Additional Authors: Brianna, Jules
Big Sky: Deadly Trails‘ premiere is right around the corner, and fans are raring and ready to go. Season 2’s ending left off in a pretty clean place, though there are of course some storylines that were still left open (the Bullhars, that pesky crime syndicate, etc.) and have a potential to appear in the future. However, season 3 has been marketed as a sort of reboot, with a slew of new issues to be explored. As such, we thought we’d take a look at some of the things that this upcoming season has us looking forward to in the face of all this new excitement.
One Mother of a Problem
One new character sure to stir up trouble this season is Jenny’s mother Gigi (Rosanna Arquette). While all we get from the character description is the information that Gigi’s past as a con artist caused her estrangement from her daughter, there’s a lot to explore here. Jenny’s past and early life haven’t been explored in great detail, leaving a lot of room for the writers to expand on the story we do know. In addition, watching Katheryn Winnick and Arquette together is sure to be explosive. While all the new characters are interesting, it will be good to get more information about one of our protagonists that has been with us from the beginning. Speaking of new characters…
All Around Me Are (Un)Familiar Faces
One of this season’s biggest draws is all of the fresh blood being brought into the show. The one and only Reba McEntire is set to be at the forefront of this season’s main mystery as Sunny Barnes, resident wilderness adventuring guru of Sunny Day Excursions. McEntire has been one of the faces at the forefront of the extremely intriguing promo materials pre-season, and with the legend’s experience in television, we can’t wait to see what she brings to the show’s narrative. (Am I the only one hoping for a fireside karaoke moment? No, just me?)
Other notable newcomers include Angelique Cabral as Carla, Beau Arlen’s ex-wife. Carla, her new husband Avery (portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick of Lost and MacGyver), and Beau and Carla’s daughter will be getting pulled into the mystery surrounding Sunny Day Excursions as a glamping trip goes very, very wrong. These additions only scratch the surface, as multiple names such as the aforementioned Rosanna Arquette, Luke Mitchell, Anirudh Pisharody, Madalyn Horcher, and Seth Gabel have all been tapped to appear on screen for the third season. New blood and new storylines promise a plethora of excitement for fans come this season.
New Sheriff in Town
With the introduction of the new sheriff Beau at the end of season 2, we’re already excited to learn more about his character. Played by Jensen Ackles, fans of the star have been bingeing Big Sky ready to see what he’ll bring to the good ole Texas boy character that Beau already exudes. He hints at an ex-wife and daughter Emily (Cree Cicchino) that will be introduced later in the season, so not only are we curious to learn about his dynamic with our main crew but also the mysterious backstory of Beau. Given the shady history of new characters on this show, and especially male characters, it’ll be interesting to see if his friendly demeanor remains throughout season 3.
Cassie’s on the Case
Big Sky season 2 left Cassie in an emotionally rough place after her father’s death and her hunt for Ronald. This season, she will throw herself into the case of the missing backpacker that Beau and Jenny are also investigating, which will put her in the crosshairs of the Barnes family. Showrunner Elwood Reid also teased to Entertainment Weekly that there is a slow burn romance on the horizon with “someone involved in Reba’s world that she begins to have a bit of a flirtation with.” But is Cassie’s single-minded devotion to the case a productive distraction or a dangerous obsession?
Cases of the Week
Last but certainly not least, this season will switch up the format of Big Sky to include more cases of the week alongside the overall mystery with the Barnes family. Beau and Jenny are set to team up, while Cassie and Denise will also get involved in the weekly cases as well. It will be interesting to see Jenny and Beau work together on these cases, especially since they appear to have a lighter tone than the show is used to. Could it lead to something more than a professional partnership between the duo? Only time will tell, especially with Reid teasing that a Cassie/Beau partnership also isn’t off the table.
Big Sky returns tonight, September 21 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on ABC. If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on the first two seasons on Hulu, check out our other content on the show here (episodic recaps to come), and stay tuned for more updates.
