Heads Will Roll – The episode opens with Luke Brueggeman (Keean Johnson) hanging onto life. Paramedics rush to the hospital. Joe Pickett (Michael Dorman) watches as paramedics push Luke in the treatment room.

Randy Pope (Chris Gauthier) pours a glass of Meudachd Scotch Whiskey before taking a bath when he senses a foul odor. Searching the hotel room for the source, he turns to see Frank’s head. He rushes through the woods until finding the perfect spot to ditch the severed head.

Marybeth Pickett (Julianna Guill) informs Sheridan Pickett (Skywalker Hughes) of Luke being shot. Pickett dials Luke’s emergency contact number to discover the line has been disconnected. After telling him that Luke is stable, the doctor (Alicia Thorgrimsson) says he will need cardiothoracic surgery. She contributes Luke being alive to the neck bandage. Pickett denies securing the bandage in place. She suggests Luke has a guardian angel. Upon arriving home, he washes the blood off in the shower. He relives the incident in the woods. Finding him distraught on the bed, she holds him while he sobs.

Cricket (Aadila Dosani) calls Deputy McLanahan (Chad Rook) to say she needs to take the day off. He demands she do her shift. She claims to have diarrhea and vomiting. He assures her they will get on without her when Nate Romanowski (Mustafa Speaks) approaches with breakfast. She accuses him of sabotaging her job before asking how many more people will need to die at his hands. He agrees to answer three questions truthfully.

Marybeth tells Pickett that Klamath Moore (Aaron Dean Eisenberg) was doing lectures when Warren Tucker and Dan Garrett were murdered. He says Klamath knew the details of Frank’s murder when they discovered his body. He suggests Klamath got the details from an insider at the capitol. He questions why Klamath returned to the crime scene for Conway Boulden (David Trimble) last night. He claims to have found Luke with an amateur bandage secured on his shoulder. He says it couldn’t have been Conway because he was immediately shot twice. She asks why would the assailant try to save Luke’s life. He tells her that Luke may not have been the intended target. He advises against confronting Klamath directly. An article headlined “Blood soaked terror strikes hunting awards” grabs his attention. She says Conway alleged Klamath ambushed him at a banquet.

Emerging from his truck, a bullet barely scathes Pickett’s leg. Pickett identifies himself but Terry demands his credentials. Terry hurriedly unlocks the gate for Pickett. He breaks down while talking about his father. He alleges Klamath released his personal information on the “Stop the Slaughter” message board. He explains how he and his property were attacked on several occasions. He says Klamath could have him pegged as his next victim. Pickett asks if he knows who is responsible. Terry suggests users post confessions to the message board. She informs him of Governor Budd’s (Lochlyn Munro) order to close hunting season. He warns that there will be pushback from the hunters.

Arlen Scarlett (Brendan Fletcher) tells Opal Scarlett (Judith Buchan) that they received a $40k offer for each Andalusian horse and a $100k offer for the Oldenburg horse. Opal says “maple suckers” are not getting their prized horses. Arlen tells her that they are out of options. She suggests their lowball offers are an attempt to take advantage of their situation. He assures her there will be no better offers. Hank Scarlett (Roger LeBlanc) suggests selling Andulasian and Oldenburg semen on the Black Market. Irate, Arlen reminds her of where their revenue comes from. She tells him that she will convince Governor Budd to reopen hunting season. He claims the governor is refusing to take his calls. She recommends a statewide hunter protest. Arlen and Hank look seemingly thrilled with her suggestion.

McLanahan gifts Missy (Sharon Lawrence) a “ranch.” Looking at the property, she points out that it is a ranch house, not a ranch. She describes their relationship as a “delusion.” After returning the key, she says it is over. As she backs out of the drive, he professes to love her. Marybeth finds April’s returned letter addressed to Jeannie Kaeley in the mail. McLanahan asks Pickett to talk to Missy for him. Pickett sarcastically suggests he “dodged a bullet.” McLanahan issues him a stern warning about talking bad about Missing. Pickett asks if the Sheriff’s Office has a file on Terry when Randy blames Conway’s death on him. When he says Luke’s death will also be on him, Pickett attacks him. Intervening, Sheriff Barnum (Patrick Gallagher) blames Randy for Conway’s death. Randy threatens Pickett’s job.

Governor Budd goes on a tirade about the importance of hunting in Wyoming. He says rumors claim a hunter protest will take place in Saddlestring. He blames the hunting season shutdown on Pickett, Barnum, Randy, and McLanahan. Barnum suggests deploying the National Guard. Budd warns it would be “political suicide” for him to have a public conflict with the hunters. He demands an arrest before the situation implodes.

Marybeth tells April Keeley (Vivienne Guynn) that her letter was returned. April says there are times when she wants to talk to her mother. She apologizes for not telling her about the letter. Marybeth assures her that there is no need for an apology.

Cricket asks Nate if he has killed anyone. Nate says yes but refuses to elaborate. Grabbing his gun, he emerges from the vehicle. Inside the pub, the bartender hits him before fleeing. Nathan shoots him in the leg. The man falls to the ground when Nate demands to know who outed Big Merle and if Nemecek is back. Nothing accomplished, Nate leaves with Cricket. She asks about Nemecek but he refuses to answer.

