The most recent episode of Sullivan's Crossing season 4, especially Jacob.

As an aspiring environmentalist, Jacob is in college to study lichen, and he happens to find an incredibly rare species in the woods near Sullivan's Crossing. However, the lichen is spotted with some sort of fungus and appears to be dying, which horrifies Jacob. As it turns out, that particular type of endangered lichen is ultra-sensitive to environmental changes – environmental changes such as, for example, the new luxury resort construction site Glenn is building right next to the forest. It appears the episode is setting up the overarching conflict for the rest of Sullivan's Crossing season 3, now streaming on CW. Frustratingly, it's a conflict that never needed to happen.

Sully & Frank Ignoring Edna's Advice Is About To Backfire Spectacularly On Them

They've Awakened The Hornet's Nest With Glenn

Despite Edna's advice to Sully and Frank to wait until Jacob's test results on the lichen come back, they ignore her and go to straight to the Nova Scotia Environmental Agency to investigate Glenn's new construction site. That's bad enough, but worse, they also ignore her secondary – and arguably more important – advice to not rub it in Glenn's face when the inspector shows up. "I think poking a hornet's nest is a mistake," she warns them – but, as they are so prone to doing, Sully handwaves her off and tells her she worries too much, and Frank goes along with Sully, as he always does.

Sully is about to learn that – once again – he should have listened to Edna.

Of course, as Edna warned, the NESA inspector finds nothing to indicate it's Glenn's construction project that has damaged the lichen, and an incensed Glenn tells Sully and Frank that they've gone too far. Just as Edna warned, they poked the hornet's nest, and there's no telling what Glenn will do to exact his revenge. But considering that Glenn responded to losing the auction for Sullivan's Crossing at the end of season 2 by buying up all the land around the camp and turning it into a luxury development, his retaliation is sure to be swift and brutal. Sully is about to learn that – once again – he should have listened to Edna. It's been a common theme.

So Many Problems In Sullivan's Crossing Could Have Been Avoided By Listening To Edna

She's Bossy - But She's Always Right

There have been numerous times throughout the past two seasons that problems could have been avoided had a character just taken Edna's advice from the start. At the very least, the drama could have been mitigated and not as serious had they listened to her sooner. The best examples involve Frank; for example, the time she warned him he wouldn't be allowed to light his peace pipe in Sully's hospital room, and he had it confiscated by hospital staff when he didn't listen. This season, we're also seeing Sully's resistance to modernizing the Crossing, even though Edna is right that it - and Sully - need to get with the times.

Of course, there's also the storyline of Frank's decades-long estrangement from his family and the resentment he held for years. It took two seasons of Edna urging Frank to let go of his old grudges and reconnect for him to finally listen, and even then, he didn't until she was finally at the end of her rope. Lo and behold, Edna was right, and Frank is now incredibly happy to be able to build a relationship with Jacob, his once-estranged cousin. Now that Jacob is a part of their lives, however, it would appear he'll be the next Cranebear man to watch the repercussions of ignoring Edna's advice.

Edna's Bossiness Comes From A Place Of Love & Wisdom

There's A Reason Everyone Goes To Her For Advice

The new co-partner of Sullivan's Crossing may be bossy and controlling, but that bossiness comes from a place of love. And the thing is – Edna is always right. Several of the characters in the show aren't exactly the most open about their feelings or self-aware, especially the two most important men in her life, Sully and Frank. Though her bossiness can sometimes cross the line into being overbearing, it comes from a place of experience.

Edna has a wisdom that no other character on the show possesses, both when it comes to common-sense pragmatism and also human nature. There's a reason she's the go-to person when one of the other characters needs advice, particularly in matters of the heart or life. Unfortunately, Sully and Frank never seem to learn the lesson that life keeps handing them, and Sullivan's Crossing season 3 may find them dealing with the worst fallout yet of ignoring Edna.

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