‘Big Sky’ Finale Recap: Jensen Ackles Debuts in Season 2, Episode 18

If the last few moments of Big Sky‘s Season 2 finale are any indication, Season 3 in Helena is going to be one lit, good-looking time. 

The final scene of Thursday’s season-ender finds Jenny and Cassie knocking back tequila at The Boot Heel with Sheriff Beau Arlen, a town newbie played by Supernatural alum Jensen Ackles. We’ll get to how they all meet in a minute. But for now, just know that he approaches the ladies in a friendly (not gross) manner, they give him a good-natured hard time, and he instantly matches both their vibe in a way that is respectful and fun.

So just know that I’m very much looking forward to the recently announced third season. Now, let’s go over what happens in “Catch a Few Fish.”

SCARLET… OUT! | Everyone’s favorite fugitive and her daughter, Phoebe, are on their way to Canada. But first, Scarlet stops at a bus station to retrieve something from a locker: It’s the hard drive containing info on The Syndicate. Meanwhile, Lindor rushes back to Helena because he knows Scarlet contacted Cassie, and he’s pretty sure that The Syndicate is on the killer blonde’s trail. And when he and Cassie go to see the EMT who worked on Wolf Legarski the day he died, they find the man dead under a tarp in his own backyard. “Is this the work of The Syndicate?” Cassie wonders, and Lindor says it has to be. (In case you’re wondering: Jerrie is staying in Idaho for the moment, working with local law enforcement on the case.)

Meanwhile, the menacing man who made Phoebe drop her milkshake finds her and her mom, and he chases them with a gun. But Scarlet gets the jump on him, landing on his back like a crazed capuchin monkey, and stabs him a lot. “You’ll never be safe,” he warns, even as the blood oozes from his lips. But she rams her knife into him one more time, killing him, then realizes Phoebe watched the whole thing. “I’m scared!” the little girl says. “I don’t want to do this anymore!” And it turns out, Scarlet takes those words to heart.

Because the next thing Cassie knows, she comes home to find Phoebe eating cereal at her dining room table. Scarlet calls a moment later, from a car somewhere else, and tells Cassie that she was right: “Phoebe deserves more out of this life.” She asks the private investigator to get Phoebe settled with some family members in Michigan. “Mother to mother,” she pleads, “please make sure that phoebe ends up in the right hands. Better hands than mine, anyway.” In return, she directs Cassie to the girl’s backpack, which contains the hard drive. Though everything on the drive is encrypted, Lindor says he’ll share it with the tech whizzes at U.S. Marshal Headquarters. And Scarlet? She drives away, but The Syndicate can’t be far behind, right?

HELLO, BEAU | Ren and Veer visit Jag at the hospital, where the young man confirms that their father left him for dead. After, an angry Ren maneuvers things so that Veer gets into a car with Travis… who holds a gun on him and drives off, on Ren’s orders. Travis brings the older man to the middle of nowhere, where he positions him in front of a big pit and demands to know what happened to Kate. “She was never yours, you understand?” Travis says, crying as he drops his gun and beats Veer to the ground. “She was mine!” Veer coughs out that Kate isn’t dead, and that’s the only thing that stops Travis from finishing him off with his fists right as Jenny and new Sheriff Beau Arlen drive up.

Let’s take a moment to properly introduce Beau. He meets Cassie first, outside the community center where they both might be procrastinating going inside for a grief group. He makes some fairly sexist remarks, seemingly unironically, but his charm wins her over and she helps him fix his truck. He’s from Texas, he’s in semi-retirement from law enforcement but he’s come to help out in Tubbs’ absence. Jenny is just as wary, and then as easily charmed, by Sheriff Arlen — particularly when he’s immediately on board with her plan to arrest Veer before Travis can get his hands on him. (Side note: It’s actually Cassie’s idea, and the kiss on the cheek Jenny gives her as a thank-you for the inspiration is the kind of thing that launches a thousand fan fics.)

After ascertaining Travis and Veer’s location from Ren, who reasons that her father would do the same if the tables were turned, Cassie and Beau drive to find Travis. On the way, we learn that Beau followed his ex-wife — who is now with a tech bro who’s got a ranch outside of town — and daughter to Montana, and that he’s still in love with her. But that’s all the personal info we get before the pair stop Travis from killing Veer, then cuff the cop and bring him into custody.

Back in town, Jag enters his father’s hospital room and smothers him with a pillow, then makes a clean getaway with some help from Ren and Donno. Ren is about to do away with Alicia when the older woman reveals that she tricked Veer into giving her power of attorney over the company, and if Ren wants to retain control, she’s going to have to buy her out, or they’re going to have to work together. And when Cassie drives Travis to turn him over to his handlers, who will deal with the charges against him, the slight possibility that Veer wasn’t lying about Kate’s being alive is reason enough for Hoyt to take off his cuffs and let him loose so he can find her.

At The Boot Heel that night, as I mentioned earlier, Arlen tosses one back with Dewell and Hoyt. He knows Jenny let Travis go, and he doesn’t really care. “Welcome to Montana,” the ladies tell him. “I’ll drink to that!” he replies.

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the finale, and of Season 2 on the whole? Grade both via the polls below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!