How Doc's grandson shakes up season 4 of Virgin River

Warning: This article contains spoilers about Virgin River season 4.

Doc (Tim Matheson) is a grandpa!

While Doc's supposed grandson Denny (Kai Bradbury) made his first appearance at the end of season 3 of Virgin River, there were still many questions, including whether he was telling the truth.

But season 4 found Doc bonding with Denny, learning about the son he never knew, and welcoming his unexpected grandchild into his home. "He's getting to know his grandson and where is that going to go and what is the nature of their relationship," Matheson tells EW of the story arc. "It's almost like a new beginning for someone when you find out you have offspring. It's a rebirth for him."

Still, the family reunion wasn't without its fair share of drama, as Denny suspiciously broke into the medicine cabinet and Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) discovered opioids in his bag. "It is a plus/minus thing where he has found his offspring's son and is learning about him and through him learning about his own son who he never knew," Matheson says. "I find that fascinating."

After joking that Denny's grandmother died in a kiln explosion in reference to his iconic character of Otter in Animal House, Matheson adds that he has created a backstory for the relationship that would've resulted in this turn of events. "Here was a woman who had a child and didn't ever tell him, which is shocking about having a relationship with someone and then that would happen," he says. "She must've been upset with me or angry with me. The question is, why was there that silence? What part did I play in that silence? What did I lose by not being there for her and the baby? It's a complex thing."

As Doc comes to know Denny, he learns that he isn't a drug dealer (or abuser), but rather he has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, which he believes will be terminal. As a doctor, this will challenge Doc in unexpected ways. "The fact that Denny has a health issue complicates it," he notes. "Most doctors feel like, 'I could fix this.' There's that conflict. But what's great is that Hope has invited Denny into their home, and he becomes a part of their home. Maybe even more than medical attention, being surrounded by that love is equally important as medical treatment for his illness."

With Denny living with Hope and Doc and finally admitting to Lizzie that his diagnosis is the reason for how hot and cold he is with her, we can expect even more developments from him in season 5.

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