‘Big Sky’: The monsters always win.

Big Sky
“Carrion Comfort”
October 12, 2022

Previously on Big Sky … I didn’t know that a girl like you could make me feel so sad, Rosanna.

A woman dances around her dining room while she cleans up dishes from dinner. She knocks over an empty wine bottle and it smashes on the tile floor. She does not put shoes on her bare feet and that’s just asking for a sliver. She grabs a dustpan and gets down on her (bare) knees to sweep up the glass. Again, SLIVER. She picks up one of the pieces and slices her finger.

See. SEE?

She goes to the sink to run water over the cut. A shadow moves across the window. She walks into the dining room while wrapping a paper towel around her finger. When she moves there’s AHHH DRAMATIC MUSIC CUE SOMEONE STANDING OUTSIDE THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR WEARING A SCARY MASK EEEP! Wait, The Winchesters was on last night. What am I watching?

She carries the dust pan outside and latches the gate that is flapping and creaking ominously. The motion lights behind her flip on and its the scary guy in a scowling monster mask DOUBLE EEEP! He holds a shoosh finger up to his gaping, fanged mouth. The woman holds out the broken bottle and screams.

What the hell, man! Seriously, what show is this?

Morning at Sunny Day Excursions. Reba is unsettled—Buck missed breakfast and Cormac is making a supply run. She reminds him not to go sharing their business with the folks in town, especially about Paige. Cormac is like, yeah about that. He checked the trail and didn’t see any fresh tracks. There’s no sign of Paige. Shouldn’t that be concerning? Reba suggests that Paige is a woman who likes to forge her own path. It’s fine. IT’S FINE.

“If Paige has a problem, let her vent on Yelp.”

Reba joins Desmond, Emily and some rando who hooked up with Luke the night before. Desmond says they’re thinking of a hike to the lake or maybe a trail ride. Emily wants to keep looking for her knife. Reba reaches into her pocket and hands the girl a buck knife. How thoughtful! Desmond will just take the shiny pointy and put it right … over … here.

Before Reba can make a clean get away, Emily asks if Paige got back to New York okay. Reba sets her jaw and briefly considers stabbing Emily with the buck knife. The moment passes and Reba cheerfully says she sure did! Made it back safe and sound, so Emily doesn’t have to worry anymore. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ANYMORE, EMILY.

Later, Luke has words of his own with Desmond about Emily and her suspicions. Emily says that’s only because he keeps acting weird. Desmond plays supportive stepdad, but suggests they don’t mention about Paige when her mom arrives tomorrow.

Emily runs into Luke out on the trail while looking for her knife. She is the picture of contrition. Luke insists again some more that he didn’t do anything to Paige and has no idea what happened. He earnestly tells Emily he that he just really, really needs her to stay out of this. He warns that she doesn’t know what she’s dealing with, and I think he’s honestly trying to keep her clear of a dangerous situation.

Emily throws her hands up in agreement and says okay. Luke walks off and Emily pulls her phone out of her pocket, hitting stop on the recording of their conversation.

Reba finds Buck (the person, not the knife) on the trail worrying at the red heart in the tree. He says he knows what she’s been up to and he’s not happy. Walter is dangerous. Reba defends her son but Buck reminds her that her boy murdered his adoptive parents. He trapped them in their house and watched it burn! Yikes! Okay, so I was in the ballpark with my previous speculation.

Reba promised that Walt would stay in the woods, and Buck agreed to look the other way as long as Walt stayed in the woods. Reba pleads with Buck not to force her to choose between her husband and her child. She says she brought Walt into this sorry world and she needs to know he’s kept safe. Buck clenches his teeth and spits, not here. He warns her to end it … or he will.

“The past needs to stay where it belongs.”

Walt is chopping wood. He turns and brandishes the axe when he hears someone approach. DON’T SNEAK UP ON HIM LIKE THAT, MOMMA! Walt senses that another shoe is about to drop. Reba tells him to pack his things. She’s moving him out to the hunting cabin down by the creek. Walt complains that it’s a trailer and it has mold in it!

