Sullivan's Crossing returned to The CW for its season 4 premiere on April 20 without Harry 'Sully' Sullivan, played by Scott Patterson. In the episode, Sully has left for Ireland with Helen, leaving Maggie to manage the Outpost. Patterson departed the series due to untenable creative differences, as he stated last month.
The season 4 premiere of Sullivan's Crossing aired on The CW on April 20. Scott Patterson, who portrayed Harry 'Sully' Sullivan across the first three seasons, does not appear this season. Within the story, Sully decided spontaneously to travel to Ireland with Helen, catching his daughter Maggie, played by Morgan Kohan, by surprise. Maggie tells Cal, played by Chad Michael Murray, 'Sully just left, we can't let things slide around here,' and admits to feeling overwhelmed by his abrupt exit and the Outpost's unresolved matters. A anticipated phone call from Sully turns out to be someone delivering further bad news to Maggie instead. Frank, played by Tom Jackson, expresses concern to his wife Edna, played by Andrea Menard, saying, 'I just hope he's OK. I know how he feels about flying.' Patterson explained his exit in a statement last month, saying creative differences had become untenable, leading him to realize he could not continue. This followed showrunner Roma Roth's Us Weekly interview, where she noted Sully remains important to the world and could return if creatively aligned. Patterson countered that his departure was his own decision, not the production's, stating, 'It's unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite.' Beyond Sully's absence, the episode reveals Maggie and Liam, played by Marcus Rosner, are still married due to an improperly filed annulment. Locals call Liam a war hero for his combat photography. Meanwhile, Sydney, played by Lindura, and Rafe, played by Dakota Taylor, end their relationship, with Rafe seeking a work transfer, telling her, 'Staying isn't fair to either one of us.'