In the third episode of Sheriff Country, the stakes are higher than ever for Mickey and Skye, as the town of Edgewater divides into two camps: those who believe Skye is guilty of Brandon's murder and that Mickey aided her in covering it up, and those who hold out hope that she might be innocent. Despite the latter group's reluctance to fully trust Skye as sheriff, there's no denying that Mickey remains the go-to person for many when things go awry. However, with "The Sixth Man" episode unveiling more evidence against Skye and implicating Mickey in a potential cover-up, the suspense may be lacking but the drama remains intense.
As the missing murder weapon saga continues to unfold, Skye looks increasingly guilty, and her secrets continue to pile up. Meanwhile, life in Edgewater must go on. Mickey embarks on an investigation of an armored truck robbery, partnering with Boone, who is methodically piecing together the puzzle of Brandon's murder. This partnership symbolizes the season's themes and ideas in microcosm: Boone, the by-the-book local lawman, versus Mickey, who carries the weight of her criminal father's legacy from Deadwater and is therefore viewed with suspicion by many in Edgewater.
The arrival of Wes in town and his refusal to play by the town's rules puts him at odds with both Mickey and Boone. His unconventional approach to problem-solving endangers Skye's already precarious position, and it's no wonder her decisions have been so consistently ill-advised since the scandal began. But sometimes, a little fire needs to be fought with fire. Hence, Brandon's family's reaction to Mickey's push for a restraining order versus Wes's direct threat to them—a sign that this kind of confrontation is likely to escalate as Mickey and Skye's guilt becomes more apparent.
By the way, "The Sixth Man" is so-called because the armored truck robbery ingeniously employed a ruse where an online ad recruited individuals to paint an empty storefront and dress them all in identical overalls and masks, effectively concealing the identity and activities of the enigmatic sixth man. The case, on its own merits, is commendable, but it primarily piques interest due to the symbiotic way Mickey and Boone work together to unravel it. This endeavor underscores their individual prowess and the absence of romantic entanglements, at least until the love story takes center stage.
Boone repeatedly asserts his adherence to the evidence, and it's fair to say he is. However, the evidence seems to have a mind of its own, inexorably leading him back to Mickey and Skye. When he learns that Mickey picked up Brandon in the premiere instead of arresting him, it only stokes more suspicion around her actions. Why didn't she process him? Where did she take his drugs? We know they were innocent, but that's obvious to us; others are less enlightened. And this is happening at the very moment when Skye finally decides to confide in Mickey that she purchased the knife used to kill Brandon, ostensibly as a gift. Mickey barely has time to process this shocking revelation before Boone arrives at the door with a warrant to search the premises.
