As we saw at the end of the last episode, Preacher confidently exclaims that he wants to take the stand. In Virgin River Season 6, Episode 3, we land on the soft and fluffy side of the Virgin River that we all know and love. Jack and Mel are practicing their first kiss for their wedding day to be duly interrupted by Hope and Lizzie, who have other wedding plans they wish to discuss.
DOES MEL GET ANSWERS FROM EVERETT?
More critical and exciting news is that Pony is back for a quick moment as Mel walks her along the riverside with Everett. Mel has questions about her mum by the dozen that she needs answering.
Everett opens up to Mel about the complications of his relationship with Sarah. He explains how life pulled them apart a lot over the years but that they always found their way back to each other: a beautiful profession of, in their eyes, how fate kept bringing them back together.
Que the juxtaposition, though! We enter into a flashback and see how Sarah sought Everett out (again), and for the last time, they were both experiencing hardships in life.
Everett tells Mel how “they helped each other heal” during this last visit, and during that process, Mel was conceived.
Everett confesses to Mel that he loves Sarah too much and respects her decision to return home to her husband. He emotionally explains that he sacrificed his whole relationship and life with Mel—her first words, first days of school, her first love… for the love of his life.
WHAT DOES THE JURY DECIDE FOR PREACHER?
Preacher picks up from where we left off—the stand. Unsurprisingly, Preacher is honest and upfront. He admits to burying the body of Wes. But also confesses that he did not kill Wes.
And thus, the trial transcends into the story of what abuse looks like when the perpetrator is a cop. Both Paige and Preacher knew that Wes would’ve had the whole police department behind him and wouldn’t have believed Paige in the first place.
Then it’s Brie’s time to shine! In closing statements, Brie has to convince the jury that Preacher is a good, innocent man who was trying to save a lady who was the victim of abuse. Tapping into her own experiences with her abusive ex, Brie performs an emotionally touching closing statement in the hope that the jury will bring about justice.
Juror 1: “We’re unable to reach a unanimous verdict. We’re evenly split.”
Brie requests a sidebar in a last-ditch effort to free her friend from prison. A negotiation occurs with the judge: conviction for illegal disposal of human remains and give him community service, she pleas! The District Attorney agrees to the deal.
Preacher is a free man.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS
As we know, Virgin River has an entire town within it, which means there are additional small storylines that we need to discuss!
The first shock of this episode is when Ricky returns home from his boot camp from the army. And boy, Ricky has a hard time when he comes home – he returns to find Lizzy, the woman he loves, pregnant and growing up with her life. Something he would’ve wished for with her. During his time back in Virgin River, he told everyone he would be deployed in two weeks. However, he only confides in Jack as to how petrified he is, and how drinking has been helping him keep him “stable”.
Thankfully, in a backward way, speaking from experience, Jack knows how to support and care for Ricky, having been there himself.
The second shock of the show is short but a stinger. As Preacher is facing a murder trial, it turns out that Charmaine was in the same courthouse to obtain sole custody of her children.
Jack witnesses Charmaine telling Kelvin, who is not a happy bunny.
This side storyline rears its head again later on in the episode. KELVIN STANDS OUTSIDE JACK’S BAR AS EVERYONE CELEBRATES PREACHER’S FREEDOM.
A sad and heart-breaking moment in this episode is when Mel tells Doc how she would love for her Dad to walk her down the aisle. Again, Doc, a man of integrity, understood completely once you broke down his stubborn wall and didn’t show Mel his full disappointment and hurt.
He instead took it to Hope. The person he can confide in, undoubtedly.
Read More: Virgin River Season 6, Episode 4 Recap
