I think we all expected the mid season finale of Big Sky to be creepy, scary and shocking – and it was! It was also unexpectedly tender and touching if you’re a Beau Arlen fan (which I am. Obviously.) So let’s recap all things Beau Arlen for this latest episode, as we head into a winter hiatus for the show.
We pick up where we left off (I love that this show does that), with Paige and Sunny uneasily figuring out what each other are up to. Paige says that Walter helped her and that she knows he’s Sunny’s son, and asks for her help finding her bag and her journal. Sunny says she knows Paige was after a big sum of money and she thinks she knows who took the journal before the cops could. Paige offers to help get Walter out of jail if Sunny helps her find that journal. Who thinks this will go well? Exactly no one.
Beau and Jenny ask Walter more questions, telling him they’ve figured out his secret from the newspaper clippings Cassie found – that he murdered his parents in a house fire.
Walter: They weren’t my parents.
They ask him if he also killed the other child who was in the house, who was never found. Walter insists he was protecting her, that they hurt her even worse than they did him.
Walter: I set her free.
Beau: Meaning you killed her? The same damn thing.
They don’t believe Walter was able to survive on his own, and ask who helped him, mentioning Sunny and Buck.
Walter: Leave Sunny out of this.
Hmmmm.
Beau and Jenny confer with Cassie, who wonder if maybe Buck was his accomplice – and if the other kid (Meredith) is maybe still alive, though they haven’t been able to find any information on her.
Jenny gets a call from Pop. He’s at a friend’s daughter’s wedding, where he meets a pretty lady and has some fancy food, and then immediately it gets turned into a crime scene when the groom-to-be is killed. Poor Pop.
Jenny: There was a murder at the wedding.
Beau: Oh, come on! Hey, does this mean you’re Pop’s plus one for the wedding?
Jenny: Jealous?
Beau: Yeah, I wanna be Pop’s plus one!
So cute.
Jenny goes off to help Pop, and Denise and Emily pitch in to help find Meredith in the system. Denise calls him Bobo.
Emily: Bobo???
Cassie: Yeah, it’s the cringiest of all time.
Beau: It’s a harmless term of endearment. What you got, Denise-ie-poo?
Emily works on finding Meredith in the system, but comes up empty.
Beau: Patience is…
Emily: A virtue.
Beau: No, an eight letter word that starts with P.
He’s so cute. And it’s a good thing.
It’s Emily who manages to find Meredith in the system with a new name though, and Beau is instantly all proud dad.
Beau: Nice work, Em.
Cassie and Beau go to visit Meredith, now Madeline.
Beau: 2.5 kids, picket fence, while Walter’s living in the woods. Guess it’s an argument for nature not nurture, because…
Cassie: He lived in the woods, right, I get it…
Madeline say the same thing that Walter did, though – they weren’t her parents, that Walter set the fire but he isn’t a killer – he’s gentle, kind, protective. They were beaten, starved, and he did it so they could escape. I might be feeling a little bad for Walter at this point.
She also says that Walter’s birth mother picked them up – she doesn’t remember a name, but she sang to them. And had the most beautiful red hair.
Beau and Cassie exchange a look.
(That last one was just because I wanted it here…)
Beau: It’s Sunny. Think Cormac knew anything about this?
Cassie goes to see Cormac later, saying she has something to tell him. Cormac says he already knows, that he found out the day before and was still processing so hadn’t told her yet.
Cormac: She lied to me my entire life…but she’s my mother…
Cassie holds his hand.
Cormac: Whatever you find, I’m my own man.
Meanwhile, Sunny packs a bag intending to help Paige, and Buck comes in and interrupts her. He’s suspicious, reminding her they agreed to put Walter behind them, and Paige too. Sunny insists she is, but when they hug, Buck sees the bag over her shoulder.
Me: Oh Sunny, you should be scared!
Sunny tells Tonya and Donno that she found Paige alive.
Donno: I thought she’d be in a shallow grave. With beetles. And grubs.
I love Donno.
Sunny tells them that Paige will split the money with them if they can find the journal and help her, saying that Paige has been through a lot.
Donno: It’s hard out there for a pimp.
