Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 18 ‘The Gambler’ was a firm reminder to everyone of Edgewater County that the world exists outside of their small town. The DEA had come guns blazing to find whoever stole their money in this hour. And they knew exactly where to look because they knew local growers were all over the black market.
Consequently, what followed was an intense hour of harsh interrogations, home invasions, and multiple arrests of growers by the DEA. We also got to learn more about Mickey’s tragic childhood as she tried to maintain order. Additionally, we saw Boone and Alec clashing heads over their cases repeatedly. While their egos were the main reason for fighting, the blame has to fall on Boone. He failed to control his crush for Mickey in this hour, and it made him impulsive. Unfortunately, we saw Mickey friend-zoning him from a mile away as he confessed his feelings during the worst possible day for her.
Overall, Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 18 ‘The Gambler’ had the DEA and Mickey interrogating growers to find out where the money was. However, the emotional core of the hour revolved around Wes and Mickey. There was nothing to be happy about seeing her cling to Wes and be affectionate believing he was innocent. Because that wasn’t the truth and we knew the truth was going to break her. And break she did.
MORE: Is Edgewater County from Sheriff Country a real place?
Alec Won’t Sympathize But Mickey Will
First off, we do feel sympathetic for the growers who participated in the siege with Wes in ‘The Gambler.’ Was it right to be ignorant about accepting stolen money and think nobody would come looking for it? Absolutely not. But those who were caught by the DEA had their homes torn apart. Armed guards had no problem raising guns and being aggressive in their arrests. And it looked terrifying to experience from our perspective.
Mickey also struggled in this episode to keep her head afloat above the chaos. First, Boone hated how she was letting Alec walk all over their department and community like he ran the place. And she still had a little resentment toward Alec who came to collect the money in the first place. She was also having trouble seeing her father’s friends as criminals worthy of hardcore jail time.
Alec wasn’t seeing these growers as people to be nice to. Which makes sense as the money was stolen under his supervision. Plus, he doesn’t know them personally like Mickey does. He was seeing them as suspects in a federal case who he needed to talk by any means necessary. If he had to be scary or demanding when it came time for interrogations, then so be it. Being intimidating would be how he would get answers.
Sure, she knows they’ve gone to prison before and make a living selling cannabis no matter if it’s legal or illegal. She certainly knows one of them stole the money. But they’re human beings deserving of a little respect first and above all. They’re people with families who love them.
“It’s Okay. You’re Strong”
“It’s okay. You’re strong.” Mickey knows this and that’s why she’s different from Alec in ‘The Gambler.’ Particularly, we see their differences in how they handled Luna’s arrest and questioning. Her arrest was hard to watch because her children were involved and she was dragged out of their house by men with rifles during breakfast.
We knew Alec was bound to fail to get any answers out of her when he began interrogating her on where the money was or Mama Jo was hiding. Loyalty runs deep within the grower community. And growers like Luna have been uplifted and supported through hard times. So it’s impossible for them to give up the people who cared about keeping them above water when struggling.
While Luna tried to excuse that traumatic moment for her children as something they’ll forget, Mickey wouldn’t let her do such a thing. Because she was only six years old when she had to watch Wes and her mother Maria get arrested by police. And she was able to recall every detail of that day like it just happened. It was heartbreaking to watch the tears fill her eyes as she remembered the social worker telling her that everything was going to be okay because she was a strong girl.
Six-year-old Mickey didn’t need compliments. She needed and wanted her parents who were taken from her unexpectedly. So, Mickey tried to get Luna to choose her family over the growers in ‘The Gambler.’ She wanted her to see that they’d remember this day as the day their mother left them because she didn’t care about them as much as her friends. And Mickey didn’t want that to happen because she knew what it felt like. So, it sucked to see that Luna didn’t listen to her in the end.
MORE: Miss last week’s episode? Watch then read our Sheriff Country Season 2, Episode 17 ‘The Hunting Party’!
The Truth Comes Out
Right off the bat we’ll say that we’re proud of Wes for not running away because it’s representative of his growth.
If he had stolen money at the beginning of the show, we think he would’ve accepted Mama Jo’s offer to run away without hesitation. He was still on rocky road with Mickey and hadn’t been around Skye long enough to want to be constant for either of them. He also wasn’t nearly as close to them as he is now, which makes Mickey finding out the truth so devastating. It feels so easy to hate Wes right now for what he’s done, and we won’t shy away from saying we do right now.
He realized he was selfish, ignorant, and thinking entirely of himself when he stole the money. While we’re glad that he took accountability for his actions by staying to turn himself in, his confession to Mickey really didn’t do anything for us. Because Wes has been growing and selling illegally even when he knew it was wrong all this time. He wasn’t even the one to tell Mickey he had given Luna the stolen uniform. If we put ourselves in Mickey’s shoes, it’s as if her father had never cared about her like she did for him. We’d feel that way if we were lied to and pushed aside for what felt like the hundredth time in life.
Therefore, Wes been lying to his girls by choice and not because he was forced to. And we don’t think he deserves a round of applause for doing the right thing only after being backed into a corner. ‘The Gambler’ hurt us deeply as viewers who love Mickey, Skye, and ultimately Wes. Because they’ve been through so much together as a family who only wanted to see the best for each other. The girls believed they were in a better place now and Wes had been lying to them for months.
The DEA Got Their Guy (And Mickey?)
Mickey and Skye had hoped their love for Wes was enough to keep him clean and out of trouble. And it’s not their fault that they weren’t. Overall, it was Wes who made the decision to commit a federal crime despite how much he loved and cared them.
Wes’s confession had us emotional because he was owning up to a crime that could’ve been avoided if he ultimately chose his family over money. Choosing Mickey and Skye over the growers was a choice he could’ve made from the beginning. Trying to make up for his selfishness by finally being selfless is something that warms our hearts. At least a little bit. Because he officially sold his land to start a trust for Skye. Also, Wes got one of his friends to drive Gina to and from chemotherapy so she wouldn’t be alone.
However, when it came to Mickey, he didn’t know what else to do besides apologize and tell her it was okay to arrest him.
Truthfully, Wes did not clearly understand how his lies would make Mickey feel. And that’s something we had a big problem with. Because she’s his daughter who has spent her entire life wishing for him to choose her above everything. He didn’t see how all she’s ever wanted was slow mornings by the lake with him or Skye. Or how much she appreciated his promise that she’d never have to watch him get in trouble again. And watching her break down in tears in front of Wes, and then Alec, because she couldn’t believe he had done the crime was enough to make us cry too. Why couldn’t Wes give growing up if he loved her? That’s a question we’d love to see answered.
Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 18 ‘The Gambler’ ended with yet another blindside for Mickey as Alec’s boss showed up to begin a new investigation, one that would put Mickey’s job on the line. Unsurprisingly, the government plans to look into her life as the daughter of the man who stole millions from them. And we’re not ready at all to see the fall-out. Hasn’t Mickey suffered enough?
Sheriff Country airs on Fridays at 8 pm EST on CBS.
