Virgin River Season 5 Episode 8 Review: Full Moon
Jasmine Blu
at
.
Never underestimate the power of sisterhood.
One of the highlights of Virgin River Season 5 Episode 8 and the season in general is that there is such a strong and beautiful display of female friendship, and it's spread across the board.
We see it often with the Sewing Circle, which was also featured lovingly with helping and supporting Mel, but more specifically, we got a circle specifically for Mel with Brie and Ava.
From the moment they introduced Ava, it felt like the series was reaching to give Mel a girlfriend different from everyone else at Virgin River who can just be hers.
And Mel and Brie couldn't be closer to each other, which is lovely because they've put in the work to build a relationship between them that's outside of Jack.
Mel Monroe has always been this character who gives and serves the people around her but is often so consumed with Jack romantically that she doesn't always build or explore her deeper connections to other people.
This hour showed she knows how to lean into her community and get what she needs and desires from the family she's forged around her.
Brie: Please tell me we're not going to go howl at the moon.
Mel: I mean, she's from Portland, I don't know.
It's something specific about girlfriends who are roughly in the same age group or place in life. The scenes with the trio felt fun and light when they needed to be with the girls, talking about their love lives or lack thereof and life or howling at the moon.
But they also shifted easily to the tough conversations and served as the support Mel needed as she worked through her grief and loss, yes, but realized that she couldn't go through another pregnancy and the process of trying to have a child again.
There was something cathartic and beautiful about the women sitting by the fire pit and Mel clinging to that paper as she considered letting go of her biggest fear.
And Ava and Brie hit it off well, which made sense given their personalities. It's a piece to this series that finally falls into place for Mel. The season has solidified the notion that different people and relationships give us different things and why they're so necessary.
Mel's scenes with Doc were also beautiful, and their friendship has always been one of the most underrated of the series. Perhaps it's because we know how long it took them to get to this place, as Doc Mullins is nothing if not a curmudgeon when he's getting used to new people.
They shared the bond of feeling unlike themselves as they fished, him opening up a bit more about how it feels to let go of the clinic and turn it over to Cameron and her getting to choose how much of her recent loss she wanted to discuss.
Doc is always so sage in his wisdom and paternal with how he treats Mel in those moments when it's just them, and they're bonding that it brings some tears to your eyes, and you can sense something is healing about that time spent together for both of them.
The Sewing Circle gave Mel this safe space to explore, finishing the baby blanket and just being this lovely cocoon of maternal and auntie energy and the welcome distraction by the glue and hub of Virgin River.
Muriel: There is nothing going on between me and --
Jo Ellen: Cameron!
When Mel said she wanted to lean into the community around her, she meant it, and it's serving her so well.
Thankfully, she's chosen to return to the clinic. As Cameron joked, it's not like she left much in the first place. He cleared the air one final time, acknowledging that he didn't know Jack Sheridan well when he prematurely judged him, but he does now; he sees that Jack is a good guy, and he owns his error in that.
The last piece of tension between them had to get resolved before Cameron could truly immerse himself in the community unhindered.
What's heart-aching is that Mel has concluded that she simply cannot go through this process again. She cannot have her heart break all over again if she loses another child.
It was evident that it was on her mind when she dismissed Jack's note of her appointment with the doctor coming up. However, by the end of the hour, she had to break this news to him.
And you hurt for them both. Mel made a difficult choice that she hasn't been able to make for years because she can't do it anymore. She doesn't have it in her to pursue this fight again.
But essentially, Jack's choice was stripped from him. All he can do is support her through hers and try to reconcile with his own feelings on the matter, and it's bound to create some tension for them.
Because Jack went from the guy who didn't realize how much he wanted a family to now craving one, specifically with Mel, and now she's shutting that down, and the last of the dreams and visions that he clung to shrivel up and float away.
Mel: Jack, I think I'm done.
Jack: Of what?
Mel: I can't try again.
The news has caught him entirely off guard, and it's the second or third time this season we saw his face drop with that type of shock and eventual pain. He's managing his emotions well, but as with Mel, how much more can this man take?
It's also concerning that Melissa and her empire are creeping up on him, and he's none the wiser about it.
It's genuinely frustrating that Mike's solution to this situation with Brady and Melissa forces Brady to keep everyone in the dark.
Not only is it destroying his relationship with Brie, but it could ruin what he's been repairing with Jack and put him at risk during a vulnerable time.
Jack can only be an asset if he knows what's happening; in this instance, the less communication flows, the worse it is for everyone involved.
And Dan Brady's just stuck in the middle while more people get sucked into this.
All those unhoused people like Lark and Hazel staying in the airstreams while construction gets underway are in a dangerous spot if they somehow see something they shouldn't.
Brady is trying his best to keep everyone safe, and it's not working.
