Sullivan’s Crossing is officially back with its highly-anticipated Season 4 premiere on The CW, but longtime fans of the hit small-town drama — inspired by Robyn Carr’s bestselling book series — will notice some major cast changes in these new episodes…
For those who need a refresher, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 left fans on quite the cliffhanger. A man named Liam (Marcus Rosner), claiming to be Maggie’s (Morgan Kohan) husband, arrived at the Crossing. Meanwhile, Maggie’s dad Sully (Scott Patterson) prepared to depart. Viewers will get to know Liam better when Sullivan’s Crossing returns, but if they haven’t been locked-in to the hiatus news cycle, they may be surprised to learn that Patterson left the show for real.
While Sully’s departure from the Crossing is referenced several times in Season 4’s premiere, Season 3’s finale let fans know exactly how he was being written off. If you need a reminder on how the show wrote off Sully before you watch Season 4 or are looking for additional information on Patterson’s real-life departure from the series, we’ve got answers!
Why did Scott Patterson leave Sullivan’s Crossing? How did Sullivan’s Crossing write Sully off the show in Season 3? What did Patterson, other cast members, and the show’s creator have to say about his departure from the series? And could Scott Patterson/Sully ever return to Sullivan’s Crossing? Here’s what to know about Patterson and Sully’s absence in Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4.
Why Did Scott Patterson Leave Sullivan’s Crossing?
Since original cast member Scott Patterson was introduced in Sullivan’s Crossing Season 1 as Sully Sullivan, a core community member and Maggie’s dad, fans were shocked to learn about to casting shakeup. So why did Scott Patterson leave the show? Before we hear from other cast members and the show’s creator, Patterson addressed his departure himself in an Instagram post on March 5, citing “creative differences” as the major reason behind his decision to part ways with the show.
“Every actor knows what it’s like to fall in love with a character and a story. I fell in love with Sully and have nothing but fondness for him. The creative differences were becoming untenable and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue,” Patterson wrote alongside a photo of him as Sully. As the actor continued to address his departure, he called out unnamed folks associated with the series and disputed implications that the show chose to move on without him.
“It’s unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite, and those who sadly already have spoken out are also fully aware of this fact, and yet chose to say otherwise,” Patterson wrote. “I was not intending to make any statement but the fans of the books and the show deserve to know the truth as I have always been respectful of those who support this industry by watching and loving these characters we are so dang lucky and blessed to portray and bring to life. I really enjoyed Sully and fought for his voice and his character. The richness and depth of Sully, whom the fans of the books all know and love, is so multi-layered and interesting. The fans deserved better than to think the embodiment of this character, me, would just disrespect not only the show, but them. In the end, we’re all fans of these characters and stories, and I’ll always support and defend the truth.”
On March 5, Deadline also cited sources that claimed, “Patterson, concerned with the direction of his character, asked to be released from his contract after Season 3, a wish that was granted.”
The day prior to Patterson’s post, Sullivan’s Crossing executive producer/showrunner Roma Roth issued a statement to Us Weekly, which said, “Season 3 of Sullivan’s Crossing ended with Sully leaving for Ireland, beginning a new chapter in his life. Season 4 picks up the next day, with Sully still overseas. While he isn’t physically present in this season, the character remains an important part of the world…”
On March 22, Sullivan’s Crossing stars Kohan and Chad Michael Murry spoke on Patterson’s departure in an interview with Yahoo Canada and echoed Roth’s statement.
“[Maggie’s whole world at the beginning of the season is not what she anticipated. She’s just kind of settled in with Cal… and then it’s really thrust on her that now, you’re taking over the Crossing, and you are fully involved, while the rest of your life is kind of thrown up in the air again. … And part of her support system is now gone too,” Kohan said. “The show stays totally true to itself, and Sully is still a big part of it. … He still exists in this world, and there’s still that relationship. And he built the Crossing, so it’s always going to be there, and that’s kind of the foundation that the show is built on,” Murray added.
Why Did Sully Leave Sullivan’s Crossing? How Sullivan’s Crossing Wrote Sully Off The Show:
So how did Sullivan’s Crossing explain Sully’s departure in the show? Season 3 saw Sully finding unexpected romance with Helen Culver (Kate Vernon), and in the finale, he made a major decision to take a leap of faith, leave the Crossing, and travel to Ireland with her.
“It’s time for me to finally let myself go in a new direction,” Sully told Maggie. When she asked, “What about the Crossing?” he assured her, “I love the Crossing, Maggie. Going to Ireland with Helen isn’t gonna change that.” So as Roth noted, when Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4 picks up a day after Season 3’s finale, Sully will already have left the Crossing and begun his new chapter off-screen.
Is Sully Gone For Good? Is Scott Patterson Returning To Sullivan’s Crossing One Day?
As is typically the case with any character departure that doesn’t end in death, Sullivan’s Crossing fans will likely be wondering if Sully and Patterson are gone for good or they could return to the Crossing in the future.
Based on the tone of Patterson’s Instagram post, it sounds like he may have closed the door on the show for good. But he did express serious love for the character and show, and in Roth’s statement to Us Weekly, she noted “…potential [for Sully] to be included in future seasons should that align with the ongoing creative.” A day after Roth’s statement, however, Deadline reported, “I hear Patterson was approached by Roth about a possible Season 5 return, should the show get renewed. A formal offer never came, with Roth instead blindsiding the actor by issuing the statement yesterday.” So we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.
Perhaps there’s still hope for Patterson’s return down the line, so never say never! But manage your Sully Season 4 expectations accordingly, and instead of Patterson, prepare to see Maggie and Cal dealing with Liam’s arrival and managing the Crossing in Sully’s absence with Edna (Andrea Menard), Frank (Tom Jackson), Lola (Amalia Williamson), Sydney (Lindura), Rob (Reid Price), and more returning characters.
New episodes of Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4 premiere Mondays on The CW.
