Sullivan’s Crossing: Do Maggie and Cal end up together?
CTVThey’re perfect for each other yet are being kept apart — can fans keep hope that Maggie and Cal end up together in Sullivan’s Crossing?
Every good romance story has its star-crossed lovers, from Romeo and Juliet all the way to Virgin River’s Mel and Jack. In Sullivan’s Crossing, it’s all about Maggie (Morgan Kohan) and Cal (Chad Michael Murray).
The popular TV show follows neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, who reconnects with her small-town past after a scandal caused her to leave her professional and personal city life behind.
Up until now, Maggie’s blossoming romance with town hunk Cal has been a will-they-won’t-they situation. But do Maggie and Cal end up together in Sullivan’s Crossing?
Sullivan’s Crossing: Do Maggie and Cal end up together?
In the series, Maggie and Cal haven’t ended up together yet — but they do in the original Sullivan’s Crossing books.
CTVNot only did Maggie and Cal end up together in the books, but they’ve stayed together since the very beginning of the series.
There are five books in total — which is small fry when compared to author Robyn Carr’s juggernaut 22-book series Virgin River — and the couple have been loved up officially since Book 1.
While onscreen Maggie and Cal have had their fair share of romantic tension, they’re yet to seal the deal when it comes to committing to each other.
Speaking to CTV, even Kohan and Murray admit that they don’t know what the future holds for the pair.
“It’s a good thing Cal and Maggie aren’t superstitious,” Murray explained. “I mean, they’re a little ‘stitious.’ But if they were superstitious, they would just say, ‘The writing’s on the wall, this is just not going to happen.’
“Sometimes it feels as if these characters are just driving themselves through every torturous moment in torturous relationships, but it’s unbeknownst to them. None of it is intentional. It’s just life adding up.”
“But it’s fun for the audience, right?” Kohan added. “You’re like, ‘They’re almost there, they’re almost there.’ And then, ‘Nooooooooo!’ But those can be the best moments to watch, too.”
Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3 has yet to air but has been confirmed, so it’s completely possible that the pair could become official in future episodes.
What has happened between Maggie and Cal so far?
Sullivan’s Crossing Season 2 has shown a growing romantic connection between Maggie and Cal while Maggie grapples with her potential future in Boston… oh, and being pregnant.
CTVConsidering that she started the show heartbroken by a previous miscarriage, Maggie’s Season 2 pregnancy is certainly a nice surprise. There’s just one problem — we don’t know who the father is.
According to the books, Cal is the father, but this hasn’t been clarified in the TV series. The storyline seems to be a trademark for small-town drama, with Charmaine’s pregnancy in Virgin River following a similar strategy.
Regardless, the baby is playing a huge role in Maggie’s future, which will have a knock-on effect on her future with Cal. While the pair enjoyed getting to know each other more intimately in Season 2, Sullivan’s Crossing drama quickly took priority, with the finale in particular leaving Sully in an unknown state.
Before that, Maggie was living back in Boston and getting reacquainted with city life. She was even set to be offered her old neurosurgeon job back but is still missing Sullivan’s Crossing, which has always been home in her heart.
Given that Maggie chooses small-town life over big-city opportunities, it’s pretty safe to assume that we’ve not seen the last of Maggie and Cal as a couple.
What happened to Cal’s wife?
It’s revealed in the show that Cal moved to Sullivan’s Crossing to figure out what he wanted do to with his life after his wife died from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
CTVCal has a candid chat with Maggie in the episode ‘Pressure Drop,’ where Maggie overhears that Cal is married but is given little time to process the news — or understand what actually happened.
Murray’s character tells her that he came to Sullivan’s Crossing to get some time away and think, thanking Maggie for hearing him out. It’s this conversation that leads Maggie to return to Boston at a true moral crossroads, deciding if she should follow her head or heart.
Apart from how she died, further details about Cal’s wife or their relationship prior to his move to Sullivan’s Crossing have yet to be revealed.
Does Maggie break up with Andrew?
Yes. Maggie chooses to break up with Andrew when she realizes that she will be happier staying in Sullivan’s Crossing to build her future.
CTVThanks to Maggie’s boyfriend Andrew, the trio have been in an unofficial love triangle — even though the sparks were really flying between Maggie and Cal the entire time.
Showrunner Roma Roth explained to TV Insider: “For any good romance drama show to work, you need a meet-cute at the beginning of the season; usually a meet-cute is two people not liking each other very much. And because you want the characters to be able to have an arc and growth and unrequited love is kind of the key for a good romance drama, we want to keep them apart but still have the audience aware that they’re longing for each other or that they’re interested in each other.”
By episode ‘Second Chances,’ it was clear that Maggie’s relationship with Andrew had all but dried up. Butting heads with Sully and not receiving a response from his marriage proposal, Andrew is getting tetchy, leading to a difficult conversation.
Maggie is clear that she wants to stay in Sullivan’s Crossing, meaning her path is going in a wildly different direction to Andrew’s. As a result, the pair go their separate ways.
For more small-town drama, explore The Way Home Season 3, Virgin River Season 6, and Ginny and Georgia Season 3. We’ve also recommended shows like Virgin River and explained the When Calls the Heart release schedule.