Sullivan’s Crossing season 3’s biggest character change made it clear that things on the show are shifting, which is a bad sign for the next season of the series. Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 saw several of its characters changing in different ways, some more drastically than others. While the stories kept characters moving forward, not all the change was for the best.

Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) found herself in a tough situation throughout Sullivan’s Crossing season 3, even with her relationship blossoming. While things with California “Cal” Jones (Chad Michael Murray) were going decently well, Maggie’s grief over losing her unborn child was hard to deal with. The rest of Timberlake’s residents weren’t doing much better throughout the season, despite big changes.

With some of the shifts causing ripple effects that impacted the rest of the cast, Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 often lost its footing as it became more complex. Viewers noticed that there were major shifts in many of the characters, especially in the ways they chose to interact with others. Though some of the changes felt necessary, others left viewers confused.

Despite several of the plots between Maggie and Cal leading to an inevitable clash that left both uncertain of their future together, the way the series chose to characterize their romantic lead often fell flat after seasons of development. Cal’s behavior throughout Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 was a struggle to keep up with, let alone understand for the show’s longtime viewers.

Cal Often Felt Manipulative In Sullivan’s Crossing Season 3

His Pressurized Behavior Was Off

Although Cal and Maggie’s relationships climbed to a whole new high during Sullivan’s Crossing season 3, the issues between them consistently stemmed from Cal’s behavior and reactions to what was happening in Maggie’s life. While Cal spent the first two seasons of Sullivan’s Crossing happy to let Maggie move at her own pace, the most recent season changed his tune.

Cal’s behavior throughout Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 was pushier and more manipulative than it’s ever been in the past. Throughout the season, Cal worked hard to push Maggie into things he wanted her to do rather than taking things at her speed. After getting together during Sullivan’s Crossing season 2, he pushed Maggie to move in with him despite barely knowing each other.

While Maggie was looking to stay with her father, Harry “Sully” Sullivan (Scott Patterson), after a long back-and-forth regarding where she would be living, Cal couldn’t handle her not living with him and seemingly pushed an ultimatum without calling it that directly. The way Cal chose to approach Maggie with his own insecurities and issues consistently left viewers’ feathers ruffled.

Insecurity Was Never An Issue With Cal Before In Sullivan’s Crossing

His Decisions Felt Fueled By Confusing Insecurities

For the first two seasons of Sullivan’s Crossing, Cal seemed like he was in a similar place about a romantic relationship with Maggie. Both seemed like they were going to take things slow because of their past experiences, especially with Maggie having so recently been in a relationship. Cal, whose wife Lynn passed prior to the show’s start, was still figuring things out.

Although Cal and Maggie both had their own understandings and experiences to fall back on, the pair were clear that their connection was different than what they’d had in the past. As the season progressed and there was less drama surrounding their relationship, however, Cal quickly began to seem far more insecure about Maggie’s station in life, especially when it came to her career.

While Cal wasn’t nervous or insecure about a past love, he was having a hard time believing that Maggie would be okay giving up neurosurgery to live at Sullivan’s Crossing. Maggie, who consistently reassured Cal she was happy with her choice, didn’t seem to have the ability to get through to Cal about her decision. Instead, Cal grew unattractively insecure.

Sullivan’s Crossing Has Unfortunately Just Traded Maggie’s Flip-Flopping For Cal’s

His Hot & Cold Behavior Used To Be Maggie’s Biggest Flaw

As Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 progressed, it became clear that in healing Maggie’s character and making much-needed changes, the show wasn’t sure what to do with Cal’s personal growth. While he’d already felt like a fully-formed character throughout the first seasons, bringing him to a point where he was in a happy relationship revealed some major cracks in his foundation.

Rather than allowing Cal and Maggie to both be in a place where they could be happy in their relationship, Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 chose to let Maggie stop the flip-flopping behavior that left her confused and uncertain about how to proceed in her relationship with Cal. In its place, however, Cal became more uncertain in the way he behaved.

While Maggie had spent the majority of the series unclear about what she wanted or what she was going to do, Cal took that mantle up during Sullivan’s Crossing season 3. His insecurity in thinking Maggie would be happy with him at the Crossing was difficult to watch, and made him seem like a far less interesting character than he’d been before.

Cal’s New, Disturbing Personality Can’t Continue In Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4

His Pushiness Can’t Continue If The Show Is To Go On

Although Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 did a lot in terms of groundwork to build Cal and Maggie’s relationship to the next level, the series also found itself struggling with what to do with the characters independently of their past relationship issues. With Cal and Maggie together, it became difficult to play with their dynamic without altering one of the characters entirely.

Cal can’t continue to be pushy, manipulative, and insecure throughout Sullivan’s Crossing season 4. Rather than allowing this behavior to continue as he moves forward in his relationship with Maggie, Cal needs to settle into a new part of his life that allows him to trust Maggie. While this may not be possible after the Sullivan’s Crossing season 3 finale, he should try to change.