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(low, tense music)
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(helicopter in distance)
- [Radio] 41st infantry combat support hospital.
Incoming wounded, we're approaching your position now.
- [Woman] Captain Connelly, the transport has arrived.
- [Man] Hurry, he's bleeding out.
- Get this thing clamped off.
Major, help me get his shirt off.
- We were on standard patrol, open terrain.
They came out of the trees from the west,
about 160 yards out.
He ran to the front and got hit with an IED.
- All right, we got thoracic abdominal,
pelvic injury.
- I got hit pretty good, huh?
- Prep 10 units of RPCs.
- Hey, buddy, you're gonna be okay.
You're in good hands.
- All right, let's move.
Hey, Rios?
You didn't have to do all this just to get my number,
you know, you could have just asked.
- I thought this way would be more dramatic, you know?
(soft, reflective music)
- Hang in there, Rios.
- [Radio] Today we're here with Russel Ashton
of the United Animal Protection Agency.
We're gonna speak about the major passing
of a recent Title 23.
- [Radio] Good morning, Trent.
We at the UAPA want to enforce the importance
of this title, as it protects animals
from terrible and potentially dangerous situations.
- [Radio] I understand, but what I'm concerned about--
anybody driving by saying "I saw thin animals,"
and that's enough to launch an investigation
on any rancher's herd.
- [Radio] It's the animal's well-being
that comes first and foremost, period.
- [Sheriff] Let's take a look
at this sick horse, Hoag.
- [Hoag] Of course.
I'm not sure what to do.
I've never seen something like this.
- That just don't look good.
- Uh-oh.
Let's get back to work.
- Morning, boys.
Josh Falvey, Fergus Falls Daily.
- What brings you out so early?
- Well, Sunday piece coming out in a couple weeks
on how ranchers have fared through the winter.
These Hoag Rafferty's horses?
- Yeah.
And they'll be coming through winter just fine.
We'll get them there.
- Hoag's in the barn with the sheriff now.
Going over their compliance.
They went pretty well
and grass is coming, just around the corner.
- Yeah.
- Remember that for your Sunday piece.
- I will do.
- We got a bale for ya.
- Thanks, but no thanks.
- Winter's been hard on all of us, Roger.
- I understand, Hoag.
We all do.
(soft tense music)
- I know.
We gonna get some meat on those bones.
(groans)
(gunshot)
(pants)
Tom!
Tom.
- [Sheriff] Annie, two men down at the Rafferty Ranch.
Possible heart attack, send an ambulance.
Second man down, fatal gunshot wound.
Possible accident, probable suicide.
(cell phone vibrating)
- If this is the wrong number I'm gonna hunt you down.
- I take it you're still 6,719 miles away from me?
- No, actually I'm on the beach.
Yeah, feeling the sand.
Sipping on a daiquiri, watching all the sexy men surf.
- Listen, your dad is fine but he collapsed yesterday.
- What happened?
- Heart attack.
I was quickly reminded I'm not family.
I tried, they wouldn't tell me squat.
- They release him?
- In a few days.
You better talk to your CO and get home.
- I mean, isn't there a private nurse
that can take care of him or something?
- Yeah, her name is Janna Connelly.
♪ When I die ♪
♪ Let the wolves enjoy my bones ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ Let me go ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ Let the wolves enjoy my bones ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ Let me go ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ You can push me out to sea ♪
♪ When I die ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
- That will be 5.50.
Oh, do you have another one, by any chance?
I just gave out my last single.
- Wait a second.
You want me to give you a 10 and a one?
- Yeah, if you give me another one
I can you give you a five and two quarters back.
Listen, I'm just out of singles.
Otherwise I have to give you 18 quarters.
- Let me get this straight.
You want me to give you a 10 and a one,
making that 11 dollars for an energy drink
and a bag of trail mix?
- Yeah.
- Are you playing me?
- I'll just take it out of the tip jar.
- Excuse me, Officer, are you Carl Hagen, by any chance?
- What's that?
- Yeah, I knew you as PK, the preachers kid.
God, I never pictured you in law enforcement
or growing up to be sheriff.
