The Killing Fields

**"The Killing Fields"** was the eighth episode of the first season of *Joe Pickett*. Though originally broadcast on Spectrum Streaming in the fall of 2021, its Paramount+ re-debut was in May 2022.

## Synopsis

In need of some breakthrough evidence, Joe calls in a favor from an unexpected ally. Marybeth and Sheridan remain vulnerably close to danger.

## Plot Summary

Joe Pickett looks at falcons through a monocular while Sheriff Barnum asks about his helicopter. He tells his team they’ve had the highway blocked since Nate Romanowski escaped so he is likely on foot or horseback. He believes they should search straight up over the mountain. Joe manages to track down Nate and soon point guns at one another. Joe tells Nate he followed the falcons to find him. He reminds Nate he owes him a favor and he is there to collect. Although he wants Nate to show him where he found the vultures, Nate wonders if it is a good idea to go into the woods alone with a wanted fugitive. Joe admits he doesn’t know where else to go. Nate relents and agrees to help him look for the vultures, he won’t let Joe take him back to jail. Then, we see a commercial for InterWest Resources and its PilotCrest pipeline.

Rex Weathersly suggests the pipeline will be a blessing for every western town it traverses and a blessing for rural America. Vern shows the video to Hank, Arlen, and their mother. Vern asks them to follow his lead so they can make a lot of money. Opal Scarlett knows he is asking for a lot of their money though. They’ve seen his schemes before so they’re not sure why they should trust him this time. Vern insists he has covered all the bases on this one. He goes on to say InterWest’s current route runs through sacred native ground. Once that turns into a PR fiasco, the company will desperately need another route and Vern intends to give them one. With their help, he can do that. Vern suspects they can charge a lease fee of $100,000 per mile per year. They’ll need to buy up the land. Opal wonders if someone is going to sniff them out. Vern doesn’t think it is illegal, but also admits he has information he can use against Sheriff Barnum.

Months earlier, Clyde Lidgard takes photos of his genitals up in the mountains. When he sees a Miller’s weasel nearby, he decides to turn his camera to it. Vern and Opal meet with a lawyer to talk about buying the land. When the lawyer asks why she’d want it, Opal tells him to just shut up and buy the dang land for her. Clyde takes Wacey up the mountain to show him the weasels he found. Lidgard lures out one of the weasels using a chicken leg so Wacey can see it. With that information in hand, Wacey goes to Vern who admits he knows a lot of people who’d be hurt by something like that. Wacey offers to handle it for him, but he wants to be sheriff in exchange for his assistance. Once they come to an agreement, Ote Keeley begins killing the weasels by blowing up their tunnels. Since the explosion only kills three weasels, Calvin says the method isn’t cost-effective.

They argue a bit before Ote tries shooting at the weasels only to miss. Wacey arrives with beer and to see if they’re almost done up here. Ote says they’re likely making babies quicker than they can kill them. Wacey reminds him that he agreed to pay him half upfront and he did. He won’t get the other half until he finishes the job. Clyde says he has an idea although they aren’t eager to listen to him. When Ote asks about getting his hunting license back yet, Wacey says he and Joe Pickett go way back so it is as good as done. Wacey warns him to finish the job or he’ll come for the first half. Once Wacey is gone, Clyde again says he might know a way to kill the weasels. Ote returns home to surprise April with a gift. She loves the coat so she puts it on immediately. Ote also has a box full of acetone. He tells April they’re going to do a science experiment and create a secret potion. Vern breaks the news to Hank and Arlen while saying this isn’t something you could foresee. They warn him that the weasel situation better be handled because they have a lot of money on the line here.

In the present, Nate complains about having to hide in the back of Joe’s truck. Joe suggests it is just as uncomfortable as Marybeth was when she was tied to a chair. Nate promises he was just trying to protect her. Joe tells him to be quiet before stopping at a checkpoint. When Joe asks whether Barnum is already up there, he is told the meeting point is about half a mile up on the left. He learns that deathly force has been authorized since Nate is considered armed and dangerous. As Joe drives past the checkpoint, Nate tells him he is officially aiding and abetting a fugitive now. Joe knows although he also says the day has just started. While they get the horses out, Joe claims Marybeth was going to get him acquitted so it was a bad thing to do to her.

