IR TV Review: SULLIVAN’S CROSSING - EPISODE 1 (“Coming Home”) [The CW]
The aspect of circumstance versus ignorance sometimes depends on the ego behind it. With the series: "Sullivan's Crossing" on The CW (the series originally aired on CTV in Canada), it uses the aspect of a shamed or disavowed nuerosurgeon in Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) who returns to her home in a small town in Nova Scotia. Her escape from Boston was motivated after being singled out and arrested because her practice was seemingly part of a criminal or money laundering scheme (through likely no fault of her own). Her life falls apart. Her superstar neurosurgeon boyfriend who has just moved to Boston to be with her has to the deal with the backlash as well which might end in dissolution of that relationship. What is interesting that the show starts off in the power backrooms of the hospital where the energy is phenomenal. But after the fall from grace, there is a different energy as Sullivan has to deal with the cadence of her past.
Her mother is a socialite who perhaps got her into this compromising position (along with her slightly more ignorant yet empathetic husband/stepfather). Back in Nova Scotia, Sullivan's actual father Sully welcomes her back as do his workers and Sullivan's would-be surrogate mom (with her homemade breakfasts). Sullivan seemingly becomes that little girl again back in her old room. What is missing is the context of strategy since this is a woman that works at a very high level (in neurosurgery no less) and this tends to feel very basic. Now granted she is running away from something and the very first episode is entitled "Coming Home" for a reason. She doesn't want to talk about why she is there but there is also a connotation that she ran away before because of embarassment of those around her. In addition, theree is a plot ploy that is destined to keep her there (at least for the next few episodes). There is a romantic context/subtext on the horizon that the show can't help teasing in Cal Jones [Chad Michael Murray]. "Sullivan's Crossing" is pretty simple in its concept and might bear fruit beyond its context and guilt coming to bear revolving around if this island is her home and her real identity or the life in the city she ran away from. B-
By Tim Wassberg
