When we land at the Crossing for Season 4, things are … more than a bit shaky. It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing since neurosurgeon Maggie (Morgan Kohan) left Boston for her native Timberlake, Nova Scotia, but now her ex Liam (Marcus Rosner) has just shown up in town. Liam claims that he’s only dropping by to retrieve his and Maggie’s marriage annulment so he can get a visa and head overseas to pursue his career as a war reporter. Even though he abruptly ended their whirlwind romance years ago, there’s still seemingly something between the two. Sure enough, soon Liam is working his way back into Maggie’s life, and her boyfriend, Cal (Chad Michael Murray), is more than a little displeased.
The love triangle plays out for the rest of the season, until it culminates in one final romantic moment that gets completely derailed by a knock at the door. Will Cal and Maggie’s relationship survive Liam’s presence in Timberlake? And do they have a surprise visitor who’s about to shake things up yet again? Tudum spoke to the show’s creator, Roma Roth, about the series’ fourth season and that will they, won’t they ending. Read on to get the skinny on the romance drama’s latest installment. Need a refresher on who’s who first? Check out the Season 4 guide right here.
Sullivan’s Crossing, based on the book series of the same name by bestselling author Robyn Carr, was adapted for television by Virgin River series creator Roma Roth.
Maggie is dealing with a lot this season. Her father, Sully (Scott Patterson), is away in Ireland; her husband, Liam, is back out of the blue; she’s fighting feelings for Liam while in love with Cal; and she’s also facing some serious career questions. What’s Maggie’s state of mind during this season?
Roma Roth: Maggie finds herself dealing with unfinished business from her past when Liam reveals that their annulment never went through. She’s still angry with herself for falling for his promises and considers their marriage a personal failure. His presence at the Crossing distracts her and reopens old wounds she would rather forget. When Liam finally tells her the truth about what happened, Maggie finds herself torn between her feelings for him and her feelings for Cal.
We finally find out the real reason for Liam’s sudden disappearance from Maggie's life — and it completely reframes everything we thought we knew about him. Can you walk us through what led you to land on this as the explanation for his absence?
Roth: We needed to find a way to make Liam a viable love interest for Maggie. The best way to do that was to give him a backstory that explained why he never came back — without making him unlikable to either Maggie or the audience. After Maggie realizes that she was the one who abandoned Liam, not the other way around, she begins to question where their relationship might have gone if things had turned out differently.
The reason for Liam’s disappearance creates this shift for the audience of, well, we thought he was this bad guy who abandoned her — and we were wrong! How did you think about navigating that change in viewer sympathy, especially knowing it would throw such a wrench into things for Maggie and Cal?
Roth: The goal is to allow the audience to experience Maggie’s emotional journey alongside her. Revealing Liam’s backstory not only creates an interesting plot twist, but also forces viewers to feel compassion and empathy for a character they’ve been rooting against.
Maggie and Liam share a kiss midseason. What went into creating this moment, especially knowing it would leave those rooting for Maggie and Cal in a bit of distress?
Roth: I think many of us can relate to having unresolved feelings for someone. Maggie and Liam still have unfinished business between them, so when Liam opens up to her and allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable, Maggie cannot help but get caught up in the moment. This leads her to question who she should be with.
How did you know the finale would end with Cal’s proposal, that enough of the Liam chapter had been resolved, and that Cal’s hurt over Maggie withholding her feelings toward Liam wasn’t too raw for him to take that step?
Roth: Cal has always been a very patient and forgiving character. This season, he not only breaks up with Maggie, but also rejects her attempts to reconcile after Liam leaves. I think Cal standing his ground allows both the audience and Maggie to realize that his love has limits.
Later, when Maggie puts her career on the line to help Ben [played by Colby Frost] and Tracy [played by Emerson MacNeil], Cal recognizes how much she has changed. The truth is, Cal never stopped loving Maggie. He simply needed to know that she was ready to prioritize love before he could be with her again.
Sully has been such an emotional anchor for the show in previous seasons. How did you approach reshaping the season without him, and how has his absence changed what the story needed to be about?
Roth: Sullivan’s Crossing has always revolved around Maggie Sullivan’s journey to reconcile her present with her past. While the first few seasons focused on her relationship with her estranged father, they also explored her friendships with Edna [played by Andrea Menard], Frank [played by Tom Jackson], Sydney [played by Lindura], and Rob [played by Reid Price], as well as her blossoming romance with Cal. It was a natural progression for the series to begin focusing more on Cal and Maggie’s evolving relationship, along with her new career.
In the middle of Cal’s proposal, Tracy shows up unannounced at Cal’s house alongside a social worker — and we don’t find out if Maggie’s going to say yes to Cal. More than that, it suggests Tracy might be needing a place to stay from here on out. Given this potential bombshell, what can you tell viewers about what to expect in Season 5?
Roth: You’ll need to tune in once it drops to see where things are headed!
