There’s no debate over whether work or Skye matters more for Mickey in Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 4 ‘Out of Office.’ As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even something to argue about. The answer was clearly Skye.
Having been shut out by Boone, then aggressively by the District Attorney, Mickey had to temporarily give up her badge. Which was the best thing that could’ve happened, no matter how it upset her at first. As it meant Mickey could put her all into Brandon’s case without any rules to follow.
Boone and the DA weren’t getting anywhere which made them press Skye into the image of a killer. So, it made watching Skye get arrested frustrating. Because we, along with Mickey, know Skye is a good person. Mickey knew deep down her child would never hurt someone or take someone’s life.
We’ve praised Mickey for being the center of her family’s orbit, but Skye is the beating heart. She is who her mother, father, and grandfather do anything for in life. Their love for her is big and all encompassing. The adults are all a little messy, and Skye isn’t a poster for perfect children, but she is their light in life. So, it was incredibly heartwarming to see what lengths they’d go through to protect Skye from danger.
Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 4 ‘Out of Office’ was the best of the show so far, and we’re glad to see Brandon’s killer be found. Because such willingness to embrace and love Skye has cracked Mickey open.
MORE: Interested in more of Morena Baccarin’s work? Read about 7 movies and TV shows to get to know her HERE!
Mickey and Travis
When Travis showed up at the house wanting to find an outfit for Skye’s court appearance, we knew things were gonna burst between him and Mickey. Because she felt helpless about solving Brandon’s case in time before the trial. She had just snapped at her father about not helping Skye do the right thing before things went south. And spent most of the episode believing it was her against a world who wanted to punish her daughter. It felt like nobody was trying to find the actual killer, instead choosing to latch onto Skye as a scapegoat because she knew Brandon the most.
A belief that put Mickey on edge as soon as Travis appeared because it looked like he was accepting Skye’s doomed fate. Because he was walking in acting like the “perfect” father who could comfort Skye when Mickey couldn’t. Although it wasn’t true, we understood Mickey’s fears because she’s afraid for her daughter. And such fear that she hadn’t done enough had triggered old feelings of abandonment that forced her to be independent.
Mickey was a foster child growing up and hurt by her father’s neglect. Wes could’ve chosen to stop doing drugs to save her from watching him go to jail. But he wasn’t considerate when she was young. Learning such independence so young made Mickey believe she was always best when she was alone. At least in her personal life away from work.
That’s not to say she didn’t love Travis. Because we believe she did if she cherished their memories fondly. Yet when they were together, she ultimately believed there was a cost of being the responsible one in the family. She thought she was the bad guy that everyone hated. Mickey believed she had to put her head first and then heart second because it was what was logical.
It’s flawed thinking because it may work for some scenarios in life, but it shouldn’t be an absolute mentality.
MORE: Read our Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Pilot’ Review here!
Skye Is Everything
Mickey’s father Wes is impulsive, mean, and overprotective. While it’s a series of bad traits that make him scary and intense to others, it’s what makes him a good grandfather. His girls give him purpose and something to fight for and love. We began seeing him in a more positive light after his confession in Season 1, Episode 3 ‘ The Sixth Man.’ As he admitted Mickey was the one to save his life after losing her mother. The pain was overbearing but the reminder of his little girl needing him was what pushed him forward.
The apple of overprotectiveness doesn’t fall far from the tree in the Fox family. When they love, they love hard and have abnormal ways of showing it. For Wes, he gets violent when the people he cares about are threatened. Buying the replica knife to frame himself for Brandon’s murder wasn’t funny for Wes. As he was going to get Skye out of jail, even if he didn’t do the crime. That’s how important of a person she is to him.
Wes’s actions proved just how much he loved Skye. Additionally, he risked years in prison and time away from his family for the second time. So, we’ll say that Mickey’s family may be dysfunctional but one thing they’ll always come together for is her girl.
Saying Goodbye to Dawson
There wouldn’t have been any good or bad cop comparisons if Mickey would’ve trusted Travis to parent with her. Not against her.
We’ve seen how he’s acted when Skye has been interrogated and in holding. Coupled with sleepless nights trying to come up with logistics that’ll protect Skye from being arrested with just a connection to Brandon, he was there for her to lean on. He would tell her everything would be okay, just like Mickey had done.
It’s obvious their love for Skye was boundless but was unclear with each other. Ultimately, if Mickey had any intentions of letting Travis see all of her, she would’ve confided in him when she needed him throughout their marriage.
The fault in ending a marriage should fall on both people. It’s true in most cases but especially here for Mickey and Travis in Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 4 ‘Out of Office.’ If he knew how afraid she was to trust people, he should’ve tried to talk about it with her sooner rather than later. However, he shouldn’t have had to put in all the effort to fix their marriage if she wasn’t budging. On the same hand, the fault shouldn’t land on Mickey’s shoulders for keeping her heart protected. In the end, we think his harsh words were exactly what she needed to hear.
The realization that she failed to rely on Travis when he wanted her to is what led her to opening up to Dawson. He may have only lasted two episodes but his kind, patient, and warm nature was what Mickey needed in that moment when her relationships with loved ones felt fragile. He got Mickey to tell him a few facts about Skye when she was previously hesitant to do so. Their relationship was sudden and short, but he was the mirror she needed to realize it was okay to share feelings with someone else who only wanted to be there for her.
Sheriff Country airs weekly on Fridays at 8 pm EST on CBS.
