WhileSullivan’s Crossinghas certainly found an audience, the changes the TV show made from the books sadly ensure we’ll never see one of the best parts of Robyn Carr’s series.Robyn Carr’sSullivan’s Crossingbooks, like many popular romance series, such as Julia Quinn’sBridgertonseries, does not actually focus on one central romance.
Instead, each book focuses on a different primary protagonist and a new love story. Maggie Sullivan and Cal Jones are the focus of the first book,What We Find, but while they are certainly present in the sequels, they step into the background once their relationship is established by the end of the first novel. Unfortunately, whileSullivan’s Crossingis another hit Robyn Carr adaptation, it does not follow this format, which robbed us of something great.
Cal’s Siblings Are The Most Interesting Characters In The Books
Dakota Hasn’t Shown Up At All & Sierra Is Now Sedona
The next two books in the series,Any Day NowandThe Family Gathering, focus not on Maggie and Cal, but on two of Cal’s siblings. The second book focuses on Cal’s sister, Sierra Jones, who comes to visit Cal and Maggie in Timberlake in an attempt to heal from a troubled past. The third book focuses on their brother, Dakota Jones, after he leaves the military and is at a crossroads in his life.
It’s a very cool way to explore Cal’s quirky, often troubled family. Thanks to their unusual upbringing, each of Cal’s siblings is as complex and interesting as he is, and their distinct personalities lend very different flavors to each of the books, ensuring they never start to feel the same or grow repetitive. The Jones siblings are a huge reason why theSullivan’s Crossingbooks work, which is why it’s frustrating that the TV show has all but guaranteed they’ll never factor into the story.
While Cal’s family has been referenced in the show, with a few members, including his parents and sister Sedona, appearing in one-off episodes, it’s already clear that they’re not a focus of the show and never will be. Cal’s father is at the end of his life with terminal cancer, and the only sibling who has appeared, Sedona, isn’t a character in the books. She’s already married with kids, so there’s no real chance of a romantic story for her there.
Focusing On Maggie & Cal Killed The Chance To See Other, Better Love Stories
Sullivan’s Crossing Wrote Itself Into A Story Hole By Not Expanding Sooner
Missing out on seeing the Jones siblings' love stories unfold isSullivan’s Crossing’s biggest missed opportunity, but the show has shot itself in the foot well beyond that by putting such exclusive focus on Maggie and Cal and dragging out their love story. It locks the show into a pattern where only they or one or two other characters are well-established, while the other supporting characters are barely fleshed out.
It’s an even bigger problem that many viewers feel Maggie and Cal lack chemistry and no one cares much for the other primary “new” relationship in the series between Sydney and Rafe.Sullivan’s Crossingseason 3 seems to have realized this, and several other new romances were introduced, such as Sully and Helen, andLola and Jacob,Sullivan’s Crossing’s romance with the most potential.
Had the show allowed other characters to shine earlier, orSullivan’s CrossingfollowedBridgerton’s lead, with each season focusing on a new central couple, it might not be struggling so much now to expand the story past Maggie and Cal. It certainly would have been more interesting had Cal’s siblings gotten actual love stories. As it stands,Sullivan’s Crossingseason 4 appears to be returning to the tired love triangle trope, only further emphasizing what the show has lost from the books.
