‘Sheriff Country’ Episode 17 Recap – Boone Gets Friendzoned

One of the recurring things about Edgewater is that it feels a bit small and insular, which seems to be a problem for everyone who lives there. That’s why the local sheriff’s department seizing $3 million felt like a major deal, and it’s why, in Episode 17 of Sheriff Country, the presence of that money causes an almighty fuss in more ways than one.

There are two key things at play here, as well as a smattering of important little details. The first is that the DEA lays claim to the money on the grounds that it’s connected to one of their operations (it is, as it turns out, Mickey just doesn’t know it yet). The other is that Wes needs to recoup that $3 million before he’s killed. You can kind of see how these two things might fit together.

But there’s also a case of the week to be worrying about, which also has a pretty personal contour. We might as well start with that, since it’s more of a one-and-done affair, whereas the business with the money is clearly going to be ongoing. In the crosshairs in “The Hunting Party”, quite literally, is Miranda. She’s hosting a very swanky boar-hunting event to schmooze potential investors, which has been organized by Skye, who’s now her executive assistant, and Rick, her alcoholic son.

During the hunt, one of the hunters is shot dead in an attack that later turns out to have been targeting Miranda. Why would that be? Well, her family business has been hemorrhaging money, and she’s had to lay off huge numbers of workers, doing her best to find them odd jobs here and there, some of which involve watching her live a life of luxury. That’s a predictably bad combination, and an aggrieved former employee is out for her blood.

Mickey decides to house Miranda and Rick at her place, which brings the action pretty close to home. The day is ultimately saved without any major losses, though; on the contrary, Miranda and Mickey end up getting a little closer, if anything. Skye even volunteers to take Rick to meetings with her to work on his sobriety (I totally forgot Skye was even an addict, perhaps because she has disappeared for large chunks of the season).

Anyway, about that cash. The DEA has a valid case, so they send an agent to collect the money for them. Needless to say, that agent is Alec, the rugged undercover agent that Mickey was having a fling with earlier in the season. He’s a little bit smarter now, but his timing couldn’t be worse, both because he’s suddenly on the opposite side and also because Boone is gearing up to confess his romantic feelings for Mickey and ask her out on a date.

Unfortunately, Mickey is kind of a sucker for a handsome guy. Alec is able to talk her into handing the money over, put her off dating a colleague – right as Boone is about to confess he likes her! – and still manage to work his way back into her bed. Thanks to Boone sulking, Skye going out, and Wes being busy sorting his own problems out, he has a clear run for a one-night stand. However, the mood is soured when he gets a call informing him that the $3 million has been stolen. Oops.

And this brings Sheriff Country Episode 17 neatly to Wes. Naturally, when he hears about the money being transported in a DEA armoured truck, he hatches a plan to steal it back for himself with the help of an old flame safecracker, and the rest of the co-op. In a surprisingly easy sting, they’re able to defraud the DEA of all the cash right in broad daylight.

If only that were the end of it! After almost being caught red-handed by his own daughter, Wes is determined to go straight, but the DEA isn’t inclined to let bygones be bygones, so this issue isn’t going away. And the closer it’s looked into, the more likely Wes is to be exposed as the perpetrator, which will do much more harm to his relationship with Mickey and Skye than run-of-the-mill moonlighting would have done.

I’m starting to get the feeling that all this is going to go pretty wrong.