Who is Mel’s father in Virgin River? The Identity of ‘Champ’ Revealed

Summary:

• Mel’s father is Everett ‘Champ’ Reid, who is introduced in the final minutes of Virgin River season 5 finale. He is a resident of the eponymous town.
• Everett Reid cut himself off without notice, but Mel is able to reach out to him with the help of Preacher’s mystery eye.
• Everett Reid is guaranteed to return in Virgin River season 6.

One of the biggest mysteries of the popular Netflix series Virgin River is the identity of Mel’s father, the “Champ.” At the end of Virgin River season 5, part 2, Mel finally discovers her father’s true identity.

Virgin River focuses on a nurse practitioner named Melinda Mel Monroe, who moves to Virgin River, California, hoping to get a fresh start on her life. The series features several interesting and unique characters, all of whom are residents of Virgin River.

Throughout the series, Mel is unaware of her father’s true identity. At first, she is unaware of even his name or where he comes from. According to Mel, her mother passed away when she was 11, and her father even before that. Therefore, Mel has always considered herself an orphan.

Mel learns that her father wrote letters to her mother, signed by the name “Champ,” at the Virgin season 5, part 1 finale. The letters included post stamps from Virgin River, leading Mel to go to the town in search of her father. After a long and tiring search, Mel is finally able to find her birth father at the end of Virgin River season 5, part 2. So, who is Mel’s father?

Mel’s father’s name is Everett “Champ” Reid, and he is a resident of Virgin River. Though he initially denies being Mel’s father, he overcomes his fear and eventually tells Mel the truth.

1. What We Know About Everett Reid So Far

As of now, very little is known about Everett Reid, as he is introduced in the final minutes of season 5. It is known that Everett Reid kept in touch with Mel’s mother through letters, and the residents of Virgin River consider him a mysterious man.

Mel finds out about her father through the letters he had exchanged with Mel’s mother. So, we are sure that he was in touch with Mel’s mother for a long time. They exchanged letters every week.

Everett Reid lives in Virgin River, but he hardly participates in any town activities, so the residents see him as a mysterious character about whom very little is known.

In Chip’s words, Everett is charming, gunny, and “king as they come.” However, Chip also tells Mel that Everett brags a lot. We also learn about when Everett Reid won the 1976 Lumberjack Games and would not stop bragging about his achievement.

To everyone’s surprise, Everett suddenly disappeared from society as he stopped paying for the P.O. box and unsubscribed from phone listings. Although no one in the town knows why he disappeared suddenly, it is probably because of the pain of losing his love.

Though no one in Virgin River could help Mel find Everett or give his whereabouts, Mel takes the help of Preacher’s detective eye to reach out to her father. But now that he’s here, we’re definitely going to see more him and find out more about him as a character.

2. Will Mel’s father return in Virgin River season 6?

Mel’s father will definitely return in Virgin River season 6. At the end of season 5, part 2, Everett Reid tells Mel he has something important to share with her. The season ends on a cliffhanger, so Everett will surely return to tell Mel what he had intended to.

Although Mel and Everett share a happy father-daughter reunion by the end of season 5, their first meeting did not turn out to be so pleasant. When Mel first reaches out to Everett Reid, he claims he isn’t the man Mel is looking for.

Their first meeting ends on a bitter note, as Mel knows he is lying. She believes Everett is lying to her as he does not want to accept or get to know his daughter.

However, we later find out that Everett did not intend to hurt Mel. He simply freaked out after meeting his daughter for the first time. He himself reaches out to Mel to apologize and accept her. Although he is still hesitant and awkward at the end of season 5, the ending hints that he is slowly getting to know his daughter.

At the end of season 5, Everett tells Mel he has something important to say to her. The season ends at this point, so we do not get to know Everett’s secret. This guarantees that we’ll see more of Everett in season 6, as the cliffhanger sets up the central theme for the next season.

Additionally, the showrunner of Virgin River, Patrick Sean Smith, shared in a recent interview with Deadline that season 6 will deal with a conflict between Everett, Doc, and Mel about fatherhood. The three will be a part of a paternity triangle, which will be the central theme of season 6.

3. About Virgin River

Virgin River is a romantic drama on Netflix that revolves around Mel Monroe. After her husband’s death, she moves from Los Angeles to the quiet town of Virgin River to start a new life. But soon, she realizes that living in a small town is not so simple.

Virgin River is based on the book series of the same name by Robyn Carr. The first season premiered on Netflix on December 6, 2019. In September 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth and fifth season.The fourth season was released on July 20, 2022. In May 2023, ahead of the fifth-season premiere, the series was renewed for a sixth season that will consist of 10 episodes.