Abhiroop Das
Season 3 of CTV’s ‘Sullivan’s Crossing‘ continues Maggie Sullivan’s journey on her quest to find her own identity. In the process, she suffers through a series of hardships, but she becomes a stronger person every time. Season 2 of the show pushes this idea to its very limit, putting her in a tense situation the moment she decides on a series of commitments. We last see the protagonist breaking down into tears when she learns that her father, Sully, has not yet come out of the burning diner. Maggie’s love for her family stands out as one of the most important parts of the arc. As such, how the protagonist reacts to various forms of loss takes center stage for her character. Subsequently, what she learns from these experiences becomes key to tracking her growth as a human being. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Maggie Suffers From a Miscarriage Due to the Events of Season Two
While the third season opens with a confirmation of Sully surviving the fire at Shandon’s Diner, the Sullivan family is nonetheless affected by a tragedy soon after. A flashback to the fateful night shows Maggie on a hospital bed, with her near and dear ones telling her that she lost her baby due to the overwhelming stress she had to endure following the fire. This ironic twist plays on the reversal of expectations, and the show consciously uses it in the buildup to the reveal. For instance, earlier in the first episode, a child plays with their firetruck, filling Maggie with sadness. While we are initially led to believe it is a traumatic trigger for the death of Sully, later scenes recontextualize it as the protagonist mourning her unborn child. The psychological burden placed on her is immense and goes on to define much of her trajectory from that point onwards.
Throughout the show, Maggie finds herself entangled in a number of complex situations with respect to the baby. Given that she ends her relationship with the baby’s father, Andrew, her future ends up in a tricky spot. Things get worse when she learns that Cal doesn’t wish to have kids, but things turn around when she decides to take on the mantle of raising the child on her own. This adds more emotional context to the baby, making its loss all the more saddening for the protagonist. As a result, Maggie pushes Cal away and initially shuts her emotions to some degree, before realizing that the only way to move on is to treasure the relationships she already has. In the end, she has a heartfelt conversation with Cal and finds some closure by planting a tree in the baby’s honor.
Maggie’s Journey of Dealing With Her Loss Makes Her a Better Person
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, actor Morgan Kohan, who portrays Maggie Sullivan, described the nuances of Maggie’s miscarriage and how it was brought to the screen. She stated, “This topic is not talked about as much as it should be.” Furthermore, she said, “It affects so many different people in many capacities — whether it’s happened to you or someone you love. I was definitely nervous about portraying it respectfully and in the right capacity to be honest and help people feel seen.” Additionally, she also brought up how the cast and crew understood the gravity of the scenes she was doing and made sure that she felt comfortable while performing them. This allowed the actor to fully immerse herself in the character, bringing out the true depth of her emotions in all of their complexity.
Maggie’s miscarriage, as depicted in ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’, also vaguely lines up with its novel counterpart, where we learn that Maggie was in a similar situation prior to her relationship with Cal, although we are never shown the circumstances behind it. The difference is crucial, as introducing it as a turning point for her character also exemplifies her innate wish to save lives. This desire takes further root in her psyche as a wish to return to neurosurgery, which can also be interpreted as a desire to leave this traumatic incident behind and immerse herself in something she enjoys doing. However, the fact that she ultimately learns to balance her emotions serves as an inspirational moment for her character. Thus, the show carefully integrates this storyline into her character development, while also strengthening its thematic framework.
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