Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Duck Hunting

There are so many things at play on Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 8, “Duck Hunting,” it’s no wonder that Jenny, Beau, and Cassie are having trouble sorting it all out. And all the lying going on isn’t helping.

“You know lying is just a stone’s throw away from all sorts of sins.”

This is said by Sunny Barnes (Reba McEntire) who had just lied through her teeth to the police and to her own son. The situation she is in is rapidly getting out of control — from Cormac (Luke Mitchell) digging into her past to Buck (Rex Linn) making moves and calls on his own.

Along with all the lies, there are many motives flying around the camp. Sunny hopes to use this to her advantage, but there are too many questions and things aren’t adding up for Sheriff Beau (Jensen Ackles), Jenny (Katheryn Winnick), and Cassie (Kylie Bunbury).

The episode is mainly investigative work and witness statements where a lot of those lies are told. It’s a bit tedious and is starting to get messy. At least there isn’t a sub-plot procedural case on this one, but it does have me wondering about the point of the previous ones.  

It could be to develop Beau and Jenny’s working relationship, although that could be achieved by just focusing on the dead backpacker case and the Bleeding Heart murders from 20 years ago.

Bringing Tonya (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and Donno (Ryan O’Nan) into the camp on Big Sky: Deadly Trails Season 3 Episode 4, “Carrion Comfort,” was a brilliant way to include this fun pair in the main case and they are a highlight on this muddled episode.

I’ll take more of this fake couple than Avery (Henry Ian Cusick) and Carla (Angelique Cabral). Even though this episode brings new background information on them both, I’m beginning to lose interest. Avery is one of those lying characters that has motive, and it is crowding the story. 

I also don’t care much about Beau’s past marriage with Carla or the stuff she brings up regarding him while giving her statement. It feels extraneous. And boring.

Not boring is Walter (Seth Gabel). What is his deal? And now that he’s been apprehended, will our savvy investigators find the connection to Sunny and to the Bleeding Heart cold case?

There are more fascinating things to focus on and this episode explores them piecemeal. It does, however, set up interesting directions in which the story can go.

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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