What Big Sky's Finale Cliffhanger Means For Season 2 On ABC

big sky season 1 finale cassie dewell abc
(Image credit: ABC)

Spoilers ahead for the Season 1 finale of ABC's Big Sky, called "Love Is A Strange And Dangerous Thing."

The intense first season of Big Sky has come to an end, but that's not to say that the story came to any kind of satisfying conclusion. The Season 1 finale ended on a "TO BE CONTINUED" card following a shootout that led to a bloodbath, Cassie stealing a cop car, and the chase beginning with Cassie determined to catch up to Ronald and Scarlet. So, what does the cliffhanger ending with no resolution mean for the future of the series?

Well, the very good news is that Big Sky was officially renewed for Season 2 before the first season ended on the promise of "TO BE CONTINUED," with Variety reporting that Elwood Reid of Hawaii Five-0 fame will be taking over showrunner duties from creator David E. Kelley when the show returns with its second batch of episodes.

With Season 2 guaranteed and a whole lot of plot threads left dangling after "Love Is A Strange And Dangerous Thing," let's take a look at where the story stands and will probably go next when Big Sky picks up again.

Cassie Is Riding Solo

After Jenny and Cassie's instincts about Ronald proved correct and they drove straight into an ambush by men armed to the teeth and letting bullets fly to rescue him, Cassie was the last woman standing. Sheriff Tubb and Marshal Lindor were both down for the count, and Jenny took a bullet to the abdomen when she was trying to save Cassie. Jenny survived at least long enough for paramedics to get to her, but she told Cassie to go get Ronald rather than come with her to the hospital. Cassie stole a cop car and some weaponry and is on the chase, riding without any allies by her side but definitely determined.

Ronald And Scarlet Are The Main Targets

Although the second half of Season 1 initially set up the Kleinsasser family as the big bads with Ronald seemingly as star of the B Plot, that was completely switched around by the time of the finale. All the men of the Kleinsasser family were dead, killed by each other or by the women of the family who'd finally had enough, and Cassie and Jenny were more or less game to leave them be. This means that Cassie doesn't have to split her focus between targets when the show returns for Season 2. She can keep her eye on the prize of chasing down Ronald and Scarlet, and I wouldn't bet against her.

Cassie Might Have The Advantage

Ronald may have come out on top in the big shootout thanks to the armed men showing up to rescue him, taking down all but Cassie, but Cassie might still have the advantage on them in Season 2. After the thug who orchestrated the rescue refused to go back to let Scarlet collect her daughter, Ronald and Scarlet killed him and commandeered the car they were all in. Ronald and Scarlet are on the run, but lacking the protection and firepower that let them score the big win over the good guys, and the goal of getting Phoebe could be a weakness.

Jenny's Fate Revealed

Now, I very highly doubt that Big Sky is going to kill off Jenny unless Katheryn Winnick for some reason decides to leave between Season 1 and Season 2, but her fate was still very much uncertain. While she was alive, she was in a lot of pain, and there could be a lot of damage that wasn't immediately clear in the Season 1 finale. Even if she lives, she could be out of commission for a while, and perhaps even permanently altered. Whatever Big Sky does with Jenny, it will have to pay off on one of the finale's biggest shockers of her getting shot. And what about her potentially becoming sheriff?

A Time Jump (Probably)

While I'm guessing that Season 2 will pick up almost exactly where Season 1 left off, I also think that it's pretty likely that a time jump will shortly follow once Big Sky tidies up the cliffhanger. It would let Jenny heal at least somewhat (assuming she survives), and allow the women to emotionally recover enough to start tackling new cases. They were both put through the wringer in Season 1 starting all the way back in the series premiere, after all! There is a lot of mess that needs to be cleaned up, and Big Sky could just skip ahead in time to avoid the bulk of it.

For now, fans can only wait until ABC has some news about when and what to expect from Big Sky Season 2, but at least that waiting doesn't have to include worrying that it will join other Tuesday night shows that got the axe this cancellation/renewal season. Our 2021 summer TV schedule can show you some viewing options over the Big Sky break, and there will be plenty of options streaming and on the small screen.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).