To say it's been an interesting time for Sullivan's Crossing fans would be an understatement. The excitement for the season 4 premiere on The CW in April was quickly undercut by the shocking news of a major cast shakeup that rocked fans more than any of the show's twists ever could.
When news dropped that Scott Patterson left the show after three seasons and would not appear in Sullivan's Crossing season 4, we couldn't believe that the series would be without one of its titular Sullivans. As it seems, fans still aren't totally on board with the upcoming season and are fully in support of Patterson. How this situation was handled could be the hit show's undoing.
After the dust seemingly settled from the casting debacle, which included Patterson breaking his silence on the matter and sharing his side of the story, The CW released a new trailer for the upcoming season. This time around, the trailer didn't dance around the fact that Sully would not be present in season 4. His absence was addressed head-on, and fans aren't happy.
New Sullivan's Crossing season 4 trailer divides fans
The top comment under the Instagram post expresses discontent in the direction the show is taking, and like a lot of other commenters, suggests that they will no longer be watching the show when season 4 premieres: "Super disappointed that Scott P (Sully) is gone. Show won’t be the same without him, as much as I was looking forward to the new season, I don’t even feel like watching it now."
In addition to the fans backing Patterson, the trailer showcased another aspect of the season that isn't generating much love: Maggie's love triangle with Cal and her ex-husband Liam. Based on the number of comments expressing disinterest in another love triangle, some fans won't be tuning in. It's hard when your favorite show relies on a similar trope, especially one that feels a bit contrived.
Granted, there are plenty of comments still sharing excitement for the new season. But several comments echo the same sentiment as the one above, that Sully was the heart of Sullivan's Crossing and without Scott Patterson on the show, it's losing something that made it special. For a lot of fans, who also loved Gilmore Girls, Patterson was the reason they were tuning in. Not listening to fans, whether it's about characters they love or storylines they hate, can be fatal TV flaws.
Moreover, the actor revealed in his statement that his departure from Sullivan's Crossing wasn't as mutual as it was first made out to be. First presented as a creative decision by showrunner Roma Roth upon her announcement that Patterson left the show, the actor later clarified that his "creative differences were becoming untenable" and he couldn't continue doing the show.
Patterson wrote at length in his statement about honoring the source material and the character, and he felt that the show was taking a path that diverged from his goal as an actor. Fans seem to be feeling that tension, too, as the storylines change elements from Robyn Carr's books. However, will we actually see this frustration reflected in the show's ratings? We'll have to wait and see.
Sullivan's Crossing season 4 premieres Monday, April 20 at 8/7c on The CW.