Nowhere to Run

Legarski waits outside the bar

**Nowhere to Run** is the second episode of the first season of *Big Sky* and the second episode of the series overall. It was written by David E. Kelley and directed by Paul McGuigan. It aired on November 24, 2020 on ABC.

## Synopsis

Forced to form an unlikely team, Cassie and Jenny set out to continue the search for the missing girls. Meanwhile, Danielle, Grace and Jerrie get to work on planning their escape, leading Legarski to struggle with the consequences of his actions as a distracted Ronald deals with a difficult relationship with his mother.

## Plot

Ronald uses an excavator to bury Danielle's car and Cody's truck as Legarski watches.

A boy delivers papers and throws the one for Dewell and Hoyt even when Jenny holds out her hand to take it. She goes inside and tells Cassie she still hasn't heard from Cody, so she's going to get the sheriff involved. Cassie's about to go see Legarski. Denise says Legarski told her that Cody left at sunrise for the church cult, but he went alone. That contradicts what Cody told Cassie. Jenny's worried that he started drinking again, given his history of alcohol abuse. Jenny asks Cassie how involved they were, so she can assess Cody's psychological state. Cassie says she told Cody they were over and he didn't seem to take it well. She doesn't know if Cody is in love with her or not.

At The All In, Legarski talks to Ronald about irony. Ronald tells him he doesn't like it when people just ramble on, like they like the sound of their own voices. Legarski says he hand-picked Ronald because of his good judgment and this was not good judgment. Ronald says Legarski's judgement was also bad in shooting Cody. Legarski say they take girls no one will miss. Ronald took two wholesome teenagers, the kind people look for. That is how Cody ended up on Legarski's radar. And he already had the idea that a long-haul trucker might be responsible, so he had to go. He had to clean up Ronald's mess. Legarski answers his phone when it rings and says he'll be there to the caller. Then he tells Ronald it's like the old lady who swallowed a fly. He had to kill the spider that came looking for the fly. Now a bird named Cassie Dewell is coming to look for the spider. They have a predicament.

Danielle is worried, but Grace reminds her that their mom has a tracker on her phone. They have to hope that'll work. Danielle is surprised and horrified that their mom tracks her phone. Grace asks Jerrie if she has a tracker on her phone and she doesn't. Grace is hopeful the guy will let them go once he comes to his senses since he took them in a fit of rage. She also tells Danielle he would have killed them already if he wanted to. He wants to do something else with them. Jerrie says he wanted to talk to her before he zapped her. She thinks he must be lonely. Grace wonders how they trade on that.

As Cassie drives, she remembers teaching Cody how to use a lasso.

Ronald comes home. His mother is upset that he was out all night. He says something came up, but she was worried because he didn't call. She always worries about him because he's her child. Ronald says he's sick of Helen not respecting him. Truckers are today's heroes. She thinks he's just pent up. She tells him to go masturbate while she makes them some lunch and come back with a better attitude. She asks him what happened to his neck, but he ignores her.

Cassie meets Legarski and introduces herself. He's surprised by her being beautiful and Black. Then he apologizes for his comments and offers her some coffee. She declines. He then tells her that Cody's a renegade and refused to listen to him when he mentioned having probably cause for something. Cassie says the last she heard from Cody, they were both headed for the church, but Legarski says he backed out when Cody talked about searches without warrants. Cassie is suspicious of that given that two teenage girls were abducted. Legarski says the girls aren't officially missing and there are protocols to observe. He's all about protecting his pension right now and can't risk someone leading him rogue. He last saw Cody at 5:45 AM. Cassie asks if he tried calling Cody. Legarski gets angry, telling her she's out of line for her questioning. She suggests them going to the church together. She asks if he knows a friendly judge. They could get a warrant. He says it'll take a few hours, so she can head back to Helena. She says she may drive around and hit a few truck stops, given the possible connection to long-haul truckers.

Over the phone, Cassie tells Denise that Legarski was creepy. Denise says he's as harmless as they come. He doesn't even give out speeding tickets, just warnings. Cassie still got a vibe. And there's still no news from Cody. Legarski then comes out to Cassie's truck and asks for a private word. Cassie locks the doors, but unlocks them when he comes to the passenger side so he can climb in. Legarski asks why she locked the doors and then asks if she carries a gun, which she says she does. He's never had to use his own gun, but hopes to someday. He thinks every law enforcement officer secretly wants to. They all wonder how they'll respond when it's all on the line. She trained at the academy, so she knows she'll pull the trigger if the time comes. He knows she trained at the academy but didn't graduate. He wonders what happened. She knows he's trying to intimidate her and tells him it's not working.

