‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Stars Chad Michael Murray And Scott Patterson On “Full Circle” ‘Gilmore Girls’ And The CW Reunion

More than two decades after Gilmore Girls brought Chad Michael Murray and Scott Patterson together on set, the two are reuniting in a full circle moment. While their Gilmore characters Tristin Dugray and Luke Danes never got to know each other (likely for the best!), Sullivan’s Crossing — a new small-town drama based on books by best-selling Virgin River author Robyn Carr — lets the actors heavily share the screen in a “life-changing” return to television and The CW.

“What are the odds, right?” Murray said with a chuckle during a call with Decider. “It’s so fun that Scott and I get to come back to the network together. It just feels like we’re home.”

“It’s very rare when lightning strikes once in this business, but it seems to have struck twice here — with the launch of The CW in 2006, and now the rebranding and relaunch in 2023,” Patterson added.

[NOTE: The Sullivan’s Crossing cast was cleared by SAG to do publicity for the upcoming season.]

As a regular on Gilmore Girls all seven seasons, Patterson joined the CW family when the network first launched in 2006. And though Murray left the show in Season 2, he went on to star in another WB-turned-CW hit One Tree Hill, later appearing on the network’s popular series Riverdale. Amidst major network changes and strategy shakeups, the actors feel the highly-rated Canadian drama (imported from Canadian broadcaster CTV) will help keep the old-school charm of the CW’s Gilmore and One Tree Hill era alive.

“Sullivan’s feels very reminiscent of a previous show that I have done,” Murray said. “We fall upon the small town where things just seem a little bit easier, just a little bit simpler, away from the rush of life that we’ve all thrown ourselves into… It’s very reminiscent. And I think people are gonna want to come and visit this place.”  

The series follows Maggie (Morgan Kohan), an award-winning neurosurgeon whose promising career in Boston, romantic relationship, and bright future in medicine are put in jeopardy after her business partner is indicted for fraud. To escape the mess, Maggie flees the big city and returns home to the quaint, wooded town of Sullivan’s Crossing, where her estranged father Sully (Patterson), old friends and found family, and a mysterious hottie named Cal (Murray) await. 

“The similarities, I think, are pretty obvious,” Patterson echoed. “Stars Hollow was such a warm and cozy and safe place. And Sullivan’s Crossing is that too, but we have this added element of the danger. In some plot lines there’s actual physical danger, but really it’s a place where a lot of characters are trying to come to terms with their inner pain and their need for healing.”

Small-town setting aside, it’s not lost on Patterson that much like his Gilmore Girls character, Sully is an outdoorsy, baseball-cap-wearing father figure with a giant heart, bottled-up emotions, and an estranged daughter. (April haters, fear not! Patterson’s character knew his daughter existed this time!) “Imagine if Luke and Lorelai never got together and Luke became despondent, they shut down Luke’s Diner, and he moved out of the country. He went to the woods and mountains in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and opened up a campground, put nose to the grindstone, and things just started happening,” Patterson joked. “It’s almost an extension of Luke in a way. It’s really not too far-fetched to make that parallel.”

One major difference between the characters? Sully is “a coffee guy” who casually drinks five cups a day, a clear nod to Lauren Graham’s ultra-caffeinated Gilmore Girls character Lorelai. Murray assured Decider the winks and nods to past projects don’t stop there, but not all Easter eggs — like the big “LUKE’S” sign outside the Sullivan’s Crossing diner — are intentional. “That’s a real coffee place here!” Murray exclaimed. “It’s a total coincidence! I don’t know how that happened. But it’s right next to Shandon’s Diner. I’ve been there! You think it’s a wink and nod. It looks too convenient to not be. But no, it’s actually a real mom and pop shop, which makes it that much cooler.” Patterson was so delighted when he first laid eyes on his old TV moniker that he took a selfie with the window for Instagram. (Unlike Luke, he’s handy with a cell phone.)

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From early 2000s bonding on The WB lot to picturesque location shoots in Canada, the Gilmore guys have come a long way, and are thrilled to finally be sharing the screen. “It was all my idea. I deserve all of the credit. I saw [showunner/EP] Roma Roth and I said, ‘Get Chad, or I’m not doing it,’” Patterson laughed. “No, but when she told me Chad was a part of it, I wanted to get the band back together.” Murray starred in a 2015 independent film with Patterson (but didn’t act alongside him) and appeared on his I Am All In podcast in 2021. But despite knowing him for 20+ years, Murray still remembers him as “the cool uncle” who gave him and Jared [Padalecki] advice on set. “You’ve got an older statesman saying, ‘Dude, you got this.’ And that really meant a lot to me when I was young,” Murray said.

Despite their pre-existing bond, both Patterson and Murray agree Kohan is the star of the show, both on and off-screen. “She’s absolutely fantastic. She’s such a pro. She takes her work very seriously and I have so much respect for that,” Murray said. “She just gets it. When you’re acting with somebody like that, it’s not really a fair fight,” Patterson, who calls his working relationship with Kohan the best of his career, added. “She’s a deep soul. She’s a social person, and she’s a sweet person. She can bring out whatever she needs in any situation in front of a camera. It’s just wonderful to watch.”

In the first three episodes available for review, Sully’s complex paternal bond with Maggie and budding romantic sparks between her and Cal are on full display, but the actors teased similar connections between their characters and Lola Gunderson (Canadian actor Amalia Williamson). “Lola is a person who Sully has obviously taken under his wing in somewhat of an adoptive situation,” Patterson explained. “She’s an extremely important part of this as fans will come to see. You’re gonna be pretty shocked.” And while Murray wouldn’t give specifics, he did confirm a love triangle is ahead. So brace yourself for Dean/Rory/Jess and Lucas/Peyton/Brooke (Sullivan’s Crossing Version).

Both Murray and Patterson have upcoming projects in the works, but Patterson — whose last IMDb credit was in 2018 — said Sullivan’s Crossing got him back in the business. “This job has been life-changing for me. I get to do the work I’ve always dreamed of doing in front of a camera; that I knew I was capable of doing it,” he said. “Roma Roth has assembled an amazing crew and cast of talented people. It’s just been a great experience… I’ve never seen a better writer/producer/showrunner in my life.”

Ahead of its CW premiere on October 4, Sullivan’s Crossing has already been renewed for a second season, and Murray, who’s privy to six episodes, said they’re fantastic. “Get your popcorn ready, because it’s a good one,” he said. “I think this is going to be that show that even five years from now, people are going to sit down and binge all five seasons not knowing a thing about it. They’re not going to be able to do anything but finish the show. It will happen. It will happen.”

Sullivan’s Crossing premieres on The CW on October 4 at 8:00 p.m. New episodes air weekly on Wednesdays and are available for next-day streaming on CWTV.com.