Abhiroop Das
The second season finale of ‘Sullivan’s Crossing,’ titled ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ presents a nail-biting quest for control over the eponymous campground. Following Sully’s failure to repay his loans, the Crossing is put up for auction, and the family is tested to its limits. Meanwhile, Sydney tries to find a stable footing back home after her grim experiences in the modelling industry. The protagonist, Maggie Sullivan, finds herself in a similar dilemma, caught between her life in Timberlake and Boston. With her dynamic with Cal at stake, she eventually picks a side. All elements of the story weave together to form a rich tapestry of drama and romance, where each character learns from their past, both personal and collective. The result is a whole greater than the sum of its parts. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sullivan’s Crossing Season 2 Finale Recap
The Episode begins with Maggie visiting Shandon’s diner, which is bustling with people. Rob apologizes for Glenn backing out of his deal with Sully, but Maggie remains hopeful that Sully can raise enough to outbid him. Rob himself has decided to donate fifty percent of every meal’s cost to the Crossing. Finn also contributes, excitedly showing the jar full of coins he has collected from his classmates. Sydney admits her fear that if Glenn wins, they may never see Maggie again, but Maggie promises to keep in touch, and they share a warm embrace. Meanwhile, Sully hesitates to accept a donation from Frank, but latter urges him not to give up just yet. At the Outpost, Cal tells Maggie the fire department funds have been dropped at the bank and mentions that Sedona’s test results are due. Maggie admits she’s worried, and when Cal offers to accompany her to the auction, she agrees.
Elsewhere, Connie reveals to Alysa she’s thinking about a job in Otter Lake and needs space before entering a new relationship. In doing so, she confesses her feelings but also expresses that she is not ready. Though disappointed, Alysa understands and promises to wait, and they kiss. Meanwhile, Mary reaches out to Sully, thanking him for helping her husband Bert in the past. At the auction, Maggie confronts Glenn for trying to take advantage of Sully, but he brushes her off, confident that no amount of donations can outbid him. Before the auction begins, the Sullivans start their final rally with Maggie speaking to the crowd, sharing how Sully has always put his community first. Her claims are backed by Mary’s photographs of the olden days. One by one, locals offer donations, each paired with stories of Sully’s quiet generosity, from hospital rides to wheel-chair ramps.
Mary herself comes up with $20,000 and insists Sully accept it, despite his reluctance. The bidding opens at $50,000 and quickly narrows to a clash between Maggie and Glenn. At $200,000, the latter is declared the winner, but the Sheriff gives him only thirty minutes to make the deposit. Sensing her chance, Maggie calls Frank and Edna and concocts a plan. The couple arrives at the bank right before George. Frank then places the coin jar on the counter and quietly speaks to the teller, who turns out to be Sully’s ally. George waits in frustration as the coins are counted one by one, wasting his time and nullifying his victory. Finally, Sully wins the auction with $160,000. Celebrating the victory, he announces a party at Shandon’s Diner, before making Frank and Edna his new partners at Sullivan’s Crossing.
Sullivan’s Crossing Season 2 Ending: Is Sully Dead?
When Maggie, Sully, and Cal reach Shandon’s Diner, they are met by a ghastly sight: flames and smoke covering the entire building. As the trio calls 911, they find Clover outside, who sobs uncontrollably, revealing that Finn is still trapped inside. Cal and Sully rush immediately, with the firefighters soon following suit. However, tragedy strikes, as while Cal manages to rescue the child, Sully seemingly gets stuck inside. With the flames too deep, Maggie has to watch Rafe, a firefighter, give up on her father, and soon after, the entire diner blows up. This marks the end of the Episode; a brutal cliffhanger similar to the one in the first season’s finale, as Sully’s fate hangs in the balance yet again. Only this time, the stakes have risen significantly.
Prior to the Episode’s conclusion, there are several moments marked by a deep admiration for Sully and his contribution to Timberlake. The fact that his donation campaign attracts the support of several townsfolk, all of whom mention his impact on their lives, further strengthens the sentiment. However, that same outpouring of support can be re-examined as the narrative giving the character a proper send-off. This adds up with his last heartfelt conversation with his daughter, which serves as a pseudo-conclusion to their dynamic. Most importantly, for his final act in the story to be a child rescue attempt, is poetic in of itself. It not only exemplifies his commitment towards doing good, but also brings his story full circle. Years ago, he accidentally hit Lola with his car, an incident that continues to haunt him. Saving Finn, as such, also serves as a step towards redemption.
However, ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ is no stranger to narrative sleights of hand. In fact, it has employed Sully’s death scare on two prior occasions. First, it was in the Episode of the first season, in which Roy Gunderson dies. However, the narrative doesn’t immediately present it as such, and the audience is led to believe that it might just be Sully who has passed. The other iteration teases it more directly, by ending the first season with Sully suffering from a stroke. Although it appears to be the end for him, the next season instead uses that incident as a springboard for a deeper exploration into his character. Therefore, the same can hold true for Sully’s present fate, with the heroic marking a new chapter for his character arc. SPOILER: In Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3, it’s confirmed that Sully survived the diner fire.
