Not everyone deserves a second chance—it’s something we learn after Maggie and Andrew’s visit on Sullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 7.
The duo returned to where she grew up following the sudden passing of Roy, a heartbreaking death that shook the community. It was only a few days ago that Cal and Roy were playing a game of chess, which goes to show how fleeting life is and how important it is to the ones we love.
In this case, however, Andrew was not the person that Maggie wanted to hold onto, though she was in denial about what she even wanted out of the relationship. On Sullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 6, Andrew not only proposed, but he showed Maggie the house that he bought her, two things he emphasized during the visit home where also mentioned the idea of using this “career break” as an opportunity to start a family. Considering all that Maggie has on her plate with the lawsuit, it was overwhelming, surely, but the problem is that Maggie’s been using the lawsuit to hide behind so that she doesn’t have to make any grand commitments when it comes to Andrew.
The guy may be a narcissistic nuisance who thinks he’s better than everyone, but he’s not stupid, so he caught on that the harder he pushes, the more Maggie seems to pull away. And he’s quite on the money (no pun intended) when it comes to the reason behind her hesitation is mostly Cal, even if Maggie isn’t ready to admit it.
The truth is that she and Cal bonded in a significant way, which is subconsciously preventing her from taking the next step with Andrew, all while the fears of the trial also take hold and do their own damage.
Of course, Andrew, who we know was previously cheated on by an ex, was projecting quite drastically and assumed that Cal and Maggie’s relationship was much more than it actually was. His mind and bruised ego—egged on by Connie’s revelation that Maggie and Cal were together during the shooting and that they attended the dance together—made up a whole story based solely on a few meetings and an innocent text.
Andrew let his insecurities get the best of him, reading more into every interaction than he should’ve, especially because they’ve kept things cordial and platonic. There’s something to be said about the emotional cheating as they develop feelings for each other, but they’ve never acted on them or even fully considered acting on them.
There was so much more to the tense poker match than met the eye as Andrew was basically channeling all of his anger at Cal (and Maggie) into the game, with Cal holding his own because, like everyone else who cares about Maggie, he didn’t like the guy. Also, did anyone else thoroughly enjoy Andrew’s face when Cal clarified that he’s not a handyman, he’s a lawyer? Pure gold.
Andrew tried to establish some kind of authority, but Cal wouldn’t have it, which further infuriated Maggie’s city-slick boyfriend. Mix in a little booze, and it was a recipe for disaster. And while one can’t really argue with Lola’s assessment that wherever Maggie goes, trouble follows, in this case, Maggie was an innocent bystander to her boyfriend’s tirade against Cal.
His anger then turned to Maggie as he admitted to reading—and deleting—the texts from Cal, and I know Andrew thought he was accomplishing something with that, but in reality, he was simply embarrassing himself and Maggie.
Jealousy was oozing through his pores as he drunkenly declared that he’s done nothing but go above and beyond to make Maggie happy and she couldn’t even say I love you, which, naturally, stems from her not even knowing that she’s in denial about her own feelings toward the relationship and Cal’s influence.
Sullivan’s Crossing — “Second Chances” — Image Number: SUL107_0104r — Pictured (L-R): Amalia Williamson as Lola Gunderson and Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones — Photo: Fremantle — © 2023 Fremantle. All Rights Reserved.
The final straw for Andrew was when Cal reached out to help Maggie, who tried to calm Andrew down and tumbled when he moved away, so he punched him right in the face. Cal’s tough though, so I know he can take it.
Maggie was so traumatized by the whole ordeal in front of everyone she grew up with and loved (and thankfully, most of them won’t judge her by this moment… though they might judge her by her choice of men) that she apologized to Cal and ran out—heading all the way back to Sully’s place to seek comfort in her father’s arms. It was such a sweet reunion as they put all of the other stuff aside to be there for one another. Unfortunately, it was short-lived when Maggie saw that Sully painted over their mural, one of her final tender moments from childhood.
It was the same problem as always with these two: a lack of communication leading to a broken relationship.
Maggie’s emotions got the best other, and she didn’t even let her father explain the decision behind his choice, which, as we know, is filled with so much pain and regret.
The episode ended with Maggie torn up about so many of her relationships, and while I hoped this would be the last we’ve seen of Andrew, the teaser for next week reveals that Maggie is wondering whether or not she did the right thing.
If I’m being quite frank, the trust in that relationship left the building a long time ago, so sure, you can try to salvage something that was doomed to begin with or you can embrace what led to the demise in the first place.
From Andrew’s interactions with everyone in town, it’s clear that he got a version of Maggie that wasn’t entirely authentic, and when she tried to show him the things and places that were important to her and be herself around him, he didn’t understand and was dismissive. He didn’t want her to change, so his attempts at forcing marriage and family talk were his attempts at regaining control as he felt her slipping further and further away.
But if there’s one thing I know about finding your “right person,” it’s that the people you love should never root against them or hope you don’t accept the proposal. Those people always see what you don’t want to admit. If Sullivan’s Crossing was never part of Maggie’s story, she and Andrew would likely make a great match, but coming back home and reconnecting with who she was when she was a little girl changed her forever and for the better–it’s clear that she can’t shake that or leave it in the rearview mirror.
I know Cal won’t hold what happened against her, and if anything, it might just bring them closer together. It’s not lost on me that there was a brief moment in the episode where Maggie seemed slightly jealous of Lola sitting by Cal’s side.
Lola and Maggie’s tense relationship has deep roots, with Lola even questioning why she came for her grandfather’s funeral, and she’s likely not pleased with how the evening turned out as she’s seemingly set her sights on Cal. Cal will likely only drive a further wedge between these two.
And even though she makes it kind of hard to, I find myself feeling bad for Lola. She lost her entire family upon her uncle’s passing, and as she reached out for comfort from literally anyone else, she was shut down, first when Sydney cut in on her dance with Rafe (seeing him “less available” and with someone else did the trick of making her jealous) and then again when Andrew hijacked the whole event to throw it back in Maggie’s face. All Lola wanted was someone to be there for her.
However, I can’t shake the nagging feeling that the driver who hit her and changed the course of her whole life was Sully during his battle with alcohol. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person to hurt a fly or keep a secret, but maybe it’s why he’s been like her second dad this whole time, taking care of her and helping her with anything she needs. I want to assume his kindness is authentic, but it could be coming from a place of guilt.
And then there’s Edna and Frank, who continue to be the sweetest couple on the series. When she suggested they make amends with estranged family so that she could continue on the Cree tribe traditions in the event of his passing, it was such a pure and genuine moment. Everyone should strive for what they have, and, unfortunately, that’s not what Maggie had with Andrew.
Cal’s flashback to when his wife Lynne asked him to promise that he’d find love again and move on following her death was also a gut punch, but the timing was impeccable as he’s likely wrestling with his feelings, most of which are also subconscious, for Maggie. It’s clear that the reason everyone in town “loves” Cal is because he’s a genuinely great guy with no ill intentions, unlike Andrew who was deeply hurt when he took things a bit too far. The liquid courage helped him speak his mind, but will he regret it and try to convince Maggie that they can still work things out?
What did everyone think about the episode? Will Maggie’s time away from Andrew help her reframe what she wants out of life? Will the split push her right into Cal’s arms?