Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 has landed back on The CW, but there’s a pressing question to answer. Did Sully die in the diner fire, or will the Outpost have to make do without him?
You might think Sully bears a close resemblance to actor Scott Patterson’s best-known role – Luke Danes in Gilmore Girls – and you’d be right. Both men are stuck in their ways, resistant to change, but totally dedicated to their small towns. They’re a staple of the community, and people wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s all got a bit hairy for Sully, though. When Season 2 of the binge-worthy TV show ended last year, he was left for dead after a fire broke out at a local diner. Rob had left a pot of chilli on, with one thing leading to another. In the blink of an eye, Maggie and Cal didn’t know what to do for the best.
With the arrival of Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 Episode 1 comes some much-needed answers. Did Sully really die in the fire, or was it all a red herring? Warning: spoilers ahead!
Did Sully die in Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3?
No. Sully escaped from the fire alive, though the first episode of Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 doesn’t exactly reveal how.
It remains to be seen if future Season 3 episodes will show more fire flashbacks in more detail, but given Rob’s insurance claim has been declined, it seems incredibly likely.
Here’s what we know for certain. While Maggie is in the process of moving home, they try to talk about Cal’s return. Sully’s sudden cough is too severe to let him speak properly. He claims it’s allergies, saying the doctor previously gave him the all clear.
We later find out what the real loss was in the fire aftermath – Maggie lost the baby. During a separate conversation, Sully asks if she’s sure about her decision to stay in the Crossing and not Boston, claiming things would be different if he hadn’t gone into the diner that night. “It’s not your fault that I lost the baby,” Maggie reveals in a shocking bombshell.
Maggie struggles to heal from her loss throughout the episode, being told what happened by Edna while she was in the hospital. According to her, the “stress was just too much for the baby,” leaving Maggie heartbroken. The topic hasn’t been discussed by Sully and Maggie yet.
While Sully might not be dead, he’s suffering from an internal pressure to retire after the fire scare. Conversations with Frank and Edna imply that’s what he should do, but instead refinds his original passion thanks to new guest Helen.
There’s also another reason why Sully can’t afford to retire. Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 Episode 1 ends with new developers moving in, cutting down trees and sticking up signs as they try to claim the land. One reads “Luxury resorts coming soon,” known as Seaside Splendor.
Fans knew Sully was alive before Season 3 started
However, not much of the above is news to fans. Before Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 started airing, the trailer had given away that Sully was very much still alive.
CTVThis was intended to be revealed in Season 3 Episode 1 – which it was – was given away thanks to photos of Patterson on set and a preview trailer posted on socials.
Set photos themselves could have been written off as filming flashbacks or more scenes to support the Season 2 cliffhanger, but the trailer completely undid that theory. Just after we recapped the night of the fire, Sully is seen healthy and well, struggling to come to terms with the luxury development happening nearby.
“Wait. So Sully is not dead? Spoiler…,” one Instagram reply read, with another commenting “SPOILERS!! But I LOVE IT.”
A third weighed in, “OMG !!! So this means Sully isn’t dead!!! I just knew they wouldn’t kill him off … it wouldn’t be the same w/o Sully!! Love that Maggie is FINALLY opening up to him!”
If we’re honest, it was very unlikely the new TV show would have killed Sully off. Shows like Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias don’t typically reference death unless it’s happened off-screen (or over a long period of time). Killing someone off in a freak accident is almost an unwritten no-no, so are we really surprised Sullivan’s Crossing kept hold of its biggest name?
Obviously, Sully’s got a lot in store ahead of him, but it won’t just be his own storylines he’ll be affected by. Just before the fire, he’d told Lola he was responsible for the car crash that killed her mother a decade before, and that’s not going to be something that’s resolved or forgiven immediately.
Sullivan’s Crossing is airing weekly on CTV and The CW. For more small-town drama, explore The Way Home, Virgin River Season 7, and Ginny and Georgia Season 3. We’ve also recommended shows like Virgin River and explained When Calls the Heart.