Do Maggie and Cal End Up Together?
In the lead-up to the finale’s cliffhangers, one of the show’s most pivotal dynamics finally reaches its point of catharsis. When Maggie and Cal meet while dressing up for the party, they compliment each other’s outfits. However, that’s not the only reason the protagonist is here. She then recounts Cal’s words about taking chances in life, something she had hesitated to do all this time. The auction, however, helped put things in perspective, making it clear how much she valued the life she had, one that would be incomplete without the companionship of Cal. Empowered by this realization, she confesses her love to him. To this, Cal reveals that he has been in love with her since the day they met. With their feelings laid bare, the two embrace each other, affirming their love with a kiss.
Maggie and Cal’s relationship has been a long time coming, with sparks flying off from the moment of their first meeting. As her dynamic with her boyfriend, Andrew, continues to strain, she finds her true calling in Cal. Through him, she learns to truly value the humanity of a person beyond their flesh and blood, adding more depth to her thought processes as a neurosurgeon. Furthermore, Cal’s feelings for Maggie inspire him to finally ground himself in one place and put his trust in another person. Both the characters form a bond in the wake of their previous relationships, which brings an additional nuance to their decisions.
Sedona’s Diagnosis Brings Relief
Shortly after Maggie and Cal kiss, the latter gets a call from his sister, Sedona, who reveals that she has been diagnosed with a Tumor on her ovary. Maggie displays her medical expertise and quickly figures out a connection to Sedona’s hallucinations, suggesting that she has a Teratoma. She further explains that it is possible a part of the nervous tissue made its way down, and is the source of all the symptoms Cal’s sister has been experiencing. This fills the trio with relief, as not only is it a treatable disease, but it is also not the disorder they dreaded the most: Schizophrenia. Their reaction has another layer of significance, as it aids in dispelling one of Cal’s long-running fears, which have held him back from starting a family, and as an extension, a relationship with Maggie.
Throughout the narrative, Cal, whose father has Schizophrenia, bears a consistent fear of inheriting the disorder. It is the same fear that informs his decision not to have children and hold back on his relationships with others. The fear is both of losing his sense of self and hurting those around him. This is worsened when Sedona’s symptoms, along with the cognitive test results, seem to point to her inheriting the disorder. As such, when the truth is revealed, it takes a mental burden off Cal and reintroduces the possibility of him having a healthy life and, subsequently, a happy relationship with Maggie. The two are a natural fit and can work through their weaknesses to strengthen the collective whole.
Do Sydney and Rafe Get Back Together?
While Maggie and Cal’s love story takes off, another such dynamic, that of Sydney and Rafe, shows similar promise. Upon returning from New York, she soon makes her way to his house. Here, she wishes to come clean to him about her experience as a budding model and how she really feels about him. When he agrees to listen, she begins recounting the horrors she had to experience, largely due to the exploitative and abusive behavior of her manager, David. She continues, expressing how difficult it has been to claw her way out of her dark past, both with David and her former boyfriend. Amidst all of this, Rafe has been her only solace, being there for her throughout her lows, and even sharing his home with her. Sydney expresses her desire to continue living with him, this time as his partner.
Sydney’s decision is inspired by her father repeating the same mistakes as her, by stringing along with his new relationship with Jane. While he says that he is giving things time, she alerts him to how easy it is for things to slip through one’s grasp. In saying this, she is reminded of her own time with Rafe, which ended on bad terms. Her ambitions, coupled with her hesitation in starting another relationship, both led to her maintaining a distance from the firefighter, who ultimately called things off. With Sydney’s true feelings revealed, the two can learn from their mistakes and have a fresh start.
Does Maggie Choose to Stay at Sullivan’s Crossing? Why?
Two seasons of growth lead Maggie to the ultimate dilemma: Whether she should continue her stay at her home, or head back to Boston, where professional success awaits her. While she has chosen the latter multiple times in the past, before finding her way back to her father, this time, she finally chooses to follow her heart. The result is a definitive decision to stay in the place she can truly call home: Sullivan’s Crossing. Her choice fills her father with happiness, as he has always wanted to hear it from her. Their separation when she was young had been a painful event, which scarred both characters. Now, with her staying in Timberlake permanently, they can continue to nurture their relationship and take the Crossing to even greater heights.
Maggie’s decision doesn’t come out of the blue; it is the culmination of a long series of events, where every little detail provides depth to the time she spent creating bonds with the townsfolk. The turning point seems to be the auction, which reminds her how important the place is to her, not just as a piece of nostalgia attached to her childhood, but also as an anchor to the present. Through her experiences in the Crossing, both with her father and the visitors, be it Ellis or Pete, she becomes a better, more caring individual. As such, it is likely that the protagonist will start working as a neurosurgeon in Timberlake, potentially forming a bond with the team of doctors who took care of her father at the start of the season. A good life awaits Maggie, with her family and friends all by her side.
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