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Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5, Misunderstandings, premiered on June 11, 2025, on The CW, and it delivers precisely what the title suggests—layers of miscommunication and emotional turbulence. At the end of the episode, Maggie quietly leaves a conversation with Sully just as he's about to open up.
However, an unexpected inspection ruins the whole thing. Almost all of the characters are under a lot of stress, and the episode ends with feelings still unresolved and the future of several relationships uncertain.
This episode primarily explores grief, forgiveness, family issues, and unexpected events that exacerbate existing relationship problems. Maggie walked away not just because of Helen or the wine bottle incident, but because she’s overwhelmed by everything building up around her. She has a hard time dealing with the emotional weight of those around her while also healing herself.
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In Misunderstandings, the title becomes the episode’s soul, reflecting how even small miscommunications can ripple into bigger conflicts. Maggie's decision to walk away from Sully is not about judging him, but about setting limits, which is one of the hardest lessons this show keeps revisiting.
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Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5. Reader’s discretion is required.
Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5 ending: Why Maggie walks away from Sully at the end
Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5 ends on a note of emotional exhaustion and avoidance. In the last scene, Sully goes up to Maggie at The Outpost to explain what happened between him and Helen earlier. Frank walks in with Mr. Brenner from the Health Department before he can say anything.
Their private conversation is left unfinished by the sudden search. Maggie watches in silence as her dad's personal and professional life clash again, which makes her think about how hard it is for her to carry her dad's feelings all the time.
Maggie had just found a wine bottle in Sully's room, panicked, and ran into a scene that looked worse than it was. Helen admitted that she had drunk wine. This temporarily calmed Maggie's fears, but it also showed how little she trusted Sully to be sober. She's not leaving because she's angry; she's leaving because she's tired. Sully tells her to live a life, but Maggie has to stop being sad and protect everyone else—Cal, Rafe, and Sully.
The inspector's last interruption adds another level of meaning. Maggie is always close to finding a solution when something or someone gets in the way. She's surrounded by noise but not clear: that's how this episode makes her feel. To protect herself, she pulls away, not because she wants to give up.
Sully takes a day off
Maggie first notices that Sully is taking the day off. She thinks that it might have something to do with the stress caused by Glenn Perry's threats. Sully brushes off the idea, saying that "empty threats" won't bother him. But as soon as Maggie leaves, he makes a strange phone call, making the audience question his intentions.
Frank and Edna also start to worry. Frank is curious about Sully's drinking when he hears that he is taking a break. This makes a lot of people worried, so Frank goes to see Sully in person and invites him to a support group meeting. Sully refuses, but he appreciates the offer. This exchange sets the mood for the episode, which is tense with worry that Sully might relapse, even though he says he's fine.
This is when Helen goes to lunch with Sully. They talk about old times and even open a bottle of wine that belongs to Helen, not Sully. Concerns stay high, especially when Maggie later finds the empty bottle and jumps to conclusions.
Cal and Maggie drift apart
This episode shows how his feelings for Maggie are fading. Cal works on his Jeep and helps out at the lodge to keep himself busy. But there is emotional distance even as he tells Maggie about his parents' adventures and Rafe's work with the truck. Their relationship used to be strong, but now they avoid each other.
Later, after buying a new sports car, Cal asks Maggie to move in with him on the spur of the moment. However, Maggie says no, because she has just moved in with Sully and is worried about her dad's health.
Cal's insistence shows his desire for stability and how little he knows about Maggie's problems. Even though they have a history together and get along well, this moment demonstrates how disconnected they've become.
Rafe and Sydney reach a breaking point
Meanwhile, Sydney tries to help Rafe relax, but it's clear that he's stressed and doesn't want to do it. Instead, he becomes obsessed with Cal's Jeep and later tells Cal that Cooper might have fired him.
Rafe eventually does what Cal tells him to do, which is to face the problem head-on. When he talks to Cooper about it, Cooper says that he thought Rafe needed a break, not that he was being locked up.
When Sydney gets back home, she is excited to share her restaurant design ideas with Rafe, but he doesn't seem to care. This emotional gap leads to a heated argument in which Sydney feels like she is not being heard, and Rafe finally opens up about the difficulty of his job as the fire chief. They reconcile, but it's clear that their relationship isn't stable.
Jane’s return shakes up Rob
Rob is out of the groove when Jane shows up out of the blue at the hardware store in Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5. At first, their meeting is casual, with some lighthearted catching up. But it's clear that they know each other very well and have a history together.
After they talk, Rob offers to show Jane around the restaurant he is building with Sully. This small act carries a lot of emotional weight; it shows that they want to get back together and maybe talk about something they used to have.
When Jane and Rob are together, they talk about their kids and past relationships. They both admit that the places they've been have been emotionally difficult. They seem to understand each other, and the chemistry between them is clear even though they don't bring up old feelings.
As soon as Rob asks Jane if he can call her again, she says yes, suggesting that they might talk about something they have put off.
It’s no wonder that Maggie is stressed, Sully is having problems, and everyone else is having relationship problems. But Jane and Rob seem to have a calm, grounded conversation. Her return may bring a bit of difference to Rob's already complicated personal and business life. Her presence could affect Rob's choices, such as whether to work on the restaurant project or how he interacts with Sully.
Lola and Jacob bond over vulnerability
In Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5, Lola and Jacob's story is a nice change of pace. It's about being honest about your feelings and starting to connect with someone. At first, Lola tells Jacob that she is too busy to talk to her because she is busy. But their trip to The Outpost to get ice gives them a chance to talk to each other.
She talks about an accident she had as a child that made her want to become a social worker. This is a rare, honest look into her past and motivations that people haven't seen before. Jackson then talks about how being told he had diabetes as a child made him a target for bullying.
They quickly trust each other because they are honest with each other. There isn't any forced flirting or drama between them; instead, their conversation feels real and important. By the end of their errand, Lola even asks Jacob if she can go with him on his lichen-hunting trip the next day.
Lola and Jacob's relationship is one of the few in this episode that is based on trust and respect for each other. It shows that meaningful relationships can still happen, even when things go wrong.
Health inspector's arrival raises new questions
Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5 throws a curveball just as Sully is about to tell Maggie about the wine bottle and how he feels about Helen. Frank walks in with Mr. Brenner from the Health Department and cuts them off in the middle of their conversation. The news of a surprise inspection for the new restaurant project takes away Sully and Maggie's chance to move on with their lives. The timing could not be more annoying or strange.
The inspection goes well, and the building passes, but the inspector's sudden appearance sets off alarms. Threats from Glenn Perry were heard earlier in the episode, and it's not clear if the complaint that led to the inspection was from him or someone else.
Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5 shows how, between work and personal life, Sully is trying to start over. Maggie is hit with another blow. Her father's mood swings and emotional weight were already wearing her down. The interruption shows up amid a conversation that could have helped them understand each other.
Sullivan's Crossing season 3 episode 5 is available to stream on The CW.
