Sullivan’s Crossing – Aftershock – Review

Last week’s emotional episode set the stage for tonight’s hour, which focused on Maggie trying to figure out how to put the broken pieces of her life back together, while Sully grappled with his inability to repair his broken relationship with his daughter. The writing for this series has been phenomenal and tonight’s episode, penned by creator Roma Roth, was no exception. Every episode in the series has been raw, real and at times, heart wrenching but in the best possible way. The show has managed to captivate viewers and as the end of the season nears, viewers can rest easy knowing that a second season is already being filmed in Nova Scotia, Canada. 

The episode takes place the day after the dramatic event with Andrew at the local bar. Maggie is struggling to process what happened, and It didn’t help that her mother called and essentially blamed her for ruining things with Andrew. Maggie is touched when Sydney comes by to check on her with her favourite comfort food in hand, jelly donuts. Sydney is the listening ear that Maggie so desperately needs during this confusing time, and she knows exactly what to say to help Maggie feel better about things. It has been heartwarming to watch the two women renew their friendship over the course of the season, especially since Maggie has felt alone most of her life. True friendship is when you can reconnect with someone after a long time apart as though no time has passed, and that is the perfect description of the relationship that Maggie and Sydney share. 

Maggie’s mother was right about one thing, she does have a habit of pushing people away and she admits as much to Call. In a touching moment between the two, he helps her understand that it isn’t healthy to keep emotions bottled up and he encourages her to make a change. Maggie isn’t used to having a man in her life like Cal, someone who truly listens and cares about what she has to say. Cal also teaches her that she needs to release her pent-up feelings, and encourages her to try a primal scream. Maggie has a flashback to the moment her mother ripped her away from Sully when she was a kid, and releases her anger and sadness in a gut-wrenching bellow. The experience was healing for both Cal and Maggie, who allowed themselves to be vulnerable and open up to one another about the most difficult times in their lives. The two spent time getting to know one another and when the topic of Cal returning to his law practice came up, Maggie was taken aback to learn that Cal may never go back. He tells her that losing his wife made him realize that life is too short to waste another minute spending it doing something he doesn’t love. Maggie has spent her whole life pleasing other people and running from her emotions. With Andrew leaving and her medical career up in the air, it is the perfect opportunity for Maggie to re-assess her life and work towards making herself happy. Hopefully Cal’s words are just the catalyst she needs to do just that. 

Cal and Maggie’s intimate moment is interrupted when Jackson shows up at Cal’s cabin in a panic. Jackson had confided in Caleb about his family troubles and Caleb invited him on a hike to get his mind off things. Things took a scary turn when Caleb started to feel sick and fell to the floor, convulsing. Cal and Maggie rushed to tend to Caleb, and Maggie immediately discovered that he is suffering from vertigo due to an inner ear blockage.

After the rescue, Cal took Maggie on a picnic to his favourite spot and as fate would have it, it ended up being the waterfall, which is Maggie’s treasured spot as well. Cal and Maggie opened up to each other about their childhoods and he encouraged her to let loose and jump into the water with him. As they were about to jump, he finally revealed his full name- California Jones! The rush from the jump was exhilarating, and it led to the two sharing an incredibly passionate and long-awaited kiss. In typical Maggie fashion, she pulled away and apologized to Cal for kissing him. It was a bittersweet moment for fans who have been waiting for the two to share a kiss since the first episode. The two were finally at a point where they were unable to control their desire for one another. The kiss was fevered and full of longing and that kind of passion cannot be ignored. Letting love in after a loss is difficult, but the payoff is so worth it. With only two episodes remaining, let’s hope that Maggie and Cal will realize that being together is the happiness that they both need and deserve. 

Meanwhile, Sully confided in Frank that he painted over Maggie’s mural. Frank convinced Sully to drive him into the city, and used the opportunity to take Sully to an AA meeting. Sully tries to convince Frank that despite his relapse, he is back on track but Frank knows Sully better than that. Frank is worried about Sully and although Edna is excited about their trip to Alberta, he doesn’t think it is the right time to go. Frank is very attune to the emotions of others, and he knows that something is not right with Sully. Edna unknowingly lets it slip that she and Frank are leaving for a few weeks, which angers Sully. It is clear that his big reaction was based on the fact that he is struggling, and isn’t sure how he will manage without his support system for so long. His final words to Frank could almost be read as a premonition- “it’s only a couple of weeks, what could go wrong?” Frank and Edna keep Sully grounded and without them around, who knows what Sully’s self-sabotaging ways could lead to. 

Now more than ever, Sully needs Maggie and he needs to let down his walls and open up to her about what happened all those years ago. It appeared that the two might actually have that moment in this episode, Maggie was able to tell Sully that he felt like he was erasing her by painting over the mural, and that she always believed that he had replaced her with Lola. Sully’s inability to control his anger and his defensive nature, led to him shutting down and walking away before either of them could go any deeper and come to a resolution. The episode ended with Maggie finding Sully’s past due notices. Maggie’s caring nature will likely lead to her confronting Sully and offering to help. Sully is a prideful man so if Maggie does try and help, hopefully he will put aside his stubbornness and allow her to do so. 

Sydney and Rafe shared a heartwarming story arc thanks to Rob, who convinced Sydney to face her feelings and take a chance on Rafe. She asked him out on a date and is surprised when he shows up to pick her up on a motorcycle. After a thrilling ride, Rafe tells Sydney that he wants them to have a real date where they can learn more about one another. The topic of Sydney’s former modeling career came up and she became defensive. It is clear that something happened in New York that traumatized her, but she isn’t ready to share details about it just yet. The two are finally on the right track, perhaps Rafe can be the person that helps Sydney break free from her past pain, much like Cal has been for Maggie. 

This episode left me wanting so much more and with only two episodes remaining, I am wondering how everything will be wrapped up before the finale. I would love to hear your thoughts, Sullivan’s Crossing Fans. What did you think of the episode? Will Cal and Maggie allow themselves to find happiness with one another? Will Sully allow Maggie to help him get back on track? What will Frank and Edna leaving mean for Sully? Comment with your thoughts below and follow me on Twitter @MiddleofCanada.