Although the ending ofSullivan’s Crossing’s season 3 finale was undeniably shocking, this isn’t necessarily a good thing for the show. Sometimes, a plot twist is so juicy and shocking that writers will use it despite how much it might ruin everything that came before. Viewers ofPretty Little LiarsandRiverdalemay be familiar with this phenomenon.
An appropriately unexpected example of this issue arose in theending ofSullivan’s Crossing’s season 3 finale, after the fallout of Maggie surgically removing a brain tumor from Edna’s skull. TheSullivan’s Crossingseason 3 finale was not short on high-stakes drama and major plots that both made sense and provided plentiful tension for the show’s overarching storyline.
As such, the last thing the show needed was an absurd, last-second twist that was blatantly designed to hook viewers intoSullivan’s Crossingseason 4. Maggie finally realized she could practice medicine and be with Cal in Timberlake. This was a positive development forthe central couple inSullivan’s Crossing, who enjoyed a few moments of peace - until the last-minute bombshell.
Liam’s Sudden Appearance In The Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 Finale Sets Up Another Love Triangle
Sullivan’s Crossing’s Season 3 Finale Twist Drags The Show Back to Basics
Liam, a random ex whom Maggie had dismissed as a “summer fling,” showed up out of nowhere and announced that he was Maggie’s husband, a proclamation that is completely nonsensical within the established world of the series. The result was a reveal that was certainly shocking, but not remotely satisfying, thus fulfilling only one of the twin requirements of a truly successful plot twist.
After the Andrew plot flopped and dragged on far longer than it needed to, the show ought to realize viewers can only watch the pair break up and make up so many times before questioning how destined for each other they could possibly be.
The worst part of this twist is thatLiam’s arrival inSullivan’s Crossingunavoidably sets up another tired love triangle. After the Andrew plot flopped and dragged on far longer than it needed to, the show ought to realize viewers can only watch the pair break up and make up so many times before questioning how destined for each other they could possibly be.
However, this wasn’t the most egregious issue with the revelation. The issue is how out of character it seemed for Maggie.Edna’sSullivan’s Crossingseason 3 storyline, for example, with her believable fear of death and aging and misguided attempts to hide from her problems, felt believable and poignant.
John Ralston
Jed Jones
By contrast, the revelation that Maggie has a secret husband, possibly unbeknownst to her, leaves the audience wondering whether the writers of the series have ever met Maggie. A classic control freak, Maggie is a lady who leaves nothing to chance. It is this very demeanor that has transformed since she moved to Sullivan’s Crossing.
Admittedly, Maggie may have more of an ability to go with the flow now, but this is only as a result of her reunion with Sully, her relationship with Cal, and the benefits of a small-town community. When she met this man of mystery, Liam, she was still her high-strung, incredibly reserved old self. As such, it makes no sense for her to have married him.
There’s No Way That Maggie Would Have No Idea She Was Married To Liam
Maggie’s Fling Doesn’t Fit Her Character At All
There is no way to explain Liam and Maggie’s marriage that wouldn’t be completely ridiculous, but there are two ridiculous options that both seem equally likely. On the one hand, Maggie might have had no idea Liam was her husband, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Regardless ofMaggie and Cal’sSullivan’s Crossingrelationship, it is simply not possible to marry someone and have no idea it happened. The classic trope is two people getting drunk and suddenly hitched in Las Vegas, but no one simply forgets afterward. This is especially the case for someone who is as uptight and unwilling to relinquish control as Maggie. It simply does not compute.
Sullivan’s Crossingwas renewed for season 4 in early June 2025.
The other option is that Maggie does know they were married, but has kept this from literally everyone in her life. This list would include her former fiancé and the father of her child, Andrew, her current love interest, Cal, and apparently even her parents. Again, this is so unlikely that it becomes arguably even less believable than revealing that Maggie simply didn’t realize Liam was her husband.
Sullivan’s Crossingloves a good cliffhanger ending, but it is tough to see the show justifying Liam’s arrival without throwing its entire plot.
Like its sister show,Virgin River,Sullivan’s Crossinglovesa good cliffhanger ending, but it is tough to see the show justifying Liam’s arrival in a way that makes sense without feeling completely unrealistic. Even in a melodrama, there’s no conceivable way to explain how a character had no idea they were married.
Not Telling Andrew Or Cal She Was Technically Married Would Be Too Low Even For Maggie
Maggie’s Immaturity Has Never Been This Absurdly Extreme
Maggie has never been the best or most mature partner, but her character flaws are not enough to justify her hiding a husband from Cal, Andrew, and her own parents. She was frustratingly wishy-washy with both Andrew and Cal for multiple seasons and strung them both along at different points, revealing a lack of emotional maturity and understanding of her own needs.
Maggie also tends to avoid her problems and run away from them, but this still wouldn’t explain how or why she hid a failed marriage from every character on the show for years. As frustrating as Maggie can be as a character, hiding the existence of a husband would have been incredibly cruel of her, especially to Andrew.
Andrew may have also had his issues and was clearly not a good partner for Maggie, but he loved her and tried his best and was, at one point, her fiancé and is currently the father of her child. Pretending Liam wasn’t her husband would have been horrifically awful of Maggie, even if she’d decided Andrew wasn’t her forever match.
There’s also the fact that, had she still been married to Liam, she couldn’t legally have married Andrew, which she would have known. This, combined with the fact that, though immature in some ways, Maggie is absolutely not a cruel person, makes it seem that Maggie didn’t realize Liam was her husband. But, as noted above, that still does not track.
It Makes No Sense That Liam Is Suddenly Just Now Reappearing In Maggie’s Life
Liam’s Sudden Return Doesn’t Add Up Either
Whilethe next season ofSullivan’s Crossingmight be able to cook up some reason for Maggie to never tell anyone in her life about the whole marriage she was hiding or not knowing she was married, Liam’s presence creates another story snag. Realistically, this so-called fling had to have taken place before Maggie met Andrew.
Revealing that Maggie cheated on Andrew with Liam and secretly married him would be ludicrous, not to mention the fact that it would make her dramatically more unlikable and harder to root for. Therefore, Liam must have been from before she met Andrew, and she had been with Andrew for at least a few years before meeting Cal.
Thus, the question becomes, why would Liam only just now show up in Maggie’s life, saying he’s her husband, after all this time? Perhaps he plans to marry another, so they have to legally divorce. But if that’s the case, the show needs to explain why he waited this long to do it. Was he also not aware they were married? Highly unlikely.
Another, perhaps better, question is how he knew Maggie was in Sullivan’s Crossing in the first place. Maggie had lived in Boston for decades and only recently moved back to Timberlake, so it’s unclear how Liam tracked her down. If he had called Phoebe and Walter in Boston looking for her, surely they would have alerted Maggie.
It’s clear that the writers know where they’re going with this plot line (we hope), or they wouldn’t have set up next season at the last minute in this way. Even so, it’s a ridiculous premise that leaves the success ofSullivan’s Crossingseason 4 up to whether it can deliver a truly believable explanation for this mess.
