Sullivan's Crossing season 4 losing Scott Patterson to 'untenable creative differences' could be an unexpected lifeline for Netflix's Virgin River season 8

Sullivan's Crossing season 4 is off and running on The CW (Netflix release date TBC), but Scott Patterson, who played patriarch Sully for the first three seasons, won't be returning.

In March, the actor explained in a Facebook post, “The creative differences were becoming untenable, and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue.

“Every actor knows what it’s like to fall in love with a character and a story. I fell in love with Sully and have nothing but fondness for him.”

Where this is bad news for Sullivan's Crossing, Patterson's departure might play to the advantage of its "sister show", Virgin River.

Both original book series were written by Robyn Carr, with seasons 1-3 of Sullivan's Crossing also now available to stream on Netflix. What if there was a world where Sully could be transported to Virgin River season 8, which has yet to start filming, after his recent farewell?

Sully could bridge the Sullivan's Crossing and Virgin River crossover I've been hoping for

Sullivan's Crossing Season 4 | Official Trailer 🔥April 20🔥Chad Michael Murray CW - YouTube

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I have been campaigning for a Virgin River-Sullivan's Crossing crossover for at least the last year, even going so far as to ask Morgan Kohan if she'd be up for giving a crossover episode a go (the answer was yes).

As both shows essentially live in the same fictional universe, it isn't entirely out of the question. So if Patterson loves Sully but dislikes the creative direction of Sullivan's Crossing season 4, what's stopping him from jumping ship?

Between this and Gilmore Girls, Patterson is an actor who knows how to get the best out of a cozy TV drama. In fact, he's sort of synonymous with the sub-genre. The phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind when picking his next TV role.

We can also assume that Virgin River season 8 will announce new cast members closer to its release, much like we saw in the run-up to season 7. Given that they haven't started filming yet, either — star Tim Matheson said only "rough discussions" had been had in March 2026 — this also plays into my TV fantasy.

Obviously, nothing is confirmed, and I am clutching at straws, but there's no doubting that this is the closest we've ever come to a crossover.

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