Pickett tells Marybeth that Luke is in a coma. Nathan convinces a salesman to let him take a used 4-wheel drive for a test drive. Cricket tells him that she is not coming with him. He promises their destination will tell her everything she wants to know. Marybeth reads Wolverine’s comment – “Last night I had a dream that a brainless hunter was hunted himself. His body mutilated the same way he’d been mutilating innocent animals” – on the “Stop the Slaughter” platform. Reading further, she realizes Wolverine posted the comment on the day the first hunter was killed. There is a post for each of the murders.

Derek Longbrake (John Ralston) claps as Missy walks off the stage. He suggests dating a real man. She asks if he is referring to himself. He claims to never date women with no shooting skills. Placing an apple on his hat, she says hand me a gun. They agree to meet tomorrow.

Maxine’s barking startles Pickett and Marybeth awake. Grabbing his gun, he searches the property to find elk heads hanging on fence posts. She admits to being surprised by the hunters’ targeting them at their house. When he calls the Sheriff’s Office to request a forensics team, Barnum informs him of a decapitated head discovered 40 miles from Frank’s murder site. Randy claims a hiker reported it to Game and Fish this morning. Barnum asks Pickett to help the Sheriff’s Office with the protest. Assessing the crime scene, Pickett discovers a red object stuck in a tree. He pulls it out to examine it further.

Placing an apple on the roof of his vehicle, Missy walks a short distance before aiming and firing. The bullet shatters the driver-side window. She admits it is her first time firing a gun. He sensuously shows her how to shoot which is futile.

Pickett asks Wendy (Jessica Zhang) to send him a copy of the hiker’s decapitated head report. Checking the database, she says there is no record of a hiker calling in this morning. She asks who told him about the call. He refuses to answer before ending the call.

Marybeth enters the Sheriff’s Office to hear McLanahan trying to convince Missy on the phone to take him back. She agrees to talk to Missy in exchange for running Wolverine’s IP address. He asks if she has a warrant to legally execute the search. She assures him that Missy would sure be impressed if he solved the murders.

Hank and Arlen lead the hunter protest. The protestors chant, “Clean house.” Pickett observes Klamath Moore and his men toss a smoke bomb into the street. He alerts Barnum. Refusing to help, Randy takes off as Barnum heads to Main Street. The anti-hunting group clashes with the hunters. Pickett intervenes but there are too many of them. Opal fires several shots into the air. Pickett escorts Klamath into a nearby shop. He asks if he has any information on Wally Conway, Dan Garrett, Warren Tucker, and Frank Urman’s murders. Klamath calls Wolverine a “true warrior.” Pickett warns he could get caught up in the crime. Klamath claims more supporters are donating money to their cause than ever before. He goes on a tirade about the killing of innocent wildlife. Pickett reminds him of his posting Frank’s dead body on TV when Marybeth calls to tell him that Randy is Wolverine.

Barnum orders Frank to put his hands up. Approaching from the opposite direction, Pickett knocks him to the ground. Randy admits to disposing of Frank’s decapitated head but denies murdering him. Barnum arrests him for Frank’s murder as the episode closes.

 

Joe Pickett Review

After being shot, Luke is rushed to the hospital where he undergoes cardiothoracic surgery. The doctor contributes his being alive to a “makeshift bandage” that he couldn’t possibly manage in his condition. Pickett believes the assailant applied the bandage after realizing Luke isn’t his target. He is later listed in stable condition.

Randy finds Frank’s decapitated head in his room. He disposes of it in the woods without immediately notifying Pickett or Sheriff Barnum. Scarlett’s outfitting business is shuttered after Governor Budd closes hunting season. With no revenue coming in, they stage a statewide protest of armed hunters. Randy tells Pickett that a hiker reported the severed head to the headquarters. Wendy doesn’t find a report in the Game and Fish database.

The anti-hunting advocates, led by Klamath, clash with the hunters on Main Street. The “Stop the Slaughter” platform is a place to vent. Avid hunter, Terry is in hiding after being attacked by Klamath. He believes the killer is utilizing the message board to confess. Marybeth discovers comments by Wolverine posted on the day of each of the four hunters’ murders. She convinces McLanahan to run Wolverine’s IP address to discover the user is Randy.

Law enforcement cannot “run an IP address.” A search warrant is served to the Internet Service Provider “ISP” to determine the user’s physical address. A smart killer would utilize Tor or a similar proxy to conceal their real IP address. It would never be as simple as running it through the Sheriff’s Office database.

The best episode of the season so far. The scene in which April discovers the postal service marked her letter to her mother undeliverable is heart-wrenching. April’s mother, Jeannie Keeley is married to Ote Keeley. Corrupt Game Warden Wacey Hedeman hired Ote to kill endangered weasels to protect the oil pipeline deal. Wacey murders him to secure his win to replace Barnum as Sheriff. Fearing for her life, Jeannie flees Saddlestring, leaving April with Pickett and Marybeth.

The episode deserves a 6.5. Get more Joe Pickett recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, learn more by reaching out to our customer support.