- I'm Deputy Carl Haggen, do we know each other?
- Yeah, I'm Janna Connelly, we went to high school together.
- Oh, shit.
Janna Banana?
- You remember me, don't you?
- Yeah, of course I do.
- God, Paxton County Sheriff suits you.
(laughs)
- Yeah, yeah, well.
Deputy-- it will be awhile till I'm Sheriff.
- Right.
Okay, well I'm gonna head up to the ranch, so.
- Yeah.
- It was good to see you.
- Yeah, it was good to see you, too.
- Deputy Carl.
- I'll see you around, Banana.
- See you around.
Whew!
(low, somber music)
(horse whinnies)
Jack?
Hey boy, remember me?
Yeah.
Yeah, there you are.
- Looks like he missed you.
Sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to startle you.
Dell's ranch hand, Brock, Brock McCarty.
- Oh.
No, you just caught me off guard.
I'm Janna Connelly.
- I know.
He's been expecting you at some point,
we just didn't know when.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
How is he?
Dell.
- He's been home for about a week or so.
He's tired... as expected.
Had to force him to sit in that old chair by the TV.
He's got to learn to leave all the heavy lifting
to others for awhile, though.
- I'm sure he doesn't like that.
- Oh no, sure doesn't.
Old Jack likes a body brush.
Likes the soft bristles.
Ain't that right, boy?
Here you go.
That's a good boy.
- He trusts you.
- He knows I mean him no harm.
Been here about three months now.
Just getting to know each other.
Isn't that right, Jackie boy?
- Well, it looks like they've both been in good hands.
(TV plays in background)
- Welcome home.
(soft, reflective music)
- You went away and grew up on me.
- Yeah, I guess I did.
So the doctor said atrial flutter?
Now, we got to be careful about that.
That can be dangerous.
- It was a flutter, it was nothing.
I was overdoing it with Tom,
and hell, Old Man Rafferty
decided he didn't want any more of winter,
and when the gun went off, it caught me off guard is all.
- He have any family left?
- I think he outlived everyone around him.
Big ranch, isolation like that,
old man, Dakota winters.
You put all that together,
a man will do some desperate things.
- Yeah.
(soft instrumental music)
(kettle whistling)
- I want to go lay in that new trough.
- Sounds good.
Look who's up.
- Yeah.
Dell, I hate to break it to you
but you're not gonna walk to the bathroom
until we go over your meds, check your BP.
- Calvary's arrived.
- That's right.
Half-awake but fully operational.
- Morning, Dell.
- Morning, Roger.
- Deputy. - Ms. Connelly.
- You remember Janna?
- It's been awhile, but I sure do.
Carl said he ran into you coming to town last night.
- Yeah.
Paxton sure hasn't changed much.
- Well, now, a big captain in the Army.
Medic on leave.
Just came home to help me
with a few things around the ranch.
- Well, appreciate your service.
You do Paxton proud.
- Thank you, appreciate yours, as well.
- This is Brock, our ranch hand.
What brings you all the way out here, Roger?
- Take a walk with me a minute, Dell?
Must be nice having your daughter back after all this time.
- Well, it is.
She wasn't too keen on coming back to Paxton.
We got some things to work out, but it's good.
So I know you didn't come all this way
to check on old Dell Connelly.
- The old man's suicide shook up things
pretty good in Bismarck.
- Oh?
- The UAPA got wind of Hoag, got out to his ranch
and did an inspection of his herd.
You know, you were there.
- His animals came out of winter all right.
Hell, he's no skinnier than I am coming out of winter.
- Yeah, well there's new directives coming down the pike
from the States Attorney's office because of it.
It's called the Title 23.
Spot inspections.
Felony counts for non-compliance.
- What?
- It's the vets that have the enforcement power, Dell.
Court's gonna act without informing owners,
taking livestock based solely on someone's complaint.
- I don't know of one rancher, not around here,
who neglects or abuses his animals.
But I do see why you came out here now.
- Yeah, so you got some fencing issues,
cracked tank heater, and found some mold in the barn stacks.
- Yeah, appreciate you stopping by.
