Sadly, the tragedy that brought Maggie back to the Crossing was the passing of beloved character, Roy. After only six episodes, Roy stole the hearts of viewers and it will be difficult to imagine the show without his kindness and wisdom. Despite her grief, Lola certainly played up Roy’s death to get closer to Cal and parade her closeness with Sully right under Maggie’s nose. Her motives have become very clear the last couple of episodes, and the way she turned her nose when she saw Maggie arrive at the memorial, made it obvious that she is not as innocent as everyone thinks she is. Instead of being grateful that Maggie came to offer her support and condolences, Lola lashed out at her for repeatedly hurting Sully and made her feel guilty for ever returning to the Crossing.
Right from the get-go, it is clear that Andrew only came back to Sullivan’s Crossing to watch over Maggie and make sure she doesn’t get too wrapped up in things and decide to stay. She still hasn’t accepted Andrew’s marriage proposal, but he presumptuously tells Sully that Maggie is his fiancee, confident that she will accept his marriage proposal once all of her drama with the deposition is over with. Sully never liked Andrew from the start, and he is put off by Andrew seemingly forcing Maggie to accept his proposal and buying a home for her without even asking for her input. When Cal and Maggie share a moment at Roy’s funeral, Andrew makes a point of interrupting and kissing Maggie right in front of Cal. Maggie tries hard to show Andrew the beauty of Sullivan’s Crossing and help him understand why she loves it so much, but he isn’t willing to open himself up to enjoying it at all. After Andrew has a discussion with Frank, it is clear that Maggie is happier and feels more free at Sullivan’s Crossing, but Andrew refuses to accept that. He wants to believe that she has changed to fit the mold he has created for her and their life together.
The memorial brought up difficult memories for Cal of his wife's passing, including a memory of her making him promise that he would move on and find love again. Chad Michael Murray is so exceptional in conveying his emotions, that you could feel the love he had for his wife through his memories of her. Viewers could also feel the struggle that Cal is facing in the current moment, wanting to move on but unsure if he should. Lola comes by Cal’s cabin to give him Roy’s chess set and uses the opportunity to seek emotional support from Cal, but she is disappointed when he doesn’t bite.
Roy died without leaving a will, forcing Frank to realize that he and Edna should probably go about putting one together, just in case. Edna does not want to think about death, she would rather focus on living and she encourages Frank to reach out to his family in Alberta whom he hasn’t spoken to in years. She tells him that they are family and making amends is important, and he reluctantly agrees. Edna tells Maggie that she and Frank are heading on a long-awaited vacation to Calgary, and she encourages Maggie to work things out with Sully before she heads back to Boston. Meanwhile, Sully confides in Frank that he wishes he had fought harder to keep Maggie at Sullivan’s Crossing.
Andrew heads to the bar to play poker and ends up grilling Rob and Rafe about Maggie and Cal’s involvement in Frank’s shooting. When Cal joins in the game, Andrew tries to show off by throwing a ton of money on the table, but Cal holds his own. He knows Andrew’s game and he isn’t playing. Cal tries to do the right thing by giving Andrew his money back and walking away, but Andrew ups the stakes by confronting Maggie about her feelings for Cal in the middle of the packed bar. When Maggie won’t admit that she loves him, Andrew pushes her. Cal tries to step in and support her, causing Andrew’s anger to escalate, and he punches Cal in the jaw. Andrew is done trying to force Maggie to love him and leaves. Maggie, meanwhile, is utterly humiliated. She shows up on Sully’s doorstep, a broken mess, and takes comfort in her fathers arms. Just when it seems like Maggie and Sully are finally about to work things out, Sully takes Maggie to her bedroom, but she is further devastated when she sees that he has painted over the tree mural.
Elsewhere in the episode, Finn is still struggling with his anger, and it is clear that Rob is having a difficult time with it. Sydney is trying to be helpful, but she is constantly undermining Rob and unless the two can get on the same page, Finn will continue to have difficulty managing his emotions. In her quest to help her nephew, Sydney has been giving Rafe the cold shoulder. He seeks advice from Rob, who tells him to stop being so available and let Sydney come to him. It appears Rob’s advice worked, when Sydney sees Rafe and Lola dancing and immediately becomes jealous and cuts in. Meanwhile, Jackson and his father have lunch and he is put off when his dad tries to push him back into the police academy, blaming his ex-wife for Jackson wanting to take another year off.
The end of Maggie and Andrew’s relationship was a long time coming, and it clears the path for her to remain at Sullivan’s Crossing and figure out what she wants, in the place that she feels the happiest. A difficult conversation between Maggie and Sully is long overdue and now that Sully has clearly hit rock bottom, it has to happen soon before he destroys everything good in his life. Maggie and Sully need each other and the sooner they realize that, the better it will be for both of them.
It is difficult to tell whether or not Maggie will be ready to open herself up to Cal, regardless of her obvious feelings for him, and he is also struggling with moving on. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and with only 3 episodes remaining, fans of the couple are hoping to see them connect before the end of the season. Yes, Cal and Maggie have a lot to figure out about their futures, but life is so fleeting, as both know all too well. Hopefully they can allow themselves to seek solace in each other and work towards a future together.
Your turn, Sullivan’s Crossing fans! Are you happy that Andrew and Maggie finally called it quits? What will it take for Maggie and Sully to have a much needed conversation about their relationship? Will Maggie allow herself to fall into her feelings for Cal, and will he be ready to open himself up to her as well? Share your thoughts below and follow me on Twitter @MiddleofCanada.
