I realize I'm rambling on about it, but bear with me as it's nearly impossible not to draw comparisons between Sheriff Country and Boston Blue, for a multitude of reasons. Episode 4, "Out of Office," sheds light on the distinct differences between the two, as it encapsulates everything I wished Boston Blue had executed. The main characters find themselves in increasingly dire situations, poisoning their relationships and compelling them to take drastic measures to safeguard themselves and their loved ones. It's a poignant family drama, and its effectiveness should serve as ample evidence that conflict is necessary for survival.
We're back in familiar territory, of course. Skye's belated admission that she purchased the missing knife that killed Brandon leaves her with no way out of an arrest. The timing of the warrant was horrific. Micky was about to report the receipt in Skye's bedroom, but the sheriffs were unaware of this, or at least couldn't prove it, and District Attorney Ruben Massey isn't interested in entertaining any contrary claims. He's determined to bring Skye down and thinks even Boone is being too lenient about it. As a result, the D.A.'s office takes over the case, and Micky is out of the office for the first time in twenty years.
Essentially, this means that Micky embarks on her unofficial case-of-the-week effort to prove Skye's innocence. She visits Brandon's mother and, in his car, finds his burner phone, which reveals he was repeatedly harassed by the same number on the night he was killed. He was also in contact with Skye's cousin Ricky, also a recovering addict, who reveals that Brandon owed someone a significant amount of money. In just one afternoon, Micky has deduced a motive for the murder.
Not long after, she tracks down the real culprit, a particularly unsavory dealer named Adrian Smith, whose logo was pressed onto the pills Micky confiscated from Brandon in the premiere. Micky is helped by her beau, Dawson, who turns out to be an undercover cop—which explains his streetwise demeanor. Micky has to break into the station evidence locker to photograph the pills, follow them to Smith's place, and then confront him. When he fights back, Dawson is forced to intervene and shoot him, but the evidence proves that it was he, not Skye, who killed Brandon.
All of this is fascinating, but it's most intriguing in how it impacts the dynamics between each character. There are meaningful scenes between Micky and Travis about the failure of their marriage and how parenting Skye has been affected by that. Travis takes his frustrations about Skye's arrest out on Cassie. When Micky is sneaking around the evidence locker, Boone spots her but pretends not to have seen her so she can continue investigating the case.
The most thrilling turn of events revolves around Wes, who takes matters into his own hands by confessing publicly to the murder of Brandon, effectively derailing the D.A.'s case. This isn't just a humorous twist but a reflection of Wes's guilt for giving Skye bad advice initially by advising her to withhold information from the authorities. DA Massey has a genuine issue with Wes and has seemingly been trying to put him away for years, and it's his single-mindedness – which also manifests as a deep mistrust of the entire sheriff's department – that helps Boone realize whose side he's truly on.
What's particularly intriguing is that Sheriff Country's Episode 4 resolves a significant number of ongoing storylines. With the real culprit behind Brandon's murder identified, Skye is cleared and even manages to reconcile with his family by gifting his mother his lyric book. Mickey's relationship with Dawson comes to an end, as he was forced to break his cover to save her, and has thus been reassigned elsewhere. Travis and Cassie kiss and make up, adding a touch of romance to the mix.
What we're left with is an antagonistic force in the form of Massey and the ongoing question of what Boone will choose to do with his future. There's a part of me that wonders whether this will be enough, but so far, the show has earned enough goodwill that I'm confident it'll come up with something truly compelling.
