Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 12 ‘Plus One’ was a reminder for multiple characters that they never have to suffer alone.
This hour brought Wes back as Gina leaned on him to drive her to and from cancer treatment. And it gave us more of Cassidy’s search for her sister Zoey. With Deputy Hank’s help, the deep dive into Zoey’s past led them to a shocking discovery that a serial killer may be lurking in Edgewater.
As for Mickey who struggled to meet up with her happily married friends, Boone was the one to convince her to see them. Their moments in particular were sweet and endearing proving just how strong their friendship has become.
We wouldn’t be drama procedural lovers if we didn’t think ahead. If we didn’t think their prom-like moment at the end of the hour could lead to something more down the line. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’re just happy to see these two smiling after their respective and sudden breakups in Season 2, Episode 11 ‘The Aftermath’.
In an hour where the women of the Sheriff department failed to isolate themselves from friends, “Plus One” showed us how the men stepped up to comfort them.
MORE: Miss last week’s episode? Watch then read our Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 11 ‘The Aftermath’ Review HERE!
The Bigger Picture
Friendships, both new and old, began evolving from casual to meaningful in “Plus One.” First, there was Gina and Wes who have known each other for a long time. The title of friends really didn’t mean anything to Gina. She didn’t see Wes as someone to confide in because he never gave her the space. He was someone she said hello to in passing or had casual funny conversation with. So, in her eyes, he was the perfect guy to ask to drive her to chemotherapy.
Sheriff Country does a good job in leading to big emotional scenes between characters with smaller moments throughout the hour. We knew there was more to Gina snapping at Wes over the radio. We also knew there was more to her demanding he’d leave after dropping her off for treatment. He had offered to stay with her, told her random trivia about music, and talked more than he ever had. All to try and offer his comfort. And that scared Gina more than the treatment. Because she hasn’t had someone to care about or someone to care about her in a long time.
This new Wes is someone who cares about being loved and being a shoulder to lean on for his family. He isn’t cold, detached, or distant like the man Gina used to know. Now, he would do anything to see his granddaughter smile. Even if it meant giving up selling cannabis illegally.
Additionally, Wes cried on Mickey’s shoulder when he saw she was okay after the siege. So, we applauded Wes for not shying away from being vulnerable again here. Especially when Gina was spiraling in her loneliness. He confessed that he’s never felt worthy of being needed before. If Gina wanted his comfort, he’d offer his hand. And we’re happy she took it because they both deserve to have someone to lean on when things are heavy.
Healing from self-destructive habits isn’t easy. Overall, we’re glad to see Wes back on screen in “Plus One” as someone who is taking his growth seriously.
MORE: Miss our conversation with Christopher Gorham who discussed Mickey and Travis’s storyline in ‘Crucible: Part Two’? Read our interview with him HERE!
What The Future Holds
When a group of people in Edgewater got a hold of bad synthetic cannabis from a lonely teenager, the town turned upside down. A mother turned violent and attacked her husband. The morning shift at the diner turned terrifying as Boone and Mickey failed to fight off a cop who grew hulk-like strength. As humorous as this was to watch, this wasn’t really the case to care about in “Plus One.”
We learned a lot about the night Cassidy’s sister Zoey went missing. She had gone to a festival the night she went missing and nobody knew because the boy she went with didn’t want to get arrested. For a majority of the hour, Cassidy felt as if she had to go through endless photos on social media on her own. And once she discovered that multiple girls have gone missing at the festival since Zoey’s disappearance, she began punishing herself. She became relentless in her search for answers because she felt guilty.
Even if she wouldn’t have discovered how many girls went missing without the mysterious man’s phone call. She felt that if she would’ve grieved faster, she would’ve had a chance to find Zoey and the other missing girls sooner. And that pain is what drove her to deny Hank’s help at first in analyzing the cases. She felt responsible for these girls’ lives without ever meeting them. So, she had to be the one to find them. The burden had to fall on her.
Which was something Hank wouldn’t accept as the only person who has seen how losing Zoey has torn apart Cassidy and their mother. No matter how hard she tried to push back, he was always there offering to stay late and give extra eyes to look over the missing girl files. Because he cares about Cassidy. He wouldn’t have been so persistent to help her if he didn’t want to share the burden. Or be a shoulder for her to lean on when emotions get high. If Cassidy was going to suffer looking at old photos of her sister, he would be right beside her.
Hank was Cassidy’s soft place to land in “Plus Hour.” And we have no doubt that whatever Cassidy uncovers about the possible serial killer in Edgewater who took her sister, Hank will be right there to offer his support.
So, Mickey and Boone?
We’ve seen Mickey and Boone’s professional partnership evolve over time in Sheriff Country. From arguing over what calls to make on the job to stepping on each other’s toes in fighting for the Sheriff position. All the way to Mickey getting teary eyed when Boone tried to resign and leave Edgewater for Nora. We’ve seen these two struggle to get on the same page.
But now that we’re here, we can’t help but notice how strong their connection became since Season 1, Episode 10 ‘Crucible: Part Two‘. Admittedly, escaping death together is the type of situation that would bring anyone together. Even strangers who have just met. But Boone and Mickey do have history. They were bound to get even closer than before the life-or-death situation. And these two certainly look like best friends now.
We saw it in “Plus One” when Boone came over to Mickey’s house to eat snacks and watch a football game together. Then, she openly teased him about joining a dating app to get over Nora. Mickey didn’t hesitate to confide in Boone about her worry to meet with friends for dinner. She was honest in being afraid they’d judge her for breaking up with Travis again. But he, in one of the softest tones we’ve heard from him, told her that he didn’t think of her as a failure. His words were the ones to sway her into being brave, dressing up, and heading into the night solo.
Don’t even get us started on Boone showing up to Mickey’s house at the end of the episode. He was dressed in a suit to be her date so she wouldn’t be alone after all. Talk about that being a moment out of a romcom to make us swoon.
Sure, with Nora and Travis out of the picture, it’s easy to debate whether Mickey and Boone are so close because they’re alone otherwise. It’s easy to look too far into how they’re comfortable around each other. And how that comfort and ease wasn’t there when they were with Nora and Travis. But something has shifted between them and we’ve noticed it. They’re not seeing a problem with sitting thigh to thigh under a blanket in Boone’s truck.
Look, we’re more than fine watching them grow their friendship. We’re just observant in the small looks between two people who can make each other smile. It’s moments like the ones we saw in “Plus One” between Boone and Mickey can be ones to look back on and think that’s where the feelings started.
Sheriff Country airs on Fridays at 8 pm EST on CBS.
