REVIEW: Big Sky, Season 1 Episode Two 'Nowhere To Run'

 REVIEW: Big Sky, Season 1 Episode Two 'Nowhere To Run'

After the shock twist of the previous episode, I was really intrigued to see where the show went next. It's a bold decision for sure to write out somebody who appeared to be a major character in the first ever episode, and so you really have to admire that level of bravery on display.

This episode did not disappoint. It really delved deep into the emotional aftermath of the pilot, and where it leaves our characters. Cassie and Jennie, for instance, in their circumstance of both having been romantically linked with the same man at the same time, both get their chance to grieve in the face of his disappearance. There's some great dialogue exchanges here, where Jennie tries to get into Cody's mindset as she attempts to figure out where he has gone, by asking Cassie what happened when she called off their relationship: was Cody actually seeking an end to their romance, or did he want to continue with their affair? I did find it a little odd how we get flashbacks of Cassie with Cody and yet the episode doesn't present us with a similar glimpse into his life with Jennie, but maybe we see more of that in a future episode.

John Carroll Lynch continues to impress as Rick Legarski after his amazing performance in the pilot. If anything I found he had even more of a presence here, as his more sinister edge comes to the forefront and we see him interact with the truck driver Ronald Pergman. It's a great move to actually make the bent cop the big man in charge, after the previous episode (up until the twist) led us to believe that the kidnapping was all Ronald's plan. It's much more interesting to see somebody who is supposed to be firmly on the right side of the law as the figurehead of the operation rather than a truck driver who spends most of the time on his own upon the open road.

That confrontation with Cassie was such an intense watch also. I was really starting to worry for the detective there, especially after how Cody's meet-up with Rick ended in the Pilot. This show is really good at building up the tension, and making you fear for the safety of the characters.

Another case in point in that regard is when Ronald checks up on his captives and Danielle (rather stupidly) decides to insult him once again. The way he brings up Danielle's loser taunt in the previous episode, and the subtle pressing of the taser whenever his captives do something he doesn't like, is really unnerving. Brian Geraghty is really good at conveying a real sense of threat and menace, and you're constantly left on tenterhooks as to what he may do to those he has in his truck.

The reveal of what Ronald and Rick are up to, and how it pays off in regards to Jerrie being transgender, is shocking, especially as it's a real life issue that has been covered before on television, most notably in Coronation Street. Suddenly it all makes sense as to why Ronald kidnaps prostitutes and unlucky women, and his dismissal of Jerrie in light of that because of who she is hammers home just how much of a horrible person he is.

And yet he sees himself as the hero, which is something that all good villains tend to do - but not many actually openly state it. That's what I like about this episode. It understands the principles of villainry, and uses it to convey just how disturbing the mentality is of Ronald Pergman. He thinks what he's doing is good, and cannot see how it makes him a monster.

Overall, I found this a much stronger episode than the first part. Nowhere To Run does a really solid job at showing the aftermath of the previous episode's closing moments, whilst establishing the threat that our antagonists pose in even greater detail than before.

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What are your thoughts on Big Sky's second episode? Let me know in the comments.