SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 2.

The Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country has passed its first big test. Season 1, Episode 2 is proof that the CBS series can successfully incorporate its parent program—without relying on Fire Country to tell a good story. It’s the exact right balance between old and new, with only a few concerning missteps.

“Firewall” picks up where the series premiere left off, with Sheriff Mickey Fox’s daughter Skye as the key witness in the murder of her ne’er do well boyfriend Brandon. The title refers to the proverbial firewall that Mickey tries to keep between her personal and professional lives, as explained by her ex-husband Travis Fraley. For the most part, this plot moves as it logically should. Mickey keeps as much distance as she can (and is expected to). Skye wants to help the investigation instead of sitting passively. Mickey and Travis actually consider the possibility of Skye’s guilt, rather than assuming she must be innocent. The audience doesn’t have to suspend disbelief much at all.

The arrival of Diane Farr as her Fire Country character Sharon Leone is a nice touch, because it’s not just a cameo to boost interest in the new series. Beyond Sharon being family, “Firewall” incorporates her and her knowledge into its case of the week. The prescribed burn that Sharon mentions Bode working on turns out to be vital to finding the missing students that Mickey is looking for. Sheriff Country makes sure that everything on screen has some relevance to the plot, whether it’s Sharon’s appearance or an affectionate moment between Travis and his new girlfriend/Mickey’s deputy Cassidy Campbell. The case itself is more creepy than anything else—the victims being drugged and held hostage on a marijuana farm—but perhaps that’s because the script is devoting so much time to Skye’s story.

There are some causes for potential concern in the long run, however. While it makes sense for there to be another Fire Country cameo in this episode because of the personal connection, having two guest stars from the original series back-to-back might suggest to viewers that there will be more crossovers than there actually are. Sheriff Country needs to stand on its own as much as possible if it wants to last for more than a season. Viewers have to get invested in these characters and their stories, instead of just waiting for Sharon or Bode to pop up again.

And in the more immediate now, the ending of “Firewall” raises the concern of how long the writers will drag out the storyline of Brandon’s murder. It’s interesting enough for one episode, but not much more than that. Stringing this plotline out for too long would not only frustrate viewers but also make the sheriff’s office look not so great at their jobs. Plus, Brandon’s family menacing Mickey’s family is actually kind of boring. It would have been more surprising if his siblings and mother didn’t jump to the conclusion that Skye killed him, and the two families were able to collaborate to help close the case or just to heal together. That would go more with the community vibe that the premiere set. This final scene just feels like a cliched almost “haves and have nots” kind of tale.

Sheriff Country Season 1, Episode 2 is a solid sophomore effort. The case of the week and the cliffhanger are both underwhelming; the writers can do some work developing the rest of the citizens of Edgewater. But the core of the episode is Mickey and her family, and this script keeps developing the dynamics between everyone, in ways that build excitement for the future. As long as the show doesn’t have too many of these predictable moments, the characters and the talented actors who play them will keep making this series a success. This is what people mean when they talk about character-driven drama.

Sheriff Country airs Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.