Sunny: I don’t understand anything he’s saying.
Seriously, I love Donno.
They come to an agreement, but Tonya grabs Sunny’s hand threateningly, saying they’re not people you mess with. Sunny does not back down an inch.
Sunny: Likewise.
But before Sunny can get back to Paige, who she left up at the camp, Buck goes up to investigate. He calls out ‘anyone here?’ and Paige hides, but Buck looks toward the tent, sees the flap move. Uh oh.
By the time Sunny, Tonya and Donna arrive at the camp, Paige is gone. Tonya pulls a gun on Sunny (which Donno gently and amusingly corrects her aim and instructs her to aim for the largest part of the leg…) and Donno goes to search for Paige. They’re all in a lot of trouble if he doesn’t find her, Tonya warns – especially Sunny.
Back at the murder wedding, Jenny and Poppernak question Skylar, the bride, and her father, who had a big fight with Austin the groom the night before. Jenny’s phone keeps ringing with a protected number and she doesn’t answer, but when Pop asks, she admits her mother always calls from a blocked number.
Pop: Answer it then.
She doesn’t, prioritizing the case. The bride’s dad insists he didn’t do it – that although he was angry that Austin just made his daughter sign a pre-nup the night before, it was the first time he’d seen her happy since she lost her mother, and he would never take that away from her. It turns out that Austin also just told her he found a giant dinosaur fossil worth a lot of money. Hmm.
Jenny goes to the dig and gets knocked right into the pit by a guy wielding a shovel. It’s Austin’s best man, who then helps her out and shows her the T Rex fossil which honestly is pretty impressive. The guy insists he was asleep when Austin was killed, but Jenny’s not so sure.
Poppernak: I’ve decided never to get married.
Jenny says if she finds the right guy, she might… Pop asks if she’s found the right guy yet?
Jenny doesn’t answer. Hmmm, who’s she thinking about? And can you blame her?
But she does figure out that it was probably Skylar who killed her groom, after apparently finding out from the best man that he was having an affair with that girl that Pop met on his way in. Who, by the way, was Lilith in a Supernatural episode. Small world!
Poor Pop, he’s having a really crappy day. Actually so is Jenny. They find Skylar burying the other woman (mostly) alive in one of the dinosaur pits. When Jenny jumps in to save her, Skylar is unrepentant.
Skylar: Stay away from her, she deserves this! He named the dinosaur after her!
Now that is a reason for murder if I ever heard one. Poppernak talks her down and cuffs her, Skylar still insisting she’s not sorry. Poor Pop.
Also meanwhile, Avery goes to a gun shop, looking totally uncomfortable, and buys a gun that’s “easy to use”.
Clerk: You don’t strike me as a Glock guy.
Me: He’s no Dean Winchester!
She sells him a gun (a James Bond gun no less) and he holds it gingerly, but then aims and tries out the trigger. Oh Avery, what are you doing? Back at his motel, he calls Carla as he puts bullets in the gun, saying that whatever happens, he loves her, and he did whatever it took to keep her and Emily safe. He hangs up and Carla is scared, calling his name to no avail, as we see him cock the gun. A distraught Carla calls Beau, saying she’s afraid something terrible has happened to Avery and asking him to come help.
He’s seriously the best ex ever – he floors it and races to the motel to comfort Carla.
She’s upset, saying that Avery hated guns when they see the bullet box.
Beau pulls her into his arms, saying that he was probably going after the money that Luke and Paige stole.
Beau: Listen to me, I’ll find him. More important, I won’t let anything happen to you or Em. Got it?
Seriously, best ex ever.
Later that evening, a shaken Jenny goes to Beau’s trailer, saying that he wasn’t answering his phone and she wanted to see him.
I love his set up so much, it makes me happy every time we get to see it.
Beau: Hey, you okay?
Jenny: Rough day… it never gets easier.
Beau: Something’s wrong if it ever does.
He pushes her hair back tenderly, and they have a bit of a moment…
….and then Carla and Emily pull up in the car, and Jenny backs away, saying they can catch up later. Beau explains he asked them to stay with him because it looks like Avery is making a play for the money and he needs to keep them safe.
