She also brings up previous storyline and scene changes that she had helped bring about.
What was Breckenridges reaction when she heard the storyline of Mels pregnancy ending in a miscarriage?
But I felt a responsibility to women who experience infertility especially, to be as grounded as humanly possible.
Virgin River. Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe in episode 505 of Virgin River.Netflix
Why did new showrunner Smith and his writing team decide to put Mel and Jack through the traumatic experience?
Was successful pregnancy for Mel considered?
BRECKENRIDGE: We changed showrunners, and we have a lot of new writers.
Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge in Episode 509.Netflix
I think the original plan with our previous showrunner was to keep the pregnancy.
But things in television change constantly.
I think that theyre going to start a family in the future in a different way.
So I think thats a powerful story point.
This is not the first time the storyline involving Mels pregnancy had been changed.
BRECKENRIDGE: In Season 4 originally the writers were going to have it be Marks baby.
I was pretty upset about that.
And then by the end of the season, they changed it to Jacks baby.
This was still at a point where we didnt think she was going to end up having a miscarriage.
That scene where I tell him that I love him was very different when I first got that draft.
I started talking about Mark in the middle of it.
It doesnt make sense, youre going backwards.
Theres been a lot of that over the years.
BRECKENRIDGE: I think it was just human instinct and empathy.
I approached it as sort of a shock, I think she was in a little bit in shock.
And I guess thats where the subtlety came from, she doesnt want to believe it.
But she knows and then she goes into the office and uses the ultrasound to confirm it.
Thats how I approached it, because thats what I know.
I havent talked about that yet publicly, I will eventually.
Yeah, I didnt have to do a lot of quote unquote, acting, so to speak.
In that moment, it was all just very real to me.
Here is Breckenridges take on the emotional scene.
Ive known doctors, and Ive known nurses, and I know that that is their operating basis.
And she just crumbled into him.
and I think that speaks to how strong their relationship is.
Sometimes not as nice.
Its such a huge overall theme for her, and Jack knows that.
But you only have so many hours, so many minutes in a television show.
How does Breckenridge feel about Cameron and Mel learning to coexist and Cameron and Muriel finding love?
But it wasnt just she left the practice because of him but also because of the pregnancy.
But I felt that the high-risk nature of her pregnancy made it pretty obvious that she should step back.
Mels paternity bombshell dropped in the Part 1 finale came seemingly out of nowhere.
Did Breckenridge have any objections to the father twist when she first heard about it?
BRECKENRIDGE: Not necessarily, I wouldnt say I had objections to it.
Also, I think its such a bomb for her to understand that her mother was having an affair.
Its a huge deal.
Also, theres all of the stuff with Brie and her trial, that was very heavy as well.
Five, I thought, was our strongest episode to date.
I mean, how could you not do Christmas InVirgin River.
I mean, its the most Hallmark-esque of the shows onNetflix.
What would this relationship mean?
Would he even want to talk to me?
Do I even want to talk to him?