Reba doesn’t deign to argue. She turns to leave but a bit of bloody rag catches her attention. DON’T TOUCH MY TROPHIES MOMMA, PLEASE. Reba questions why he would keep something that could tie him to missing Mark. Walt says he’ll burn it, but Reba will handle it. She tells him to get his things packed up. She’ll be back for him after dark.

Beau and Jenny drive to the crime scene from the cold open. She’s a million miles away. Her eyes are glistening. Beau doesn’t have to ask to know what she’s stewing about. He reassures her that they’re going to fix the situation with her mom. And hey, the bills were marked and they nabbed a murderer, so! Jenny is not comforted. She would also like to not be having this conversation any more. Beau stops talking.

Poppernak gives them the bullet: Jody Cutter, 46. Her daughter Autumn found her body that morning. Jody’s throat had been cut. Her body lays face down on the concrete by the pool. They go inside to talk to the family. Jenny and her Led Zeppelin shirt aren’t getting murder vibes from the husband, Grant.

Beau thinks the daughter—or possibly her boyfriend—could be squirrely. He’s not ruling out a random attack, but his gut says it isn’t. It is telling him that something’s not right about the house. FORESHADOWING!

Cassie checks in with them at the station to get a fresh perspective on the Mark case. I mention only to note that we hear Jensen say, “Hey, Cas”, for the first time in almost two years and Jenny cracks a joke about Beau using a 10-year-old photo for the department website that is apparently a reference to Jensen’s IMDB page.

Seriously, that’s like vintage Season 6 or 7 of Supernatural. And scene.

Poppernak calls them over to review wildlife cam footage provided by the Cutter’s neighbor. They run through raccoons, possums and SCARY GUY WITH A WEREWOLF MASK. A werewolf, you say?

“That’s a first for me.”

Is it though, Beau? Is it?

As they walk out of the station, a dark haired woman calls out to get Beau’s attention. His usual good natured bravado evaporates. Beau’s whole body tenses and he looks physically off kilter. It’s a striking enough shift for Jenny to notice. She tries to give Beau time to recover by introducing herself. Jenny Hoyt, meet Carla.

Beau shuts down and becomes defensive, asking his ex-wife if they can not do this right now—that thing she does. Carla calls him an overly sensitive man baby and looks at Jenny like, amirite? She prods about the camping trip and the missing hiker. When Beau stumbles over his words trying to find the right answer, she cracks on his communication skills. And y’all, I’m all about the sisterhood, but we hate her, right? We hate Carla.

Jenny steps away to let them talk and immediately whips out her phone to update the group chat and tell Cassie to buy more tequila and Denise to break out the extra large baking dish. Beau is going to need it.

They talk about the camping trip—how Desmond wants it to be perfect and Beau’s general distrust and dislike of his daughter’s stepfather—but really Carla just wants to know there’s nothing to worry about with the whole missing Mark thing. Beau looks her in the eye and lies. There’s nothing to worry about.

Beau watches Carla walk away; Jenny declares him still in love with her.

They go back to the Cutter house for a second interview and talk to Autumn and her boyfriend Derek. Autumn lies—badly—that she’s never seen the werewolf mask before. Beau asks Derek to push up his sleeves. The video suggested Jody cut her attacker’s arm, but there are no wounds on the kid. He does urge Autumn to tell the truth—she admits Jody has a boyfriend.

They go to sneaky boyfriend’s antique and cursed object emporium. Beau says his brother used to drag him to places like this when they were kids.

Jenny wanders into a section with a number of creepy masks on display. They must be in the right place. Boyfriend Craig denies he would ever do anything to hurt Jody. He calls her the love of his life. He says she was still alive when he left after dinner. He doesn’t hesitate to push up his sleeves when asked—no cuts.

Beau shows him the still frame from the video. Craig says he sold the mask to Jody—she and Grant were doing a Big Bad Wolf / Red Riding Hood couples thing.

