Just A Friendly Reminder Scott Patterson’s Exit On Sullivan’s Crossing Didn’t Go Down The Way The Show Said It Did

Warning! Spoilers for the Season 4 premiere of Sullivan’s Crossing lie ahead!

A month after premiering in Canada, Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4 has finally made its way to the States following its takeover on Netflix. The new season of the show premiered on The CW on Monday amid the 2026 TV schedule, taking fans back to The Crossing for much more romance, drama and some twists. Of course, there have also been noteworthy developments for the series off-camera because, as a friendly reminder, Scott Patterson’s exit did not go down the way the show said it did.

What Happened With Sully?

Patterson -- a Gilmore Girls alum who's since moved on to other shows -- played Harry “Sully” Sullivan, owner of campground The Crossing, since the first season. Season 3 saw the character getting closer to an author who was staying at the campground, before he ultimately decided to follow her to Ireland. Sully told his daughter, Maggie (Morgan Kohan), that he wants to go in a new direction, which would seemingly see him moving on from The Crossing.

The Season 4 premiere, which kicks off the morning after the events of the finale, doubles down on Sully’s choice, confirming that he has indeed already left. This leaves Maggie and co. to figure out how to operate without him, as they must now move forward with running the camp and manning The Outpost amongst other tasks. In the Season 3 finale, it's seemingly implied that Sully's move to Ireland isn't permanent, and that is not the case.

What Really Happened With Scott Patterson?

Creator and showrunner Roma Roth told People in a statement in early March that since Season 3 ended with Sully leaving and Season 4 picking up the next day, it would make sense for Sully to still over overseas. She also suggested that Patterson could still return and reprise his role as the character “remains an important part of the world.” (On a side note, I'd also like to see Patterson reprise Gilmore Girls' Luke Danes at some point.)

That statement from Roth dropped just weeks before Season 4 premiered on CTV. Eventually, Patterson himself took to Facebook to share his side of the story on what really happened behind the scenes. He asserted that the creative differences were “becoming untenable,” so much so that he realized that Sullivan’s Crossing wasn’t something he “could agree to continue.” He said:

Patterson went on to say that fans deserved better “than to think the embodiment” of Sully would disrespect not only the show but them. He also said they're "all fans of these characters and stories" on Sullivan’s Crossing, and that he would “always support and defend the truth.” Patterson's exit certainly came as a surprise, even with the way Season 3 ended. And, for this fan, it’s hard to imagine the show without Sully moving forward

It’s unfortunate that Scott Patterson’s exit happened the way it did but, of course, it's definitely not uncommon for BTS drama to unfold over reported creative differences. Given the way things ended behind the scenes for Patterson, it feels like fans have seen the last of Sully, but we could still be surprised down the road. In the meantime, those who are still interested should know that new episodes of Sullivan’s Crossing air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Fans can also get their Sully fix with the first three seasons with a Netflix subscription.