#Big Sky: Ryan Phillippe Responds to Series Premiere’s Biggest Twist

Big Sky is not messing around. 

Big Sky Season 1 Episode 1 launched Tuesday night, and it was bursting at the seams with twists and turns. 

The new drama follows two teens (Natalie Alyn Lind and Jade Pettyjohn) and a sex worker (Jesse James Keitel) who are kidnapped by long-haul truck driver Ronald (Brian Geraghty).

The kidnapping leads to Cody (Ryan Phillippe), his ex-wife jenny (Katheryn Winnick), and his new girlfriend Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) to join forces to find the young women. 

However, things get troublesome for Cody when he asks state trooper Rick Legarski (John Carroll Lynch) for help about investigating local truckers.

He admits that he thinks they are involved in a possible sex-trafficking ring, as these disappearances are just the latest in the area.

What followed was Rick pulling out a gun and shooting Cody in his car, and boy, there’s no way he could survive such a wound. 

Phillippe was heavily featured in all of the marketing material for the show, suggesting that he was one of the three leads, so that explains why fans were thrown for a loop when his character got the death edit. 

“Oh boy, I’m in for it. I’m going to get backlash from my fans,” Phillipe explained USA Today of the development.

“They’re all excited in the comments thinking I have a new show like, ‘My guy is back on TV! I can’t wait!’ But how often are you really shocked to the point where your jaw drops? I hope that happens here.”

Indeed, it was a shocking twist, and one that sets the stage for a killer series. 

 has been promoting the series like crazy through his social media channels, leading to many fans saying they will tune in just for him. 

But the actor has admitted he likes playing the audience’s expectations. 

“It’s a very bold thing to have one of the lead actors, who’s heavily featured in the marketing, go out in the first episode.

“It sets the bar for the danger that lurks within the show and the fact that no one is safe.

“That’s going to create even more tension and commitment from the audience to lean in and really focus on what’s happening.”

As we look ahead to Big Sky Season 1 Episode 2, it seems evident that Cody’s whereabouts will raise a lot of questions. 

Have a look at the trailer for the upcoming episode, and remember you can watch Big Sky online right here via TV Fanatic. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.