- Thanks for your time, Dell.
We'll be seeing ya.
- [Janna] What was all that about?
- About the reputation of our ranch, is what.
Sale of horses, yearlings...
they depend on it.
We lose that, we lose everything.
- Well, these fixes are doable.
Brock and I--
- No, it's about more than that.
I've had that same list for Brock for two months
that the deputy handed us today.
That should of been done by now.
There's no excuse for that.
I pay him enough.
- Well, Dell, in all fairness, Brock's been pulling
double duty since you've been laid up.
- Just leave that, girl.
And he should of been pulling triple duty.
Horses and sheep, they don't wait for somebody
to come around.
Unless you've forgotten how to ranch.
- Forgotten?
Forgotten how I went to work when your most precious
ranch was stake?
Forgotten how you leaned on me at 14 to fill her shoes?
Shit, you know, I didn't kill her, Dell,
but you sure treat me like I did.
Yeah, let's not have a conversation about this,
you're right.
And I haven't been a girl in a long time.
So, Sheriff came by to talk about fencing issues,
couple gaps by the road, field fixes.
Normal post code of winter stuff.
- Routine.
- He got really upset about it,
and so he started pushing buttons,
I started pushing back and then
all of a sudden it's like I'm 14 again.
Just stuck in that tiny little box.
- Didn't take long, did it?
- No.
- Look, I'm sorry,
I just thought you should be here.
- No, listen, when you called, I was coming off
of 36 hour shifts.
God, I was working on this young guy,
just choking in a pool of his own blood.
I mean I didn't even grab the paddles,
I just, I knew it was over.
(tense music)
I just held his hand, talking about the date
we were gonna on someday.
Where are you gonna take me?
We going to dinner?
A movie?
- Don't let me die.
(somber music)
- He shut his eyes and died on the table.
We're losing blood.
Get me another clamp.
Guys come on, hurry.
(flat line beeping)
That's how I felt back-- back at the house with Dell,
just so far apart,
like I couldn't save him either.
(phone rings)
Take it, sorry.
- Hello?
Okay.
I'll be right there.
- No, you can't leave me.
- Keltin got caught on a fence halfway over it.
Torn up pretty good.
Just breathe.
All right you and Dell both work on your stubborn ways
back home again.
- I know.
- When you come in for that kind of approach,
it's always a little bumpy.
- Nice shot, Haggen.
(country music)
♪ Something never looks so right ♪
♪ There was trouble up ahead ♪
♪ I'm hitting every green light ♪
♪ You know I'm due to hit a red ♪
- Hi, Carl.
- Fireball shots on me.
- Oh, uh.
Thanks, but I'm okay.
I wouldn't want you pulling me over.
You know buzzed driving is drunk driving.
- No, I would never do that.
I wouldn't do that to Janna Banana.
Firm warning, maybe.
- You just keep calling me that, don't ya?
- You know I love the songs you put on the jukebox, Janna.
Dicky Peterson.
The High Lonesome.
(whistles)
- Oh, watch your step there, Carl.
Oh, lordy.
- Fiery.
That's what I remember about you, is you,
you were fiery.
- Sweetheart, um.
- What?
- Ever seen the movie "Braveheart"?
- Oh, I love that movie.
- Starting to look a lot like William Wallace.
- I got a bunch of blue chalk all over my face?
- Yeah, just a little bit.
(laughs)
- Okay.
Uh.
I think I better go home now.
I still like the songs you put on the jukebox, Banana.
- Bye, Carl.
To Paxton's finest.
(men shouting in background)
- No help firing a shot.
My compliments.
- Yeah, it's a gift.
I happen to work with a lot of men.
My father's one of them.
- You mind if I join you?
- Yes.
- I won't breathe on you, I promise.
Unless, of course, you want me to
then actually I'm open for negotiations.
It's kind of sad drinking alone.
- Oh, I'm not sad.
Just alone.
- I was talking about me.
Saddest, loneliest cowboy in Paxton County.
Might help if I could tell you a joke.
- Oh, really?
All right, let's hear it, cowboy.
- All right.
A horse walks into a bar,
looks kind of lonely, orders a couple mojitos.
