Virgin River season 1, episode 7 recap: If Truth Be Told

Mel finally reveals the secret about her husband, while Hope feels lonely and Jack comes clean with Charmaine on Virgin River.

The morning after the Mingle, Joey decides its time to go home. Joey tells Mel that she and her husband aren’t connected like they used to be and that they might break up. Joey came to convince Mel to come home, but she can see now that Virgin River is good for her.

Doc takes off on a fishing trip. He needs some solitude after all the confusion with Hope and the divorce. He straight up tells her that she’s all over the map with the divorce and it’s making him dizzy trying to follow her.

Hope also discovers that her lady friends are excluding her from canasta because she’s too competitive and hanging out with her is stressful. Hope is understandably hurt but hides it well under a facade of bluster and outrage.

More from Show Snob

• The Santa Clauses season 2, episode 6 recap “Wanga Banga Langa!”
• Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 1, episode 7 preview: Non-spoiler thoughts for Part VII
• Goosebumps season 1, episode 6 recap: “Night of the Living Dummy”
• Beacon 23 season 1, episode 3 recap: “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?”
• Upload season 3, episode 2 recap: “Strawberry”

Jack keeps trying to call Charmaine to talk things out, but she’s not taking his calls. When he confides in Mel, he confesses that she was right about Charmaine and that he should have been more open with her about his intentions.

Jack gives Brady a good talk. He makes him apologize to Mel, but also he lets him know that if he wants to continue to have Jack’s support that he has to do more than try to do better. He’s late, he’s lazy, he steals tips, and he’s unreliable. He promises he’ll do better and really means it this time. But Brady goes right back to shirking duties and knocking off early.

Preacher helps Paige when her car dies. While he’s giving her a jump he finds an old ID under the seat, but it’s not her name – at least not the one he knows her by. And there are suitcases in the car as if at any moment she and Christopher are ready to run. Preacher is starting to think she’s in serious trouble.

Ricky’s grandmother Lydie calls and says she’s not feeling well and needs help. Ricky is in a panic, so Jack and Mel go help while Ricky tends the bar. Lydie has diabetes and she doesn’t take care of herself very well, especially since her husband died. It’s been 10 years and she still misses him. She just has low blood sugar, but Mel and Jack take her to the hospital for observation.

At the hospital, Mel has a flashback to the night her husband died – because let’s be honest, while she’s been keeping a secret it’s not like it wasn’t obvious he was dead – and she has a minor breakdown. Jack, helpless to do anything but watch her cry, drives her home and looks supremely uncomfortable – not awkwardly, but just like seeing her in pain hurts him too. But she still can’t talk about it.

After she calms down a bit, they take a detour to a bar for food and games. It turns out Mel is really good at pinball. When Jack takes Mel home, she thanks him for cheering her up and says that she wouldn’t still be in Virgin River if it wasn’t for him, which stuns him but makes his night.

Jack goes to talk to Charmaine, who wants him to say he’s committed to their relationship, but he can’t do that. He loves being with Charmaine, but he’s not in love with her. Charmaine implies that his feelings might have something to do with Mel, but when Jack says she has nothing to do with it, Charmaine says that she doesn’t think Jack is being honest with himself. Charmaine breaks up with Jack, saying that she can’t wait around for him to fall in love with her.

Once again, despite a fairly intense conversation with Charmaine, Jack is right back to thinking about Mel. He finds that Mel has left her gloves in his truck, so instead of just waiting to give them to her at a convenient time the next day, he makes a special stop to bring them to her that same night. He arrives almost immediately after Mel has finally decided to take her wedding ring off, which he notices sitting on the bedside table.

Mel sees him noticing and explains that she thought it was time. He says whatever it is, he’s sure they can work it out, but it’s clear he desperately hopes that isn’t the case. Mel finally reveals that her husband is dead and that it was her fault.