Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 20 ‘Mexico’ was a whirlwind of a season finale that wrapped up multiple storylines that caused Mickey, her team, and family pain and difficulty. It was an episode where characters ultimately utilized their lessons learned to question their growth, begin healing, and find strength to make hard decisions to better themselves.
At the same time, the act of moving forward made room for new beginnings that are joyous for some and destructive for others. Cassidy and Skye have realized what they want to do with their lives and we’re thrilled for them. Because they’ve been through so much this season and deserve to do what makes them happy. Cassidy has found her purpose in wanting to solve unsolved murders. And Skye felt called to re-build Fraley Horizons with her father Travis in a new positive light. Truthfully, they provided pockets of warmth in an otherwise heavy and emotional episode for Mickey who can’t catch a break.
Overall, we went into Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 20 ‘Mexico’ believing that Mickey finding out Alec wasn’t who he seemed was going to be the thing to leave us speechless. But that wasn’t the case at all. Finding out that DEA director Santos is Mickey’s mother was a cliffhanger that had us staring blankly at our screens. Because it was a reveal that felt like it came out of left field to tear down the already broken Mickey Fox. We don’t even want to think of what her return means for the Fox family yet. Not when we’re still reeling over how Mickey was left distraught by Alec’s reveal.
MORE: Read our interview with Matt Lauria as he discusses his relationship with Mickey and Boone’s growth!
A Quiet Yet Shocking Revelation
One of the hour’s stand-out scenes had to be the moment Mickey had realized Alec was dirty. She just closed the door on Miranda after she interrupted her morning with Alec coming to the house looking for Rick. Having her back turned to Alec gave her a moment to pause and reflect. Because he didn’t know Mickey had seen him talking to Miranda in the reflection of a statue. She knew something was off about their awkward greeting because neither wanted Mickey to hear them. As soon as they were alone again, Mickey turned to face Alec with a soft smile as if everything was okay. Then, Mickey began playing the part of the perfect and oblivious lovesick girlfriend. She didn’t want him knowing that she suspected him of being one of Miranda’s henchmen, especially when it came time to investigate Rick’s murder after finding his body.
Mickey agreed with everything Alec suggested about the suspect even if it was absurd. She didn’t confess her suspicions about him until Boone took her aside to reciprocate the worry. Neither Alec or Miranda had good poker faces. Alec was trying too hard to get them to believe the two clueless teenagers were the ones who killed Rick. And Boone found out there was only one man they should be looking for thanks to a homeless man’s intel at the scene.
Initially, we didn’t expect Mickey and Boone to discover Alec’s corruption as quickly as they did in ‘Mexico.’ Not because we didn’t trust they’d solve the case once they had enough clues to put it all together. But because we thought his reveal would be more explosive than it actually was. What followed their discovery was an hour of pretending Alec wasn’t the bad guy to keep him close. We were left waiting for the bomb to go off for a majority of the hour, rather than watching things explode from the beginning.
Instead of confronting Alec as soon as possible, Mickey, Boone, and Santos played the long game. Which made it interesting for us as an audience because we knew something the antagonist didn’t. That’s what made Mickey’s cat and mouse game to fool Alec into confessing exciting. We knew she was fooling him to get information, but he had no idea she was onto him. Not until Alec tried to get Mickey to go with him to Mexico to escape authorities and she couldn’t get on the plane.
‘Mexico’ gave us Mickey at her professional best while her personal life continued to fall apart. So, it did break our heart to see Mickey face the wall as soon as she learned Alec had killed Rick. Because he didn’t just do that horrible thing. He’s terrorized Edgewater as a community for weeks now under Miranda’s hand. It hurt to see Mickey try and hold her tears back from falling. Because pain is all she knows as of late. At least that’s what it feels like after Wes’s lies and Skye’s poisoning. Then to find out her boyfriend was actually a murderer working for Miranda? We honestly don’t know how she didn’t break down and cry because we would’ve.
MORE: Miss last week’s episode? Read our Sheriff Country 1×19 ‘Compromised’ Review!
Letting People in Is Important and Healthy
Mickey didn’t break down because Boone stood, offered his support, and asked if she was okay. She has people like Boone who can lift her up out of the darkness and remind her she isn’t alone. However, with this mind, it wasn’t a surprise that she had wanted to numb the pain of Alec’s betrayal by telling Boone she’d never let another person into her heart. Shutting off was a familiar habit of old Mickey and she wanted to fall back into that security for comfort.
Undoubtedly, we wouldn’t have blamed her if she didn’t listen to him. She had to watch Alec get killed by Santos after he shot Boone in a final confrontation. Mickey has been through so much throughout the first season of Sheriff Country. We’ve watched her handle family issues while tackling everyday drama and hardship that came with being Sheriff. And she’s been told to be strong since she was a child with her parents in jail. Adding responsibilities that came with being both a cop and a mother took expectations to be this unmovable object to new heights.
Learning to communicate and let people into her damaged heart was big for Mickey this season. And we’re glad she took the leap and became vulnerable with the people she wanted to get closer with. Because it was an act of selfishness she’s never gotten to act on before. She was listening to her heart for the first time in forever. At first, her desire to start anew with Wes is what made her want to ask for what she wants in relationships.
Sure, her father ended up betraying her trust by stealing from the government and the first man she dated after divorce turned out to be a dirty DEA cop who could’ve killed Skye or herself. But we don’t see those coincidences or choices made outside of her control as reasons to stop putting herself out there to find the love she deserves. Her relationships with Alec and Wes failed despite Mickey turning over a new page in life. But that shouldn’t mean other relationships that have benefited from her personal growth should have to hold the same fate.
MORE: Is Edgewater County from Sheriff Country a real place?
There’s Still Light To Embrace
Ultimately, we’re glad Boone encouraged Mickey to try again in letting people past her guarded walls and into her heart at the end of ‘Mexico’ as he’s one of the people who she has successfully built a meaningful relationship within Season 1. Boone is someone who Mickey has let her walls down with to see her at her best and at her worst. And he loves everything about her that he saw. We think that’s why Mickey felt so comfortable holding his hand in the hospital bed while he slept. Because she knows how much he cares about her. While she may not return the feelings romantically, yet if at all, Boone is someone that matters a lot to her.
Boone is someone Mickey could trust and we’re glad she didn’t argue back in the hospital. Not only would it have been wrong to argue with a man who took a bullet for her and would do anything for her. But he’s right in saying the outcome with Alec shouldn’t determine her love life. It wasn’t her fault that she was drawn to a man who purposefully hid his true colors. Mickey fell in love with Alec because he was sweet and gentle at first glance. Not because he was evil or a terrible person.
While Mickey may feel like a magnet for destruction, her relationship with Skye has never been better as well. Mickey has made sure to be present whenever her daughter needed her for support. She’s made sure her love feels unconditional and not something to earn. As for Gina and Boone, Mickey will always have them to lean on no matter what she says or does, which is evident on how her friendship with Boone didn’t change even after she turned down his romantic interest.
Clearly, Mickey has relationships in her life that are worthy of nurturing and holding close to her chest. And she needed a reminder of that from a person she cares about who she knows reciprocates the love for her that she has for them.
All episodes of Sheriff Country are on Paramount+.