Nate explains he didn’t want to be turned over to a federal agent who wasn’t a federal agent. Instead, he was something much worse. Joe asks if the federal agents he killed were something much worse too. Nate gets in his face and says they were federal agents and something much worse. They have to hide in the trees when a helicopter flies overhead.

Meanwhile, Marybeth tells April she can take her coat off since she might be there for a while, but April likes wearing it. Marybeth asks if she has anyone else to call and whether her mother said anything the last time she saw her. April says no to both questions. Joe and Nate find feathers on the ground. Joe asks whether he was falconing that day. Nate says yes and the wind was coming from the Northwest. Joe says a sick vulture would ride the updraft. Joe points out the ridge nearby and argues it was poisoned over it.

Although Nate isn’t eager to do so, Joe says they’ll ride up there. While coordinating the search for Nate, Sheriff Barnum receives a visit from Vern. Nate and Joe find themselves on a very narrow ledge. Nate asks what he thinks is going to happen if he finds one of these weasels. Joe shows him a picture that Clyde took a week before he died. He admits he has been tied to this thing all along somehow. He isn’t sure how he is going to protect his family unless he knows where the danger is coming from and they won’t stop. He has to continue forward and expose their secret. Nate listens as Joe says he’d understand if he just took off. He tells Joe he asked him to look for the truth so he can at least have his back while he finds it. As they try to continue, Joe’s horse gets spooked and won’t continue forward. Nate suggests dismounting before the horse begins walking forward.

When the horse stops again, Joe decides to dismount. He nearly falls but manages to hang on and put his feet on the ground. They have a laugh when they make it to the other side. Since Marybeth can’t get in touch with April’s mother, she decides to call the Sheriff’s Department to say April was abandoned or Jeannie is missing. Vern tells Sheriff Barnum he needs to drop out of the sheriff’s race so they can get some new blood in Saddlestring. After Barnum makes it clear he doesn’t want to cooperate, Vern threatens to release one of his secrets. Vern reveals he knows about Barnum’s daughter over on Wind River Reservation. Barnum insists he isn’t ashamed of his daughter because it is a new world and people understand those things now. Vern elaborates by saying he did the math on how old the mother was when she had his child and it was bad math. Barnum isn’t sure what he would do if he stopped being Sheriff, but Vern doesn’t care.

Nate knows Joe needs proof to protect his family although he thinks some of it is Joe trying to get back in the uniform. When they took Nate’s uniform, he didn’t know who he was without it. However, he soon realized the uniform doesn’t make the man. He explains Joe is a good guy because he is and it has nothing to do with the uniform. Joe asks him about wearing a uniform. Nate says he did and he had it good there for a while with a wife who loved him more than he deserved. He did everything by the book until he got an order that he didn’t think was for the good of the country like they claimed. Once he refused, everything turned, he was stripped of his uniform, and his wife was killed.

Nate learned the hard way that power is sometimes more powerful than the truth. He lost everything and doesn’t want the same to happen to Joe. Vern calls Hank to tell him he dealt with Sheriff Barnum and they need to get eyes on Joe Pickett. Hank complains that this thing is spiraling out of control. As they continue, they begin noticing the smell of death in the air and discover death elks on the ground. Joe explains weasels eat carrion so they poisoned the elk to make the weasels eat the poisoned meat. He gets off his horse and talks about the weasel being forced into extinction only to come back 100 years later. Despite the miracle, people wiped out the weasels once again. Nate tells him they should go find the proof. They agree to check every hole.

Missy opens wine for herself and Marybeth. She knows it is very expensive and that is why she picked it. Marybeth passes on a glass. She is worried about April since she can’t find her mother anywhere. Missy believes they both know Jeannie is long gone. Marybeth begins listing April’s problems such as the fact she has no one to care for her, she is skittish, and she can barely read and write. Her mom insists April isn’t her problem and she is trying to save her like she did every stray when she was a little girl. Although she has a big heart and likes to help people, she can’t save everyone. Nate tells Joe there is nothing here and they need to leave to get off the mountain before it gets dark. Before they go, they find a fox on the ground. Joe decides to cut it open and look inside. When he does, he finds a weasel corpse and finally gets the evidence he needs. Joe gives Nate his gun back and points him toward Montana.

