Big Sky Review: Catastrophic Thinking/All Kinds of Snakes (Season 1 Episodes 10 and 11)
Big Sky kicks off its mid-season premiere in a big way with two hours of pure bedlam on Season 1 Episodes 10 and 11, “Catastrophic Thinking” and “All Kinds of Snakes.”
This show is on its way to join the pantheon of primetime soap opera television with the likes of Dallas and Melrose Place. The plot can veer into the absurd and it’s outrageous at times yet wholly entertaining.
The acting is a bit inconsistent with less than stellar performances mixed in with more compelling ones. But, oddly, this disparity works for the genre—there is a genericness that somehow still sets it apart.
It’s difficult to explain precisely, but that’s another thing that is great about Big Sky—it doesn’t require a lot of thought into why it’s exceptional in its mediocrity, it just is.
What I do know is that I enjoy myself thoroughly throughout each episode; it’s a good time that doesn’t need any deep critical dissection. Although, thinking about Big Sky critically can be fun, too.
A new adventure with an ongoing throughline of the events that happened on the first half of the season makes for some disjointed viewing. And a whole slew of new characters are introduced—so many that it’s kind of hard to keep track of all of them and how they’re connected.
The twisted Kleinsasser Family is a solid addition to Big Sky. From the irascible patriarch to the black sheep son in prison, the Kleinsassers are sure to bring the drama and lots of trouble. Horst makes a great villain, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s played by Ted Levine who inhabited the infamous role of Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (TSOTL).
Brooke Smith who portrays Merilee Legarski on the first half of Big Sky Season 1 is also an alum of TSOTL, Buffalo Bill’s captive, to be exact. Smith’s Merilee is sorely missed on Episodes 10 and 11, “Catastrophic Thinking” and “All Kinds of Snakes.” I hope they figure out a way to bring her back into the story.
Considering the anything-goes nature of the show, that doesn’t seem like a lot to ask.
Ronald Pergman’s story is carried over since he escaped at the end of the mid-season finale, Episode 9, “Let It Be Him.” Three months later, Ronald (Brian Geraghty) is living as Arthur in a weird domestic situation with a girlfriend, single mother Scarlet Leyendecker (Anja Savcic). Geraghty was scary as Ronald on the first half of the season, but he’s even more chilling as Ronald playing Arthur.
The styling of his Arthur disguise is hilarious and so fitting for his creepy character. Something is off about Scarlet, too. I am really intrigued to see where the writers go with this.
Just as I am with every other thread in this tangled web of drama and mystery.
Stray Observations:
- The name of the gay hitman who uses an electrified bolt pistol as a weapon like he’s cosplaying Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men is Snail, and this delights me to no end.
- “Thoroughbred horse semen.” I love this random, completely out of left field plot point.
- Kleinsasser Family game night looks like loads of fun. Yikes.
- US Marshal Mark Lindor (Omar Metwally) is super annoying, and I’m already sensing an enemies-to-lovers trope between him and Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) which has the potential to become super annoying as well.
- I love the addition of Jerrie (Jesse James Keitel) to the Dewell & Hoyt team.
What did you think of these episodes of Big Sky? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Big Sky airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.