*Spoiler Alert*
For weeks now, ABC has been busy promoting its new fall series “Big Sky.” Teasers ran on Instagram feeds, ads popped up online and trailers debuted during commercial breaks for “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelorette.”
The mystery thriller, from esteemed television creator David E. Kelley, follows a group of detectives hunting down a kidnapping truck driver in Helena, Montana.
And, in case you missed it, the show stars Ryan Phillippe.
Aside from the occasional guest spot, Phillippe, ’90s heartthrob of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Cruel Intentions” fame, hasn’t been seen on network TV since his role as Ben Crawford in 2015′s “Secrets and Lies.” So, understandably, his casting in the Kelley drama sparked interest among stuck-at-home viewers.
Leigh Blickley·Senior Entertainment Reporter, HuffPost Wed, November 18, 2020, 5:19 AM HST ABC's "Big Sky" stars Katheryn Winnick as Jenny Hoyt, Ryan Phillippe as Cody Hoyt, and Kylie Bunbury as Cassie Dewell. (Photo: ABC/Kharen Hill) ABC's "Big Sky" stars Katheryn Winnick as Jenny Hoyt, Ryan Phillippe as Cody Hoyt, and Kylie Bunbury as Cassie Dewell. (Photo: ABC/Kharen Hill) For weeks now, ABC has been busy promoting its new fall series “Big Sky.” Teasers ran on Instagram feeds, ads popped up online and trailers debuted during commercial breaks for “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelorette.”
The mystery thriller, from esteemed television creator David E. Kelley, follows a group of detectives hunting down a kidnapping truck driver in Helena, Montana.
And, in case you missed it, the show stars Ryan Phillippe.
Aside from the occasional guest spot, Phillippe, ’90s heartthrob of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Cruel Intentions” fame, hasn’t been seen on network TV since his role as Ben Crawford in 2015′s “Secrets and Lies.” So, understandably, his casting in the Kelley drama sparked interest among stuck-at-home viewers.
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“Get your first look at Ryan Phillippe in David E. Kelley’s ‘Big Sky,’” an Entertainment Weekly headline read. “You’ll Be Hooked On This Love Triangle In Ryan Phillippe’s Thriller ‘Big Sky’: Watch a Sneak Peek,” E! Online wrote. “Does Ryan Phillippe’s new drama Big Sky hit the mark?” Digital Spy asked.
“It’s a cliffhanger, this show,” Phillippe warned during one of his many press interviews ahead of the Tuesday night debut of “Big Sky.” “It’s an edge of your seat, you can’t wait for the next episode, lots of twists and turns [show].”
The 46-year-old plays Cody Hoyt, a private investigator working alongside fellow detective Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury) and his estranged wife, ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick), as they search for two missing sisters (Natalie Alyn Lind and Jade Pettyjohn). Soon, they learn the women aren’t the only ones to disappear off a certain remote highway, leading Cody to meet up with state trooper Rick Legarski (John Carroll Lynch) to learn more about the area.
Then, Cody dies.
Yes, Phillippe’s character is shot and killed by undercover bad guy Legarski in a “Game of Thrones”-like twist. Only, “Big Sky” isn’t “Game of Thrones.”
The closing moment of the pilot episode was almost irritating, and left Phillippe followers, understandably, reeling.
The death didn’t surprise everyone, though. Not only is “Big Sky” based on C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell novels, those who tuned into “Good Morning America” live on Tuesday morning were prematurely spoiled when Bunbury accidentally said she was “shocked” to learn the writers kill off Phillippe.
“I also had some deep thoughts about what his fans are going to think about it,” she reportedly said as a flabbergasted Phillippe and Winnick reacted via video call. The interview was edited to remove Bunbury’s comments.
