Sullivan’s Crossing has spent the past three seasons captivating its loyal viewers, but it’s dropped many major storylines and left them wondering what happened. Sullivan’s Crossing has a bad habit of introducing what seems like game-changing stories, and then changing them or even forgetting about them to the point that they have no lasting effects on the show’s future. This has left fans feeling confused and doubting if storylines will have any follow-through.
Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 ended with a cliffhanger that introduced a new obstacle for Dr. Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) and California “Cal” Jones (Chad Michael Murray): her apparent secret husband, Liam (Marcus Rosner). However, it’s hard to believe that the final scene will have any real payoff in season 4 after so many storylines were dropped in previous seasons. Here are ten storylines that could’ve made a huge impact on Sullivan’s Crossing if they hadn’t been forgotten.
Sully Sullivan Could’ve Died Or Been Seriously Injured In The Diner Fire
Sully Walked Away Without A Scratch
The Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 finale ended in tragedy as Rob Shandon’s (Reid Price) diner burned to the ground. When Maggie, Cal, and Harry “Sully” Sullivan (Scott Patterson) realized that Rob’s young son, Finn (Zayn Maloney), was still inside, Cal and Sully rushed in to save him. Cal later emerged from the blaze having rescued Finn, but Sully was nowhere to be found.
Firefighter Rafe Vadas (Dakota Taylor) ventured into the burning diner to find Sully, but he soon returned stating that he couldn’t find him. A horrified Maggie then watched as the diner exploded, presumably with Sully still inside. The season ended, and fans were left to wonder if Sully would make it out alive.
However, when Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 began, Sully was completely fine, without a scratch on him. No explanation was ever given for how he got out of the diner, and his life moved on as though it never happened. Sully never really discussed how he’d escaped death, and the explosion scene had no real impact on his life. It was a puzzling moment that had fans rewinding the first few minutes of the season premiere because they thought that they’d missed something.
Maggie’s Miscarriage Was A Cop-Out
Maggie’s Baby Could’ve Impacted Her Relationship With Cal
Maggie looks at something offscreen in shock in Sullivan’s Crossing
The most tragic consequence of the Shandon’s Diner fire was that Maggie had a miscarriage due to the stress of the catastrophe. Maggie was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend Andrew Mathews’ (Allan Hawco) baby, but dating Cal at the time of the fire. Before Cal knew that Maggie was pregnant, he told her that he didn’t want to be a father, which almost ended their budding relationship.
However, Cal later explained to Maggie that the reason that he didn’t want children was because he was afraid of passing his father’s schizophrenia on to them. Cal still wanted to date Maggie after he found out that she was pregnant with Andrew’s baby, so it seemed that his issue wasn’t raising a child, but having a biological one.
It would’ve been interesting to see how Maggie and Cal would’ve navigated raising her baby, especially because Andrew wanted to be involved in his child’s life as well. Maggie’s miscarriage was a convenient cop-out for the writers, which erased a possible obstacle to her and Cal’s relationship. The fact that she barely spoke about it added insult to injury for fans of the show.
Edna’s Brain Tumor Was Miraculously Fixed By Maggie
Edna Won’t Have Any Lasting Effects
Frank hugs Edna from behind in Sullivan’s Crossing
For the majority of Sullivan’s Crossing season 3, Edna Cranebear (Andrea Menard) experienced mysterious headaches, hot sweats, and dizzy spells which a doctor dismissed as signs of menopause. However, when she suddenly lost her sight while hosting a dinner party, it was clear that her symptoms were a sign of something much more sinister.
It turned out that Edna had a non-cancerous brain tumor, which was pressing on her optic nerve and affecting her carotid artery. Neurosurgeon Maggie was devastated to discover this, and she encouraged Edna to have surgery to have it removed. Edna initially refused, but then agreed under one condition: Maggie had to be the one to perform the surgery.
Of course, the surgery was a success, and Edna won’t have any lasting effects from it. However, her miraculous recovery was unrealistic. It would’ve been difficult to watch, but seeing more of her recovery would’ve made the whole storyline seem more essential to the show.
In addition, Sullivan’s Crossing should use this storyline as an opportunity to shine a light on women’s health, and how so many diagnoses are missed due to doctors dismissing them. Older women are especially overlooked in society, and Edna’s storyline could be used as a call to action. However, knowing the show, Edna will most likely be back to working the register and cooking shepherd’s pie at the Outpost in season 4, as though nothing traumatic happened to her.
