When viewers tune into season 4 of Sullivan’s Crossing, they’ll be missing one notable character.

Prior to the season 4 premiere, which hits the CW on April 20, showrunner Roma Roth announced that Scott Patterson — who portrayed Harry “Sully” Sullivan for the first three seasons — would not be returning. She told PEOPLE in March 2026 that that the departure had to do with Sully’s storyline.

However, Patterson quickly offered his own explanation and wrote on Facebook that their “creative differences were becoming untenable and I just sadly realized that the show was not something that I could agree to continue.”

The Gilmore Girls actor added in his statement that he “fell in love with Sully” and has “nothing but fondness for him.” Patterson starred on the series from the beginning in 2023 as the estranged father Maggie (Morgan Kohan) reconnects with.

While Sully won’t be physically present for season 4, Roth assured viewers that they will get some sort of closure following the season 3 finale.

Here’s everything to know about why Scott Patterson’s character Sully is missing from Sullivan’s Crossing season 4.

Why did Scott Patterson leave Sullivan’s Crossing?

Shortly after it was confirmed that Patterson’s character was leaving Sullivan’s Crossing following season 3, Patterson wrote on Facebook that he decided to exit the series due to “creative differences.”

Patterson specifically addressed insinuations that the show’s team had “moved on” from Sully and called the assumptions “unfortunate.”

“It’s unfortunate that it is now being implied that they moved on from me/Sully when the fact is the complete opposite, and those who sadly already have spoken out are also fully aware of this fact, and yet chose to say otherwise,” he claimed.

Patterson clarified that he wasn’t planning on issuing a statement, but he felt like the “fans deserved better than to think the embodiment of this character, me, would just disrespect not only the show, but them.”

Although he will no longer be portraying Sully, Patterson reiterated that he “really enjoyed” his time as Sully and “fought for his voice and his character.”

“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,” he wrote, while later adding, “I really enjoyed Sully and fought for his voice and his character. The richness and depth of Sully, whom the fans of the books all know and love, is so multi-layered and interesting.”

How was Sully written off Sullivan’s Crossing?

Before Patterson released his reasoning for leaving the series, PEOPLE confirmed the news with showrunner Roth. At the time, she pointed to Sully’s decision to leave for Ireland with his new girlfriend Helen Culver (Kate Vernon).

At the end of season 3, Sully was shown heading to Ireland — at that point for just a trip — to support Helen as she works on the TV adaptation of her novel.

“Season 3 of Sullivan’s Crossing ended with Sully leaving for Ireland, beginning a new chapter in his life. Season 4 picks up the next day, with Sully still overseas,” Roth said.

“While he isn’t physically present in this season, the character remains an important part of the world with the potential to be included in future seasons, should that align with the ongoing creative,” she continued.

What has the Sullivan’s Crossing cast said about Patterson’s exit?

Prior to the season 4 premiere, both of the show’s leads, Chad Michael Murray and Kohan, spoke about Patterson’s exit. Kohan, who portrays Sully’s estranged daughter Maggie, said that her character’s “whole world at the beginning of the season is not what she anticipated.”

“It’s really thrust on her that now you’re taking over the Crossing, and you are fully involved, while the rest of your life is kind of thrown up in the air again,” Kohan told Yahoo Canada in March 2026, while adding that “part of her support system is now gone too.”

Meanwhile, Murray, who plays Maggie’s love interest Cal Jones, told the publication that departures like Patterson’s “[do] happen, and there are various, different things that transpire. You just never know.”

“It’s one of those situations where you go, ‘Okay well, just look at the show. What is the show? Where does it sit? And how do you hold it up and keep it true to itself?’ And that’s all on the text and the storytelling. There’s no question in my mind that we did that. The show stays totally true to itself,” he said.

Murray clarified that Sully is “still a big part” of the fourth season, even though he won’t be physically on-screen.

“He still exists in this world, and there’s still that relationship,” Murray said. “And he built the Crossing, so it’s always going to be there, and that’s kind of the foundation that the show is built on.”

Does Patterson have any other upcoming projects?

While Patterson won’t be in the latest season of Sullivan’s Crossing, he has a few other projects in the works. He is acting in the upcoming movies The Sons of Summer, Rogue and Liberty, per his IMDb.

In addition to his acting career, Patterson is also a musician and is touring across the country as part of his band’s “The Midnight Highway Tour” in 2026.