Have We Seen the Last of Lilly on 'Virgin River'?
After the death of her husband and later finding her one-day (could-be) baby daddy bleeding out on the floor of his bar, Mel Monroe ( Alexandra Breckenridge ) is no stranger to tragedy. Although Mel moved to the small Northern California town of Virgin River to escape her problems, its now clear that it wont be easy to put the past behind her. In Season 1, Mel met Lilly ( Lynda Boyd ), a local member of Connies knitting club who was struggling with postpartum depression after the death of her husband. Mel, who also suffered from postpartum depression after the loss of her husband, Mark, and their baby, empathized with Lilly, and the two became friends. But reports suggest that Mel may have lost yet another loved one in Season 3. Regardless of her struggle with motherhood in Season 1, Lilly proved to be a devoted and caring mother to her infant daughter, Chloe, and her eldest daughter, Tara, who she left behind after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In Season 3, Episode 8, Lilly takes her final breaths with her loved ones at her bedside. Although Tara expresses her regret for not returning home to help her mother sooner, Lilly encourages her to go wherever shes happy  even if that isnt Virgin River. Lilly tells her daughter, When Im gone, I dont want you to think that you have to stay in Virgin River because you feel obligated to raise Chloe here. I want you to go wherever makes you happy.  Article continues below advertisement  Source: Netflix  Before passing away peacefully in her sleep, Lilly asks her friends to watch out for her children in her absence. She asks, When Im gone, no matter where theyre living, I need each of you to watch over Tara for me because shes not going to want to ask for help. And Chloe, would you please tell her our stories and remind her over and over again how much her mother loved her?  Article continues below advertisement  Although Lillys cancer diagnosis was a particularly heavy subject to address in Season 3 of Virgin River, executive producer Sue Tenney said that it was totally necessary. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sue shared that her father previously died of cancer, which made the story much closer to her heart. According to Sue, showrunners hoped that Lillys death could offer viewers who have had similar experiences an emotional release.  Source: Netflix  Article continues below advertisement