ABC’s Big Sky season two episode five picks up right where episode four left off, with Madison now inside Deputy Harvey’s cabin and Bridger still tied up and being held hostage by the dirty cop. Madison (Lola Skye Reid) swears she’ll lead Harvey to the bags in the woods if he promises he’ll let her brother go.
Harper (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson) follows her friend and Harvey (Michael Malarkey) into the woods while Max (Madelyn Kientz) seizes the opportunity to rescue Bridger (Jeremy Ray Taylor). Ren knocks at the door just as Max frees Bridger. They escape into a closet and watch as Ren (Janina Gavankar) creeps around inside the house, gun drawn. The siblings quickly realize she’s also after the drugs and money they took from the crime scene.
Just down the road, Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) and Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) are still pinned down and under fire. Donno (Ryan O’Nan) promised Ren he wouldn’t let anyone near Harvey’s place, and he’s determined to keep his word. Jenny calls in backup as the bullets fly.
Ren rings up Donno and wants him to join her at the house. When he stops shooting, Jenny and Cassie cautiously approach his location. He’s gone but the area’s littered with bullet casings.
Donno and Ren walk through the woods looking for Harvey. His phone was in the house and his cruiser’s parked out front, so Ren knows he has to be close by.
Meanwhile, Madison’s scream alerts Max and Bridger that she’s in trouble and they run into the woods.
Harper watches from behind a nearby tree as Madison breaks free by kneeing Harvey in the groin. (Nice move, Madison!). Madison runs off and Harvey fires in her direction. Ren and Donno hear the gunshot and try and follow the sound to its source.
Harvey catches up with Madison and is about to shoot her when Harper races up with one of the bags. When Harvey’s attention is on Harper, Madison uses a tree branch she grabbed and hits him in the head. He’s knocked to the ground but not knocked out.
Max and Bridger join Madison and Harper and are about to flee when Harvey gets up and fires a warning shot. It looks like the foursome is about to find out what happens when you mess with a crooked cop when the man who’s been spying on them from the van leaps on top of Harvey. They battle over Harvey’s gun and the deputy is able to grab his knife and stab the heroic stranger.
The gun goes off again and Harvey’s killed. The stranger yells at the kids to run and they don’t need to be told twice.
Sheriff Tubb (Patrick Gallagher) arrives with additional officers to backup Jenny but it’s too late for Deputy Harvey.
Ren decides this isn’t a bad outcome as they were going to have to kill Harvey anyway. It’s fine someone else beat them to the punch.
Back at the station, Jenny’s determined to continue the investigation. She’s certain there were other unknown people involved with Harvey’s murder, but Sheriff Tubb warns her to drop it or she’ll be suspended. Harvey’s nefarious activities occurred under his watch so he can’t investigate his murder. However, Jenny’s looking at the bigger picture and still believes Harvey’s involvement with the cartel means Tonya and others remain in danger.
Sheriff Tubb instructs Jenny to stand down and let the State investigators handle it. She’s pissed and slams the door on the way out of his office.
Over at the detective agency, Cassie confesses she has lingering questions about Tonya’s story. She’s apparently staying with a friend and Cassie tells Jerrie (Jesse James Keitel) to keep trying to reach her. A man enters the agency and the mood swiftly changes as it’s revealed he’s Jerrie’s father.
Jerrie’s dad is there to let her know her mom’s dying of cancer and wants to see her. Jerrie’s estranged from her parents who never supported her and she refuses to absolve her parents of their guilt. He begs her to take a little time off and visit her mom before it’s too late.
Jerrie turns to Mark Lindor (Omar Metwally) for advice and he believes if she doesn’t go, she’ll always regret not having that final conversation. She needs closure.
Tonya pays a visit to Ren and Donno, neither of whom are happy to see her. She was supposed to have left town but doesn’t want to, and Ren reminds her Donno will kill her family if she doesn’t disappear as agreed.
Tonya proposes a new deal…she’ll work for Ren in place of Sam and Deputy Harvey. After all, the locals don’t trust outsiders but they do trust her.
The fearless foursome debate their next move, and Max is sure they can’t go to the cops. Harvey was obviously crooked and he’s probably not the only bad cop in town. Harper wonders why the stranger was trying to protect them, but none of the others care about him. Harper’s sure he was trying to save them from Harvey and isn’t a bad guy.
