Sullivan’s Crossing – Season 1 Episode 6 “Boiling Point” Recap & Review

Boiling Point

Episode 6 of Sullivan’s Crossing begins with a lunch date. Phoebe and Andrew surprise Maggie with the news that the latter has secured a job at the BCH. This means that Maggie and he can finally live in the same city. Maggie isn’t as thrilled as one would expect…she has got a lot on her mind. The deposition is the most pressing, which promises to be a tardy affair. She spots Maryam, the head ER nurse on the next table and greets her. 

However, Maryam is less than enthusiastic to see her and talks about her in whispers to her friends. Maggie runs outside in a panic and Andrew follows her. He tries to calm her down and treats her to a hot dog, which seems to do the trick. Sully is late to open the store. Edna is furious as she will miss Frank’s appointment with the doctor if they are late. Jackson continues his bonding with Theo as they go mountain climbing. Cal is preparing for his camping trip, which is due in a week. 

He is sent to Roy’s house to check in on him by Sully. He is still reeling from the rejection from banks for a loan. Sully’s troubles are compounding as regular customers are also cancelling appointments left and right. Cal goes to Roy’s who invites him to play a game of chess. They talk about Lola, among other things and it is revealed that she lost her mother when she was young. 

Roy took care of her and Sully played a pivotal role by taking them in. By the time they finish, Lola is back. Roy and she insist that Cal stay for dinner and he cannot refuse the offer. They have a nice time but the conversation around Lola’s mother spoils the mood somewhat. It is an important moment in her relationship with Cal, though, which will be interesting to watch.

Edna confronts Sully after coming back from the hospital. Although Maggie’s leaving is an important issue, she is also concerned about the possibility of Walter pressing charges against him. Sully realizes how he has let go of the only chance of getting his daughter back. Edna encourages him to take the initiative and talk to her, something Sully is afraid to do…perhaps because he knows what will come next.

Andrew and Maggie go on a romantic date. He has been trying hard to get her mind off the deposition. They have a good time until Maggie leaves for the ladies’ room and Andrew spots a text from Cal on her phone. In a blatant act of intruding upon her privacy, he unlocks her phone and deletes Cal’s conversation from it. They have a passionate night together before Maggie takes on the deposition the next day.

Bob Hollis, because of whose fraud Maggie lost her standing, approaches her out of the blue. She turns him away, asking him to stay away from her. It seemed that he had something important to tell her but it will have to wait. Maggie calls Cal right before going in just to let him know about it. He reminds her to “remain centred” through the barrage of questions.

As predicted by Cal, Mrs Markiff’s lawyer tears into Maggie. She is put under immense pressure. But the biggest revelation is Maryam, whom she saw the other day, testifying that Maggie had not checked Kevin Markiff’s pupils before checking his injured leg.

The grieving mother harangues Maggie during the break, which leads her to puking due to being nervous. Maggie calls Sullivan’s Crossing and Sully picks up. But he once again says the wrong thing to tip her off and she cuts the call. Convinced that she won’t come back to him, Sully paints over the mural in her room while having a whole bottle of alcohol. Andrew takes Maggie to their new home and proposes outside. However, Maggie turns him down and even attends a call in between. “I have to go back to Sullivan’s Crossing,” she quips…something is not right back home. 

The Episode Review

Episode 6 of Sullivan’s Crossing took a very generous approach to storytelling. Since the last couple of episodes, the weight of the story has shifted toward an egalitarian stance. Each character has got sizeable attention, to classify the show as a drama about people. It is not very exciting on paper but with sincere portrayals, the outcome can be quite rewarding.

For instance, listening to Roy’s backstory or appreciating Edna’s concern for Sully rather than the future of the campground are more likeable than Frank getting shot or Maggie and Cal going on a wild goosehunt.

This episode had sharply more purpose and direction in terms of where our characters are headed. The manner of generating empathy and creating an arc needs to be repeated on a weekly basis. Both Maggie and Sully are floating in the same boat. The irony of the situation is they don’t realize how much they need each other to emerge from their struggles.