Finally, we're getting somewhere with the Denny mystery.

Many of the storylines are starting to pick up on Virgin River Season 4 Episode 5 as we near the halfway point.

While there's no such thing as too much Virgin River, with additional installments, it's starting to feel like the storytelling isn't as tight because they're stretching things out. But we're reaching a turning point there, thank goodness.

It took a while, but others are starting to point out that Denny's sudden arrival in Virgin River is suspicious. Doc doesn't know much about this kid, but he's been hanging about for a while.

If he came to get to know Doc, then the question becomes why they aren't spending more time together.

Doc doesn't know for certain that this young man is related to him. He hasn't delved into why there was so much lying and secrecy around him having a child. And he hasn't reached out to his ex or gotten to the bottom of why he was told she died.

Doc has simply accepted that this young man is his grandson, and he's been going around Virgin River telling everyone that's the case, but we haven't gotten any closer to knowing more, and neither has he.

It was the first time that Doc even had the chance to introduce Denny to some of the others. Denny still hasn't met Hope at all.

Mel was starting to express some wariness about the situation, but Muriel was the bluntest about it; God bless her.

When Doc stated that Denny could move into the clinic, you knew where it would head. It would mean he had full access to the clinic, so it wasn't a surprise that his first order of business was to attempt to break into the drug cabinet.

Thank goodness Mel was there to catch him, but this could get messy if Doc is defensive of his grandson and doesn't believe Mel.

Hope: Everything was going so well between us, and then Lilly died, and some drunk idiot screwed up the rest of me.
Doc: Sometimes life deals us a bad hand. it doesn't mean it's okay to take out your frustrations on the people who love you.
Hope: I know, and I know I haven't been fair to you. My accident. Lilly's death, they happened to you, too. And the only way to get through that is U.A.W.
Doc: U.A.W. Us against the world.

• Permalink: U.A.W. Us against the world.

Again, who is Denny, and what does he want?

And if we're on the topic of shady people, Mike is standing out with each passing installment. Someone needs to tell Brie the call is coming from inside the house. Technically, according to the books, Mike is supposed to be a decent guy (and Brie's love), but the TV series version of Mike is always suspect.

Brie doesn't seem to read a room when it comes to Mike. She roped him into looking into whoever was behind paying Brady's bond, but his lack of commitment is glaring.

Mike is either indulging Brie because he likes spending time with her, or he wants to control what she gains access to or finds out.

Brie is savvy and knows how to work people to her advantage by getting to the assistant and planting the seeds. Something tells me Susan will come through with that name or something of value.

And Brie is right about the Calvin and Vince thing being connected. It's also worrying that someone has that much power and can dictate framing and going after Brady and bailing him out.

Brie is properly motivated since this situation involves both the men she loves. Now, if only they could find a way to get along.

Honestly, Jack was the worst with Brady. Jack didn't so much as visit him directly when Brady got out of the hospital and came home. He hasn't spoken to him at all.

Jack: we need to talk.
Brady: I don't have anything to say to you.
Jack: I need to know what happened the night of the shooting.
Brady: That sounds like a you problem.
Jack: I'm asking for your help.
Brady: I almost got killed because of you.

• Permalink: I almost got killed because of you.

And the second he goes to Brady, it's because he wants information from him about the night he got shot. Even if Jack expressed some gratitude that Brady was alive or expressed some remorse for believing that Brady shot him, it would've been something.

Jack bypassed all that, didn't give Brady anything to work, and ignored Brady's feelings completely. Brady blamed Jack for going to jail and getting stabbed, and it's not fair at all.

However, Jack didn't even acknowledge how awful he was to Brady the night he got shot.

Sure, he didn't remember saying all those things and being so callous about Brady's genuine intentions to do good. But he couldn't even give Brady some reassurance or acknowledgment then.

He wanted to keep pressuring Brady to tell him things about Vince. Jack was so dismissive of Brady and was self-absorbed. It sucked to see it.