They hope for the best for each other and Joe thanks Nate for helping him. Nate warns Joe there is going to come a time soon when he’ll have to lean into his anger and not away from it. Power will bite back when he tries to speak truth to it. Joe passes by an old camp of sorts before we jump back three weeks. Ote arrives with a cooler that moves around when he places it on the ground. He tells the others it is his insurance policy. Wacey arrives and asks them what they’re doing up there. Ote says they could ask him the same thing. Wacey insists he is just there to make sure their work is up to par. Ote asks him about his hunting license. When Wacey claims to be working on it, Ote refuses to believe him. He tells Wacey he wants his license by tomorrow or else he’ll tell Joe Pickett what they’ve been up to. Wacey warns he could go to jail too although Ote believes he could turn state witness. Then, Wacey asks about the cooler.

Ote says it isn’t anything for him to worry about. If he does his part, they won’t have any problems. Wacey isn’t going to let Ote leave with the cooler. He begins shooting everyone starting with Hank and Calvin. Ote rides away on his horse. He drops the cooler and has to stop to retrieve it. Clyde tells Wacey he is on his side, but he shoots him once anyway. He runs out of bullets before he can kill him. Wacey grabs his bow and chases after Ote on horseback. He eventually shoots Ote right through the back. The horse doesn’t stop running.

In the present, Joe finds an arrow in a tree and realizes it had to be shot by someone riding a horse. He suspects it had to be a good rider like a rodeo rider. He connects Clyde’s picture to the area and begins putting two and two together. Joe finally realizes that Wacey is involved in everything. He gets back on his horse and rushes back. Sheridan begins freaking out about the weasels. She tells her mother she left her other book at home and needs it.

At first, Marybeth doesn’t want to go back because it is 30 minutes or so. Sheridan says she knows April, her mom, and Nate sometimes need help, but she needs help sometimes too. Marybeth relents and agrees to take her daughter back to their house to get the book. Before she goes, she retrieves a shotgun and conceals it. Sheridan takes the pocketknife.

In another flashback, Ote’s horse takes him to the Pickett property where he drops the cooler and collapses on the woodpile. The weasels escape from the cooler. As they drive along, Marybeth tells Sheridan she knows something has been bothering her and she wants to help. Sheridan confesses she can’t tell her mother what is going on. Joe tries to call them as he rides back to town. However, Marybeth leaves her phone in the car so she doesn’t hear it. Joe leaves her a message letting her know about Wacey being the killer.

As Marybeth goes inside with her daughter, she encourages her to be quick. Sheridan looks out of her bedroom window and sees Wacey outside by the woodpile. Marybeth believes it is Joe so he begins opening the door as Sheridan screams no. Wacey shoots her in the stomach. She gets up and manages to lock the door before Wacey can enter. Sheridan finds her distraught mother bleeding in the kitchen before she collapses to the floor. Marybeth tells her to run.

## Cast

### Main

* Michael Dorman as Joe Pickett
* Julianna Guill as Marybeth Pickett
* Sharon Lawrence as Missy Vankeuren
* Paul Sparks as Wacey Hedeman
* Mustafa Speaks as Nate Romanowski
* Skywalker Hughes as Sheridan Pickett
* Kamryn Pilva as Lucy Pickett
* David Alan Grier as Vern Dunnegan

### Recurring

* Patrick Gallagher as Sheriff Barnum
* Benjamin Hollingsworth as Ote Keeley
* Judith Buchan as Opal Scarlett
* Brendan Fletcher as Arlen Scarlett
* Roger LeBlanc as Hank Scarlett
* Chris Aanderson as State Trooper
* Paul Cowling as Spencer Stone
* Malik Elassal as Calvin Mendes
* Jesse Gervais as Rex Weathersly
* Vivienne Guynn as April Keeley
* David Haysom as Clyde Lidgard
* Owen Crow Shoe as Kyle Lensegrav