Did Scott Patterson leave 'Sullivan’s Crossing'? Season 4 premiere finally reveals Sully's whereabouts
'Sullivan's Crossing' returned with Season 4 on Monday, April 20, 2026, on The CW in the US, but a key figure was missing. The Season 4 premiere did not feature Harry "Sully" Sullivan, the head honcho of the titular campground. However, the episode addressed his absence as it revealed the aftermath of his departure to Ireland with his girlfriend, Helen. The responsibility for the campground now falls to Sully's daughter, Maggie (Morgan Kohan), who confessed she was "overwhelmed" due to her father's sudden decision to leave town. "Sully just left, we can't let things slide around here," she told Cal, played by Chad Michael Murray. Sully was also remembered by his dear friend Frank (Tom Jackson), who prayed that his buddy was in good spirits, especially with all the flying involved. Maggie was seen waiting eagerly for a call from Sully throughout the episode. Unfortunately, the call never came.
Scott Patterson has been playing the character for the last three seasons, and the actor left the show before the fourth installment went into production, according to Deadline. The 'Gilmore Girls' alum released a statement in March 2026 to address his surprising exit. “I fell in love with Sully and have nothing but fondness for him,” he shared. “The creative differences were becoming untenable, and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue.” His statement came after executive producer/showrunner Roma Roth spoke to Us Weekly regarding Sully's absence from the fourth installment.
Roth shared that Season 4 will pick up the day after Sully left for Ireland to support his girlfriend in her professional pursuits in Season 3. The showrunner mentioned that the character will begin a "new chapter in his life," which will unfortunately not be part of the show. “While he isn’t physically present in this season, the character remains an important part of the world with the potential to be included in future seasons should that align with the ongoing creative,” she added. The actor responded with his own statement as he felt his departure was portrayed as a creative decision. “It’s unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite, and those who sadly already have spoken out are also fully aware of this fact, and yet chose to say otherwise,” he said.
As per Deadline, Patterson was dissatisfied with his character's progression in the series and asked to be released from his contract at the end of Season 3. Roth agreed to his request, and the association ended on good terms. She also supposedly approached him regarding returning to the show in Season 5, if the show is renewed. However, a formal offer never materialized; instead, the actor was blindsided by the US Weekly statement. “I really enjoyed Sully and fought for his voice and his character. The richness and depth of Sully, whom the fans of the books all know and love, is so multi-layered and interesting,” Patterson said. “The fans deserved better than to think the embodiment of this character, me, would just disrespect not only the show, but them. In the end, we’re all fans of these characters and stories, and I’ll always support and defend the truth.”
Things are definitely not hunky dory between the actor and the showmakers, as now even the character's name has been removed from the show's official logline. The logline for the romantic drama now reads, "Maggie Sullivan’s (Kohan) life at the Crossing is finally taking shape, having decided on a new direction for her career and a renewed commitment to Cal (Murray). That is, until Maggie’s ex-husband, Liam (Marcus Rosner), arrives with a shocking revelation which only upends Maggie’s life once again and causes Cal to question whether Maggie will ever truly be able to leave her past behind."
