The cast of Sullivan’s Crossing is talking about a big change heading into the new season. Scott Patterson, who plays the beloved character Harry “Sully” Sullivan, left the show before the fourth season started. His co-star Chad Michael Murray recently spoke about the departure, saying these kinds of situations are just part of working in television.
Patterson’s exit happened due to creative differences that he said became “untenable.” The actor, famous for his role on Gilmore Girls, shared his side of the story on social media earlier this month, pushing back on how the show’s producers described his leaving.
Now, with Season 4 already airing in Canada and getting ready to premiere in the United States, Murray is opening up about what it means for the show’s future.
Chad Michael Murray Keeps Focus on the Storytelling
Murray addressed Patterson’s exit in a recent interview with Yahoo Canada. The 44-year-old actor, who plays Cal Jones on the series, said that cast changes are normal in the entertainment business.
“It does happen. And there are various, different things that transpire,” Murray told the outlet. “You just never know.”
Rather than focusing on the drama behind the scenes, Murray explained that the team’s main goal was to keep the show honest to its roots.
“It’s one of those situations where you go, ‘OK, well, just look at the show, what is the show? Where does it sit? And how do you hold it up and keep it true to itself?’ And that’s all on the text and the storytelling. There’s no question in my mind that we did that. The show stays totally true to itself.”
Sully’s Presence Still Felt Even Without Patterson On Screen
Even though Patterson does not appear in Season 4, Murray assured fans that the character of Sully remains important to the series.
“Sully is still a big part of it. He still exists in this world, and there’s still that relationship,” Murray said. “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.”
Morgan Kohan, who plays Maggie Sullivan, also spoke about how her character deals with Sully’s absence. She explained that Maggie’s “whole world at the beginning of the season is not what she anticipated.”
Kohan added that with Sully gone, Maggie loses “part of her support system.” This leaves her to run the Crossing on her own while dealing with other personal issues.
How Scott Patterson Responded to His Departure
The news of Patterson’s exit first came from showrunner Roma Roth, who told media outlets that Season 4 would pick up right after Sully left for Ireland at the end of Season 3.
“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,” Roth explained. “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.”
But Patterson, 67, offered a different view. In a Facebook post, he wrote that “the creative differences were becoming untenable” and that he “sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue.”
He also took issue with how his exit was explained. “It’s unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite,” Patterson said.
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What to Expect in Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4
Season 4 of Sullivan’s Crossing brings new drama for Maggie and Cal. The official logline says Maggie’s life at the Crossing is “finally taking shape” with new career plans and a renewed commitment to Cal. But everything changes when her ex-husband, Liam (Marcus Rosner), shows up with a shocking secret.
This puts Cal in a difficult spot. He starts to question if Maggie can really leave her past behind.
The new season has 10 episodes. It already premiered in Canada on CTV on March 22, 2026. For viewers in the United States, the show comes to The CW on April 20, 2026, airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will also be available to stream the next day on the CW App.
The series is based on the books by Robyn Carr, who also wrote the Virgin River novels.
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