Jenny gives Carla the six pack she brought, saying she probably needs it more than her tonight.
Emily seems very happy that they’re all together, like any kid would be.
Emily: How are we all gonna fit in this tin can?
Beau: Whoa whoa, she can hear you!
Beau hugs Carla, as Jenny watches, looking wistful.
Beau was THE man this episode, tenderly and gallantly consoling all the women. I actually kinda like both Carla and Jenny, so this is a complicated situation indeed. For me, as a fan. No, but seriously, for all of the characters!
Meanwhile, the bad guys wait for Avery, who finally calls them but says he’ll need a larger finder’s fee and a guarantee that his family is safe first. Bad guy says ominously that he doesn’t renegotiate.
Bad guy to other bad guy: Track him down. And his family too.
Me: Noooooooooooooo! Emily!!!
Jenny comes home, alone, to find her door pried open, bloody bandages on the floor.
Jenny: Mom…
Paige screams in a cabin; Buck duct tapes her mouth as she cries. The doorbell rings and it’s Cassie, saying she came to talk. Buck raises a weapon, watching her on the other side of the door. He goes to the door and starts to push it open…
And, scene!
Yes, they left it THERE! Now we have to wait until January to find out what happens to all the people who are currently in all kinds of danger!
We did get a few nice behind the scenes pics as they began filming the season finale (already!), thanks to Cree Cicchino and a few crew members, so those will have to hold us over until then…
Caps by spndeangirl
–Lynn
You can read Jensen Ackles’ thoughts on
fandom and his previous show, Supernatural,
in his chapters in Family Don’t End With
Blood and There’ll Be Peace When You Are
Done – links here or at:
Most of the episode was great and I totally enjoyed it. Avery was being very weird and cagey, Walter was being-Walter and Sunny (and Buck) was showing more of their true colours. Lots of drama and a typical cliffhanger (when did this become a thing?).
But I dislike (and not for just this show) the old and worn out “partners who may become more” vibe. Are there no shows where people can be just friends? It’s so very disappointing to see Jenny and Beau starting to cross that line. From before Remington Steele (I’m that old) to now, it’s a predictable and boring storyline.
Other than that, it’s a pretty gripping show. I like the fact (like Walker) it has different ages, backgrounds etc.
I think we might be in the minority, but I’m with you. I loved Supernatural because it was the rare show that wasn’t about romance, and I have been enjoying Beau and Jenny as partners who clearly care about and respect each other. I don’t have any desire to see them become romantically involved, but I guess we’ll see…
So… how are you at picking out Ackles ad libs as Beau and Soldier Boy?
Any you know for certain confirmed by our favorite guy?
I just watched a video from one of the Supernatural conventions and he definitely confirmed that! Lynn goes to a lot of the cons of course, so I am betting she is sure 🙂
Love me some Benny. Curious to see where they go with the relationship.
Thinking if they get picked up but Jensen not in next season that they will have Carla leave what’s his name and then Beau for the sake of the family reunites with her. He quits his job and relocates back in Texas for a fresh start. (Please no)
If they get picked up and Jensen is in next season – a lot of places to go with his story. Carla stays with what’s his face because he did something selfless instead of selfish? Two bullet holes in the chest and a showrunner saying he somewhat redeems himself makes one think perhaps he saved somebody at risk of his own life (Beau maybe?) or he dies. If he lives, Carla realizes she does truly love him and stays which frees Beau once and for all. Beau finally accepts his divorce and wishes Carla well. Beaus wall begin to lower he recognizes his growing feelings for Hoyt. Willing to think of Jenny as more than a friend/co worker but much to Jenny’s frustration will take it gradually rather than rush into things.
I’m so not ready to see the last of Beau. Fingers crossed for pick up and Jensen staying on.
I am pretty sure it will get picked up…it’s on its 3rd season and I think it is doing well in ratings. As for Jensen returning, I am afraid he may not…between executive producing The Winchesters and returning to The Boys, he is a busy guy!
I don’t dislike Carla as much as most people, but I’m not shipping anyone on this show, just along for the ride. I’d be happy to have more of Jensen as Beau, but I’m really REALLY hoping for more Soldier Boy – and eventually of course more Dean!