Why is this show so chaotic?
It often feels like they’re throwing whatever they can at the wall to see what sticks. And if it sticks, they run with it and never look back.
Big Sky Season 1 Episode 13 was more of the same, an installment that was equal parts bonkers and somehow charming all at the same time.
This review can’t start without a proper eulogy for the only Kleinsasser that matters, Blake. We hardly knew ye, yet it’s very apparent that you were the best of the bunch. You had Jenny’s stamp of approval, which means you had to be a decent man.
It’s a shame we didn’t get to know you better, but Jenny won’t let your death be in vain. She will burn it all down to the ground before she leaves that wretched town.
After all, it’s what Cody would have done.
Jenny: Cody was never afraid. Not ever. He just charged right at things, not a worry in the world.
Cassie: You miss him.
Jenny: Every damn day.
Blake’s death goes from tragic to wild in the span of just a few minutes when Cheyenne decides she’d much rather blackmail and threaten her one brother over allowing her other brother to rest in peace and receive justice.
It’s the Kleinsasser’s way to look out for themselves under the guise of looking out for the family.
Often ignored and degraded, Cheyenne found herself in a position to gain some semblance of power, and she ran toward it. She’s got John Wayne all spaced out and looking over his shoulder, but at what cost?
It’s not at all clear what Cheyenne’s long-term goal is through this hour because right now, she hasn’t gained anything from John Wayne but some scowls and a hand to the throat.
It doesn’t seem like she wants the ranch, but what does she want? Perhaps she feels like she can leverage this knowledge into getting her a one-way ticket away from the ranch, but that seems like wishful thinking.
It feels like everyone is destined to live and die by that ranch. In the end, even Blake was unable to make it off that property alive.
Jenny: You want to tell me about Blake?
Cheyenne: What part?
Jenny: How did he die?
Cheyenne: Fell off a cliff. He knew this place was gonna kill him, finally did.
Jenny: So, that’s what happened?
Cheyenne: Mm. It’s what we’re going with.
Giving Jenny Cole Danver’s name continues to show that she’s not above ratting her family out, but she seems to stop short of actually doing something that will get them in trouble.
She knows so much, and she has all the ammunition she needs to take them down. But her decision-making is murky, and of all the characters, she’s the biggest mystery right now.
And I’m not sure I would have said that when the Kleinsasser’s were first introduced.
John Wayne went from under control head of the siblings to completely off the rails. Between him and Rand, it’s not even clear who should be feared more.
Rand is more brazenly off his rocker, but John Wayne is not too far behind him. He’s just a bit more measured.
If John Wayne thinks he’s going to kill his way out of trouble, well, he could be on to something because a few counties over, Ronald is doing the exact same thing.
At the beginning of the series, it felt like Ronald was evil, of course, but he stopped short of being a killer. That all changed when he murdered Helen.
Since then, he has done whatever he needs to do to silence those who could give him up to the authorities. And this week, he ran into Scarlet’s sister, Mary, who not only recognized Ronald but called Dewell and Hoyt.
Ronald was way too cocky to think he could stay in Montana with that terrible wig and believe that NO ONE was going to put two and two together.
As soon as Mary tried to take a picture of him, the writing was on the wall.
Mary didn’t stand a chance once Ronald bullied his way inside her house, but you had to entirely suspend disbelief to understand how Cassie and Mark missed Ronald inside the house. And never saw or heard him haul a whole body out of the house.
It was a big house, but was it big enough to miss THAT?
Catching Ronald will eventually be a much grander affair than catching him in the middle of a crime, but it’s not even clear if Mark and Cassie will pick up on the fact that Mary is dead and Ronald was in the house.
The discovery of a rotting corpse in Mary’s freezer isn’t going to help her case when they realize she’s missing.
Scarlet’s ex, Steve, was brought up multiple times throughout the installment, and conventional wisdom would imply that he’s the dead body. A solid guess is that Scarlet killed him and put him down there, whether Mary knows it or not.
Either way, Mark and Cassie will be looking into Mary, which should lead them to Scarlet. But with each passing hour, it becomes crystal clear that Scarlet will probably be just fine when she finds out who Ronald is.
It’s hard to see her being scared off from him, especially if my theory about that dead body in the freezer is correct.
Mark and Cassie continue to be a nice little breath of fresh air as they tiptoe around flirting and start to get to know one another. Perhaps they will never venture into anything romantic with these two, but they do have chemistry.
Cassie has a tough time letting her walls down, and it’s surprising she’s taken to letting Mark in at all, considering how little they know about one another. But it’s clear Mark puts her somewhat at ease, and she’s going with the flow in a way she’s not used to.
If Mark turns out to be corrupt, evil, or anything less than his fun, quirky self, that would be devastating.
Odds and Ends
- Cheyenne’s growling was meant to signify her ascent to the white lion of the family, but it just came across as very hooky. But hooky is the name of the game when it comes to Big Sky and its characters.
- Angela pulling her flask out when she goes to see Jenny is so necessary. Her life is so stressful!
- How many times did Margaret slap somebody? It was at least twice by my count.
- A Jenny and Cassie hug has been a long time in the making, and it’s nice to see the two of them reach a point in their relationship where they genuinely feel like friends and not just allies.
- Rand holding onto that piece of bone will eventually bite him in the butt. You heard it here first.
- On a show full of supervillains, somehow, someway, Sheriff Wagy is slowly starting to stand out as one of the absolute worst.
Alright, guys, we’re marching toward the Big Sky Season 1 finish line, and this was another solid installment.
Are you sad about Blake’s death?
What is Cheyenne doing?
Did Jenny and Angela survive the crash?
Please flood the comment section will all your reactions and watch Big Sky online right now to join the conversation!
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.