Grace thinks they're underground. She asks Jerrie about how she was abducted. She tells them she works in human services to pay the bills but she's actually a singer. Danielle quietly tells Grace that she thinks Jerrie is a he. Jerrie asks why they're whispering and Danielle ask her if she has a penis. She confirms that she does. Grace apologizes on Danielle's behalf. They hear footsteps approaching and Grace sees Ronald coming down steps through a crack in the wall. He then opens the box they're in and comes inside. He reminds Danielle that she called him a loser. She says she didn't mean it. He asks her how old she is and she tells him she's 17. He taunts her for a while and sniffs her hair. He looks at Grace next, who says she's 16. He claims he's not an evil person and gets Jerrie to back him up on that. Grace reminds him that he tased and kidnapped them. She says he's a sick pervert. He tells her he's not a monster or a pervert, but she headbutts him and breaks his nose. Jerrie then tells him they're just kids. He can do what he wants with her, but they're just kids. Ronald then wipes his blood on Grace's face and tells him he'll kill her. He leaves a few things for them and says he'll be back.

Jenny enters the diner and is greeted by Melissa, who asks her if she's going to stay to eat this time. Jenny orders some coffee and Melissa asks if there's a way to report someone as missing to police without incriminating that person for doing something illegal when she went missing. The woman Melissa was talking to yesterday moonlights as a prostitute and always checks in with Melissa. But Melissa hasn't heard from her and is getting worried now. Jenny asks where she was working last night and Melissa says she was at a truck stop outside Helena.

Jenny gives Cassie a picture of Jerrie and says it might be a coincidence but it also might not be. They disappeared the same night. Jenny knows the truck stop and is heading out there. Cassie wants to show her something first. She has a map of the US with the highways and truck stops on it. Someone in Oklahoma noticed a pattern of disappearances and VICAP created a national matrix. There have been more than 500 murder victims along highways. Almost all the suspects are long-haul truckers. Most of the victims are women with high-risk lifestyles. Cassie thinks Legarski is involved based on his reactions. Denise isn't convinced. Cassie reminds them that Cody was also with him when he disappeared. Denise says Legarski doesn't have the imagination to be bad, but Cassie wants to talk to the cousin who was married to him. And ex-wife would know if he were a sociopath. Denise agrees to call her cousin.

Legarski cleans up Ronald's nose and asks if he's sure it isn't broken. Ronald's sure. He says Grace is vicious, but also beautiful. All three of them are. Grace is only sixteen and probably a virgin. They could get triple for her. Legarski says those girls aren't marketable. Jerrie is, but not the sisters. They're too wholesome. They have families. Canada won't dare take them. They're in a bind now. Ronald's phone rings. He answers it and just says he's busy before slamming it down. He says his mother has been on him, saying driving a truck is no way to make a living. Legarski says most people don't get what they're about. Merrilee nags him in the same way as Ronald's mother. He asks Ronald to clean Jerrie up, because they should be able to move her quickly, but he'll have to think more about the sisters. And he'll manage Cassie.

Denise brings Cassie a bag of food and notices she seems off. She says it's just a feeling and she gets them sometimes. The day her husband died, she knew all day without knowing. Then the soldiers came to tell her and she knew it was true. She had a feeling then and she has one now about Cody and Legarski is part of that. Denise hopes she's wrong on both counts.

Grace says they need two plans for survival: one physical and one emotional. For physical, she was thinking Stockholm. She wants them to get Ronald to fall for them. Danielle is their best shot at that. Danielle doesn't want to do it. Jerrie agrees that he seems vulnerable and remembers that he mentioned his mother. They need to get him to get the chains off, then they fight like their lives depend on it.

Jenny shows Jerrie's picture at the truck stop. Another prostitute directs her to the truck stop attendant. Jenny slips a $20 bill next to Jerrie's picture and asks him if he's ever seen her. She gives him the money when he says Jerrie was there. She notices a security camera and asks for the footage next. If he doesn't give it to her, she'll report him for serving underage girls cigarettes and beer.

Jerrie asks Grace what the emotional survival plan is. Grace says Jerrie sings and so do she and Danielle. They use to be in a choir together. They could start a girl band. Danielle is opposed, but Jerrie asks if it was a church choir, as they're looking to bond with a psychopath and they tend to be religious. Maybe singing a little will help.