Bartender says, hey why the long face?
- Oh, that's it?
(laughs)
That's the stupidest joke I've ever head.
You should try standup.
- Really? - No.
(laughs)
- Could we get two of whatever Braveheart was...
Uh, name's Matt.
- Janna.
- My friends call me--
- Let me ask you something.
This whole easy going southern cowboy thing work for you?
- Well, ma'am, I have no idea what you're talking about,
but I like where it's going.
- All right, fine, cowboy.
I can do drinks.
But anything else ain't happening.
(country rock music)
- I think old Deputy Carl dodged a bullet with you.
- Will you stop talking and take my pants off?
Oh, shit, shit, shit.
Holy shit.
(soft, tense music)
- You go check the barn.
Go check the fence.
- Brock!
Janna!
- Morning.
- Morning, Matt.
- You know, I make a mean bacon and egg scramble.
- God, that sounds so good.
I...
I gotta head, but...
Thank you.
(soft country guitar music)
- [Morel Voiceover] Connelly Ranch, case 19.
Doctor Morel field report.
The property in disrepair.
Recommending further investigation.
(phone ringing)
- [Phone] Hi, thanks for calling.
You've reached Marla Orton, leave a message.
- Oh, God you are in deep trouble for leaving me last night.
Please call me back as soon as you can.
Thank you.
- Which one was it?
- Old draft horse in the first stall.
His ears were hanging down.
I checked his nose and nasal passages.
There's a lot of discharge.
- What's that mean?
- Well, possible Herpes virus.
Too early for Potomac Horse Fever.
He's past vet intervention.
Should we tag the foal?
- Well.
- What other horses have been near this stall?
- I don't know what else to tell you, Dell.
Vet said the virus is contagious.
Now the foal has to be quarantined.
So, it's bad luck.
- Jack was Adeline's horse, Roger.
She had him since he was a foal.
- Yeah, I know.
But doing the right thing is rarely doing the easy thing.
Looking out for the rest of your herd,
now that's doing the right thing.
- I know it is.
- Now, I wouldn't ask you to do this
unless I'd do it myself for ya.
- How'd you get so sick, huh?
I'm gonna put you off in the back quarter,
by that little knoll you liked so much when summers came.
I won't ever visit that I won't think about
what you meant to us.
I'll have it written...
"Here lies the one that loved us all."
"And in turn was loved as much."
(soft somber music)
(gunshot)
- Dell?
What's the matter?
Where's Brock?
What the fuck?
Where's his shit?
(soft, reflective music)
I'm sorry.
I should of been here, I'm sorry.
- She loved that horse.
Morning.
- Morning.
- Can I get you more tea?
- No, I'm okay, thank you.
They took Sugar, too?
- They did.
- Do we even know where?
- They said they'd let us know.
- That's comforting.
- New guidelines.
- Lack of care for livestock, pasture too short.
Feed purchase records, inaccessible roads.
I mean, they're making us sound like accused criminals.
And then I took that out of Jack's nostril.
- I'll send it out right away. When I get the results,
I'll come out and check on some animals.
- God, I just don't get it.
- It's the result of this new law.
You know, piss off the wrong neighbor
can cause you a lot of trouble.
A person can falsely accuse a rancher of abuse,
causing them to go broke just to prove their innocence.
Cost them nothing, cost you the ranch.
- No wonder the old man killed himself.
- How's mister beautiful man in the bunkhouse,
the one you were talking about, how's he taking it?
- Oh, he's not.
Yeah, he just up and left.
- You get what you pay for.
- God, I need someone out there Dell can really count on.
- Oh, wait I might have a guy.
He was just in here for a client looking for a place
to work and sleep.
- Really?
- Yeah, go to Mr. Mom's diner, his name's Hudson.
I'll call him, I'll explain everything so he knows.
- Oh, my God, thank you so much.
- Of course.
Bye. - Okay, I love you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Can I also get the check when you have a chance?
- Of course.
- Shit.
- Here you go. - Thanks.
(phone buzzing)
- [Phone] He show up yet?
