‘Big Sky’ Episode 7 Recap: “I Fall to Pieces”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Big Sky Season 1 Episode 7
Jade Pettyjohn in ‘Big Sky’ season 1 episode 7 (ABC/Darko Sikman)

Season one episode six of ABC’s Big Sky ended with State Trooper Rick Legarski (John Carroll Lynch) opening his eyes. Episode seven, “I Fall to Pieces,” begins with Rick in his hospital bed while his wife, Merilee (Brooke Smith), asks him to blink if he understands. He responds with a grunt, “Who shot me?”

Episode six also found Jerrie (Jesse James Keitel) coming home and discovering a note from Ronald taped to her front door. We catch up with her wide awake, facing the front door and cradling a baseball bat. She has a flashback of Ronald tasing her and is visibly shaken.

The sun is barely visible when Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) rings up Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) with the news Rick’s awake.

Rick’s doctor runs some simple tests to see if he’s capable of responding. He’s shocked to discover Rick’s able to squeeze his fingers painfully hard and even more stunned to hear Rick declare, “We’re going to need a bigger boat!” (Does he think he’s in Jaws?)

Sheriff Tubb (Patrick Gallagher) is already at the hospital when Cassie and Jenny arrive and he quickly reminds them they’re not part of the police investigation. He reluctantly reveals Grace asked if they could accompany her to try and locate the murdered fisherman. Of course, Cassie immediately agrees.

A news report provides an update on Legarski’s condition. A neurologist being interviewed is unable to say whether Rick’s brain has been impacted by the bullet.

Ronald (Brian Geraghty) listens to this at home, eating his breakfast cereal and sporting freshly dyed black hair. The attempt at a disguise surprises his mom (Valerie Mahaffey) and she laughs but then quickly surmises Ronald’s in a foul mood. Ronald explains he followed Rick down the rabbit hole because Rick made him feel valued. He blames his mom and her constant putdowns for his low self-esteem which led to his decision to team up with Rick and kidnap women.

Mom speaks the truth when she says Rick will give Ronald up to save himself.

And speaking of Rick, he’s stunned to learn from Merilee that he kidnapped three girls. She further explains he’s part of a sex trafficking ring, and Rick is certain she’s joking. She’s not.

Merilee places the cherry on top by informing him he also murdered an innocent man who was attempting to help the girls.

Shortly thereafter, the doctor holds a press conference with an update on Rick’s condition. It appears he’s improving.

Cassie, Jenny, and Denise (Dedee Pfeiffer) realize they’re running out of time to find Rick’s truck driver accomplice. They’re certain he’ll get rid of his rig soon, realizing the jig is up.

Jerrie shows up at the detective agency with the warning note Ronald left on her door. She doesn’t want to go to the police and they suggest she stay somewhere else for the time being. Jerrie reminds them she’s the only one who saw the truck during the day and got a much better look at it than either Grace or Danielle managed to do. She assumes she’s the biggest threat to Ronald at this point.

Jenny brings the note to Sheriff Tubb and he can only promise to send a car by occasionally. He reveals the FBI’s taking over the case – news that doesn’t sit well with Jenny. Tubb will look into getting Jerrie additional protection and Jenny insists it be one patrol car every hour.

Tubb, for the second time this episode, suggests Jenny become a cop again.

Back at the hospital, Penelope Denesuk (Karin Konoval) introduces herself to Merilee as Rick’s lawyer provided by the state trooper union. She calls Rick a horrible man but assures Merilee she will work hard to give Rick her best efforts.

Sheriff Tubb and Penelope have a history and she warns him not to try and speak with her client, Rick Legarski.

Big Sky Season 1 Episode 7
Valerie Mahaffey and Brian Geraghty in ‘Big Sky’ season 1 episode 7 (ABC/Darko Sikman)

Ronald confesses to his mom he may have to kill someone in order to get out of this situation. It could be his only way out. After forcing his mom to leave, he calls Merilee at the hospital and suggests they get together to talk.

Rick asks Merilee to call his dad since he’ll be worried. She reminds him his dad died three years ago.

Jenny and Cassie are the last to arrive as a search party has assembled to find the fisherman’s dead body. Sheriff Tubb’s gathered plenty of his deputies (and their canine partners) and they head out in ATVs to try and locate the body.

