Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 16 ‘Twenty-Four Candles’ gave us Skye’s return to celebrate her birthday and a pivotal moment for Wes, in which he finally realized how badly he’s messed up by lying to his family about selling legal cannabis. Because now he’s pressed up against the wall after losing money he hid after escaping Mickey’s grasp. One of his friends was also targeted this week in a land-deal case gone wrong. And Wes just made a drug deal with someone terrible.
Now he has to choose between coming clean with his family about selling illegally or going behind Mickey’s back to steal the money he lost from her office. We won’t be shy in saying that Mickey and Skye should be the side he chooses. Even if the truth sets their relationship back again. Being associated with illegal growers as the business expands will only get him hurt and put in danger. And he got a taste of feeling that fear for his life in this hour.
The episode also gave us Mickey clashing with her sister-in-law Amanda who was willing to provide financially for Skye. Arguments caused tension between the three women that managed to fizzle out before Skye’s birthday dinner. Which we’re glad for because Mickey’s argument with Skye was rooted in wanting what was best for her daughter. And who wouldn’t get emotional at the thought of a loved one getting older?
Additionally, Boone finally admitted what he looks for in a romantic partner. All while sending lingering glances toward Mickey. So, it’s not hard to see what he’s thinking behind his soft smiles when he looks at her. We’re just saying that know a look of realization when we see one. And we saw one in Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 16 ‘Twenty-Four Candles’.
MORE: Need to catch up on the last episode? Read our review for Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 15 “The Lost Girls of Edgewater County” here!
Mickey is Skye’s Mother So She’s Allowed To Worry
‘Twenty-Four Candles’ began with Mickey finding Skye in the kitchen on the morning of her birthday. After singing to her and cuddling her close, Mickey suddenly felt guilty that she didn’t have a lot to gift her. Then, what was supposed to be a sweet morning had begun turning sour when Skye brought up a potential gift idea. She needed a co-sign on her new apartment that didn’t look great, which shook Mickey up for multiple reasons.
One of these reasons that Mickey hesitated was due to her not believing her daughter was old enough to buy an apartment to live in on her own. And another being that she didn’t want Skye living somewhere alone that looked run down or unsafe. Both are valid concerns and realizations for a mother to have when they love their children as much as Mickey loves Skye.
However, Skye was prepared for a new chapter. She had the money from working at her aunt Amanda’s company. Also, she did the research to find a place she could afford. Truthfully, Skye has come such a long way in a short period of time. Previously, she was hanging around the wrong people, going through rehab, and had to deal with losing her boyfriend just a few months ago. Now, she has a good job and relationship with her family and wants to be independent.
As viewers, we’re proud of how far she’s come. And can tell Mickey is proud too by how much she’s willing to support her choices. Even if she has a little separation anxiety because of how excited Skye is to start her life.
Mickey and Amanda Argued Over Skye
When Skye eventually came to Mickey before her birthday dinner to say that she rejected the apartment, we were surprised in ‘Twenty-Four Candles.’ Because she had her mother’s support and they agreed to see the apartment the following day together.
She would have no reason to abandon the idea unless she spoke to someone who had power to change her mind. Like a family member who Mickey doesn’t have the best relationship with. As soon as Skye explained that Amanda thought the apartment looked horrible to live in, she rejected it. Which made Mickey feel some type of way almost immediately. Because Skye listened to her aunt’s concerns and took that into consideration. Mickey had the same criticisms, but Skye didn’t want to listen because she wanted the apartment.
The argument between Mickey and Skye would escalate when she confessed that Amanda was willing to pay for everything. She wanted to help Skye find a nice apartment by the river and help her with rent. Now with Skye upset with her, Mickey would turn her attention to Amanda and ask her to meet for lunch.
Now, both women had valid arguments and reasons to be upset with each other. Mickey felt like Amanda overstepped a boundary in offering to pay for such a big decision in Skye’s life and that helping Skye find and move into an apartment should be a mother’s job not an aunt’s job. Undeniably, money is a sensitive and vulnerable topic for anyone to discuss, but especially for those who doesn’t have a lot of it like Mickey. On the opposite hand, Amanda is a wealthy woman who could give Skye the life she deserves and ultimately wants. She isn’t trying to act maliciously here. Just like Mickey, she loves Skye and wants to see her get everything she wants.
