Virgin River's executive producer Patrick Sean Smith has dropped a big hint about the identity of Mel Monroe's father.

Spoiler alert for season five part one!

In the final episode, Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) discovers that her mother may have had an affair with a man living in Virgin River, sending her on a hunt to find out the identity of her father. 

In a recent interview with Glamour, Patrick addressed fan speculation about the possibility of Doc Mullins (Tim Matheson) being Mel's real dad. 

While Patrick didn't confirm nor deny the rumors, he did seem to hint at the possibility that Mel's dad is a character audiences may have already met. 

"I think the fun of the two upcoming episodes is looking around and realizing it could be anybody in Virgin River," he said. 

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However, when asked if viewers have already met him, he kept his cards close to his chest. "I don't want to reveal," he said.

Although, he did go on to say that "everybody is a suspect," except for Jack's dad.

Patrick also gave fans an idea of what to expect from the holiday episodes. When asked if the storyline of Mel's dad will be explored, he teased: "The holiday episodes are a little bit lighter, and we wanted to play a little more comedy after the weight of this season. It felt like, if we're going to give a holiday gift to the audience, let's make it a fun one. 

"So part of what Mel and Jack are going through in those two episodes is like the scavenger hunt through Virgin River trying to track down the man who is her biological father. They're going from clue to clue."

READ: 7 questions we need answering in Virgin River season five part two

MORE: Virgin River season five part one ending explained – and what it means for part two

When will Virgin River season 5 part 2 be released on Netflix?

Part two of season five will consist of two festive specials, which will be available to stream on Netflix just in time for the holiday season on Thursday 30 November.

Will there be a Virgin River season six?

Yes! Virgin River will be returning with a sixth season. 

The good news is that the show's writers returned to work earlier this month following the end of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

The bad news is that SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors and other media professionals, is still on strike, which means the cast can't yet return to work.

Last week, talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, which bargains on behalf of the major studios, broke down. The studios stated that the gap between the two sides is "too great" to continue productive negotiations.

Until a deal is reached, the actors won't be able to return to set. This means it's unlikely Netflix will announce a release date anytime soon. 

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6. Maid

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7. From Scratch

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