After a week off for Thanksgiving, Sheriff Country returned in style, opening with a case that involved a student brutally beaten at school.

It didn’t take long to find out who was involved in the attack, but it was clear there was something much bigger going on. This wasn’t an attack due to just any boy.

Meanwhile, we got to see more of Nathan and Cassidy’s personal storylines, making it clear that there is more to come for these characters, and Wes started his journey of going legit.

Boone Finally Showed Emotion

Since meeting Boone, there’s been something off about him, but Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 7 finally gave him a chance to show some emotion.

During Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 6, we learned that he married his best friend’s widow, but it was clear there was more to this relationship.

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All of that came up in “Glory Days,” with Boone and Nora finally discussing their feelings and the events that led to their relationship. Sure, it started in grief, but there are genuine feelings for each other there.

Boone has always come across as wooden and emotionless, and that’s what has been so off-putting with him. There was only emotion when he was looking to get one up on Mickey.

This episode adds a new layer to his character, as we finally see that someone can make him tick and make him confess feelings.

A lot of this came out of nowhere.

When we met Nora on Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 5, there was no hint of real feelings. Even on the next episode, there was little from Boone when it came to romantic feelings.

It honestly felt like their marriage was simply one of support and financial need, which then led to one-sided feelings for Nora.

Sheriff Country could have done a better job of showing Boone having feelings for Nora during the sixth episode, but at least we finally got some emotional arc for him.

Where do they go from here? That’s something for Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 8 to answer.

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Cassidy Gets More Backstory

There’s always a character or two on a new show that takes time to develop, and we’ve certainly had that on Sheriff Country with Gina and Cassidy.

However, I will give the series credit, as there are clearly teases here and there, and we did learn a lot about Cassidy in a recent episode as she helped a sufferer of domestic violence.

On Sheriff Country Season 1 Episode 7, we learn a little more. She had a sister, and something happened to that sister that we don’t get to know about.

It’s possible to infer a few things, in that Cassidy’s sister likely passed away, but with Cassidy’s story of domestic violence, the two arcs may connect.

We need more of Cassidy’s personal life, as this episode is only the second time we’ve even seen her out of uniform.

It’s almost like her job is her whole life, but working on the car at the end of “Glory Days” makes it clear that is not the case.

We’re still in the early days of Sheriff Country Season 1, though, and there’s been a lot going on with Mickey and Boone’s storylines, but I would like to see things pick up for Cassidy outside of her relationship with Travis very soon.

Wes Going Legit

The episode certainly brings up a reason for many people not to go legit when it comes to selling weed.

Wes is put off by the paperwork and government oversight in his operations, and it genuinely makes him question whether going legit is worth it.

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In the end, it’s not Mickey, Travis, or even the threat of the law itself that makes Wes decide that he has to go legit; it’s all about Skye.

Having these two with their B — or sometimes C — stories has been incredible, as it highlights the fact that age is just a number. They are both struggling with the same issues.

Sheriff Country has done a fantastic job of showcasing Wes and Skye’s relationship and how that bond has grown in a short time.

We’ve had a chance to see how they lean on each other and support one another, and even how they need to be in each other’s lives.

Having Wes choose his granddaughter over everything means the world to Skye, and of course, she’s going to help him with the paperwork.

There is a hint of a potential future for Skye in all of this, as she clearly handles paperwork well and shows signs of familiarity with legal documents and contracts. Could she become a paralegal or something similar?

With so much focus on what Wes will do with his life, we do need to spend time on Skye and see her develop personally, and not just in terms of her bond with her grandfather.

Mickey and Travis Reminisce

The case of the week was brutal, but it also continued to highlight Mickey and Travis’ past. While they worked a case that took them to high school, they couldn’t help but reminisce.

There are plenty of feelings still between them, and I did love the point Mr. Diamond made about flames of love being like stars in the sky — has it really flamed out?

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Mickey and Travis clearly haven’t flamed out, and the hour finally gives us a real connection that could have me rooting for them.

While Mickey says they get along well now because they’re divorced, she’s not looking at why that is.

Being divorced has taken the pressure off them and made their relationship work, and now they can see what they did like about each other as they continue to co-parent their adult child.

Mickey’s Ironclad Instincts

Sometimes, I do wish Mickey were wrong about a suspect, though, as it’s going to make her head big soon.

During this episode, she refused to believe that Mr. Diamond was a predator because she looked up to him for the way he helped her in high school.

However, everyone had a reason to suspect him because some of the things he did could be taken the wrong way, and he should have thought about that.

I was happy that he wasn’t the predator in the end, because I would hate to see what that would do to Mickey, realizing that he was potentially grooming her as a teen, but I would like to see her instincts be wrong just the once.

The case itself is critical, focusing on predators in school and how they can manipulate people, but the episode didn’t do it justice.

This is something I’m finding with a few cases on Sheriff Country. Those cases serve as catalysts for the personal arcs rather than as essential cases in their own right.

With Sheriff Country landing a second season, there is time to correct this, and maybe once all the characters have been thoroughly introduced, the series can put the focus on some of the police work.

Sheriff Country airs on Fridays at 8/7c on CBS.

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