Warning! This post contains spoilers for Virgin River season 4.After the explosive revelation in the finale episode of Virgin River season 4, theories over who could be the true father of Charmaine’s twins have been circulating. One prominent theory takes evidence from a pivotal moment in Virgin River season 2 when Jack first comes to terms with the idea that he and Charmaine will be parents. When he tells an old friend the news, the friend’s reaction could hint at the real paternity after learning that Jack is not the true father in the Virgin River season 4 ending.
Virgin River was given a two-season renewal ahead of season 3, meaning a fifth season has been in the cards for quite some time. The series desperately needs to answer all the questions surrounding the Charmaine Virgin River pregnancy, primarily, who is the father? Filming for Virgin River season 5 wrapped in November 2022, and the newest installment is set to release in the summer of 2023, hopefully putting all the Charmaine Virgin River questions to bed. The biggest news that the series sees is a new showrunner will be taking over for season 5, Sue Tenney is being replaced by Patrick Sean Smith (Supernatural). Hopefully, Smith will be able to tackle the Charmaine baby arc in Virgin River season 5 in a satisfying way.
Who The Father Of Charmaine’s Baby Could Be (It’s Not Jack)
While Virgin River primarily focuses on Mel and Jack’s relationship, Charmaine’s Virgin River pregnancy has been another focal point and issue for the couple. Her pregnancy is revealed at the end of Virgin River season 1, and she identifies Jack as the father of her twins. This causes Mel to break off her budding relationship with Jack. But, of course, the two end up rekindling their romance, much to Charmaine’s dismay.
Jack and Charmaine disagree on many things, such as where to raise the babies and Jack’s expected input. Still, they eventually decide to co-parent alongside Mel and Charmaine’s new husband, Todd. But in the shocking Virgin River season 4 ending, a panicked Charmaine reveals that Todd is leaving her and that she lied about Jack being the father of the twins. With the reveal that Jack is not the father, the question now becomes who exactly is the birth father of Charmaine’s twins in Virgin River?
Mike’s Reaction To Charmaine’s Pregnancy Was Too Big To Be Nothing
While many theories have been circulating, the answer may already have been hinted at in a previous season. In Virgin River season 2, episode 5, “Can’t Let Go”, LAPD officer and military friend of Jack, Mike (Marco Grazzini) is introduced. Jack reveals to Mike that Charmaine is pregnant, and his reaction is quite telling. This could hint at Mike being the true father of Charmaine’s twins among the existing members of the Virgin River cast.
At first, Mike is surprised when Jack says that Virgin River’s Charmaine is pregnant. He immediately raises his eyebrows and lifts his arms in shock. He then makes a little nervous laugh before saying, “I didn’t know you were still seeing her.” During this line, he almost appears sad. The reaction is so big and unexpected that it feels like a noteworthy moment.
While this theory may initially seem like grasping at straws, Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Mel in Virgin River, did reveal (via Glamour) that the birth father of Charmaine’s twins is someone who already exists in the Virgin River universe. Given the small number of eligible men in the town and Charmaine’s known Virgin River timeline, that leaves few options for the true paternity of Charmaine’s twins. Since Mike is actively investigating the underground drug ring happening at Emerald Lumber, he is in the Virgin River area quite a bit. He could have easily crossed paths with Charmaine.
Mike’s past with Jack would also explain the sadness expressed when Jack initially reveals the news. After serving in the military together, the two remain close. Mike wouldn’t want to hurt Jack, including infringing on his possible relationship with the Charmaine Virgin River character. He thought the pair was broken up, which is why he questioned them still being together. Now that the truth of the twin’s paternity has been revealed, it’s clear Charmaine initially lied to try and win Jack back from Mel. And since Jack lives in Virgin River, he also would have been a more secure father than Mike, who lives in Los Angeles. With Todd now out of the picture, Virgin River season 5 will surely address who Charmaine’s twins’ birth father is.
What’s Been Revealed About Virgin River Season 5?
The clock is ticking when it comes to revealing who the father is in the Charmaine Virgin River pregnancy arc. Virgin River season 5 has an obligation to answer all of these questions. As previously mentioned, while there’s no concrete release date yet for Virgin River season 5, Netflix has promised that the series will land on the streaming service sometime in 2023. The principal cast of Virgin River characters from season 4 will be returning, such as Mel, Jack, Doc, Charmaine, etc.
That being said, the newest character, Melissa Montgomery (Barbara Pollard), will be playing a bigger role in the upcoming season in terms of causing some trouble for Jack. New showrunner Patrick Sean Smith has reported that there will be no time jump between Netflix’s Virgin River seasons 4 and 5, meaning the Charmaine pregnancy arc will pick up right where it left off.
The Virgin River Showrunner Teased A Lot For Charmaine’s Twins In Season 5
Because of the compressed nature of Virgin River’s timeline (Charmaine, after all, has been pregnant since the first season of the show), a time jump won’t be used to get beyond Virgin River’s season 4 cliffhanger. Instead, Charmaine’s twins will be a big part of the character’s storyline, or rather, the fallout of her lying about them will be.
Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith answered some questions for TV Line, teasing the future events of the show. Though Smith had to be vague, he did reveal the show will “look at Jack’s investment in what the twins meant to him, as well as how Charmaine challenged him for so long in that relationship.” The series will have to deal with Jack’s connection to Charmaine, not just what happens to Charmaine next in Virgin River. The lie about the paternity of Charmaine’s twins will likely push them farther apart, leaving the audience to continue to speculate about the father of Charmaine’s twins until the show decides to make the big reveal.