Virgin River, one of Netflix’s hottest shows, is intoxicatingly cozy television, a parade of picturesque vistas (of Canada’s British Columbia, though it’s set in California), charming characters, horses, and endless juicy drama. Season 7, out on Thursday, largely focuses on Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson), who finally got married at the end of the last season, as they try to achieve their longtime dream of becoming parents. Mel and Jack’s journey is the heart of the season, but there’s plenty of other happenings around Virgin River to unpack from the finale.

What’s happening with the people of Virgin River

Jack’s sister Brie (Zibby Allen) has been unlucky in love, breaking off her engagement with Mike (Marco Grazzini) because she couldn’t shake her feelings for Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth). Though Brie spends most of the season single, by the finale, she’s restarted her romance with Brady. They’re determined to do things right this time—no more sneaking behind anyone’s backs. Their love is passionate and fiery, with plenty of their clothes strewn around Brie’s house. All seems picture-perfect, but at the end of the episode, when Brady is driving his motorcycle to Brie’s, he crashes, leaving his health and their relationship in doubt.

After Preacher’s (Colin Lawrence) breakout success off the back of the Food & Wine article, he has finally decided to branch out and start a restaurant of his own. That means he’s leaving the bar he and Jack started together in Virgin River. Thankfully, their friendship remains strong, and Jay agrees to buy Preacher out of the business, satisfying them both. Though later in the episode, Preacher is hesitant when going over the buyout paperwork that Jack gave him, leaving open the possibility of them continuing their restaurant business together.

One of the main conflicts of Season 7 has been Mayor Hope’s (Annette O’Toole) fight against corporate interests in their town, especially from Grace Valley, the hospital threatening to take over the small healthcare unit they have in Virgin River, run by Dr. Mullins (Tim Matheson). At the annual Founding festival, Hope makes a grand declaration on the town’s future by bridging together its illustrious past. After a season-long challenge to get the townsfolk on her side, her speech gets them to sign the petition to fend off corporations from invading Virgin River.

That’s all well and good, but there’s a bigger problem waiting for Hope, and that’s involving her husband, Dr. Mullins. After a season-long fight against Dr. Hayes (Kaj-Erik Eriksen), who launched an inquiry that got Mullins’ license suspended, Mullins shocks Hope by telling her that he’s going to work with him. It’s a decision that goes against everything Hope has been working for, as she’s finally defeated Grace Valley. Blindsided by her husband's decision, she shouts at him: “I fought tooth and nail for your legacy, and you gave up the fight without even having the decency to talk to me first.” Hope tells Mullins to find somewhere else to sleep. 

Hope finds solace in a shocking place: the arms of her ex-husband, Roland (John Ralston). Though Hope and Roland have had something of a heated rivalry for much of the season, Roland becomes a staunch supporter of Hope—especially in the finale, where he offers himself as the first person to sign her petition. She also learns that he named his horse Esperanza, which is Spanish for Hope (a detail that infuriates Mullins). When Hope comes to Roland in her time of need, he confesses that he’s still in love with her. At the end of the episode, she finally scatters her father’s ashes, but when she’s done, it’s Roland she embraces, with Mullins nowhere in sight. 

Do Mel and Jack have a baby?

The news Mel and Jack have been waiting for all season (and perhaps all their lives) is finally delivered in the Season 7 finale: they’re going to have a kid. Mel’s patient, Marley is pregnant and when she and her boyfriend realize they are not yet ready to be parents, they officially agree to have Mel and Jack adopt their soon-to-be-born son. Marley, who’s become a big part of Mel and Jack’s lives this season, also asks them for some space after the baby is born, saying she does not want to see the baby after she’s given birth: “I want you to be the first faces he sees, and the first voices he hears,” she tells the loving couple. 

This is Virgin River, however, and nothing can ever be so simple. As Marley approaches the birth, an ultrasound reveals that the baby has superoinferior ventricles, an ultra-rare congenital heart defect, which means his heart can’t deliver blood successfully to the rest of his body. He’ll have to undergo extensive operations immediately after birth. The operation is too complicated for the medical facilities in town, and even Grace Valley hospital, so they’ll have to travel to Los Angeles to get the operations done.

Later, Mel and Jack reckon with the harsh reality that their son may not live very long. Holding back tears, Mel declares that “This is our baby, and we’re going to love him whether he lives a hundred seconds or a hundred years. This little soul, it was meant for us. He found us. He needs us. Because we are the people who do the hard things, and we need to bet on our son.”

“He’s our son,” Jack confirms. “He’ll be a fighter.”

“Right now, he needs us to fight for him,” Mel says.

Thankfully, the birth is successful, and Marley delivers a baby boy with no complications. Mel and Jack get a brief emotional moment to celebrate the birth of the boy they’ve waited so long for. But before they can get too excited, they have to get into an ambulance with their new baby boy, and they hold hands as they race off to get him a lifesaving procedure. With his life in the balance, the ambulance door closes, and Season 7 of Virgin River ends.