Bridger’s adamant they get rid of the drugs and cash, and Max finally agrees. She suggests they figure out how to get them to that woman from Harvey’s house (Ren), but they have no idea who she is. As they’re talking Madison receives a call from Harvey’s phone. Bridger grabs Madison’s phone and smashes it. He’s worried the woman will track them and promises to buy his sister a new phone.
Harper believes the only way they’ll make it out of this alive is to stick together.
Jenny shows up at Travis’ hotel room, pissed he’s not returning her calls. He doesn’t seem happy to see her and claims he’s been busy. She demands to know if Harvey was working for the cartel and Travis won’t say. He explains he’s been warned to “tighten things up” and isn’t able to help with her investigation anymore.
Travis gets Jenny to admit she only calls him when she needs something. He confesses he cares for her and then kicks her out, warning her to back off.
That evening Jenny and Cassie go through all the evidence, and Jenny reveals Travis has iced her out. She also reveals she actually likes him but hasn’t told him. Jenny’s worried she screwed it up and Cassie suggests ice cream is always the best option to get over hard times. Jenny thinks alcohol would do the trick better than ice cream.
Drinks are consumed as they join Denise and Jerrie at the bar to say goodbye to Jerrie before she sets off on her road trip to visit her parents.
And speaking of getting ready for the road trip… Mark helps Jerrie load up her car and gives her a mixtape he’s made for the trip. She wonders if they ever could have gotten together, and he pulls her in for a kiss as his reply.
Max is having a difficult time dealing with what’s going on and has a heart-to-heart with her mom. After her mom promises to keep what Max says a secret, Max confesses she did something bad at the scene of the big car crash.
Ren calls her brother and fills him in on what’s going on. He’s not happy about how she’s handling it and Ren warns him to stay out of her business.
Jenny and Cassie are still drinking at the bar when Dietrich walks in. He meets with a man and exits, and Jenny wants to follow them. Cassie’s reluctant but Jenny talks her into it, believing this will lead to whoever hired Harvey to work with the cartel.
Dietrich takes the man to a van in the bar’s parking and shows off the weapons inside. Cassie and Jenny are watching from a short distance away and don’t notice another man, Smiley, sneaking up on them. Jenny manages to fight Smiley off but now she and Cassie have attracted Deitrich’s attention.
Smiley tells Dietrich they were spying on him and delivers a blow to Jenny in retaliation. Cassie disarms him while he’s concentrating on Jenny but only briefly has the upper hand as Travis pops up behind them, gun aimed at Cassie. He informs Dietrich that these women were following him because they’re cops.
The Ronald vs Wolf Storyline:
Wolf (John Carroll Lynch) drugs Ronald (Brian Geraghty) to get him to open up and reveal his true self. When Wolf mentions Ronald’s mother, Ronald fights through the drug and demands they talk about something else. Wolf refuses to change the topic and Ronald is forced to admit his mother made him feel filthy and sick. Ronald has visions of her inappropriate behavior and of snapping her neck. He admits she had worse urges than his and he always kept them a secret for her.
Wolf urges him to reveal her secret and Ronald claims she killed his father. He wanted to leave but she wouldn’t let him. Ronald saw what she did and never told anyone.
Ronald’s overcome with emotion and Wolf comforts him.
Later that evening Ronald’s allowed to visit Scarlet alone in her room. She’s happy he’s making progress with his therapy and reminds him she’s following the rules because she was promised she’d be reunited with her daughter if she behaves.
Ronald says he’s been doing his part because he loves her. Scarlet, however, seems to have bought into Wolf’s therapy and thinks it might be the only way for them to have a future together that doesn’t involve being chased by the police.
A short while later Scarlet informs Wolf and his wife that Ron still wants to escape. She believes he’s scared of the process.
- Season 1 Episode 16 Recap: “Love is a Strange and Dangerous Thing” Finale
- Season 2 Episode 1 “Wakey Wakey” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 2 “Huckleberry” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 3 “You Have to Play Along” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 4 “Gettin’ Right to It” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 6 “Heart-Shaped Charm” Recap