Their next stop is Grant’s bike shop. He’s not there, but his employee Scott is. Beau clocks the photo pinned to the wall showing the Cutters in their storybook costumes. Scott backs up Grant’s alibi that he was there all night doing inventory—except for when he left to pick up pizzas during a time of night that could align with the murder window. He insists Grant is innocent. He is not asked to push up his sleeves.

They go back to the Cutter house. The front door is ajar. There are bloody smears on the walls. There’s no sign of Autumn. Beau finds Grant on the kitchen floor, barely alive and bleeding out. They question him at the hospital and he gasps out that it was Scott. Scott took Autumn. He’s in love with her.

The police clear Scott’s house. There’s no sign of him or Autumn. Beau and Jenny discuss possible motives but Beau can’t shake the feeling that there’s something wrong with the house—literally. He says he felt it the moment he walked in. It’s like the dimensions are wrong. Jenny hears a creaking noise and goes upstairs. Beau is right behind her.

She pushes open a door and picks up blood from the door knob. They hear a thud coming from the closet. There’s no one in the closet, but they can the music box plinking of a lullaby. Beau pushes the clothes aside and opens a hidden door set in the wall. Jenny whispers, “What the hell?”

WHAT THE HELL INDEED?!

The door swings open and Beau jumps back. Jenny goes in first and finds Autumn slumped on the floor, drugged and chained to a bed. The room is a carefully and meticulously curated shrine to the girl with objects pilfered from her life—stuffed animals, ballet slippers, hair brush, ARE THOSE BABY TEETH?

There’s a click and the room goes dark. The only illumination comes from the dancing lights of a night light. There’s a creaking sound … the walls! HE’S IN THE WALLS! Nope, Scott comes sliding silently across the floor from under the bed and seriously, Supernatural in its final few seasons didn’t deliver scares as creepy as this EEEEEP!!

With a cry, Scott pops up from the floor and launches himself at Beau. Fight, fight, struggle, fight. Jenny aims high in the darkened room but misses. Fight fight struggle some more and Beau is able to stab Scott with his own blade.

Beau reaches over and behind his shoulder and comes back with bloody fingers. Jenny steps over to check on him just as Scott looms up behind her. Beau spins her around, seeming to brace her to keep her on balance as Jenny brings her arms up and fires twice at center mass.

Beau holds his arm around Jenny with their faces smooshed all close together and I don’t have anything against a Benny pairing per se, except for the Vagine of Violence. I’d like Beau to stick around for Season 4, please and thank you.

They bring Autumn to the hospital and she tearfully apologizes to her father. Grant says he’s the one who should have protected them. He holds Autumn while they both cry and Jenny and Beau stand there feeling awkward and useless.

“Why does it feel like the monsters always win?”

WHY INDEED, BEAUDEAN? Jenny muses that a loving dad can’t protect you from everything, but having one goes a long way. She lets Beau take that as he will.

Cormac’s trip in to town takes him to an outdoors retailer. He finds Cassie browsing the climbing gear. They chat and banter and Cormac offers to join Cassie on her trek back out to Dead Man’s Drop. He says he knows a better way to get there.

ATVing through the forest. ATVing through the forest. ATVing through the forest. Cassie finds blood on the ground at the bottom of the drop, but no sign of a body. Cormac directs her attention to the circling vultures off in the distance. Cassie wants to check it out but Cormac warns they won’t reach the area until after dark. Cassie teases, wondering if his mom gave him a curfew.

Girl. Do not jest about such things. Do not cross Reba.

Night falls and looking for dead bodies aside, Cormac calls the day fun. Just as he’s suggesting a second date, Cassie’s flashlight beam finds Mark. His body is sprawled face down on the ground. That … that is not far away where no one will find him, WALTER.

A man walks into the Blue Fox Diner and takes a seat at the counter. He’s that guy. If you’ve ever waited tables, you know that guy. Donno stands before him, a coffee pot held out in offer. Would he like some coffee? That guy says it depends. Is it good coffee? Donno says everything is good there. That guy aggressively flips his mug over.

“Would you like to see a menu, or should I just smash this coffee pot over your head?”

