ABC recently had to decide the fate of some of its primetime shows, with Big Sky among the titles not renewed. This joins the likes of The company you keep and alaskan journal as some of the most surprising cancellations, as these shows offered something unique in their concept. With big sky, a show that debuted in 2020, offered a lot that set it apart from your quintessential crime dramas. There was also a lot of untapped storylines as it was based on The highway books created by CJ box. The two protagonists of the program. katheryn winnick and kylie bunbury they also added a new dimension to the series by leading the female cast.
unfortunately for big sky, the numbers clearly weren’t there for ABC to follow up with a Season 4. It’s a shame because Season 3 felt like a turning point that reinvigorated some of the best qualities of its debut run. The third chapter, called “Deadly Trails”, stood out compared to its predecessor, as it brought Reba McEntire to head up Sunny Day Excursions, a retreat that was chock full of secrets. big sky was headed in a solid direction, which makes its cancellation sting for fans who held their ground for three seasons.
‘Big Sky’ used a new story and cast each season
what did you help to do big sky Highlight is its new plot every season. This also brought in a rotating cast joining the mainstays on top of Winnick and Bunbury. There have been some recognizable faces that have appeared on the road in big skyincluding ryan phillipe, John Carol Lynch, Jensen Ackles, and the aforementioned Reba McEntire. With so many faces coming and going, she gave big sky fans something to always be on the lookout for.
While the growing roster of characters was a nice touch for big sky, what ultimately made it so distinct were its shifting plots. There was always a little line through the three seasons, but each chapter felt exactly like that: a chapter in a book. While not an anthology series, there was a sense that each season was totally different with its crime, supporting cast, and even tone. The first season focused on Ronald (Brian Geraghty) as he was a serial kidnapper on a trucker. The second installment had a lot to do (perhaps too, too much through his own fault) with a drug network and Travis (Logan Marshall-Green) playing one of the most complicated characters in the series. There were even seasons, particularly Season 1, where the first and second halves felt like completely different seasons due to the new storylines and the cast coming in and out. all this done big sky a show that always felt like it had a lot going for it and if something didn’t click with the audience, a new story and actors would be waiting around the corner anyway.
‘Big Sky’ felt out of place on Network Television
Clearly, there’s a difference in what fans can expect when tuning in to a show on ABC versus HBO or Netflix. big sky It probably would have been better served with a premium network or streaming service because of its tone. This isn’t even to say that giving it a TV-MA rating is what would have made all the difference, but there was enough here that this show probably would have reached its next level if it had been allowed to go one step further than it would. ABC. to. That being said, the series went as far as it could at times with what was shown (looking at you, Rick Legarski).
The creator of the program, david e kelleyhas had tremendous success across all cable spectrums, so big sky he always felt bigger than his counterparts. HBO property big lies is one of his most successful shows and serves as a reminder of what Kelley could have done if big sky was elsewhere.
The main characters of ‘Big Sky had more to explore
The way season 3 ended really left the door open for Ackles’s Beau and Winnick’s Jenny. The two had a working relationship, but there was always something else there. Beau’s ex-wife and daughter were leaving town eventually, and while he considered following them, it was his partner that kept him close. The goodbye photo of them together at Jenny’s house served as a reminder of what a season 4 could have been like. Cassie’s story also had a lot to dig into. She had just started an affair with Cormac (luke mitchell) and she and Jenny were really excelling at solving crimes. Hope remains that some other network saves this series, but until then, it’s unfortunate to see a show with so much promise get cut before it can finish on its own terms.
