Question: [Spoiler Alert] I am totally shocked that Ryan Phillippe’s character was killed off on the premiere episode of ABC’s Big Sky. Phillippe was the reason I tuned in! I will be curious how the ratings go as the season progresses. This could go really well for ABC or be a total bomb. What are your thoughts? — Melinda B.
Matt Roush: I do know that the fate of his character Cody Hoyt comes straight from the source material: C.J. Box’s thriller The Highway – and I was shocked when I read it, especially since Cody had been the hero of an earlier Box book, which might have given the twist more impact if there had been more context to his background. That said, it’s obviously a calculated risk to do something that drastic that early, but I imagine that’s what drew David E. Kelley to the idea of adapting it for network TV. This kind of reminds me of what it would have been like to see Psycho upon its release in 1960, having no idea that Janet Leigh would meet her fate in the shower halfway through the film. As the focus now turns on Cody’s survivors, his estranged wife, played by Katheryn Winnick, and his P.I. partner/lover, Kylie Bunbury and their search for the kidnapped sisters, we’ll see how many follow. It’s not easy for any network show to break through these days, so I give Big Sky some credit for trying to make some noise early in the game.
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