So, it’s tricky to side with either woman fully here after watching ‘Twenty-Four Candles.’ We think that both Mickey and Amanda want to see Skye happy. Because they wouldn’t care about where she lives if they didn’t. It can be arguable that Amanda is being unfair in providing for Skye where Mickey cannot. Just as it can be argued that Mickey is preventing family from being there for Skye if they’re able and want to give her a boost in the world.
Overall, we think Skye should have the final decision in where she lives. Mickey can’t put herself between her daughter and her sister-in-law, even if they have a rocky relationship. And Amanda can’t use Skye to cope with the rough relationship she has with her son. If you asked us, we think Skye should step away from both of them and look for an apartment on her own.
MORE: Did you miss the Sheriff Country and Fire Country crossover? Watch then read our Season 1, Episode 13 review HERE!
Wes Can’t Have the Best of Both Worlds
Before ‘Twenty-Four Candles,’ Wes fully believed he was capable of selling cannabis illegally and keeping his girls back from the truth. And for a while, the plan worked. Neither Mickey or Skye asked where Wes was getting his money. They didn’t question or rush the process of getting his legal license. They trusted his word when he made his initial promise. He promised he was stepping away from a harmful path because they were more important to him. And he’s been lying right to their faces.
This lie hurts because Mickey told Wes how proud she was of him in getting his grower license. She had no idea that he was the suspect she was trying to find at the end of the episode and that she had just taken the money he lost because he was reckless in doing a deal when he knew Mickey was monitoring his community. Add on to that the fact that Skye had been so happy to see his license stung deeper. Because making his granddaughter proud was the reason why he agreed to get his license.
The thing that angers us the most about Wes’s inability to step away from his lifestyle is that Mickey and Skye don’t want him to stop selling. His girls know how important being able to have something for himself is. Selling cannabis brought him community when he was lost and friends that mean a lot to him. So, all they really wanted was for him to sell safely and follow the law so he doesn’t go back to jail. And he won’t even do that for them.
It’s understandable that Wes has felt such kinship to his grower community that stepping away would feel like a betrayal. He doesn’t want to hurt them, especially when he knows he’s one of the best negotiators they have when making multi-million dollar deals. But enough is enough. Mickey and Skye should matter more than money for Wes. So, he should come clean and tell them the truth. He made a mistake and needs the money back to pay the people in his community. After he does that, he needs to leave. He doesn’t need to lose his friendships, but his life and family matter as well.
Ultimately, he needed this harsh reminder that they want the best for him and being in black market sales is not smart.
Mickey And Boone Feels Different
We did squeal multiple times in ‘Twenty-Four Candles’ over Mickey and Boone’s scenes together. The show hasn’t forgotten about how cozy they looked in Season 1, Episode 12 ‘Plus One’ and we’re thankful. And these moments are important because it allows their friendship to build into something more. And there’s so much to analyze in Mickey’s decision to invite Boone to Skye’s birthday dinner, especially when taking Boone’s admission of what he’s looking for in a partner into consideration.
As Boone quite literally listed the dynamic he shares with Mickey in detail in front of her face, he’s looking for someone who matches his humor, loves football, and shares the same hobbies as he does. And we know Mickey invited Gina because they’re close and she’s worked in the department for years. Plus, she once dated Wes so there’s added history there that feels personal. Extending an invite to her felt expected because they’re the type of co-workers that turned into family.
That’s what Skye’s birthday dinner would be, a room full of Mickey’s family. She made it clear to Amanda that the dinner was small and intermediate which is why she didn’t get an invite. So, it was interesting to see her stumble on her words when inviting Boone. Mickey invited him as a friend even after clarifying it was a family only event to other people.
She hesitated to call him family not because it wasn’t true but because he was beginning to be something more. Calling him a friend feels safer than calling him family even if it’s true. This all made Boone’s shameless staring and soft smiles toward Mickey as she lit the candles on Skye’s cake dangerous. As he’s not looking like he’s willing to hide any emotion on his face. And we could tell Mickey took notice because she was shy and looking away to laugh at the awkwardness between them.
Jumping into anything more than friends may be scary for them right now. But it’s not hard to see that they’re feeling feelings for each other. Boone and Mickey did a bad job in hiding secret longing glances in Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 16 ‘Twenty-Four Candles.’ And we’re so here for what comes next. Bring on the pining!
Sheriff Country airs on Fridays at 8 pm EST on CBS.
What did you think of the Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 16 ‘Twenty Four Candles’? Let us know in the comments below!