Brady: Why didn't you tell me about it, huh?
Mike: I knew if I told you about it, you'd probably overreact, which you did. If you want a shot at winning back Brie, we gotta take Melissa down.
It was annoying that he and Mike were trying to clear the air, and Mike could only say that he didn't tell Brady about Brie because he knew Brady would overreact and that if he wanted to win Brie back, he had to keep up with this plan.
Mike isn't obtuse, making him come across as manipulative and callous, and he's gaslighting Brady on top of that. Mike knows that there very much was something for Brady to worry about as he and Brie almost made out, for goodness sake.
The guy isn't pulling concerns out of thin air here. He's had firsthand knowledge that could turn the tides in Brie and Brady's relationship, but instead, Mike is content that she seems adamant about moving on.
In the interim, he's enjoying all the time he's spending with her as friends who are easing toward something more, whether they acknowledge it or not.
Mike: I'd hate to ever get on your bad side.
Brie: I doubt you could.
What does feel like a bit of foreshadowing is that Brie stated that she doubts Mike Valenzuela would ever do anything to get on her bad side. Based on how she's been feeling about honesty, it will actually feel like a betrayal that he's not honest with her about this Brady C.I. business.
Brady is so committed to Brie that he extricates himself from the situation as Lark flirts with him. But at least he got to feel a boost of confidence that he is, in fact, a good guy.
Based on that, their lives are similar, and there's something that could blossom between them; Brady is too hung up on Brie, who has just moved on completely, which is odd.
It was a close call when Melissa's henchman forced Brady to lift his shirt to see if he was wearing a wire. This whole thing is at risk of blowing up at any minute because Brady will get found out.
In other romantic news, Kaia took Preacher out on an adventurous date that seemed to serve him well.
In many ways, Kaia brings things out of Preacher that he needs. She's good for him in that regard.
It's still hard to buy that she fell so hard and fast for him when it doesn't feel like we've seen what she was projecting, but it's nice to see Preacher Middleton this happy and free.
And he's the type of guy who could handle a strong, alpha female like Kaia. Her strength or her job doesn't threaten him, and he's traditional, but not in an offensive way that intrudes on her.
It seems they can navigate this relationship that they're building even when she's stationed somewhere else. And she's determined to do that.
But it will always feel like Jay will interfere with their relationship, and something won't click into place. It certainly won't be an easy relationship.
Cameron and Muriel will be easy if they can accept that all kinds of people fall in love in Virgin River, and it's hard to abide by a "professionalism" rule in a small town.
Doc will just have to get over it if he even takes issue with it.
It would be so sad if our fist kiss ended up being our last. Good night, Dr. Hayek.
Muriel
Cameron and Ms. Muriel cannot fight that chemistry between them, and who would want them to? Did you see that moonlight dinner?
They had a nice slow burn going, and then it just ramped up to 100 quickly, which didn't feel the most organic, but I didn't mind it regardless because they've been enjoyable.
Muriel was so damn sexy and seductive at that table, the hooded eyes, the way she was leaning in and giving him all the signals, and those searing kisses she planted on them.
Muriel is a confident woman who knows what she wants and goes after it, which is so delicious.
The Sewing Circle was teasing the hell out of her, and maybe it got into her head. Still, she and Cameron were talking one minute, and the next, they were on the same wavelength, inadvertently acknowledging their connection and giving in to it.
I squealed in delight when they kissed, giggled when Muriel kissed him again, and then left him wanting more as she sauntered away for the evening.
Cameron and Muriel may seem like one of the most random couples, but they have been similar to each other in similar situations, desiring the same things for a while now.
And there was a connection between them that's been there since Virgin River Season 4. It's actually exciting that the series chose to expand on it this season and bring us up to this moment!
Cameron: I thought that I wanted to be with her, but it had nothing to do with Mel. Her and I never had that kind of connection.
Muriel: So what are you looking for these days? I mean, real connections are hard to come by...
Cameron: Yes, they are, and they can catch you off guard.
Muriel: They can knock you off your feet.
Cameron: Just when you least expect it.
You must pry Cameron Hayek and Muriel from my cold fingers, dammit!
Denny and Lizzie also have my heart, and Denny is so smitten with Lizzie that he'll do anything for her. However, puzzlingly, he's having difficulty obtaining a job in Virgin River.
And again, no one wants to see him deviate too much from his dreams and plans just to stay there for Lizzie.
Nevertheless, Lizzie is thriving.
Something tells me when Rose gets there, Denny will have some tough decisions to make. It'll also be a long overdue conversation for her and Doc.
Let the drama ensue!
Over to you, Virgin River Fanatics?
How sexy are Cameron and Muriel? Are you heartbroken by Mel's decision? 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.