Sully Paid No Consequences For Lying About Lola’s Hit-And-Run
Everyone Forgave Him Too Easily
Sully looks angry while standing behind the counter in Sullivan’s Crossing
One of the worst dropped storylines on Sullivan’s Crossing happened during seasons 1 and 2, when Sully was revealed to be the person who was responsible for Lola Gunderson’s (Amalia Williamson) hit-and-run. The accident had put Lola in a coma and affected her entire life, especially because she was haunted by the fact that she didn’t know who hit her and couldn’t remember.
Sully remembered that he was drunk and chasing after Maggie and her mother, Phoebe (Lynda Boyd) on the day that they left The Crossing, and he accidentally hit Lola with his car while she was riding her bicycle. Everyone thought that he was the one who found her, rather than hit her, and, after he returned from rehab, the accident was already classified as a hit-and-run.
Sully then became a father figure to Lola, taking her and her mother in when her mom was dying of cancer. As an adult, Lola still struggled with the aftermath of the accident because she couldn’t remember it. When Sully finally told her that he was the one who’d hit her, she cut all ties with him. However, when she finally returned to the scene of the accident, she remembered that it wasn’t his car that had hit her.
Just as Sully was about to turn himself in to the police, Lola arrived to tell him that he hadn’t done it. However, it was puzzling that Lola, Maggie, Edna, and Frank Cranebear (Tom Jackson), then simply forgot about what had happened and forgave Sully. While he wasn’t the one who hit Lola, he did believe that he did for decades, and he lied to all of them about it.
In addition, Lola seems to have lost interest in finding out the real culprit in the crime. Hopefully, this dropped storyline will be revisited in a later season because there are still so many unanswered questions.
Cal Was Too Understanding
Jed smiling in Sullivan’s Crossing season 3Image by Milica Djordjevic
Throughout Sullivan’s Crossing, Cal shared bits and pieces about his childhood with Maggie, explaining to her that his father, Jed (John Ralston), was schizophrenic, and therefore he spent most of his youth walking on eggshells in a mentally abusive environment. Cal had to grow up fast and take care of his siblings, while his mother, Marissa (Torri Higginson), tended to his father.
When Marissa called Cal to inform him that Jed had prostate cancer and wanted to see him, Cal didn’t want to go at first. However, at Maggie’s urging, they made the trip to New York, and Cal was finally able to confront his father. When Cal asked Jed why he was taking his medication now, but didn’t when Cal was a child, Jed explained that the medicine was different back then, and he didn’t feel like himself while he was on it.
Cal responded that he’d never looked at things from that perspective, and ended up apologizing to his father for not being understanding enough. It was a strange moment that was supposed to be about forgiveness, but instead invalidated all of Cal’s feelings about his childhood.
Cal and his father now have a strong relationship, partially due to the fact that Jed is dying, and Cal even asks for his advice. It was an unrealistic jump from one extreme to the other that was confusing and frustrating to watch after Cal’s lifetime of heartache.
Glenn Perry Decided Not To Build The Luxury Resort
Glenn Backed Down After Fighting For So Long
Sullivan’s Crossing Dean Armstrong As Glenn Perry SmilingImage via The CW
As soon as the sign for the upcoming luxury resort that was to be built on the land next to The Crossing went up, it was obvious that it would never be constructed. Past storylines proved that villains such as Glenn Perry (Dean Armstrong) never win, and Sully and his friends would find a way to stop the development.
Glenn had previously tried to buy The Crossing out from under Sully when it went up for auction, but his plan was foiled. Later, when Glenn fell ill, and Maggie realized that it was due to pesticides that were being used by a landscaping company at his golf course, Glenn had an epiphany and decided not to build the luxury resort.
Glenn’s change of heart meant that the luxury resort storyline was dropped, and, once again, The Crossing was saved from possibly being put out of business. After how hard Glenn worked to get revenge on Sully and build up his own business, it was an unrealistic twist that he’d simply give up. In addition, it would’ve been fun to see Sully and his friends brainstorm ways to upgrade The Crossing in order to compete with Glenn’s luxury resort.
Finn Disappeared From Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3
Rob’s Son Was Important To Him In Previous Seasons
Sullivan’s Crossing Lindura as Sydney, Reid Price as Rob, Zayn Maloney as Finn Standing In a GroupImage via The CW
In Sullivan’s Crossing seasons 1 and 2, Rob’s son, Finn, played a big role. Rob had lost his wife and Finn’s mother, and was now navigating trying to run the diner and be a present father, which was challenging for him. His sister, Sydney (Lindura), was always there to lend a helping hand, but it was still a struggle for Rob.
