Big Sky excels at two things: crafting compelling mysteries (within mysteries) and delivering shocking twists.
The season 2 premiere managed to do both.
After leaving behind the Kleinsasser drama in the previous season, thankfully, fans were introduced to a new mystery. But don’t worry — the hunt for Ronald Pergman continues on and serves as an overarching plotline that allows the series to feel familiar and fresh all at the same time.
The episode picks up with the aftermath of Jenny’s shooting.
The question isn’t if she’s going to survive, but what her mental state will be down the line.
Six weeks later, Jenny is in Tubb’s office informing him that she’s interested in the badge. If you’ll recall, he previously offered her a job but she turned him down to continue on with her detective work.
It’s understandable that Jenny is looking for a bit more structure as she’s constantly trying to be taken more seriously. And this new position will allow her to do more while also helping Cassie whenever she needs something done off-book. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Jenny also gets involved with Travis, who is undercover as Stone. Jenny and Travis definitely have a history as he knows Cody and her son, but it almost seems like it’s more romantic in nature as they naturally fall into old habits.
It’s a good thing she finally took off her wedding ring earlier in the day.
This is now the second man from Jenny’s past that has waltzed back into her life and introduced her to a new case. How many other blasts from the past will we see in future seasons??
Credit: ABC
Travis explains he’s trying to bust a drug ring, so it’s pretty obvious his case will connect to the events unfolding with Max, Harper, Bridger, and her brother.
The foursome witnessed a truck swerve off the road, which we previously saw was Ringo, the driver, who ambushed a man he called Burdo and thought he successfully killed.
It’s unclear how he survived, but everyone has a tendency to come back from the dead on this show. I’m waiting for Cody to come back too!
The way he rose up in that body bag will forever haunt my nightmares.
The teens found the wreckage shortly after the crash, so Ringo was still alive and told them to grab the black bags before someone killed them.
And sure enough, a few moments after they took off with the bags, a man in cowboy boots came and shot Ringo.
And as you imagine, the contents of the bags included drugs and money to the tune of $500 thousand. Max counted. And, unfortunately, she also shared the number out loud in the forest thinking they were alone. Instead, some man has been spying on them and likely knows that they witnessed the crash. It’s almost like I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Max hid the bags under the floorboards in her shed, which seemed like a good hiding spot initially, but then you remember her mother’s nosy new boyfriend, T Lock.
He’s a deadbeat guy that has no job and no ambitions, so it seems like a pretty bad idea to hide drugs and money near him. He’s always around, so he’ll figure something out eventually.
Bottom line is that none of this bodes well for Max or her friends, who feel like they are so deep in this mess that calling the police is out of the question.
Why can’t they just lie and say they stumbled upon the scene in the morning?
Jenny is hot on the trail of the truck accident and she has the nose of a bloodhound, so it’s only a matter of time before she places them at the scene. After all, she already found the rock Harper threw that featured a mark of her tattoo.
Max’s only saving grace might be that she knows Cassie because she babysits her son, Kai.
The writers truly have a way of making everything orbit Cassie and Jenny while still feeling organic.
Cassie will eventually tackle this case, but for now, she’s been focusing her efforts solely on finding Ronald, who is in the wind with his girlfriend, Scarlet.
Lindor, who was suspended, took it upon himself to continue digging and found footage of Scarlet being escorted by State Trooper Cormac Dewey. Yep, another dirty cop.
He doesn’t seem too concerned about hiding his connection to Ronald and Scarlet, and he even openly threatens Cassie to suggest that she stay far away from the case.
Obviously, she isn’t phased and returns the next day with Jerrie. When they see his house broken into, they make their way inside only to find Dewey murderer. At least the broken window indicates to me that foul play was responsible.
Another mystery to solve!
One would think that considering Ronald and Scarlet’s incredible getaway together that they’re out there somewhere living their best life, but that is not the case.
In a jaw-dropping twist, Ronald is revealed to be tied up in a barn by… wait for it… Rick Legarski!
Legarski, how?! We saw him die! The character is named Wolf Legarski, but it’s definitely not clear as to what’s happening, which is the beauty of a compelling twist.
How did Ronald get here? Is this really Legarski? My gut is telling me it has to be because who else would take their frustrations out on Ronald like that. Or maybe it’s some kind of twin brother trying to avenge his death? Or maybe this isn’t the present timeline at all? I’m not entirely sure what’s happening here.
And, most importantly, where are Scarlet and her daughter?
This is definitely not where I expected Ronald’s storyline to go, but man, I can’t help but want more episodes. This feels like the Big Sky that fans thoroughly enjoyed at the beginning of season one.
Other Thoughts
- Max and Harper definitely have a thing for each other.
- Cassie needs to give Lindor a chance. He’s practically begging for it at this point.
- Why did Dowley have a file on her? He’s clearly not working with Ronald at this point in time, so who is that interested in her?
- Ringo was texting Ren, so my guess is someone will come looking for him, which keeps the investigation open and ongoing.
Do you think Cassie and Jenny will finally catch Ronald?
What did you think of the premiere? Are you enjoying this mystery more than the one involving the Kleinsasser’s?
Is Rick alive?