Warning: This article contains spoilers for Sullivan’s Crossing season 4, episode 1.
- Scott Patterson’s departure from Sullivan’s Crossing was announced in March.
- In the season 4 premiere, it’s revealed how his character, Sully, is written out of the show.
- Patterson previously made a statement on his exit, saying that “creative differences were becoming untenable.”
Sully is simply Out of Office (at least, that’s what the Sullivan’s Crossing writers want you to think).
Following the announcement of Scott Patterson’s departure from the show in March, we’ve been waiting to see how the writers might handle his absence — especially given the actor’s statement hinting that things didn’t go according to plan.
The most we get in the season 4 premiere is a brief explanation from Sully’s daughter Maggie (Morgan Kohan) during a conversation with Cal (Chad Michael Murray). “Sully just left. We can’t let things slide around here,” Maggie tells Cal.
She adds, “Sorry, I think I’m just feeling overwhelmed with him leaving like that. It just…it all took me by surprise.” It’s a line that almost feels like a wink to the audience, in the context of Patterson’s seemingly tense departure.
Beyond this conversation, there is no definitive write-off for Sully just yet. It looks like Sully is still out enjoying Ireland, but there are no hints at his return date. Cal and Maggie are left running the Crossing in the interim, navigating complicated guests and Maggie’s surprise ex-husband.
While the characters try to resume business as usual, Patterson’s absence is palpable. We are left waiting for his face to appear in the season 4 opening credits. We miss out on the motivational heart-to-heart conversations between Sully and Cal. We don’t get the healing, reconciliatory moments with Maggie or the quippy banter with the Cranebears.
Patterson’s departure doesn’t keep the writers from referencing Sully in character dialogue, but they don’t commit to a proper goodbye either. So far, they have left the possibility of Sully’s reappearance in the show open-ended. It begs the question: Will they recast him?
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As we saw in the season 3 finale, Patterson’s character made the impromptu decision to join his romance novelist girlfriend Helen (Kate Vernon) on a trip to Ireland. Sully explained to Maggie, “It’s time for me to finally let myself go in a new direction.”
Although Sully promised that going to Ireland with Helen wasn’t going to change how much he loves the Crossing, it seems creative differences did change Patterson’s sentiment on returning to the show.
Ahead of season 4, showrunner and executive producer Roma Roth confirmed Patterson’s exit to EW.
“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 with the potential to be included in future seasons should that align with the ongoing creative,” Roth said.
Patterson replied with his version of the departure. “The creative differences were becoming untenable and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “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.”
The Gilmore Girls alum concluded, “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.”
Sullivan’s Crossing season 4 airs new episodes Mondays on The CW.
