Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Pilot’ made us feel like this will be the type of show that’ll prioritize personal relationships and character dynamics over big scale action. And it’s not something we’re upset about. For us, that means this show will at least give us drama done well that’ll make enjoyable procedural television.
There’s not much new stuff you could explore within a premise about law enforcement. And the circle of possibilities to be unique gets even smaller when thinking about how this show can be different from popular cop dramas like Law and Order or Chicago P.D. That’s why we walked away from this premiere feeling interested in what happens next yet unsure of how it can withstand the pressure of existing in a crowded space.
Admittingly, we do believe the episode did a good job in pushing the narrative forward while staying connected to the cases that Mickey Fox (Morena Baccarin) solved with her team. Both rescues of talking down a suicidal man on the day of his mother’s burial and saving children from violent and troubled parents were meant to show us who Mickey is through her actions.
What matters most to Mickey is the people she serves in her community and her family. Sometimes it did feel like her character’s personality and values were spoon fed to us with such simple dialogue exchanges. But we’ll look past it for now because we got our answers.
MORE: Love procedural shows that get you invested quickly? Read our Season 14, Episode 1 review of Chicago Fire here!
A Strong Foundation
There are times where Mickey did have good intentions, but her actions didn’t demonstrate her emotions easily. For example, her daughter Skye has trouble seeing how Mickey’s love for her translates through her overbearing behavior. Whereas on the job, Mickey is the type of person to extend a hand or kneel down to comfort victims when they’re in distress. Despite her tough upbringing of living in foster homes while her father Wes (W. Earl Brown) was in jail, she didn’t let it define her as an adult or as a cop. If anything, she uses her compassion for others and desire to see her loved ones thrive to earn her town’s vote for Sheriff.
Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Pilot’ succeeded in making sure the audience walked away from the hour supporting and believing a woman’s ability to lead her community and family. Women are pillars of strength and perseverance. Sure, it’s a simple theme to focus on narratively but one that’s important. Because Mickey, Skye (Amanda Arcuri), and Cassidy (Michele Weaver) are examples of women overcoming obstacles to live a better life for themselves.
When shows make women important to the story, we’re going to listen. Sheriff Country is a spin-off that doesn’t have many recognizable big faces, but what they do have is a foundation full of heart. And they succeeded in making us want to see more of their female characters after watching the pilot.
Were they sometimes stubborn, messy, and struggling to make the right choice even if it hurt them or others? Yes, but they were also warm and kind when it mattered on the job and at home. Women are complex like that.
We Can’t Control Everything
As naturally flawed human beings, we deserve a reality check when we’re upset over something we can’t control. Like someone using their free will to make decisions for themselves. Mickey disapproving of Cassidy dating her ex-husband Travis (Christopher Gorham) was wrong. Even if it was obvious why she asked her not to do such a thing. You can’t tell someone who to date or fall in love with.
It was hard for Mickey to accept the relationship at first, as Cassidy works for and she idolizes Mickey as a boss. They grew to be friends over time, but power imbalance shouldn’t give Mickey the luxury to control Cassidy’s love life. So yes, we’re glad that Cassidy stood up for herself. The heart wants what it wants. If she has feelings for Travis, and vice versa, she should be able to pursue them without fear. Which is why we appreciated Mickey not putting up a fight in the end. Let’s not pit women against each other so early on.
Pushing romance storylines aside, we’re excited to see more of Cassidy. This episode taught us that she’ll be one to make sure her victims feel seen, comforted, and safe as someone who has a history of being silenced.
Mickey and Skye’s Relationship Growth
As well as not being able to stop her friend from dating her ex, Mickey couldn’t stop her father from scaring away people who stole his money. Or let Skye hide the knife found at her unresponsive boyfriend’s crime scene. Her patience and morals were tested multiple times to give us a satisfying ending of Mickey learning an important lesson.
Mickey had to let go of what she couldn’t control or change about other people’s actions in Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Pilot’. In letting go of that burden she put on herself, she was able to be a mother first, cop second, when Skye needed her comfort the most. She was able to find a balance between the two sides of her while keeping Skye as a priority. And we applaud Mickey for making the hard choice to follow the law even though she could’ve done otherwise. She couldn’t lie on behalf of her daughter to keep her away from the crime. But she could make sure talking to police would ensure nobody could doubt Skye’s innocence.
It’s important to believe women when they speak about something so horrific happening to them. And we’re glad there was no issue here for a daughter to confide in her mom when she needed her guidance to do the right thing even while afraid of consequences. Trust is being rebuilt between them, and this was the first step. That should be more important to Mickey than her Sheriff position, even if temporarily.
Sheriff Country airs weekly on Friday’s at 8pm EST on CBS.
