The seventh season of Netflix's hit drama 'Virgin River' left the fate of Mel and Jack's new baby up in the air

NEED TO KNOW

• Netflix released season 7 of Virgin River on March 12
• In it, Jack and Mel adopt Marley’s baby — but learn that the infant has a life-threatening condition
• Though fans were thrilled to see Brady reunite with Brie, the finale left his fate hanging in the balance after a serious accident

Virgin River's seventh season had fans on the edge of their seats.

The popular Netflix drama premiered a new season on March 12, giving some storylines closure while blowing others wide open. Arguably, the most emotionally packed journey was that of newlyweds Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) as they adopted Marley's (Rachel Drance) baby.

As with everything on Virgin River, their plan to become parents wasn't without a slew of complications, starting with the baby's birth father coming back into the picture. Though it eventually went forward as planned, showrunner Sean Patrick Smith told Deadline after season 7 came out that he was happy to show all the "emotion" of adoption.

"So many people want to think adoption is just transactional — this is a woman who doesn’t want her baby, this is a woman who wants her baby, so just swap them out," he explained. "But there’s so much emotion going on in that, and I was excited about exploring Mel and Marley’s relationship in that as well."

But Marley's hesitation turned out to be the least of Mel and Jack's problems. Here's everything to know about the ending of Virgin River season 7, including what happened to their baby and whether or not another favorite character survived a serious accident in the final episode.

Warning: Virgin River season 7 spoilers ahead!

How did season 7 of Virgin River end?

The final episode of Virgin River's seventh season almost ended on a high note.

Mel and Jack were prepping for the arrival of their baby, Brie (Zibby Allen) and Brady (Ben Hollingsworth) had just decided to give their relationship another shot, Preacher (Colin Lawrence) finally decided to embark on a new career venture and the whole town had gathered to celebrate Founder's Day.

However, the happy times were cut short as the final moments of season 7 left two characters in life-or-death situations and revealed mounting tensions between Doc (Tim Matheson) and Hope (Annette O’Toole).

What happened to Mel and Jack’s baby?

Mel and Jack’s long-awaited path to parenthood took a dramatic turn when they learned their baby had a serious heart condition that required immediate expert care. After Mel coached Marley through delivery, the newborn was rushed to the NICU for treatment, leaving the baby’s health uncertain as the season came to a close.

Fans can take comfort in the fact that this high-stakes scenario is by design. Smith told Deadline that Mel's background as a nurse and Jack's "strong, good hero" persona made them the perfect parents to handle this kind of situation.

"I really liked the idea of a baby coming into their lives with certain challenges that certain parents couldn’t show up for," the showrunner explained, "and that I knew that Mel and Jack answer the call on something that they know is going to be hard."

Are Doc and Hope still together?

Hope’s complicated history with her ex-husband, Roland (John Ralston), resurfaced in season 7 when the town’s Founder’s Day celebration was held at his farm. Though tensions were high at first, they eventually worked through the fallout that had separated them years ago, which now threatens her marriage with Doc.

The season ended with the couple on shaky ground, as Doc chose to partner with Grace Valley Hospital in an effort to operate it in conjunction with a bigger practice.

However, Hope wasn't thrilled, and her closeness with Roland led to a huge fight between her and Doc, who moved out and is now living at the clinic.

Did Brady die?

Jack and Mel's newborn isn't the only person at risk in Virgin River. In the final moments of the finale, Brady got into a serious — and potentially life-threatening — motorcycle crash.

However, questions on whether he survived the accident or not won't be answered until season 8.

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