After Charmaine went missing in the Season 6 finale of “Virgin River,” viewers were left with a myriad of questions about the character’s fate.
Awaiting Season 7 of the series, fans are making predictions about Charmaine’s (Lauren Hammersley) future — and some of them are pretty dark.
According to Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Mel on the show, the next season has not been finalized, which means Charmaine’s fate is (possibly) still up in the air.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen necessarily. I have a vague idea, but things change. Storylines change and they’ve definitely changed throughout the seasons of “Virgin River,” she told TODAY.com in a previous interview.
One thing she can guarantee, though, is “that the road to having a family for Mel and Jack is definitely going to be a big point of Season 7.”
Here’s what fans think might happen to Charmaine and how it ties into Mel’s dream of motherhood.
What happened to Charmaine in Season 6 of ‘Virgin River’?
After giving birth to her twin boys in Season 5, Charmaine adjusted to life as a new mom in Season 6. She wanted to shield her sons from their father Calvin (David Cubitt), a known criminal, but he insisted on being involved in their lives.
In an effort to discourage Calvin and keep her family safe, Charmaine started the process of taking out a restraining order against her children’s father.
The hairstylist was supposed to help Mel and her bridal party get ready for her wedding to Jack (Martin Henderson), but was a no-show on the big day. The next morning, Mel was concerned that Charmaine wasn’t answering her phone. Jack volunteered to stop by Charmaine’s house to check in on her.
When he arrived, Jack noticed that the door was ajar. Worried that someone had broken in, he entered the house and looked around. Jack then entered the nursery and seemed terrified as he looked around the room.
The season ends before viewers can see what shocked Jack. Enter: Fan theories.
‘Virgin River’ fans have a theory about Charmaine’s baby and Mel and Jack’s adoption plans
Throughout “Virgin River,” Mel has expressed her desire to become a mother, but it’s been a heartbreaking road filled with several miscarriages.
Now that Mel and Jack have opened up their hearts to adoption, some viewers are wondering if the show’s writers will continue the parenthood arc by killing off Charmaine and leaving the couple to adopt her twin sons.
One Reddit user made the following prediction, writing, “Ok, I’ll go first…. Charmaine — is dead. The babies (sic) father killed her. The father goes to prison and Mel and Jack raise the twins.”
In the same thread, another Reddit user another theory riffing on the same idea: “Charmaine has been kidnapped but the babies were left behind. Mel and Jack take the babies until Charmaine is found. While Charmaine is gone (this could be 5 years we know how they like to do her) they adopt the baby that’s up for adoption.”
Over on X, viewers were equally intrigued, with one user penning the following reaction to the Season 6 finale: “So is Charmaine dead, Calvin dead! Will Jack and Mel end up adopting the other baby!”
Another X user agrees with the adoption theory — but has mixed feelings over what it means for Charmaine: “I don’t even want to think this but did Jack see Charmaine hurt or worse and him and Mel will get the twins?”
The cliffhanger also revived questions of Charmaine’s twins’ parentage. She told Jack that he was the father when she was first pregnant, then revealed Calvin was.
“When are we going to find out that Charmaine’s twins are definitely Jack’s?” the X user wrote.
One other fan thought Jack’s frightened expression was less about Charmaine’s fate and more about the state of her house.
“I really think the plot with Charmaine will not be as exciting or shocking as people want it to be. I don’t think anything happened to her or the babies. The house was probably a mess because Charmaine was overwhelmed taking care of them,” they wrote.
What does Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Mel, think happened to Charmaine?
In an interview with TODAY.com, Breckenridge said she’s just as unaware of Charmaine’s fate as viewers, but is optimistic.
“Hopefully Charmaine’s OK. I’m assuming she’s OK somewhere. I’m hoping,” Breckenridge said.
The actor is confident that her own character will end up becoming a mother sooner rather than later.
“Mel and Jack are definitely going to end up having a child at some point. We don’t know when it’s going to be. They’re moving towards that direction. It might be a bumpy road,” she said.
In the Season 6 finale, Mel gets a opportunity at motherhood when one of her clients at the birthing center calls and says the couple who was supposed to adopt her unborn child might be backing out. She then says she wants Mel and Jack to have her child.
What happened to Charmaine in the ‘Virgin River’ books?
Since “Virgin River” is based off a book series, some fans are turning to the books for clues about Charmaine’s fate. Since Charmaine doesn’t die in the books, killing her off on the show would be a bold move, but not beyond this dramatic show.