Things Are Coming to a Head for Chad Michael Murray’s Cal as SULLIVAN’S CROSSING Reaches the End of Season 1

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede For a mysterious part-time handyman living in the remote community of SULLIVAN’S CROSSING, Cal Jones – played by Chad Michael Murray – sure has mysteriously perfect hair all the time. “That’s funny – yeah, I don’t know, there’s not a lot of wind at Sullivan’s,” said Murray, laughing very hard. “So it’s just kind of ‘set it, and forget it.’ I tend to agree with you. It’s just one of those things. But in his previous job opportunities, he probably needed to have great hair.” There certainly was a hair-raising development between Cal and Maggie Sullivan, played by Morgan Kohan, in last weekend’s episode of SULLIVAN’S CROSSING. It sets up a wide range of possibilities for what could happen as Season 1 wraps up with back-to-back new episodes this Sunday, May 14, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. Viewers have learned more and more about Cal, and the tragedy he has endured, with each episode of the Nova Scotia-set SULLIVAN’S CROSSING. But he tends to dispense that sensitive information in very small doses. “It’s the billion-dollar question, right? Why do men keep their feelings to themselves?” said Murray, who has an intensely loyal fan base dating back to his days playing Lucas Scott on ONE TREE HILL. “People have been asking that for generations. I honestly don’t know. I’m assuming there’s something innately in our DNA, on a very real basis, like a grounded answer. We keep things close to our vest, and when we’re not emoting, it can come across as mysterious. Maybe we’re wired that way. Or maybe we’re just trying so utterly hard to be cool.” Again, Murray had a big laugh at that thought. “And it usually backfires,” he added. “We end up, you know, clumsily making our way through it.” But Murray also acknowledged that the impetus to be cool usually weakens as people age, which is generally a good and healthy thing. “Maybe you were too afraid to get egg on your face when you were younger,” Murray said. “You didn’t want to jump in the pool because you didn’t want to mess up your hair and makeup. I’ve seen plenty of parties where people are all dolled up to the nines, and they don’t want to go swimming and enjoy themselves. But as you get older, you’re like, ‘screw that, I’m going into the pool, I’m going to have some fun!’ You just care a lot less.” Murray suggested there’s a specific point when that transition occurs for a lot of adults. “Kids!” he said. “The moment that my wife and I had a family, all that stuff just goes out the window. You’re on a plane, and your kid poops, and there’s no shame in it, but you’re just like, ‘well, I didn’t bring a change of sweater,’ so you’re on an international flight to Paris with baby stuff on you. But you do the best you can.” Cal is doing the best he can as he tries to figure out what he wants. A lawyer by trade, he came to SULLIVAN’S CROSSING thinking initially that he would stay for only a few weeks, and he wound up lending a hand to another lost soul, Maggie’s dad Sully Sullivan, played by Scott Patterson. But now Cal isn’t sure if he’ll ever return to what remains of his former life. “That’s SULLIVAN’S CROSSING for you,” Murray said. “The way I see it, it’s a place where everyone comes to heal.” And also a place with no wind. “Zero wind!” Murray agreed enthusiastically. “A crap ton of mosquitoes, but zero wind.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv