He’s the man we’ve technically never met, but Virgin River has been hugely affected by Mark’s death – and it could now shape Mel’s future.

These days it’s all about Mel and Jack’s wedding. But before she became a beloved Virgin River resident, Mel had a complex life in Los Angeles. A certified nurse practitioner and midwife, she came back to life after a personal trauma that led her to Jack’s door.

They’ve been dating since season one, and their journey hasn’t been without its pitfalls (who can forget the Charmaine saga?). Now, fans will finally get to see them get married.

But nothing in this series happens without a return to the past, and Virgin River Season 6 will almost undoubtedly honor the death of Mel’s late husband, Mark.

How did Mark die in Virgin River?

Mark died in hospital following a collision with a truck while Mel was in the car. Remember, this took place before the events of Virgin River began.

Netflix

Mark appears in flashbacks throughout several seasons of the series. binge-worthy TV showbut we learn the most about her marriage to Mel in season 1. It’s indeed the reason she moved to the small town in the first place.

Much like Mel’s infertility issues later in the series, the couple struggled to get pregnant. They miscarried their daughter before starting IVF – which Mark later tells Mel he no longer wants to pursue.

Mel struggles to accept this, telling Mark in the car that she wants a break from their marriage now, it seems like they want different things. This shocks Mark, who briefly takes his eyes off the road…and you know what happens next. He died with Mel by his side in hospital.

Mark will likely be honored at Mel and Jack’s wedding

Six seasons later, Mel is now remarried to Jack – and that goes without saying. Memories of Mark will be recalled along the way.

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Mark has already impacted much of the couple’s troubled romance in previous episodes. Mel tells Jack repeatedly that she doesn’t think life will ever get better after what happened to Mark, consumed by guilt over being partly complicit in his death.

Jack assures her that she will learn to live with the loss – and he is right. Heading into Season 6 of Virgin River, the couple has never been more in love or stronger. They currently don’t have the pressure of having children on their shoulders (they had their own miscarriage in season 5), so all the energy is put straight back into their romance.

But with Melinda Monroe about to become Melinda Sheridan, Mark’s legacy will undoubtedly play on his mind. Logic tells us this is going to be addressed head on one way or another – remember Mel refused to give the engagement ring to Mark’s sister Stacie, which belonged to their grandmother .

This will probably be closer to the big day rather than during the wedding itself. Virgin River tends to tackle the ghosts in the closet in great detail, playing on people’s minds before exploding into a mess that takes forever to dissipate. If anything, Mel might be ruminating on what has been for most of the series.

We won’t know for sure until Virgin River Season 6 releases on December 19, but it’s a confident bet.

In the meantime, discover what Everett has to say to Mel and the summary on Flashbacks from 1972. You can also find out more Streaming TV Shows this month.