After the fiery devastation that closed out Season 2, Sullivan’s Crossing returns with its Season 3 premiere, “New Beginnings,” a slow-burning, emotionally wealthy episode that walks the fragile line between therapeutic and heartbreak. Although the solar is shining, the injuries beneath the floor are recent—and none extra so than Maggie’s.
The episode wastes no time reminding us what’s at stake emotionally. It opens with Maggie seemingly well-adjusted. She’s again on the Crossing, serving to out with visitors, helping Edna, and sharing heat moments with Cal. Their reunion is intimate and hopeful, capped with a kiss that may usually sign that every one is correct of their world. However one thing about Maggie feels… off. Her smile is just a bit too tight. Her eyes linger on issues with unstated weight. She seems like somebody holding her breath.
It isn’t till midway by means of the episode that viewers get affirmation of what many could have suspected: Maggie suffered a miscarriage following the fireplace. The second is revealed not by means of dialogue however by means of a haunting, quiet scene- Maggie unpacking alone in her room, discovering the tiny Sullivan’s Crossing onesie her father had gifted for the newborn. The shift in her face as she cradles it, the tears she holds again, the breath she doesn’t fairly take- it’s devastating.
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| “New Beginnings” – SULLIVAN’S CROSSING. Pictured: Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan and Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones. Picture: Bell Media ©2025. All Rights Reserved. |
Cal, ever the supportive associate, senses one thing is incorrect lengthy earlier than Maggie voices it. He provides items, time, and tenderness, and whereas she appreciates it, she will’t absolutely obtain it. When she lastly confesses to him that she’s not effective, that she thought she may push by means of the grief and bury it with busywork, it is uncooked and actual. Morgan Kohan delivers one in every of her most delicate and affecting performances thus far. Maggie’s ache isn’t loud; it’s aching and quiet, which makes it hit even more durable.
The episode ends on a fantastic metaphorical word: Maggie and Cal plant a tree collectively, a logo of each loss and renewal. It mirrors a reminiscence Maggie shares of planting a tree with Sully as a baby, one thing that at all times made her really feel linked to the Crossing irrespective of how far she went. As a butterfly lands on the freshly planted tree, Maggie smiles—not as a result of she’s healed, however as a result of she lastly stopped holding her breath. She let herself really feel. That closing second, a quiet nod to transformation, was all of the closure Maggie wanted for now.
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| “New Beginnings” – SULLIVAN’S CROSSING. Pictured: Andrea Menard as Edna Cranebear and Scott Petterson as Sully. Picture: Bell Media ©2025. All Rights Reserved. |
In the meantime, Sully, alive and feisty as ever, is grappling together with his personal discomfort across the altering tide on the Crossing. Edna’s digital upgrades and web site launches really feel like a hostile takeover to him, regardless of her greatest intentions. Scott Patterson’s portrayal of a person attempting to remain helpful in a world that’s slowly shifting on from his strategies is each relatable and somewhat heartbreaking. His unintended meet-cute with the brand new visitor Helen who’s sharp-tongued and clearly unimpressed, is a spotlight. There’s on the spot spark and conflict, and it guarantees a enjoyable dynamic to look at because the season unfolds.
In different elements of the Crossing, the remainder of the city is spinning their wheels in varied states of transition. Rob’s diner desires are stalled, due to an insurance coverage denial that just about breaks him. Sydney and Rafe are navigating a relationship that’s extra strained than horny, and their steamy encounter on the fireplace station felt out of step with their later emotional distance. One of many present’s strengths has at all times been grounding relationships in realism, and it appears Rafe and Sydney could also be headed for a reckoning.
The standout emotional scene belongs to Maggie and Frank within the backyard. His butterfly metaphor about change and therapeutic was delicate and highly effective, providing the precise type of light nudge Maggie wanted. When she later crops the tree with Cal and is visited by an actual butterfly, a superbly timed little bit of symbolism, it felt earned, not tacky. Typically therapeutic isn’t loud or dramatic. Typically, it’s simply planting roots and watching one thing develop.
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| “New Beginnings” – SULLIVAN’S CROSSING. Pictured: Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan and Tom Jackson as Frank Cranebear. Picture: Bell Media ©2025. All Rights Reserved. |
“New Beginnings” is a mild, grounded premiere that doesn’t depend on melodrama to hold its emotional weight. As a substitute, it trusts in silence, in stillness, and in Maggie’s gradual, painful crawl towards therapeutic. There’s a lot brewing within the background (luxurious resorts? Sully’s new nemesis?) however at its coronary heart, this episode belongs to Maggie—and it’s one of many present’s most emotionally sincere outings but.
