Virgin River features many romantic couples, but perhaps the most central one is Melinda and Jack. Mel arrived at Virgin River to get away from her grief and to start a new chapter of her career as a nurse practitioner. Of course, not all in Virgin River is as idyllic as it seemed when she applied, and she isn't initially welcomed by everyone.
However, Jack welcomes her from the start. The two have a connection, a spark, but as any good romance goes, they're complications along the way to prevent the happy ending. Are they a strong couple, or should they not be together?
When Jack has a meltdown at his annual veteran's reunion and insists on rafting through dangerous rapids, his friend, Preacher, knows who to call in order to talk Jack down. Preacher calls Mel, and she immediately rushes to help him. While Jack wouldn't listen to his friends, he listens to Mel. Although he isn't able to talk to Mel about the extent of his guilt and PTSD, he lets her comfort him.
Likewise, Jack recognizes that Mel is still dealing with her grief over her husband's untimely death. When Mel's sister in law comes to Virgin River, demanding that Mel give her wedding ring back as it had been a family heirloom, Jack is there to listen and advise. He tells her what she needs to hear and supports her decision to keep the ring.
While Jack was falling for Mel, he was trying to end his non-serious relationship with Charmaine. The problem is that Charmaine viewed their relationship as more serious than he did. She also hoped for it to be even more serious, especially after she discovered that she was pregnant.
Jack promised to help Charmaine and to be there for the twins once they were born, but he didn't want a romantic relationship with her. Still, he had been thinking of living with her in order to help raise the twins. It is a complicated situation, and perhaps one that demands more of his full attention than a new relationship with Mel.
Although Jack had always harbored an attraction to Mel, they both started as friends. Jack helped Mel out with improving her living quarters, making it be a space where Mel could feel at home and also want to stay. Mel counted on Jack a lot for help in the beginning.
The two also would have serious heart-to-heart conversations as friends. This transformed easily into romantic love, and, because their relationship started in friendship and not merely attraction, the two were able to get to know one another much better.
The town divides in its alliances between Charmaine and Jack; and Mel and Jack. Since it's a small town, the people are really in the middle of this personal business. On one hand, Charmaine is a local and pregnant, so many feel that Jack should be with Charmaine, including some of his friends. On the other hand, Mel has charmed the town with her medical know-how and bravery, and people notice how much he cares about her.
Still, for Mel, who is new to the town, this isn't a good space to be in.
Apart from believing in each other's kind characteristics, they believe in each other's abilities and know-how in their careers. Mel encourages people to go to Jack's restaurant, and Jack really believes in Mel's ability as a nurse practitioner with specific skills in working with difficult pregnancies.
He even encourages Charmaine to go to Mel for help with the pregnancy. Although it's a difficult situation, Jack's faith in Mel's skills helps Charmaine consider and agree to such an awkward situation.
This relationship won't be a casual one; based on their intense feelings for each other, it'll be a serious commitment. While Jack seems on board for such a commitment, Mel is new to the community. Could this immediate relationship hinder her connections with the rest of the community, where she becomes recognized as Jack's girl, rather than the strong and capable person she is?
Could this commitment cause the two to be too serious and jump into immediate coupledom, rather than getting to know each other even more through dating?
While they aren't pushing each other to overextend, they do push each other to be better. They challenge each other. For instance, Jack is honest with Mel about how he felt when she left, which then pushed her to be honest with herself as well as with him.
Mel challenges Jack to mend fences with Hope, even while he's still struggling with his feelings about his friend, Hope. He may not have liked her challenge, but, eventually, he listened to Mel, and he was then willing to give Hope another chance.
Jack has opened up a little bit about his PTSD, feelings of guilt, and feelings of grief with Mel. However, he still keeps so much bottled up. This could result in Jack pushing Mel away. By denying it or hiding it, he is making it a bigger obstacle between the two of them.
Jack needs to work on himself in order to make this relationship with Mel work. So far, he has a long way to go.
All in all, these two love each other, even when they try not to act on those feelings. Mel tries to just be friends with Jack, but she can't argue with how she feels about him, even though the timing isn't the best. Jack's close friend, Preacher, tells him, "you got to let her go. This whole thing between you and Mel, maybe it's not meant to be." To which, Jack interrupts his friend, "Preach, I'm in love with her, man."
Preacher is acting as a concerned friend, but any argument doesn't stand to that confession. Jack is willing to wait for Mel since he loves her. While Mel is a little more hesitant, she loves him as well.
Mel loved her husband, and he died unexpectedly. He was the person with whom she expected to live her own life, the person she expected to grow old with. She's in Virgin River to gather the pieces of herself back together, to escape the grief, but also to deal with the grief.
Even though she has feelings for Jack, her husband didn't pass away that long ago, and she still misses him. On the day of the anniversary of his death, receiving a piece of mail for him that was forwarded to her Virgin River address hits her, making her want to just stay in bed. She loves Jack, but she may not be ready for that love quite yet.
