That finale was somehow insanely entertaining and a tad bit boring at the same time.

The Kleinsasser’s found themselves pushed to the background after weeks and weeks of being the main draw, and all the action fell back on Ronald.

But things dragged throughout Big Sky Season 1 Episode 16 until Ronald talked himself out of jail, and things went off the rails.

On a show where ANYONE could become expendable, Ronald continues to be the exception to the rule. Before we get into the Ronald of it all, let’s give the Kleinsasser’s their just dues.

The mysteries of the ranch and the secrets of a fractured family started promising, but Blake’s death kicked off a downward spiral for the storyline as a whole. Cassie and Jenny continuously put themselves in harm’s way, with no real plan, and it almost got them killed more than once. And they did it all for what?

Heading into the final hour, Horst was the only Kleinsasser man left, so it was just a matter of time before he bit the bullet.

That family was broken well beyond repair, but the seeming ease at which Horst, Margaret, and Cheyenne carried on as if three members of their family hadn’t died in the past few days was chilling.

I gave you everything. I gave you everything. And Horst, I ain't got nothing left to give you.
Margaret

Permalink: I gave you everything. I gave you everything. And Horst, I ain't got nothing left to give you.

Maybe they were numb to it all, or maybe they’d made their peace with the inevitably of the family killing itself from the inside out, but it was business as usual back at the ranch, except for that part where Margaret finally got what she wanted all along.

With Horst gone, it’s just Margaret and Cheyenne left in that big old house, and Cheyenne seems hellbent on turning things around for the ranch. But that land is soiled. Everything on that ranch needs to be gutted and purged, and Cheyenne should want to get as far away from Montana as she can.

Now could be here time to escape that name and all those demons.

Alas, we’ll probably never know what happens there because it appears that story has been neatly wrapped up in a nice little bow, and we’re moving beyond Lochsa county.

So, with the Kleinsasser’s limping off into the sunset, that left a lot of time for the fall-out of Ronald’s arrest.

From the moment Ronald whispered in Scarlet’s ear with firm instructions about what happens next, the writing was on the wall. But deciphering that writing took some time.

We always knew the kidnapping and the trafficking were bigger than Ronald and Rick, but that’s all we knew. They answered to people, and it was not surprising that another state trooper was involved.

Ronald: My mother used to tell me I would never amount to anything. That all I'd ever be is a tiny, silly man who couldn't control his urges.
Mark: Well, she sounds like a smart woman.
Ronald: Too smart for her own good. Turns out she was wrong. Dead wrong.

Permalink: Too smart for her own good. Turns out she was wrong. Dead wrong.

While Rick was scary in his own right, he had nothing on that creepy man that bum-rushed Scarlet at her house. He wasn’t there to offer reassurances. He was strictly there to clean up a mess. And considering there was no telling what Scarlet knew or who she told, it made more sense to bring her along for the ride than to kill her.

The moment Ronald started blabbering on and on as he usually does, it was clear he was trying to stall. And once he talked Mark into leaving the jail (!), it was just a matter of time before all hell broke loose.

If you thought Ronald’s story would end finally, then this episode was probably not your favorite. And it’s extremely unclear whether or not that move will end up paying off in the end.

Everything on Big Sky has moved at a fast pace, but suddenly everything with Ronald has been dragging. It felt like this was the time to close that chapter and head into the new season with a new mystery to solve, but that’s not happening.

Now Ronald is free, yet again, and he’s got reinforcements in the form of Scarlet, who continues to prove her loyalty to Ronald, and it’s above doing anything to be with him, sans leaving her daughter behind.

A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, if you will.

So many things happen during the hour that make little sense, but if you’re going to enjoy this show, you can’t overthink too much. Like why was Scarlet believed so easily? And why was NO background check done on her when she was found?

They just took her word for everything, including her story about meeting Ronald through Mary.

And then they just let Ronald take them to some random facility they didn’t sweep or explore, with minimal backup. They’re lucky they weren’t ambushed then.

The creepy domestic scene Ronald had set up in an abandoned garage was a shrine to one of his victims, but had we ever heard much of Kelli before that reveal?

We know she was the one who carved the words into Ronald’s truck, but that may have been the extent of our knowledge about her until Ronald waxed poetic about a kind of unrequited love where she was concerned.

Everything from Scarlet grabbing the hard drive to Ronald’s day out meant putting them on the highway at that exact moment so those gunmen could rescue Ronald and whisk him away.

The fact that Cassie, Jenny, Mark, and Tubb all left that episode alive was perhaps the most shocking moment of the season.

In all her glory, Jenny was the badass she was born to be, and she almost got the upper hand.

My money is on Jenny making a full recovery and having to mentally deal with the fall-out from the shooting, everything with the Kleinsasser’s and Cody’s death. And all of that may lead her to follow in Tubb’s footsteps like he so desperately wants her to.

On the other hand, Cassie isn’t meant to sit behind a desk, not that there’s anything wrong with that. They both have different strengths, and you have to imagine that a Big Sky Season 2 will involve the two of them figuring out what the future of Dewell & Hoyt will be.

Thank heavens there is more Big Sky on the horizon, and Cassie is hot on Ronald’s trail. After all, there’s only one way the Bonnie and Clyde story ends.

Odds and Ends

Can all the Mark doubters stand up and apologize for ever doubting that man? He just came along with his quirky attitude and wormed his way right into Cassie Dewell’s heart. Here’s hoping he, too, makes a full recovery, and they get to make good on that raincheck.

I could watch Sheriff Wagy in cuffs, getting his hat thrown in his face on a constant loop. Lock him up and throw away the key, please!

Tubb staying silent as he watched Cassie grab an assault rifle and walk through the crash site clearly up to no good was probably not supposed to be funny, but it was.

Well, that’s a wrap on Big Sky Season 1, folks! There was a lot to unpack this season, and the finale was a fitting end, though it sets us up nicely for future installments.