However, in Sullivan’s Crossing season 3, after Finn almost died in the fire, he was nowhere to be found on the show. Rob mentioned him in passing, stating that he was at camp or at his grandmother’s house, but it seemed very strange and convenient that Finn disappeared from the canvas at the exact moment that Rob was building his new restaurant and his new relationship with Jane (Cindy Sampson), especially because he consumed so much of his life before.
It seemed that having Finn in the storyline would only complicate things, but that was the whole point of Rob’s original story. Many people could relate to him as an overwhelmed widowed dad who loved his son more than anything, but had a hard time putting him first due to his many responsibilities. Shipping Finn off for the summer seemed very out of character for Rob, who was such an involved father, and had fans scratching their heads as they wondered what had happened to him.
The Crossing’s Financial Difficulties Magically Disappeared
Sully Originally Didn’t Have The Money To Keep It Going
Image courtesy of Everett
At the end of Sullivan’s Crossing season 1, Sully had mismanaged his finances to the point that The Crossing went into foreclosure. He even almost lost it during the auction. Sully had to rely on the people in the town to help him raise the funds that he needed to keep it. However, after he won the auction, his financial difficulties seemed to disappear.
It was baffling to watch Cal continue to put things on his seemingly never-ending tab, see box after box of Sullivan’s Crossing merchandise arrive at The Outpost, and have Maggie work there with Sully with no other source of income after she gave up being a doctor.
There was no explanation as to what changed to make The Crossing suddenly lucrative again. It seemed that winning the auction was only going to be the beginning of Sully working out his financial problems, but it was actually mysteriously the end.
Maggie & Lola’s Feud Suddenly Ended
The Enemies Are Now Good Friends
Lola smirks while standing near the lake in Sullivan’s Crossing
Sullivan’s Crossing began with Maggie and Lola as enemies. Maggie believed that Lola tried to take her place in Sully’s life, while Lola thought that Maggie had abandoned him. Lola even hid Cal’s goodbye letter from Maggie in order to get back at her. Once they learned the truth about each other’s pasts, they had a better understanding of each other, but the sudden end to their feud was completely unrealistic.
It was so strange to see Maggie, Sydney, and Lola hanging out at a bar in season 3, as though they’d been best friends for years. It didn’t make sense when Lola confided in Maggie that she’d never been with a man, and Maggie told Lola about Liam when she encouraged her to have a summer fling of her own.
While it’s a relief that Maggie and Lola are no longer at each other’s throats, their sudden friendship doesn’t make sense. Their feud is another dropped storyline that ruins the characters’ credibility. While it’s believable that Maggie and Lola, now adults, could get past their childhood feud, it doesn’t seem right for them to now be having girls’ nights together.
Phoebe and Sully’s Reconciliation Was Short-Lived
Phoebe Left The Crossing In A Hurry
Sullivan’s Crossing Phoebe (Lynda Boyd) and Sully (Scott Patterson) Smiling At Each OtherImage via The CW
When Phoebe’s husband and Maggie’s stepfather, Walter (Peter Outerbridge) committed fraud and their assets were frozen, she returned to The Crossing because she had no place else to go. This resulted in her and Sully almost rekindling their romance. As they bonded over the fact that they were going to be grandparents, and redecorated Maggie’s room for her and the baby, they remembered the good parts of their relationship. They even shared a kiss.
However, when Walter showed up at The Crossing to explain that he’d taken out a loan from dangerous people so that he could invest in Maggie’s practice and then only committed fraud when they’d threatened his family, Phoebe forgave him and took him back. She left so quickly that she didn’t even take the time to say goodbye to her good friend, Edna. It was a perplexing moment that left fans wondering what the point of her return was in the first place.
Sully is now building a new relationship with writer Helen Culver (Kate Vernon), but he seemed to be interested in getting back together with Phoebe not that long ago. While some might see his almost-reconciliation with Phoebe as a path to him opening his heart again, others could see Helen as a rebound from that relationship. However, Sully never talks about Phoebe, so no one knows how he really feels about her sudden exit.
Sullivan’s Crossing has a bad habit of dropping major storylines and leaving fans confused. While season 4 is much-anticipated, it’s also raising skepticism about Liam actually being Maggie’s husband. It wouldn’t be surprising if he simply said that he was kidding or if it was proven that they weren’t actually married after a few episodes. Sullivan’s Crossing has to follow through with a major storyline in the future if it hopes to be taken seriously by its longtime fans.
Release Date
March 19, 2023
Network
CTV
Directors
Chris Grismer, April Mullen, Jonathan Wright, Martin Wood
Writers
Robyn Carr
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Morgan Kohan
Maggie Sullivan
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Chad Michael Murray
Cal Jones