Cassie and Jenny are checking out the area on foot when they’re joined by Montana Highway Patrol Commander Elena Sosa (Sharon Taylor). She believes their involvement should be welcomed and also thinks this could help draw attention to all the indigenous women who’ve gone missing in the area. Legarski is most likely involved in their disappearances, too. Elena promises to keep them informed of any important developments.

Rick meets with his attorney for the first time and confirms he doesn’t remember being shot or the events leading up to that moment. Penelope warns him not to speak to the police and advises him a witness will be coming in to identify him. Rick appears to be confused and asks again who Penelope is. (Is he faking short-term amnesia? My money’s on yes, he is.)

While this is going on at the hospital, Merilee’s out for a stroll with Ronald (who she believes is just a friendly guy named Mitchell who dances with lonely women). He probes her for Rick’s condition, and she admits he doesn’t remember things right now but that his memory could return at any time.

Ronald claims his only desire is to bring her some comfort.

Grace (Jade Pettyjohn) is trying to figure out where the encounter with Rick Legarski took place when the dogs alert on the sulfur spring she described as where Rick dumped the body. The pool is probed as Grace has flashbacks to the day Rick hunted her down and shot her in the leg.

Cassie comforts the young girl as the body is fished out of the pool.

Jenny’s concerned when Sheriff Tubb wants Grace to identify the body which is still somewhat recognizable. Jenny protests, but Grace knows that’s why she’s there. Grace’s parents don’t want to put their daughter through this trauma, but Grace stands firm in her desire to make sure the body is that of the fisherman who tried to help her.

She positively identifies the body while experiencing a flashback of Rick shooting him in the chest with an arrow.

Ronald returns home and immediately gets into a shouting match with his mom. She advises him to pray for himself, storming out of the room while calling him filth.

Grace, Danielle (Natalie Alyn Lind), and their parents meet with Cassie and Jenny at the detective agency. Her parents don’t want to put Grace through the additional trauma of identifying Rick in his hospital bed. But Jenny explains only Grace witnessed Rick killing the fisherman. She needs to positively identify him so that he doesn’t get away with lesser charges surrounding their kidnapping. (Ronald is the actual kidnapper and Rick might only receive a conspiracy charge.)

Grace wants to do this so they can all go home to Colorado and put this behind them.

The police handcuff Rick to his hospital bed as his attorney reminds him not to talk. He quotes another line from Jaws and then admits he just made a mess in his bed. The stink proves he’s telling the truth.

Grace enters Rick’s room and is able to hold herself together enough to confirm he’s the man who shot the fisherman and shot her in the leg.

Ronald and Merilee talk again and she confesses Rick’s lawyer suggested she get her own lawyer. Ronald begs to be allowed to help her out and she agrees. Ronald informs his mom he’s going to the Legarski place and will get into Rick’s safe room. His mom confesses she’s prayed and has decided to save him by turning him into the police. She doesn’t want this to go on and she definitely won’t allow Ronald to kill the trooper’s wife.

Ronald’s furious but his mom won’t budge. She tells him it’s over…and she’s right. He snaps her neck, instantly killing her. Ronald begs her to wake up while caressing her dead body.

That evening her dead body remains seated in the chair where she collapsed. He leaves the TV on as he heads out to the Legarski place.

The walls are closing in. Jerrie’s given a better description of the second kidnapper to a sketch artist, and Jenny and Cassie look at the new drawing. It looks just like Ronald.

Jerrie thanks her friends for letting her stay in their home. Her friend reveals his one fantasy has always been for a bad guy to break into his house and he’d blow his head off. “And for it to be a sex offender? Oh my god, I could die and go to heaven right then and there,” says her friend. He adds, “I even know what I’d say. I’d say go ahead, make my day!”

Merilee welcomes Ronald into her home, thanking him for being so kind. They hug and then kiss, and Merilee pulls away claiming she can’t do this. She offers him tea and he asks for a restroom. She instructs him to go upstairs which he does, immediately heading into Rick’s closet. He searches for the hidden compartment, locates it, and then knocks a hole in the plaster with his fist.

Merilee hears the noise from downstairs in the kitchen and calls out his name.

Ronald locates a packet that’s been stashed away just as Cassie and Jenny arrive at Merilee’s front door. She tries to shoo them away but then stops when they show her the drawing and explain that person is her husband’s accomplice.

“He’s here,” whispers Merilee. “He’s in the house. He’s upstairs.”

Jenny and Cassie draw their weapons and step inside.




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