Seriously, Donno is every person who has ever worked food service ever. Meadow slips out of her booth to deescalate the conversation before it gets bloody. That guy says Ren Bhullar, the drug queenpin from last season, gave him their names. His boss has a problem; Ren said they might be able to help.

That guy explains that something was taken, and his boss wants it back, along with the people who took it. He slides an envelope across the counter and promises they will be very well compensated.

Before leaving, that guy takes a sip of his coffee. He chuckles to himself in pleasant surprise. He deems Donno’s coffee not bad. He leaves and Meadow opens the envelope. Inside are photos of Luke and Paige.

Later, Donno brings Meadow a slice of pie. He says it’s a new recipe, and also, she works too much. Love people—cook them tasty food (and also don’t murder them).

Meadow closes her laptop and takes a bite. She asks when he’s putting it on the menu. Donno says he isn’t; it’s just for her. Meadow tells Donno to sit down. I was fully expecting her to tell him she doesn’t like him like that.

Instead, she acknowledges the risk and sacrifice he made leaving the Bhullar family and staying in Montana with her. She says he’s the best partner she could ever hope for. Donno squirms and squints and waits for the floor to open up and swallow him. Meadows knows he doesn’t like compliments, but it needed to be said.

“Okay, said. Moving on.”

He asks if they’re going to take the job—they don’t do hits. Her rules. Meadow hand waves that it’s not a hit. They’re just being asked to find some people. Donno reality checks her statement. The finding is just the first part … followed by the killing and the disposing. They don’t get paid until after the disposing. He calls that standard practice.

Meadow agrees that is how the job goes. Donno says he’ll look into their marks and then they can make the decision together. He changes the topic to Rosanna Arquette. She knocked on their door carrying a big bag of stolen money. Would Meadow care to tell him what she’s up to with Jenny Hoyt’s mother? Meadow says she will. When she’s ready.

Donno meets Meadow at the diner later as she’s locking up. He’s located the targets—Paige and Luke are trying to lay low, but Donno says they’re bad at it. The prospect of a pay day is too much for Meadow to resist. She tells Donno she has always wanted to go camping.

Buck accompanies Reba to help with Walt’s move. He’s not convinced it’s going to solve anything. They walk in and Walt is immediately hostile to Buck’s presence. Reba tries to smooth things over but they’re at each other’s throats in a blink. Buck snarls at the “ungrateful little cur” that he’d rather put a bullet in Walt’s brain than watch him drag his mother down.

Reba breaks them apart and turns her fury on her husband. If Buck touches her boy again, God help her, “I’ll bring down a cold hell on your head, old man, the likes of which you’ve never seen before. And you know I can!” God is like, ‘OH, I KNOW. Leave me out of this, woman! My name’s Bennett, and I ain’t in it.’

Buck ignores the threat. He knows she won’t listen, but he warns her anyway that Walt will be the end of her someday. He says she can count on it.

Walt watches Buck storm out, but when Reba turns to look at him, he can’t make eye contact with her. He quietly says he’s not leaving. Reba sets her jaw and goes to hold out her arms; Walt ducks his head and cringes away from her.

Reba tells him to come here. When he doesn’t move, she says it again. There’s no warmth in her voice, just an edge that warns against disobedience. Walt allows himself to be pulled into a hug. Before she leaves, Reba tells her son she loves him. She believes that she means it.

Someone has been watching this scene play out. Walter opens the door to his bedroom. He gently says they’re gone. Paige is sitting on a cot. There’s a thick wrapping of bandages around her ankle. So, Walt isn’t a trophy-keeping psycho, he was trying to hide a hostage? That’s not any better, is it? But wait, Paige isn’t bound or gagged. She could have called out for help. It looks like she’s leveled up on her hiding-out-and-waiting-for-this-all-to-blow-over game.

Big Sky airs on ABC and streams on Hulu. Whitney will also be watching The Winchesters airing on The CW and streaming at CWTV.com. Follow her on Twitter @Watcher_Whitney.