‘Big Sky’ Recap: ‘I Fall to Pieces’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Big Sky’.
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One particularly satisfying moment in crime related stories, and storytelling in general… is the moment when the bad guy is finally captured or confronted. Because in that particular moment, we know that they are likely scared and nervous and undoubtedly unsettled about what their future is going to look like and well, that’s a wonderful thing. For they’ve done nothing but indulge the darkest parts of their souls and caused great harm to others in the process, so seeing them suffer and endure terror… if only for a moment, makes for the perfect way to bring the story to a close. But when a particular tale is opting to shake things up and shift from the norms, one has to wonder if that particularly satisfying moment is going to come into play.
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Because truly, anything can and will happen in a story that operates outside of tropes and standard structure, and that means that evil could potentially avoid punishment in an effort to shock the reader or the viewer and this is a solid concern that had to be on the minds of fans of Big Sky, after last week’s episode. For having Ronald in hiding and pondering upon his next moves, whilst Trooper Rick Legarski remained in a coma, before transitioning to a blank conscious state, meant that perhaps true justice would never come for the trio of women that spent far too long being held captive in a storage container. But thankfully, the next episode in this storied saga opted to give the audience exactly what they wanted, since ‘I Fall to Pieces’ was filled to the brim with unique punishments for both Ronald and Rick, the kind that definitely offered up some just desserts for these two awful men. 

Rick for instance, was no longer able to make use of his clever and calculated mind. For the bullet did just enough damage to keep him scattered during conversations with others. To the point where he was unable to follow the moment, or he’d straight up quote Jaws for no good reason. Plus, his memory was now a void in regard to the last couple of years, and that allowed for Legarski to face the horrors of his actions in the raw, which left him confused and scared. Something that was taken to the Nth degree when Grace took the time to identify him as her captor and the man responsible for killing that innocent fisherman and well, it doesn’t get more satisfying than that. Because he really has done some disgusting things and seeing him in this state and filled with terror over what comes next, is indeed a just and wonderful way to punish him for his crimes.

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As for Ronald, well he was simply living in terror throughout the course of this entire tale. For he was helpless to do anything but watch and listen to the news about how Legarski was improving, and to complicate matters further… his darling mother was pushing him like never before. Specifically, to abandon his quest to get into Rick and Merrilee’s home and to quite frankly, give up this quest to avoid the authorities and do the right thing in this instance. Which put Ronald under enormous emotional pressure, the kind that finally came to a head when his mother informed him that she was ready to call the police in order to settle this matter and well, that actually managed to push Ronald over the edge, and put an end to his mother’s life. And while that isn’t exactly a punishment at first glance, their unhealthy attachment disappearing from his life, and the fact that he was responsible for it, will have lasting repercussions on Ronald’s life and psyche, making it a long-term punishment for certain.
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One that he might actually endure in prison believe it or not. Because with his mother out of the way at the moment, there was no one to talk him out of going for the secret records that Rick hid away in his home. And that motivated Ronald to go all-in with Merilee and be the wonderful ‘friend’ that she so desperately needed right now, by being there for her every step of the way, in order to gain access to the house and her heart if she’d allow it, and sadly part of his plan worked. For eventually she invited him over and that gave him free reign to break into the closet and grab the drive full of critical data. But what might send him to prison… is the sheer fact that Cassie and Jenny showed up whilst he was ransacking the house, to see if Merrilee recognized their brand-new sketch of him. Which means, there is a chance that our heroes could nab Ronald and shake this story up even further.

But before we ponder upon whether or not an arrest is about to happen, it is best we bask in the wonder of one satisfying and dynamic tale. Because this particular episode really did a wonderful job of rewarding the audience for sitting through some supremely dark moments by making these two villains supremely uncomfortable and incredibly afraid, and hopefully there are more ugly days ahead for Rick and Ronald. Simply because they’re terrible fictional people and deserve to suffer as badly as their victims and that is why it is imperative that Ronald be put in handcuffs as quickly as possible. So that he can spend the rest of his natural life, reflecting upon the piece of garbage that he is behind bars. But he also needs to be captured, so he doesn’t cause any more harm. Because if he does manage to evade Cassie and Jenny, who knows what kind of trouble he will cause and that will make the wait until next week’s episode a tough one for certain, as we wait to see if another cat and mouse game is in order, or if Ronald will be captured at last. Until next time.

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