The seventh season of “Virgin River,” now streaming on Netflix, ends with the birth of Mel and Jack’s adopted son, closing on a shot of the couple riding with their newborn as he prepares to undergo life-saving heart surgery at another hospital. But while fans of the emotionally torturous drama start organizing a prayer chain for this little guy, what exactly are we supposed to call him?
Let’s look at our options: There are plenty of respectable men in Mel and Jack’s inner circle after whom their son could be named, beginning with Jack himself. With the fight that baby has ahead of him, wouldn’t a strong name like Jack Jr. suit him as he rides into battle?
Doc has also played a large enough role in Mel and Jack’s relationship to merit a namesake, but there’s something about Baby Vernon that just doesn’t feel right to us. And it’s probably too soon to name him after Everett, even if Rhett would be a pretty cute nickname for a baby.
Those are all viable options, but let’s see what the mother has to say, shall we? TVLine recently spoke with “Virgin River” star Alexandra Breckenridge about all things Season 7, including what Mel and Jack are going to name their new bundle of joy.
Will Virgin River follow the books in naming Mel and Jack’s baby?
“You know, we do take things from the books sometimes,” Alexandra Breckenridge tells TVLine, referring to Robyn Carr’s book series upon which the Netflix show is based. “So I’ll give you that as a hint.”
In Carr’s books, which don’t put Mel and Jack through nearly as much reproductive hell, the couple welcomes their first child in “Whispering Rock,” the third installment in the series. That child just so happens to be a boy named — drumroll please — David!
“I totally spoiled it,” Breckenridge adds with a laugh. “You know, maybe it’s not! Maybe we don’t go with that name.”
To be fair, Mel and Jack also have a daughter named Emma in the books, so “Virgin River” could surprise us by naming their son something like Emmett as a nod to the source material. At this point, any name remains in play, though David feels like a pretty good one to put your money on right now.
Virgin River almost revealed Mel and Jack’s baby’s name in Season 7
While it’s extremely on-brand for “Virgin River” to make fans wait for answers, we were surprised to learn that the name of Mel and Jack’s baby (possibly David Sheridan?) was almost known to us in Season 7.
“There is a name that was supposed to be revealed in the last episode of Season 7, but there were reasons why it was decided not to do that,” Alexandra Breckenridge cryptically shares with TVLine. “There were discussions about that, and then we ended up deciding that it would be revealed in Season 8.”
“Virgin River” showrunner Patrick Sean Smith is also remaining tight-lipped about the name of Mel and Jack’s new addition, but in a separate interview with TVLine, he did justify why he gave their baby a health struggle — yet another challenge on the couple’s rocky road to parenthood.
“With Mel being the nurse that she is, and Jack having the strength that he does, I always felt like a a baby that needed extra help was the perfect baby for them,” Smith explained to TVLine. “If it was too easy, I don’t think it would be as compelling or unique. We do throw a lot at them, but we also want to see their resilience and their perseverance. That’s what I hope inspires the audience to get through their own lives, because I’ve had plenty of moments where I’m just like, ‘Are you kidding me? Could you throw more at me?’ And then I get one or two more things thrown at me and you’ve just got to keep going. Mel and Jack have each other, and they can get through anything together.”
Do you think “Virgin River” will follow the books by naming Mel and Jack’s baby David, or did you have another suggestion in mind? Drop a comment with your personal pick(s) below.