Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Do You Love an Apple
A brand new mystery kicks off when a hiker goes missing on Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 1, “Do You Love an Apple.” The series wastes no time introducing a new storyline with none other than Reba McEntire at the center.
Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) investigates the missing hiker while Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) and Beau (Jensen Ackles) chase down an escaped convict. Sunny Day Excursions, led by Sunny Barnes played by McEntire, welcomes its campers, but there’s something lurking behind the hospitable exterior.
There’s the typical season premiere exposition, but it’s relegated to the beginning and provides helpful refreshers and updates on the characters, both present and absent.
Note: This review contains spoilers.
Omar Metwally’s departure from Big Sky as U.S. Marshall Mark Lindor is explained right away. He’s off with Jerri Kennedy (Jesse James Keitel) chasing down the syndicate that played a part on Seasons 1 and 2, and thus shifting the love triangle between Lindor, Cassie, and Jerri yet again.
I appreciate the update and also how it’s unabashedly glossed over.
Big Sky Season 2 Episode 18, “Catch a Few Fish,” introduced interim acting Sheriff Beau Arlen played by Ackles. The Texan has made himself at home in Helena, complete with regular movie nights with Cassie and regularly chatting Jenny’s ear off.
Tonya (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) is making a name for herself. Insecure waitress turned savvy businesswoman by way of a drug cartel owns several properties around town, including the diner where she used to work.
Sigler’s Tonya is a welcome carry-over from Season 2, and I’m happy to see Donno (Ryan O’Nan) has stayed by her side. Although, of the Bhullar crime family, I would’ve liked to have seen Ren Bhullar continue to build her empire in the mountain town, but Donno makes for a delightful Season 3 addition.
The episode title refers to a folk song used in an effectively creepy way, leading to the first twist (of many, I’m sure) in the story. Even with the reveal at the end, there’s still a lot of mystery around Sunny Barnes, her family, and her business.
Seeing that locals know her and seem to trust her only adds to the puzzling plot.
Cassie investigating the missing hiker brings Sunny into the mix merely to keep an eye out, but there’s another connection that has the potential to complicate things.
Beau’s daughter is on the camping trip with her stepdad (Henry Ian Cusick) and she’s acting pretty cagey from the get-go. My mind goes down all kinds of paths with this information because Big Sky has a history of jaw-dropping twists and turns as well as leaning into the absurdity of the drama-thriller genre.
The adventure is off to an intriguing start and I can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend.
What did you think of the Big Sky Season 3 premiere episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Big Sky airs Wednesday at 10/9c on ABC.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
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.
One thought on “Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Do You Love an Apple”
Big Sky is getting worse. Reba needs to stick to singing. Liked it up until now. Get Reba’s camp off there and go back to how it was.
Comments are closed.