Jensen Ackles at the end of Big Sky Season 3, The Fate of Beau (2023)

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale ofbig sky

From the moment we met him, Sheriff Beau Arlen (Jensen Ackles) seemed marked for death.

no alphabetbig sky,The body count is nothing to sneeze at. So when it turned out that Ackles had only signed on as a series regular for one season, chances were his sheriff beau wouldn't make it out of Montana alive. But in perhaps the show's most surprising twists, after an action-packed season finale, she's still very much alive and well...for now.

"It was certainly up in the air," Ackles says with a laugh of Beau's fate. “Even in the middle of the season I didn't know what was going to happen. I only signed for one season. I thought they just brought me in to get stronger and break me and I was in the process of doing that. I was happy to do that. .to play the part. So I thought, 'How are they going to do that?' But then, I think, midway through the season, there was talk that maybe we should leave the door open."

Serve as a temporary sheriff and develop a strong bond with Jenny Hoyt (katherin winnick), Beau built a house for himselfbig skyBut things came to a head in the Season 3 finale when Buck (Rex Linn) was approached by Beau and Jenny after they found out he was the Bleeding Heart Killer. The stakes only increased when Buck kidnapped Beau's daughter, Emily (Cree Cicchino), pushing Beau to his limits and forcing the demons to flee Houston.

Mas no finale, Sunny (Reba McEntire) shoots Buck, ending a confrontation between him and Beau. Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) and Cormac (Luke Mitchell) rescue Emily and Denise (Dedee Pfeiffer) and everything goes back to normal for now while Beau reflects on his connection to Jenny and talks about his past.

We called Ackles to ask about Beau's unexpected survival, his chemistry with Jenny and if he can stay when the series is renewed for Season 4.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How much restraint did it take for Beau to avoid seriously injuring or even killing Buck during their arguments?

JENSEN ACKLES:It's one of those things that if he hadn't had the training he's had and if he wasn't someone who's there to follow the book and play by the rules, he's probably going to get his emotions over it would endure. des. It was difficult to interpret: the anger that a father can feel when he is in this position. It wasn't that difficult for me to imagine what exactly I could do with three children in this situation. I will say that I probably wouldn't have the reluctance that Beau had. But other than that, I don't have the kind of police training he comes from and the history and experience to compartmentalize those emotions. Still, the line with him really blurred in those moments. It was fun playing with those blurred lines and delving into an irrational, emotional father versus a cop doing his job.

IfWe met you at the end of season 2, Beau had a very strong 'old man' energy and looked like he would tangle with Jenny. But immediately this was not the case. Would you say it was your pivot or the writers or a combination of both?

I went inThis boy will try to conquer everyone.. He will assess the situation and stay on his way. He wants everyone to be on his team and for that he will go in and try to win everyone over. You have to if you're going to run a department and try to run people the way a sheriff would have to run his district. I realized that when I was hired as quarterback on a new franchise, and I tried to befriend the frontline and befriend everyone else on the team and make sure they respect me and I respect them respect. He's not there to screw things up and be a bully and make enemies. He's there to find teammates. At first, Jenny's resistance only gave Beau more momentum to get her on his side. He also played the long game. It hasn't crossed the line. He tried to keep as calm as possible.

You signed on for a season, but he says the town needs a sheriff in that last scene. If the show is renewed, will Beau stay? is there a word about it

I have nothing to say to you about that. That's above my salary. If there is a contract and they tell me to go there, then I go there. But I had a great time there and if that was it they would end up bringing me back for a few episodes just to wrap up my story or if they were bringing me back full day or they could easily dump me in a quick fall with Jenny says : "Beau's gone, he's back in Houston and that's it." Boom, let's move on Season 4. Anything can happen in this industry, and none of that would surprise me. So I'm prepared for whatever they decide to do.

We never got the full story of what brought Beau to Houston. We get a glimpse of it, and then Jenny shoves it here at the end. Do you know what that is? Did the writers or showrunner Elwood Reid give you a glimpse of that, so there was something in your pocket when you played stuff?

If yes. I don't think I'm wrong when I say he gave me a version of the backstory. Years ago, at a place called Twin Peaks, Texas, there was a major shootout involving motorcycle gangs. Many people died and some secret agents were involved. Elwood referred to this as something he could assume had happened and that he knew my partner was undercover and there would be a shake up. And the lines blurred and I saw red and I let my partner in with no support. Beau sort of blamed himself for letting that happen and never really got over the fact that he'd let his partner down on this one. I myself filled in a few more blanks as it happened, but we never really delved into it. We've seen it here and there, but basically it was just that: A huge stab operation went wrong and Beau felt a lot of guilt for surviving.

Beau's wife Carla is now single, for better or for worse.

(laughs) Yes, it is.

The chemistry between him and Jenny is also right. If you went back who would you want to end up with? Or who do you think is the best person for him to pursue?

It is difficult. Personally, I'm a family man. I've been married for almost 13 years. I have three kids so I would say what makes sense is what keeps the family together and that would definitely be better for the daughter. Sure, there's still a lot of emotion between Carla and Beau, and when you're going through a tragedy like this, it's certainly something to build on. But does that only end up Beau and Carla ending up in the same place they broke up in the first place? It could very well be, and maybe Beau needs a fresh start, and he could make a great father from afar. There are all sorts of variables, and people make all sorts of interesting situations work in this world. I don't know if I could say, "Oh, you have to go this way." Apparently the chemistry between Beau and Jenny is right, an unresolved chemistry by the way (laughs). But then there's the family unit, which Beau values ​​deeply, especially when it comes to his daughter.

If Beau doesn't come back to Houston, can we see more of Emily?

He was a perfect fit for Dewell and Hoyt's research team. Maybe it's something that once he decides to spread his wings a little, he shows up and hangs out with his dad and learns the true art of detective work. This could certainly be a future for Beau and Emily. I don't know where that falls with Carla, but it's great because when you have a storyline and characters that are so nuanced and so much chemistry between them all, it really gives you a lot of options. That's something I think the writers have handled very well this season, and it's something they'll likely continue to handle very well.

Regardless of whether he stays in Montana or returns to Houston, what do you wish for Beau's future? And maybe Cassie and Jenny a little too?

At the very least, I would expect Beau to be a highlight in the storybig skyfor Cassie and Jenny. And if for some reason Beau isn't in season 4, maybe they'll use him as a reference. Maybe Jenny is involved in some antitrust thing and calls Beau, and it's just a quick call, "Hey, can you give me some tips on A, B, and C?" If Beau continues to be a great asset to them and someone who can help them navigate some situations, that would be a good outing.

How would you summarize your time?Big Sky: Deadly Traces?

I had a nice time. It was a lot of fun going in there and shaking things up and I think that's what they hired me for. I feel like a season three guy now.I came with The Boys in season three and shake things up. Now I come to the third seasonbig skyshake things up. I'm like, "What other season 3 show am I going to visit and try to shake things up?" But hey, if this is my show, I'll play as much as I can. He was a fun character. Elwood was great. I look forward to working with him in the future if notbig sky, then something. Lets see what happens. I could be back in that horrible car they made me drive for the last six months. I hope they actually added some brakes because that was a nightmare. I was like, "Could they use me as a squad card or something?" I understand it's TV and we're trying to be nice and he's a nice guy, but come on give me something with decent braces.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

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