And the plot thickens!
Big Sky was not exaggerating when it subtitled this season “Deadly Trails”—those trails are deadly for anyone who crosses the wrong person. And there are plenty of sketchy and shady people lurking around.
The fact that the latest death comes on the heels of Cassie and Cormac’s conversation about Sunny and Buck Barnes being “good people” is just pure irony.
Sunny, in particular, has been at the center of mostly every mystery this season; she’s connected to Walter despite knowing that he’s dangerous, she may as well have killed the missing backpacker by letting him bleed out to death to protect her recluse son, she told everyone at camp that Paige was safe and sound in New York while knowing that something bad happened and not ruling out that Walter was involved, and now, she and Buck were directly involved in the murder of Mary.
Mary’s biggest crime was bypassing the buddy system to go for a jog in the woods when there was very clearly a killer on the loose.
Her second mistake was asking too many questions. I wish Mary went to anyone else to tell them that she found Paige’s missing belongings, but the poor girl trusted Sunny and Buck. In her final moments, when it was obvious that she had figured out Sunny’s game, it ended up costing her life.
But now what? Obviously, the other campers are going to ask questions about her disappearance, especially because she’s not the first woman camper to go missing. The woods are going to be searched, which means it’s not safe for Walter to be there anymore.
Sunny and Buck are already on Cassie’s radar as their the owners of the suburban that Cassie saw on fire and that connected back to the creepy man she saw on the side of the road—Walter.
All roads lead back to Sunny and Buck. Cormac seems to want to help his parents, but it’s clear his gut is telling him that they aren’t being completely truthful, and if push comes to shove, I think he would likely do the right thing and help Cassie.
Sunny’s camp is just a breeding ground for bad guys including Donno and Tonya, who are on a mission to find Paige, though Sunny is completely unaware.
Donno even stumbled upon Walter lurking in the woods and staking out the camp, and he definitely picked up on his “man of the woods” vibes. And it won’t be hard for Donno to find Walter’s off-the-grid hideout considering finding people is kind of his thing.
The scene between them was one of the best this season as both actors truly delivered an incredible exchange. Am I crazy for smiling through the whole thing? It was that good! Donno telling Walter to be quieter because he spotted him five minutes prior to approaching was peak TV.
Walter initially tried to intimidate Donno, but little did he know, he was talking to a cold-blooded killer. Walter met his match with Donno, and if I had to put my money on it, I would put it all behind Donno winning this fight because that man doesn’t have a soul or a single shred of remorse. Walter is unhinged, sure, but not to the level that Donno is.
Walter lied about seeing Paige, and when he got back to his cabin, he informed her that there was a strange man looking for her. When he sensed that she was genuinely scared, he vowed to protect her, telling her the story of how he protected his childhood friend, Meredith, who was hurt by his adoptive parents. He felt helpless, so he took matters into his own hands, lighting their house on fire while they slept and killing them. While it’s still very messed up, I at least feel some empathy for Walter as he did what he thought he had to in order to protect a friend. After hearing the story, it sort of makes sense why Sunny chose to protect him, but it doesn’t make sense why she keeps vouching for him when trouble clearly follows him around and drags her down.
Paige is in danger either way; if Donno doesn’t get her, Walter isn’t stable enough to be trusted either, even if he wants to do right by her.
Luke wasn’t much help to Donno and Tonya, but Paige did reveal that they stole 15 million from some people who were now after them. Who thought that was a good idea? Anyone with $15 million will likely have the money to hunt you down!
Carla, Avery, and Emily grew suspicious of Luke’s bond with the new and rather unfriendly couple, but for all of their sakes, I just want them to stay away. I can’t figure out what Avery’s deal is—I can’t tell if he just senses that Luke is in financial trouble or if he’s involved in another way. It was strange that he blamed Beau, who isn’t even there, for his decision to search Luke and Paige’s cabin. Their best course of action would be to call Beau to come investigate. Hopefully, Mary’s disappearance will be the next case that comes across Beau and Jenny’s desk.
Either way, when all of this is over, Emily will have some pretty incredible material for her crime junkie podcast.
Cassie pursued every lead in her attempt to figure out what happened to the missing backpacker, and when she realized that Sunny and Buck owned the car, her next step is to identify Walter in hopes of getting answers. Will she get any hits from his composite sketch?
Meanwhile, Denise was determined to prove that this was all connected to the Bleeding Hearts killer, and while we don’t know much about the case, it can’t be a coincidence that there are bleeding hearts everywhere. Maybe that killer is Buck? He seemed way too comfortable with stabbing Mary to death to protect himself and his wife.
I believe Denise is going to find a key piece of the puzzle on those forums. Online detectives are always really helpful even if Cassie doesn’t want to admit it.
While there was still a side storyline for Beau and Jenny, the focus shifted back to the original mystery that lured fans in, which made this episode such a great installment. We’re making progress with the trails!
Beau and Jenny’s partnership keeps bringing them closer and closer together, and though she said she’d never date a cop again, I truly think she’d make an exception for the Sheriff. The chemistry is there!
Their case, a murder involving a 1979 Trans Am, led them on a bit of a wild goose chase before it all led back to the old man who recently got out of prison. His former cellmate, Cecil, was doing all the dirty work as he sat back and relaxed in his motel.
And the case involved him attempting to get back one of his prized possessions—a Mickey Mantle rookie card.
Men… I don’t get it, and neither did Jenny, but it was fun to see Beau geek out with the suspect and also have some bro moments with Poppernak. The series is really delivering some fantastic moments with this trio. Beau is a keeper!
What did you think of the episode?
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