Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Almost a Cliche

Critic’s Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

3.5

After all the praise of Sheriff Country breaking the mold and not going with cliche tropes, I feared that the second episode was about to prove me wrong.

But Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 2 focused on what it needed to at first: Skye.

We got to see Mickey know that she had to step back from the case, and the best option was to have Travis in there, and I do appreciate the way Travis handled the situation.

It took until the halfway point for me to settle into the idea that Sheriff Country is not going the tropey route, and I’m really glad it’s not.

Mickey Is a Mother, But She’s Also Still a Cop

A couple of people called Mickey out on Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 2, and it was needed.

She immediately started thinking like a cop, sure that Skye would be fine while being questioned, but things took a turn when the missing knife made it clear Skye had to lawyer up.

We’re told all the time in real life that if we’re pulled in for questioning, we should make sure a lawyer is present.

Cops will take whatever they can.

If necessary, let them think you’re guilty by lawyering up.

It’s a huge flaw in the way cops think, and Mickey proves that by not even thinking it’s a good idea for Skye to get an attorney until it desperately comes to it.

At least she had the decency to admit she was wrong in the end, and this is where the show steps away from the usual tropes.

I don’t mind them if a show can break from them quickly, and that is what Sheriff Country Season 1 has managed to do within the second episode, so I’m here for more.

Travis Couldn’t Represent His Daughter

Let’s talk about another trope we see way too often on TV: the lawyer parent demanding to be there every step of the way.

In fact, the lawyer parent usually wants to handle the case, thinking they know better, but Travis takes a step back because he knows he can’t separate being a lawyer from being a dad.

This is the most iconic moment in the episode, because it’s something every single lawyer parent should do. Yet it’s rare for series to subvert this particular trope.

There are other defense lawyers out there, and it’s time to use them, so as much as it’s clear there is animosity between Mickey and her ex-in-laws, Travis did the right thing.

He also defied some of the usual stereotypes about men and their “inability” to talk about their emotions or to let relationship issues build up.

When Cassidy talked to him about how he might be mad at her for finding out that the knife was missing, his whole demeanor changed.

He definitely was not mad, and his body language made that clear.

In fact, he realized that Cassidy was worried about a genuine concern she shouldn’t need to worry about.

Cassidy isn’t Mickey, and Travis needs to step back from what he’s used to in a relationship with a cop and enjoy the relationship he is in now.

Communication is key in a relationship, and while I don’t know much about Travis and Cassidy just yet, I’m shipping them purely for the positive look at how anyone in a relationship should act.

Wes Fox Remains a Highlight of Sheriff Country

I knew that Wes Fox was going to become a fan-favorite character before even getting into this series.

Casting W. Earl Brown in this role was a genius move from the Sheriff Country casting department.

He’s funny, he’s caring, and he’s a voice of reason.

Sure, he has a lot of distrust of the cops, and that’s not a bad thing.

We all know that justice isn’t always served, and Wes has a history of being a criminal, so he’s not exactly going to be on the friendliest of terms with them.

But he’s not completely against the cops.

While he wants to protect his granddaughter, he actually listens to his daughter now and then, and I think that’s what makes his scenes stand out so much.

He brings that voice of reason and humor, but we also get to see him step back and admit that maybe he was wrong.

Although I don’t think he was wrong when it came to going back for that knife, as someone had taken it.

I did wonder for a second whether Wes had gone back for it, but the way he’s acting, I’d be surprised if that was the decision.

There is clearly a much bigger arc coming throughout the season, and I can’t tell if it’s someone who wants revenge on Skye, Mickey, or even Wes.

Checking in on Skye

Diane Farr’s appearance in Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 2 serves multiple purposes, and I appreciate the writers adding Sharon in for more than just moral support for Skye.

First of all, the fact that Sharon is the one there for Skye is everything, as she knows what it’s like to lose someone you love.

Sharon even makes it clear that she isn’t there about the case, and whether Skye did it or not isn’t even on her mind.

She’s an aunt in this moment, juxtaposed with the way Mickey is acting like a cop, not a mom.

Nobody else has checked in on how Skye is feeling about the situation.

There’s so much focus on the case, on whether she’s done it, and on her fear of being found guilty for something she keeps saying she didn’t do, but absolutely nobody but Sharon has checked in with how she’s feeling about her boyfriend’s death.

Sharon remains the queen!

Then there’s the voice of reason, that she is with Mickey, making it clear that Skye needs her mom right now, and we even see that at the very end, when Mickey steps into parenting a young child by zipping up Skye’s jacket.

Sharon’s Presence was Executed Well

I’ve always believed that TV shows should offer positive female relationships, and Sheriff Country can do that.

In this episode, it focused on Sharon being able to call Mickey out without hurting her feelings, and I also see a chance for that friendship between Mickey and Cassidy to form, despite the awkwardness of the Travis conversation.

Let’s focus on Sharon, though, as she is a friend and she is a sister to Mickey in a time of need.

Then there’s the separate case of the week, which is the weaker part of the episode but still interesting and necessary, that Sharon ends up helping with.

Those prescribed burns mentioned at the start of the episode came up later, and Sharon is the best person to go out with Mickey and Cassidy because she knows the forests and how controlled burns are handled, thanks to her position in Fire Country.

Sheriff Country is Pulling Off Its Fire Country Crossovers

That’s three ways to include Sharon, making her not just a moral support cameo but a necessary part of the story.

I always fear that crossovers in universes will be overused, and when I found out there would be two back-to-back crossover moments in Sheriff Country, I did worry.

The show has handled it perfectly so far.

We’re just two episodes into Sheriff Country, and I’m already hooked!

What did you think of Sheriff Country so far? Let us know in the comments below.

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If you like Sheriff Country, then you will also enjoy our Fire Country coverage as well as many other police procedurals including Boston Blue, Chicago PD, and Law & Order: SVU. Also, subscribe to our newsletter above for all your TV Fanatic information!

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