Now that's more like it.
After a string of lackluster installments, Big Sky Season 2 Episode 4 was a breath of fresh air. There was intrigue, forward progress, and an ending that sets up some fantastic potential moving forward.
This was by far the best episode of the season thus far, even with the Wolf and Ronald scenes, which are still irritating at best.
Here's the thing, Big Sky knows what kind of a show it is. This isn't Breaking Bad.
They deal with very serious subject matter, but it's still a campy drama at heart, with a sprawling cast. They do best when all the various storylines are cohesive and fascinating, which happened here.
Cassie and Jenny working together and continuing the search for Tonya, along with the Harvey and Bridger stuff, and even the sort of random Jerrie and Mark trek out into the mountains worked here. It was an hour entertaining enough that you could ignore the introduction of a new bad guy, who pops up as some new threat out of the blue.
If Dietrich "runs things," then why do we know not a thing about him? He seems scary enough that Travis is a least a little put off by him when they meet, and he thinks nothing of hitting back at Ren when she shows up with her demands.
They really keep harping on Ren being this out-of-towner who's coming in to stir up trouble and how the people of Montana don't take kindly to that. But it's pretty damn apparent that Ren doesn't care about any of that.
It seems pretty clear the men she's been dealing with underestimate her, as, within seconds of meeting her, they are ready to talk about her father, as if she's not the one sitting or standing across from them.
I'm not sure whether she feels like she has something to prove, but underestimating her has surely gotten many people in a lot of trouble.
The plan to blame everything on Harvey is pretty genius when you think about it. She doesn't know that Jenny and Cassie are already suspicious of him, but it all just works in her favor. They are quick to believe Tonya's story without much pushback, but I'm not sure what Ren killing him now accomplishes.
Well, I guess she kind of has to because once he's confronted, he'd have no reason to protect the cartel anymore. But killing him just sets off a host of more questions, doesn't it? And it would be in Ren's best interests to have fewer questions right now instead of more.
Of course, Ren's plan didn't include four teenagers at this secluded cabin, and Jenny and Cassie headed there as well.
Bridger did the best that he could for as long as he could, but was it wrong of me to think it was kind of messed up he gave up his sister? The girls came up with a plan because while their choices are far from safe and well-thought-out, they are at least proactive.
They'd rather make a move forward than sit and let something happen to them.
There was about zero way they would be able to outsmart Harvey, but now they have a fighting chance with Ren closing in and Donno ambushing Jenny and Cassie. There's going to be an awful lot of commotion outside, and it may be the perfect time for the girls to get in and get Bridger out.
But what happens next? This is where it's all starting to get very intriguing.
Harvey is going to know he's been set up, while Cassie and Jenny (who will make it through that machine gunfire because DUH) will continue to put the pieces together about the cartel, especially if Travis lets Jenny in on what's going on.
And then there are the four teens as well. And if they're able to make it out of that cabin unscathed, what's their next move going to be? Will they scoop the drugs back up and try to broker some kind of deal?
That sounds like a horrible idea, but that's kind of the name of the game on Big Sky.
Elsewhere, Mark was back, and he and Jerrie went on a little adventure. The adventure didn't end in them finding Ronald, but it served as another opportunity to spend some time together and bond further.
Mark and Jerrie have an adorable relationship, and you can tell how comfortable Jerrie feels around him. She lets her guard down with him, and he has a great way of relating with her, and nothing feels forced with them. They have very natural chemistry when they're on-screen.
And this would all be well and good if the show hadn't been setting up Mark and Cassie from the first moments Mark showed up.
Perhaps the kiss will move Mark away from his feelings for Cassie and closer to Jerrie, but it feels like it will come just as Cassie is willing to let her guard down and give Mark a chance, which will lead us into the unnecessary territory of the dreaded love triangle.
Love triangles are a staple in television and movies. While I get that they're dramatically pleasing and cause tension, does anyone actually enjoy them, especially in a scenario like this between three work colleagues, who all respect one another?
Someone will end up getting hurt, or maybe they all will, and that's no fun. Jerrie deserves happiness, as does Cassie. But if this indeed turns into a scenario where Mark has to "choose," someone will lose.
I can see the vision for Cassie and Mark because the show has been making me see it for a while now. But there is also a Jerrie and Mark vision, and at this point, we can only hope the show will pick one and ride it out without too much damage done to all the various relationships in the process.
Unfortunately, we have to talk about Ronald, who is still doing his Ronald things, except he's got a choke collar on now.
The hardest part about this storyline is trying to figure out its purpose. Ronald and Scarlet would have been annoying on the run, but a much better fit than this one is thus far.
Each time we head to that ranch, we're just watching four unlikable people co-exist, with no real endgame. At least, there isn't a clear endgame yet.
One has to imagine that Cassie, Mark, or Jerrie eventually make their way to the ranch, but until that day comes, we just get these scenes of Wolf trying to "help" Ronald in his twisted way. But Ronald is beyond saving, and Wolf is as delusional as it gets.
He and Rick are wildly different but still violent men with superiority complexes at their core.
Ronald should just be quiet and tell Wolf exactly what he wants to hear instead of fighting back, but his fragile little ego won't allow it. Scarlet has gotten with the memo, and if Ronald got with the program, his chances of escape would be significantly improved.
And that's what I can't stand about this whole thing. I'm actively thinking of ways for Ronald to escape when he's the absolute worse and deserves whatever happens to him.
Odds and Ends
- Ren flirting with Travis while in the middle of a tense standoff was too much. She's intentionally so hilarious and inappropriate, and it's great.
- So what's the over/under on van creeper doing something? At this point, I do not think he'll do anything before episode 8.
- Max and Harper making a drug deal in broad daylight in the middle of a parking lot. Oh, these girls make me crazy.
- They couldn't even give Jenny like half a season to realize that being back on the job would not work for her. There's no way she makes it to midseason still being a cop unless Tubb is content just to let her do whatever she wants.
Alright, guys, that felt like a return to form for Big Sky!
What did you guys think about the hour?
What do you think happens next at the cabin?
Will Ren's plan to blame Harvey work?
Am I crazy about love triangles being the worst?
Leave me a comment or two down below, and remember to watch Big Sky online right now! You don't want to miss the action!