Jack can be so stubborn, judgmental, and unyielding sometimes. Ironically, we see it most with characters like Brady, but then he always seems like he's folding like a card table when it comes to Mel, which is equally as irksome.

Brad's medical emergency ruined Jack and Mel's romantic plans. But you can't say Jack flying and landing a plane wasn't exciting.

What an adventure!

It took that scare for the two of them to broach the topic of paternity again. It's something they were due to have, and Jack finally got to express the truth about his feelings.

He doesn't want to know if the baby is his or not.

The frustrating thing here is that it feels like Jack is always relenting and yielding to Mel and doing something to appease her or rise to what she needs.

It caught her off guard when he mentioned waiting on that test, and every time they saw each other again, she wanted to pressure him into having the conversation even though he said they'd get into it later.

Mel: Look, it's probably not the right time to talk about this right now, but I can't leave this paternity issue up in the air.
Jack: Well, we're compromising, right? We don't take the test, and you're unhappy, or I give in, and ...I can't do that right now.
Mel: Can you at least tell me why? And don't say the results don't matter. Maybe it'll help me understand where you're coming from.
Jack: Honestly, I don't think I'm ever going to want to know.

• Permalink: Honestly, I don't think I'm ever going to want to know.

The conversation had to happen on her terms; then, she had to understand why he was so resistant to it after emphasizing how important it was to her that they knew the truth.

Funnily enough, Jack mentioned that they were currently compromising on the issue, but there is no way of compromising with this. Either they'll find things out, and Mel gets her way, or they don't, and Jack does.

But it already feels more likely that Mel will get her way on this despite Jack's feelings.

Jack's sentiment is valid, though. Mel may have all the faith in the world in him, and we know that Jack is a good guy no matter the outcome. However, one can understand why he'd feel as if he'd feel differently about the child if he knew the truth.

He can't be sure that he won't treat their child differently if he learns that it's Mark's and not his, and the thought of that worries him.

It's such a unique situation and one that's difficult to process. Jack isn't wrong for his feelings, and he's not implying that it affects their relationship and future together.

But from Mel's perspective, she knows that Jack is their child's father regardless of paternity. From her end, she's already coping with the fact that the man she loves is fathering twins with someone else.

In that sense, if she can put up with that, he should be able to do the same if their child is biologically Mark's.

Mel: Jack, you're hurting.
Jack: I'm not really... I'm wallowing; that's what I'm doing. I need to move, so I don't think talking about it is going to help.
Mel: That's not helping.
Jack: This. You think I have a problem. It just takes the edge off, that's all.
Mel: Jack, I'm not judging you, okay. I love you. I just don't want to see you in pain.
Jack: I love you too. Tomorrow is going to be better. I promise.

• Permalink: I love you too. Tomorrow is going to be better. I promise.

Jack is happily in denial and trying to stay in their bubble for as long as possible, so nothing else touches them, and if that means not facing the reality of their situation, then so be it.

It's such a layered situation, and Jack has all these insecurities about measuring up to Mark and being in his shadow already. There's all this stuff he never talks about with Mel and probably feels like he can't.

But at least they're communicating their feelings about this, even if it's not always the prettiest and there are no set answers.

But as a viewer, Mel has a point. We can't just not know the outcome of who this child belongs to; it'll drive us insane.

Additional Notes:

• Hope lying to everyone and refusing to go to the doctor is a lot. I don't know how else Doc can help her. It's concerning.

• Ricky is doing everything he can to win Lizzie back, but nothing is working at all. At least they'll be cute as Romeo and Juliet.

• Burt loves Shirley so much, and it's beautiful. It breaks your heart that there are so many of their patients who can't afford healthcare.

• Cameron has fallen by the wayside a bit.

• Preach and Julia are cute together. Their date was sweet, and their kiss even sweeter. It's great to see Preach with a little loving. Hopefully, the drawing of Preach, Paige, and Christopher won't scare her away.

Over to you, Virgin River Fanatics.

What are your thoughts on Mel and Jack's conflicting opinions about paternity? What's your reaction to Denny breaking into the drug cabinet? Sound off below.

Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.