Ronald goes down to see the girls and hears them singing. He opens the door and calls for Jerrie to join him, though he calls her Michelle, the name she used with him in the truck. He tells her she's going to a much better place and it's time to clean her up. She doesn't want to go with him. Grace calls him an asshole and tells him that their uncle is a cop and she texted him a picture of Ronald's plates when he cut them off. Ronald accuses her of lying, but she says she isn't.

Jerrie walks along with Ronald. He orders her to take her clothes off so she can shower. She says she'd rather keep them on, but he promises to look away. Then he says she's going to a place where she'll do what she's always done, but safer. She tells him she doesn't want to go. He threatens to tase her again if she doesn't undress and shower. Once she's undressed, she forces him to look at her. She pulls off her wig and drops it to the ground. She tells him this is her.

Ronald hooks up some lights to a battery and then leads Jerrie back to the room, still wet and holding the wig in her hand. Once Ronald is gone, Danielle and Grace ask her what happened. Jerrie tells them he had a plan and now the plan is ruined.

Danielle asks Jerrie what the plan was that she's ruined. Jerrie tells them they're into trafficking. She ruined it by showing him her penis. It got her out of going where he had planned, but she's still in the room, trapped. Grace comforts her and says being still here is better because she has them.

Cassie is on her way to see Denise's cousin, Legarski's ex-wife. Jenny tells her Jerrie was definitely at the truck stop and she has security footage to confirm it. And she still think it's connected to Grace and Danielle's disappearance.

Jenny comes home and tells Justin there's still nothing. He asks why the police aren't looking and she says it hasn't been a day yet and the area doesn't have a lot of manpower. If it goes on long enough, the FBI might get involved. He asks if that means they just sit and wait and Jenny says it doesn't. The girls are counting on them and they can't wait.

Legarski assures Ronald that Grace didn't send anything because there's not service in that area and he checked their phones before he destroyed them. Legarski asks if he's sure Jerrie has a penis, because women can sometimes have outward-facing thing-a-ma-goos. Ronald is sure. Legarski says it's a little curve ball, so they have to adjust. They need to go home and sleep on it. Ronald apologizes, but Legarski says they'll get through it. Things will take a turn.

Legarski gets a call from his ex-wife, Sally. She asks if he's got his nose into something and tells him about Cassie's visit. She asked Sally all kinds of questions about him. After asking the detective's name, Legarski hangs up the phone.

Ronald goes to his mother's room at night and tells her he couldn't sleep.

Jerrie is singing. After a bit, Danielle and Grace join her.

Jenny sits at her table alone.

Cassie goes home for the night.

Legarski contemplates what he's heard.

Cassie cuddles up behind Kai.

Helen moves over so Ronald can get in her bed with her.

## Cast

* Jenny Hoyt
* Cassie Dewell
* Ronald Pergman
* Denise Brisbane
* Danielle Sullivan
* Jerrie Kennedy
* Grace Sullivan
* Helen Pergman
* Rick Legarski
* Cody Hoyt
* Justin Hoyt
* Kai Dewell
* Melissa
* Cashier
1/14
### Starring

* Katheryn Winnick as Jenny Hoyt
* Kylie Bunbury as Cassie Dewell
* Brian Geraghty as Ronald Pergman
* Dedee Pfeiffer as Denise Brisbane
* Natalie Alyn Lind as Danielle Sullivan
* Jesse James Keitel as Jerrie Kennedy
* Jade Pettyjohn as Grace Sullivan
* with Valerie Mahaffey as Helen Pergman
* and John Carroll Lynch as Rick Legarski

### Special Guest Star

* Ryan Phillippe as Cody Hoyt (Flashback)

### Guest Starring

* Gage Marsh as Justin Hoyt
* Gabriel Jacob-Cross as Kai Dewell
* Camille Hollett-French as Melissa

## Music

 "I Gotta Get Back the Feeling"
 ""
 "All the Trouble"
 "Gloria Patri"
 "Down to the River to Pray"
* Jenny sits up at night.
* Cassie goes home.
* Legarski contemplates what he heard about Cassie.
* Cassie climbs in behind Kai to sleep.
* Ronald climbs into bed with his mother.

"Heaven Ain't Goin' Nowhere" - Steve Earle"All the Trouble" - Lee Ann Womack
## Trivia

* This episode scored 4.46 million viewers on first airing.
* Ryan Phillippe is no longer part of the main cast and is now credited as a special guest star

## References

1. ↑ Nowhere to Run - BIG SKY on ABC | The Futon Critic