In true Virgin River fashion, the latest batch of new episodes delivered several jaw-dropping reveals that will have fans gasping at their screens. But long after the finale’s end credits rolled, one Season 5, Part 2 twist is still haunting me. Before we dive headfirst into the chaos, consider this your warning that Virgin River Season 5, Part 2 spoilers lie ahead.
Between Preacher getting the call that authorities finally identified Wes’ body to Mel’s biological dad seeking her out and prepping to drop a truth bomb, the closing scenes of Virgin River‘s Season 5 finale set up major Season 6 storylines. But the twist that concerns me the most, the one I keep replaying over and over in my head, is the reveal of Hazel’s father and Lark’s potential betrayal of Brady.
As noted in our Season 5 Ending Explained, the finale closes with a romantic montage of happy Virgin River residents, including Brady and Hazel playing checkers. Spirits are bright, but things take a dark turn when Lark excuses herself to take a phone call from a familiar face in prison. “How’s our little girl doing? And how’s Brady?” the man asks. “Hazel’s doing good. She had a pretty magical Christmas… He doesn’t suspect a thing,” Lark says, teeing up his evil laugh.
Excuse me, WHAT? Who is Hazel’s dad? Who is Lark talking to on the phone? And is a Brady takedown plan in the works?! I’ve got one word for you, Virgin River fans: Jimmy!
After Brady helped rescue Hazel during the wildfires earlier in Season 5, he (and viewers) got to know Hazel and her mom Lark a bit as he and Brie drifted apart. Before the Part 2 time jump revealed that Brady and Lark were full-on dating (things are now so serious that Lark wants him to meet her mom!) we knew that Lark was a single mom, but we didn’t have details on Hazel’s dad — until now.
Judging by that unexpected finale phone call, it seems Hazel’s dad is none other than Jimmy! Don’t remember anyone on Virgin River named Jimmy? The town is packed with people and the cast is growing larger every season, so we get it. Here’s your official Jimmy refresher.
Jimmy, played by actor Ian Tracey, is yet another intimidating crime-connected man in Virgin River. When Mel arrived in town, Jimmy was extremely tight with the recently revealed father of Charmaine’s twins, Calvin (David Cubitt). But when Brady started working for Calvin and receiving more and more of his attention, Jimmy’s jealousy took over and he and Brady started to clash.
After Jack was mysteriously shot in Season 2, the town briefly thought Jimmy was responsible. But police found no evidence, and though Jimmy threatened Jack and Mel, he was ultimately released from custody after presenting an alibi. Jimmy eventually landed himself in prison and Brady was wrongfully arrested for the attempted murder of Jack. So the two got into a fight in the prison yard, which resulted in a brush with death for Brady after Jimmy’s cousin stabbed him!
Later in the season, after Brady recovered and was set free, he tried to assist Mike and get Jimmy to turn on Calvin and cut a deal with the FBI. “I am walking free, and you? You’re just a dog in a cage,” Brady told Jimmy. “Calvin doesn’t need you anymore. How long you think he waits before he puts you down?”
Though Jimmy acted tough in the moment, Mike later informed Brady that he took the deal and gave them a lead on Calvin’s possible location. It’s clear the two still have unresolved beef, though. And now that Calvin is free, perhaps Jimmy decided to reignite his feud with Brady — with a little help from Lark.
Worried about Brady ahead of Season 6? Join the club! When Decider interviewed Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith ahead of Season 5, Part 2’s drop, he assured us our worries are valid.
“He’s a guy who’s broken and has come from a really rough life and is trying to do the best that he can and is running into the limitations of his experience,” Smith said when asked about Brady. “I was excited for Season 5 to feel a little bit like a redemption story for his character after so many seasons of him just making wrong choices and kind of letting people down. And now that there’s this threat, it’s a question of how Brady’s going to react. Is he still going to continue to be the guy that’s on the up and up or is he going to go back to Shady Brady?”
Sounds like we’ll have to wait and see which path Brady takes. Until then, Virgin River Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix for all your rewatch needs.