episode 9, contains spoilers.
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All the moving subplots in Virgin River slowly start to fall into place in this improved, latest episode. Stacie is in town to reveal an awful secret, the entire community are on hand to search for Jack and many criminal activities are underway. This explosive chapter may very well be a highlight of the season so far.
Virgin River season 4, episode 9 recap
The ninth chapter opens with Jack still missing. Cameron arrives to check up on Mel, phoning the local hospital and morgue for any unnamed bodies. Preacher drives around town, while Brie and Brady search the river banks. Everyone is desperate to help, even Doc and Hope manage to get a lift with Muriel and hunt for their missing comrade. Within all this mayhem, Mel’s sister-in-law calls, adamant that they speak. Mel palms off her enemy, but she continues to be persistent throughout this episode.
Preacher eventually finds Jack’s truck and the bar owner is fast asleep at the wheel. He admits to drinking and falling asleep with things on his mind. Mel is obviously enraged by this betrayal and asks Preacher to look after him for the night. Jack won’t have any of it and turns up on Mel’s doorstep full of apologies. Mel tells him to leave, with things left unresolved. Later, both Preacher and Mel advise Jack to see a therapist. Will he finally seek help?
Brie doesn’t know how to help her brother either and Brady explains how marines have seen a lot of dark sights. You just need to be there for him. She tells Brady that she’s in love with him, but he doesn’t seem to fully believe her. Brie continues to search for Calvin with the help of detective Mike. They track down a possible location of Calvin’s hidden boat. Meanwhile, Brady is paid a visit by an older woman called Melissa, who says she is running the operation, Calvin has been demoted. Interestingly, Melissa looks likely to be the same Melissa Montgomery, who bailed Brady out of jail in the first place. She orders him to get more involved with the drug dealing aspect of the business, using Brie as collateral to manipulate poor Brady to do her bidding.
At the bar, Jack meets with a therapist named Barry Martinez, an ex-marine who has lost thirty men in his battalion due to suicide. He seems impressed with the man’s demeanor and honesty, agreeing to a couple of initial sessions. Denny asks Lizzie out again, but she declines, clearly still unsure about Denny’s possible drug dependency. Charmaine invites Jack to her baby shower. She brings up Mel’s secret wedding dress shopping and Jack clarifies the misunderstanding.
Hope still feels lost and is struggling to grieve properly. Tara suggests she makes a spot just for Lilly, where she can think about her in private. Muriel has decked out the bench at Lilly’s memorial garden, so Hope tries to reflect. She has an emotive conversation with a vision of Lilly, who tells her to focus on her close family and friends to find peace.
The ending
Doc is on hand to dole out some sound advice to Mel, who is still angry with Jack. They talk about his destructive cycle and fears of reliving past trauma. It’s an excellent scene that feels truly authentic, with Doc providing the perfect reasoning for Jack’s breakdown and reluctance to engage in therapy. The show continues to excel in this arena. Doc’s final words of wisdom are for Mel not to give up on him. Doc has his own troubles, asking Denny to come into the clinic for a chat. He demands answers for the missing bank statements and all the drama around the pills. Denny admits to receiving a large inheritance from his father, which he has used to pay off the clinic’s mortgage. Doc is stunned, but still pushes him for answers regarding the pills. Unfortunately there are no answers in this episode, as the filmmakers cut the scene short.
There is further drama when Christopher phones Preacher, stating that Vince is acting strangely and that he wants to come home. Stacie informs Mel that her mother has hired a lawyer to seek custody of Mel’s two remaining embryos. Mel and Jack make amends and then in the final moments of episode nine, Brie and Mike manage to track down Calvin’s boat. Back up are on their way, Calvin has been clocked. The criminal spies the torch lights in the forest and is spooked, but then the boat suddenly explodes in truly dramatic fashion. What an ending.
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