Big Sky Season 3 Episode 2 Review: The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

Many threads begin to unravel making the plots muddled while Big Sky tries to find its third season footing on Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 2, “The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep.” 

I’m sure a lot of what’s revealed on this episode will lead to interesting parts of the mystery, but it still seems to be in a set-up stage of storytelling. And that doesn’t always make for a fine hour of television.

In a word, I’d describe Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 2, “The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep,” as hokey. 

The performances come across as very generic network television fare. This is something Big Sky struggles with often, but when the story goes to absurd places, it somehow works. 

It’s only the second episode of a new season and we’re at the beginning of a new mystery, not to mention the series is on network TV, so I can forgive this garden-variety offering.

Needless to say, I am ready for the story to kick into high gear so I don’t notice the soapy dialogue and acting when it happens, or at least when I can lean into it and enjoy it for what it is.

We haven’t had much time to get to know Sunny Barnes (Reba McEntire) and her family (including the son that lives out in the woods and apparently lures hikers to their deaths). As a result, the interactions between them are hackneyed and sometimes cringe-inducing.

Sunny is tight-lipped on her forest-dwelling offspring, even with her husband, Buck (Rex Linn), and her other grown son who lives amongst society, Cormac (Luke Mitchell). It’s very awkward when she evades their questions because it’s so very obvious that she is evading. 

The fact that Walter (Seth Gabel) is a secret to them is intriguing, but it gets overshadowed with these uncomfortable scenes. 

A prime example is when Buck presses her, Sunny is a quick-draw with the explanations but then she pats his chest with a blood-stained hand. You’re telling me she neither washed her hands since the night before nor noticed the blood that’s completely visible. C’mon. 

This kind of thing makes me roll my eyes, but doesn’t put me off entirely like it might usually. That’s because Big Sky has proven to handle cheesiness and absurdity well—however, in some episodes more than others. 

Unfortunately, Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 2, “The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep,” isn’t able to achieve that balance. Even with the substantial theme of mommy issues at the heart of the mystery.

At times, it’s a bit heavy-handed with lines like “Never get in between a mama bear and her cub. That’s trouble with a capital ‘T.'” We’ve seen her go as far as covering up the dead backpacker to “protect” her secret son. What else has she done in the name of motherhood?

The matriarchal focus is something Big Sky has used before with success. Ronald Pergman’s relationship with his mother was fascinating in a Psycho-type way. I’ll never be over him dumping his bowl of cereal on her head from back in early Season 1.

Sunny and Walter are quite a different mother-son pair than the Pergmans, but really all we have surrounding them is more questions.

Let’s hope Big Sky gets to answering them in its shock and awe manner they do so well.

What did you think of this episode of Big Sky: Deadly Trails? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Big Sky: Deadly Trails airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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