This article contains spoilers from the first four seasons of Virgin River.
Drama and romance lovers are eagerly anticipating the fifth season of Virgin River after being left with a number of jaw-dropping cliffhangers at the end of season four. Currently in production, with speculation flying, season five may drop on Netflix next summer.
In the meantime, we're catching up on our favorite drama from this fictitious, though beautifully scenic, Northern California small town and its entire cast of quirky, lifelong residents — diving into one of the most significant plot points over the last several seasons.
The season two finale of the popular Netflix show left viewers on the edge of their seats, hoping and praying their beloved bar owner, Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), survived being shot by an unknown perpetrator. In a shocking reveal, Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) found Jack lying on the floor in his bar, with blood covering his stomach.
Not only is Jack one-half of the slow-burning relationship between him and Mel, he is also the father to at least one baby who will be born in Virgin River in a matter of months. So, fans were anxiety-ridden, eagerly waiting for the third season to release to see if he lived.
While Jack did survive the attack, the incident has resulted in numerous repercussions over the following two seasons and has kept viewers guessing who might be the culprit. We're going to recap all of the emerging dramatics around Jack's injury and what it means for the upcoming season.
Who's the Shooter?
Through most of the second season, Jack and his former military buddy Dan Brady (Ben Hollingsworth), who used to work at Jack's bar, were sparing over Brady's involvement with the local crime boss, Calvin (David Cubitt). Brady was making money from Calvin's underground marijuana and fentanyl dealings, which Jack didn't approve of. In the fatherly and authoritative manner we all love about Jack, he tried to convince Brady to quit his off-grid work and come clean about his actions.
Brady didn't respond well, only getting deeper into Calvin's crime network. Calvin even told Brady that he wanted him to take over the underground business in the future when he retired. Jack intervened in Brady's business, losing him a sale. Calvin was fed up with Jack getting involved and started a war against him by poisoning customers in Jack's bar and assaulting a person who could testify against him.
After all of this, many viewers — and the fictional law enforcement officers in Virgin River — easily believed Brady was the shooter. Jack lost some key memories from his injuries and couldn't remember who attacked him in the bar. Virgin River fans have been desperate ever since to find out once and for all who the shooter was and why they hurt Jack.
At the end of season three, Brady was arrested and charged with Jack's attempted murder after a gun was found under his car seat. However, he adamantly asserted his innocence. And fans doubted Brady actually took such extreme lengths to shoot his Marine Corps buddy, what with all of their history.
Ultimately, in season four, Jack's sister Brie (Zibby Allen) proved Brady was innocent, and his charges were dropped. Viewers finally discover who the real perpetrator was and that it wasn't anyone involved with Calvin and his drug operation.
Through a series of flashbacks, fans finally learned the shooter was actually Vince (Steve Bacic), the twin brother of Paige's (Lexa Doig) ex-husband, Wes! He had entered the bar, and Jack, sensing something was wrong, grabbed a butcher knife behind the counter. The two struggled and fought before Vince shot Jack in the abdomen.
Paige accidentally killed Wes in season two, pushing him down the stairs to protect their son, Christopher, after he tried to choke her and hurt their son. Vince came poking around Virgin River looking for his brother after he disappeared. He went to Jack's Bar looking for Preacher (Colin Lawrence) but found Jack instead. Jack was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
What Does This Mean for Season Five?
So, now that we definitively know who shot Jack, what does this all mean for season five?
For Brady, he may eventually be released from the cloud of guilt he wore in Virgin River. And since he's in love with Jack's sister Brie, Hollingsworth told Entertainment Weekly he hopes their relationship may finally be able to blossom into something more.
"I would love to see that relationship have more meaning and explore maybe an apology or some resolution to the conflict and then go beyond that," Hollingsworth said. "I hope Brady starts to become a little bit more of a town friendly local and less of an on-the-fringe bad guy."
Now that Jack has healed, he and Brady may finally be able to put their differences and miscommunications behind them.
And while Brady's character was able to gain some sympathy in season four, after being the resident bad boy for the first three seasons, many viewers are hoping to see even more redemption for him.
Plus, one of the most pressing cliffhangers from the season four finale left viewers aching to know if Preacher and Paige made it out of their brawl with Vince alive. After Vince kidnapped Christopher, threatening to take him away from Paige unless she joined them, Preacher arrived just in time to help. A brawl broke out between him and Vince, ending with Preacher hitting Vince over the head with a piece of wood.
But viewers still have no idea if Vince is dead and if Preacher and Paige were able to escape.
And while we finally know who Jack's shooter was, fans are still eagerly awaiting season five, hoping to get answers to all of their burning questions. Read more about Virgin River's upcoming season.
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