Big Sky (1×02) Nowhere to Run Review

For our review of the last episode of Big Sky, click here.

Synopsis: Cassie and Jenny search for the missing girls. Danielle, Grace and Jerrie plot their escape. (IMDb)

After last week’s shocking cliffhanger, Big Sky returns with what feels like the second half to its premiere. Opening on the disposal of Cody’s truck by bad guys Ronald and Legarski, the Sherriff compares their story to the nursery rhyme There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. People will keep searching for these missing girls because they mean something and have people unlike the outcasts they previously targeted. Next on Legarski’s list: Cassie Dewell. As the episode goes through its evolving story, one can’t help but wonder: doesn’t this feel more like a limited series?

David E. Kelley has recently been diving into short-form serialized dramas on premium cable that typically does limited series. Big Little Lies, based off a novel, expanded its story after its success, but the original intent was most likely a limited story. Kelley seems to be going the same route here with Big Sky and the specific narrative of this season doesn’t lean into a much more expansive story surrounding this specific situation (unless the leads are killed off leaving the antagonists to become the next detective’s problem).

The options here are either killing all the cops and focusing on the human trafficking issues, the law prevailing and dealing with another mysterious issue in the rural parts of America or making an anthology style True Detective series. All of these are viable, but one thing is for certain: this specific story will resolve by season’s end with one side dying.

Back to the episode though, Nowhere to Run brings together Cody’s ex and his current business partner/lover in quite the convenient way. Everything lines up perfectly so that these former best friends work together to find the missing girls and now a missing Cody. The mystery continues to be the selling point of the series, but with Cassie and Jenny already suspicious of Legarski, it may be hard to sustain that over the next eight episodes.

Meanwhile, would these two even continue working together after this case is resolved? They were forced together due to circumstance, but Jenny doesn’t seem like the type to team up with her ex’s lover in honor of him. And the story cannot obviously stay here. It would be too unrealistic for more than a major human trafficking ring being based out of this small town. Perhaps solving this case brings the FBI to their door and has these two paired off to work on major crimes across the country? There is so much potential for this series and where it can go, but it has been lackluster in this delivery with a lack of originality.

Detective’s Report

• Who will prevail by season’s end?
• Why is Ronald the way he is?
• Will Ronald let Jerrie go?
• When will Jenny and Cassie figure it out?

What did you think of “Nowhere to Run”? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips