Joey, Get Your Gun – The show begins with Game Warden Joe “Joey” Pickett (Michael Dorman) visiting Wacey Hedeman (Paul Sparks) who is having an affair with a married woman. He refuses the answer the door until Pickett identifies himself. The lady he is having an affair with is funding his campaign for sheriff. Pickett refuses the offer to have sex with the lady. His visit is regarding Ote Keeley who was last seen with two unknown males before he was found dead on Pickett’s property.

Pickett asks Wacey to accompany him to Crazy Woman Creek in search of the two unknown men. He believes Nate Romanowski (Mustafa Speaks) isn’t responsible for killing Ote. Wacey says the men may be several states away by now. Pickett thinks the men are hiding at Crazy Woman Creek. Wacey hesitates to go, but soon changes his mind when he mentions Sheriff Barnum (Patrick Gallagher). They agree to meet at sunrise at the base of the trail.

Marybeth Pickett (Julianna Guill) is undergoing an ultrasound at the Valley West Women’s Clinic when Pickett walks in. He caresses her swollen belly and asks about their daughters. He apologizes for Ote’s body on their property. She reminds him, he is not the killer. He believes Ote’s death is linked to the incident on the mountain. She compares life to a game of chess. She is in the restroom when the doctor enters the room. Without knowing it, he reveals the sex of the baby. Joe turns around to make sure Marybeth didn’t hear. He has a flashback of Christmas when his father, George Pickett (Kyle Mac) gave him a .22 caliber rifle. Young Pickett’s (Zebastin Borjeau) mother is not happy with George’s decision to give him a gun. He tries to calm her anxiety by promising to teach him to shoot.

As they leave the clinic, Pickett asks Marybeth if she will want to know their baby’s gender if he finds out. She doesn’t want to know. He alerts her of his planned trip to Crazy Woman Creek. She asks if Romanowski is playing him and wants to talk to him. He argues, she is not a murder attorney.

Former Game Warden Vern Dunnegan (David Alan Grier) visits Thunderhead Ranch, where he finds Opal Scarlett (Judith Buchan) skeet shooting. Opal sends her granddaughter, Julie Scarlett (Evie Marsten) for lemonade while she talks to Vern. Vern agrees to throw the clay disc for Opal. She has concerns about what Pickett might know. He assures her, Pickett doesn’t know anything, or he would have said something. She doesn’t want to mess to clean up. Hank Scarlett (Roger LeBlanc) and Arlen Scarlett (Brendan Fletcher) agree with Opal.

 

Sheriff Barnum asks Deputy McLanahan (Chad Rook) to come into his office to discuss Romanowski’s unreadable fingerprints. He orders the fingerprints to be redone. McLanahan orders Cricket (Aadila Dosani) to redo Romanowski’s fingerprints. Romanowski refuses to eat a stale sandwich McLanahan brought him because his teeth are loose.

Marybeth visits Colossi’s Coffee House to find out more about Ote’s friends. She knits while telling Mitch (Mark Bellamy) about the last time Ote was seen. She admits to being worried about returning home, where Ote’s body was found. Mitch thinks Ote was with Calvin and Kyle Lensegrav (Owen Crow Shoe.) He suggests staying clear of the men.

Sheriff Barnum finds out about Pickett and Hedeman’s trip to Crazy Woman Creek. He sends Deputy McLanahan to accompany them up the mountain.

Pickett cares for his horse when Marybeth, Lucy Pickett (Kamryn Pilva), Sheridan Pickett (Skywalker Hughes), and his mother-n-law Missy (Sharon Lawrence) return home. He asks Missy about the hotel, which she describes as “traumatizing.” Sheridan asks if Ote has been identified while Lucy questions if his body is gone. Pickett questions Sheridan about how she knows the morgue. Marybeth feels safer at home than at the motel. She tells him about Kyle and Calvin and suggests he stay at home. They don’t feel safe in their home. The mountain has the answers to why Ote ended up dead on their property.

Vern calls Pickett to tell him he knows about his plan Crazy Woman Creek trip. He claims to be concerned about losing Pickett and Hedeman.

Hedeman, McLanahan, and Sheriff Barnum wait on Pickett at the base of the trail. Sheriff Barnum orders McLanahan to frame Pickett and Hedeman for any mishaps. McLanahan jokes about Pickett’s .22 caliber rifle. Sheriff Barnum recommds the riot gun, instead of Pickett’s .22 rifle. He has a flashback of his father teaching him how to shoot. They enter the Bighorn National Forest trailhead. McLanahan rambles on about his excitement for being on the trail with them.

Cricket approaches Romanowski’s cell. He questions if people can ride a bison if it is saddled. She doesn’t think so. He agrees to trade his fingerprints for a bowl of soup. Marybeth visits Romanowski to determine if he can be trusted. She suggests he get an attorney. He denies murdering Ote but admits he may have later. She threatens his life if Pickett is injured or killed on the mountain.

McLanahan’s horse is spooked. Hedeman takes an oath to fire McLanahan if he is elected sheriff. Pickett tells him about his unborn son and his complicated relationship with his father. Hedeman is familiar with Calvin Mendez (Malik Elassal) and Kyle Lensegrav. Mendez was arrested for skinning a live coyote. They come upon a dead elk. Pickett collects a tissue sample for testing. Their horses become anxious when they hear a wild animal roaring. McLanahan says loud noise will run a bear away. He fires his rifle, scarring the horses off, along with the police radio. They continue up the mountain on foot.

Romanowski finishes his soup and agrees to let Cricket take his fingerprints. He burned his fingerprints off a long time ago.

Sheridan picks at her food and asks to be excused. She runs outside to the woodpile, where Ote’s body was found. Cricket arrives, with Romanowski’s case file. Sheriff Barnum demands her take the case file.

McLanahan says Calvin and Kyle may not be in the mountains. Hedeman responds, “If you didn’t scare off the horses, we’d know and be home by now.” They find a place to camp. They don’t have any food or water.

Marybeth tucks in the girls when Sheridan admits to seeing Ote mistreating Pickett. She wished he would die. Wishes don’t make things come true. She tells Lucy you can get your imagination to bring you gifts.

 

They share McLanahan’s bourbon while they discuss Ote’s murder. Hedeman says they may never find out who killed Ote. Boys are more emotional than girls. Pickett felt like his father saw him as a rival for his mother’s affection. Mothers should love their children more than their husbands. Every man wants a son.

Marybeth contacts Vern to ask if he has heard from Pickett. They haven’t been able to get through on the police radio in the last two hours. A search and rescue helicopter is scheduled to arrive in the morning. He says it will be fine. She reviews Romanowski’s case file.

Pickett has a flashback of shooting his rifle for the first time. He fires twice and misses both times. His father takes a swig of beer and suggests he needs motivation. He threatens to pour the beer on his head if he misses the next shot. He anxiously fires and misses. His father laughs and does exactly what he promises, pouring the beer on his head.

Marybeth reviews the crime scene images. Maxine barks, prompting Marybeth to grab her shotgun. She loads the shotgun before walking outside. Sheridan places food scraps on a piece of firewood and says good night. She climbs back into her bedroom window. A weasel pokes his head out of the firewood pile.

Pickett and the men wake up and continue up the trail. They approach a campsite quietly. Blood is splattered on the outside of a tent that is empty. A raccoon runs out of the second tent, where two men lay dead. McLanahan has a look and vomits. He identifies the men as Calvin and Kyle. Pickett says there are three horses and only two men. Buckshot hits Joe in the right temple.

They shoot and kill a man. Hedeman scolds McLanahan for not covering Pickett. His excuse is someone was shooting at us. Pickett saved Hedeman’s life. He says Pickett will get a medal because he was right about Kyle and Calvin. Pickett questions the man’s identity they shot as the episode comes to an end.

 

Joe Pickett Review

The acting is in need of a major facelift. It is like the directors ordered the actors to give a lousy performance. Each scene is unnecessarily prolonged, which is probably contributed to the show’s 11 episodes. This is unfortunate because it means viewers will be entertained or better said, bored to death by filler.

The breathtaking landscape footage adds authenticity while heightening the drama, not possible through imagery. When appropriately utilized, drone videography provides in-depth details about a specific setting. When the drone is too far away from the targeted area, the visibility deteriorates. This is what happened in the Thunderhead Ranch scene.

The pace is unbearably slow. It could help to decrease the episode runtime by at least 10 minutes. By the end of the episode, it felt like I just finished a 2-hour movie. The episode deserves a 5.

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