Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 is now on Netflix, and the ending of the sophomore season ends on a cliffhanger that sets up the recently-wrapped season 3. Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 saw tons of drama as the characters of the show and the small town of Timberlake faced multiple crises.

The main one was unscrupulous real estate developer, Glenn, attempting to buy Sullivan’s Crossing in an auction. Sully was behind on his payments, and at a crucial moment when he needed to send in paperwork and negotiate with the bank for an extension on his loan, he was hospitalized; as it turns out, his drinking had leeched him of vital vitamin B1 due to his alcoholism.

Though Sully recovered, the damage was done and the Crossing was put up for auction. However, the characters of Sullivan’s Crossing donated money to save the camp, and when Glenn’s aide didn’t make it back to the auction house on time with all the money, the sale of the Crossing defaulted back to Sully and Maggie. Still, Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 will need to see the campsite becoming financially solvent and getting back into the black.

In the other major storyline, after two years of dancing around the inevitable, Maggie finally decided once and for all that Andrew was not the man she’s meant to be with, and she chose Cal. However, things are now complicated by the fact that Maggie discovered she’s pregnant with Andrew’s baby.

Of course, the big twist of the Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 finale is that Rob’s diner burns to the ground. As a central hub for the characters, and the main driver of Rob and Sydney’s plotlines, the diner fire is a tragedy for the town and sure to change the show significantly. Whether he rebuilds or not, however, remains to be seen in season 3 as it sets up multiple storylines.

The Finale Finally Truly Explains Why Sully Is Struggling Financially

He’s Been Too Generous For Too Long

Throughout Sullivan’s Crossing, Sully hasn’t exactly been careful with his money. It’s not that he’s irresponsible, but we’ve seen that his heart is too big. He took Lola and her mother in after Lola’s accident, and even though he thought he was the one who initially caused it, he still took on the financial burden of a child. We’ve also seen him filter money to Lola for college.

However, the Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 finale reveals that Sully’s generosity extends far beyond just his family and immediate loved ones. For years, he’s been giving money to the people of Timberlake when they have fallen on hard times, or waiving any payment when they struggled. Sully himself struggles financially because he’s generous to a fault.

Beyond that, the finale also drives home just how kind and caring Sully is underneath his gruff exterior. It was clear that he felt that way for his daughter and found family, but he’s also helped just about everyone in the town, whether driving someone to the hospital, building a wheelchair ramp, or giving a neighbor money with no strings attached.

Sullivan’s Crossing Main Cast Member
Sullivan’s Crossing Role

Morgan Kohan
Maggie Sullivan

Scott Patterson
Harry Sullivan

Chad Michael Murray
Cal Jones

Tom Jackson
Frank Cranebear

Andrea Menard
Edna Cranebear

The finale scene where everyone donates money at the auction to save the Crossing is admittedly cheesy, but it all helps to underscore the larger theme for Sully this season: the good you do in the world will come back to you when you need it most. Sully has quietly been doing a lot of good for a very long time with no thought of payback, but the people of Timberlake come through.

Why Maggie Really Decided To Stay In Timberlake

She’s A Better Person When She’s There

Custom image by Milica Djordjevic

In the Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 finale, Maggie finally stops running from anything complicated and finally tells Cal how she feels about him. It’s been a long time coming, and while it’s understandable why she finally fell in love with Cal, it’s less clear why he’s always loved her, as he claims. She’s not exactly given him a lot to work with, and the season 2 finale shows that while she loves him, she may not be past her tendency to self-sabotage.

She tells Cal that she belongs in Timberlake with him, which lines up with what she tells Sully earlier in the episode, which is that Sullivan’s Crossing is as much her baby’s legacy as it is hers. For now, her decision puts to bed her ever going back to Boston to pursue her career as a neurosurgeon. It also hopefully puts to bed the lingering love triangle with Andrew.

The deeper truth is that Maggie is simply a better person when she’s in Timberlake because she’s happier.

While all those things are true, the deeper truth is that Maggie is simply a better person when she’s in Timberlake because she’s happier. Season 2 Maggie still has her deeply frustrating moments, but she’s grown a lot since the version of Maggie in season 1, who was immature, indecisive, and downright unlikable too many times.

While Maggie still occasionally lowers herself to her worst qualities instead of the better angels of her nature, it’s clear she realizes that she likes who she is better when she’s at the Crossing. Her time in Boston as a neurosurgeon changed her – and, it seems, she’s starting to see that perhaps her stepfather, Walter, has had maybe a bit too much of an influence on her, too, and not necessarily for the good.

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The Issue Of Cal Not Wanting Kids Isn’t Yet Resolved

It’s A Big Elephant In The Room

One big loose end still hanging over the events of season 2 and carrying into season 3 is the fact that Cal still doesn’t want kids. He and Maggie have finally declared their love for one another, but she’s pregnant. They may be in love, but they haven’t had a conversation about where they stand – the last time they talked about it, he was adamant he didn’t want children, but he also didn’t yet know that Maggie was pregnant.

How Sullivan’s Crossing Compares To The Books (& Virgin River)

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It’s one of their bad habits that they don’t really talk things through and just let it all go unsaid. In this case, however, that’s not an option. Maggie is pregnant with Andrew’s baby and about to bring a child into the world, and Cal has to figure out if he’s ready to be a dad. If he’s not, then he and Maggie simply aren’t going to work out. Being on different pages about whether or not to have kids is not something they can compromise on.

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” the final episode of Season 2, got an 8.3 on IMDb.

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Maggie being pregnant also ensures that, even if they are no longer together, Andrew will still be in the picture. He may not move to Timberlake to be with his child, but the mere fact of his continued presence in Maggie’s life will undoubtedly complicate things for Maggie and Cal. The new couple will need to communicate in a much more mature and open way than they currently do if they are to last.

Was Sully Still In The Diner When It Exploded?

It Seems That Way – But It’s Unlikely He’ll Be Killed

To the shock of viewers, Sullivan’s Crossing season 2 ended on a major cliffhanger. A pot left on the stove in Rob’s diner catches fire and within minutes, the entire diner is up in a blaze. As the town looks on in horror, they realize that Finn is still inside so Cal and Sully rush in to save him. While Cal emerges with Finn in his arms, Sully does not.

The firefighters officially arrive and Rafe goes into the diner to get Sully out; however, he comes out empty-handed. It’s at that moment that the diner explodes, with Sully seemingly still inside. Maggie screams, and as Cal holds her back from rushing into the diner herself, she collapses in his arms and the episode ends with the hysterical Maggie screaming for her father.

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While it doesn’t look good, it seems unlikely that Sullivan’s Crossing would kill Sully off – at least, not in the second season.

While it doesn’t look good, it seems unlikely that Sullivan’s Crossing would kill Sully off – at least, not in the second season. It’s not that killing off a main character would be unheard of, but Sullivan’s Crossing already has so much drama that there’s no need. Besides that, Sully still has a lot of storyline left, including meeting his grandchild in season 3. As such, he almost certainly escaped the fire – but you’ll have to wait until season 3 to find out for sure.