Summary
Sheriff Country raises the stakes in “Show of Force”, with a serial killer at work in Edgewater and a key character in the crosshairs.
Edgewater is a pretty weird place, which isn’t helped by the fact that most people there are on drugs. But for once, the town’s lax approach to narcotics is the least of anyone’s problems, since there’s a serial killer on the loose. And even though Sheriff Country Episode 14, “Show of Force”, seems like it is putting this subplot to bed, it ends with a big cliffhanger confirming that it is very much still ongoing.
This isn’t a new thing. We were focused on the big crossover last week, but in Episode 12, Cassidy seemed to deduce that her sister was the victim of a serial killer who has been operating in Edgewater for years, particularly around the annual Blood Moon Festival. And, wouldn’t you know it, there’s another festival due, and part of Mickey’s responsibilities as sheriff include glad-handing to keep revenue high. There couldn’t be a worse time for the festival’s good reputation to be ruined by rumours of a serial murderer stalking the place.
But Cassie can’t wait. Her evidence is compelling, albeit lacking some smoking guns, and when she presents it to Mickey, she gets the go-ahead for a low-key CSI sweep in the woods nearby. With advances in evidence-gathering techniques, the hope is that the remains of a spate of missing girls will be discovered, leading to proof that a serial killer is operating in town. And she gets her wish. But that doesn’t mean much, since Punch isn’t willing to halt the festival, so the authorities have to try and stake out the culprit in the midst of the actual festivities.
The local politics give a bit of texture to this, and it’s nice to have a plot in this show that isn’t about growing weed. There are also a couple of good set-pieces as a result, including a nicely claustrophobic and chaotic surveillance, and a chase through a cornfield, helped along by a drone. The prime suspect turns out to be the long-tenured artist-in-residence, Van Wainright, who is definitely up to no good with one of the local girls, but this isn’t case closed. As soon as Van lawyers up, it becomes clear that he has an alibi for the previous crimes.
Elsewhere in Sheriff Country Episode 14, with the dynamic having been shaken up a bit thanks to Cassie’s promotion to co-protagonist, Boone is forced to babysit hapless Hank. Hank is well-intentioned but is sometimes a bit too dumb, to the extent that I don’t know how he could have gotten a job in the first place while being stupid enough to leave a car thief in his car while rushing back into a diner to pick up his breakfast burrito. But he does come through for everyone during the cornfield chase by commandeering and piloting the drone, so Mickey doesn’t fire him. Yet.
Still, I like these change-ups in formula. You can’t just pair Boone up with Mickey every week, and Hank has been a little neglected since he mostly just follows Cassidy around. It’s also nice for Cassidy to finally get some time in the spotlight. Even though she acquitted herself well in the siege, the lingering trauma of her sister’s disappearance is her main storyline, and it’s quite clear that her sister’s kidnapper and this elusive serial killer are one and the same.
As if to prove this point, “Show of Force” ends with Cassidy, still believing she has saved the day, being jumped and tased by the real killer. That’ll do nicely to raise the stakes as we approach the end of the season. With Cassidy having been kidnapped by a killer, it’ll be all hands on deck so that everyone can save her in time. Despite essentially a week off to fulfil crossover duties, Sheriff Country remains one of the better procedurals airing right now.