- No, but I did run into the guy that
to me to the Ritz R and R.
- No. - Yeah.
Yeah, he's sitting at the counter and he is not happy.
God, this is embarrassing.
- [Phone] The only thing worse than waking up with a guy
in the first day is seeing him on the second.
- What's your guy look like again?
- [Phone] Hudson?
Blonde hair, blue eyes, about six foot one.
Oh, and he kind of can't grow a beard.
- I gotta go.
Hey.
Your last name wouldn't by any chance be Hudson, would it?
Oh.
(soft guitar music)
- [Matt] Wow, this all yours?
- My family's.
- It's beautiful.
- Used to have 160 horses at some point
when I was a kid.
Then Dell hired this Brock guy,
he just took off.
Too much for him I guess.
- Yeah, I've known some ranch hands like that.
They like the idea of being a cowboy
just not the real work.
This Brock guy though, he might take the cake.
All along your fence there, you got a bunch
of baling wire patch jobs.
Anybody even trying would of replaced the whole length.
- You think it was deliberate?
- Well, I don't want to talk bad about a stranger, but...
- All right.
Well, I got to make a decision.
So we got a deal?
- Moneys fine, bunkhouse is fine
but I do have one request.
- What's that? - Next time you got
an itch that needs scratching
and you come a knocking, I'm gonna ask you
to know my full name before we commence.
- Oh, a cowboy with principles, huh?
- Yes, ma'am.
(laughs)
- You're gonna make me pay for this aren't you?
- Yes, ma'am.
- Okay.
- The mucus test came back.
Old Jack was sick all right
- What was it?
- EHV-1, equine herpes virus.
Really contagious.
- We've never had that before.
- It happens.
I feel bad but, he might of died anyway.
You did the right thing, Dell.
This horse is fine.
- What happens next?
- Let's make it official, right?
I'll assess the entire herd, blood samples, everything.
I can set up a feeding and warming plant
to get these animals back into shape.
- Here you go, Sheriff.
- Thank you.
Carl.
Why don't you go over there and casually see
what you can find out.
- Yeah, who is that?
(upbeat instrumental music)
- Oh, hi, Carl.
- You getting some feed, huh?
- Yup.
Knocking down that list you gave us.
Don't want to be caught short next time you come out.
- Yeah, good deal.
- I'm Matt Hudson, nice meeting you.
- Yeah, of course.
Uh, Deputy Carl Haggen.
- Yeah, Matt's our new ranch hand.
We're picking up where Brock left off.
- Yeah, what happened to him?
- He just left, no idea.
Found a better situation for himself, I guess.
- Well.
I appreciate the compliance.
I'll be sure to let the sheriff know that.
- What you find out?
- Well, it looks like Ms. Connelly's hired new ranch hand,
a Matt Hudson.
- A new ranch hand.
Well, good for her.
- Yeah.
I knew her back in high school but,
never paid much attention to her or anything like that.
- I like how you handled yourself there, Carl.
You're learning.
Subtly, but you're learning.
- Hey.
Hey.
We got the list of conditions from the state attorney.
- Underweight horses?
That's debatable.
- Fence repair, brush clearing, standing water.
Yeah, we've seen that already.
- Wait, replace bad wiring in the water trough tank heater.
Where is that?
- It's up in the north field.
- Yeah, sure enough,
looks like you got exposed electrical wiring.
I've seen animals electrocuted by this.
- Thank God this one's dry.
- Looks like ice got in there and corroded the connections.
- How did they know?
- Well, everybody's got trough heaters.
- If you don't then-- - No, no, no. I mean.
Did you see Dr. Morel and her people come out here
or the Sheriff?
- Panel was rusted shut.
Nobody's been here.
- The panels rusted shut and there's no tire marks
or shoe prints.
How did they know?
Don't you see?
It was Brock.
The inspectors didn't go out to the north field
but it's right here in the state attorney's own stationary.
- You think this Brock guy's tied all the way up
to the state's attorney's office?
- No.
But we know the Sheriff is.
- You got no way of proving that.
- I think we need some help.
Legal help.
Dell Connelly, I'm his daughter, Janna.
I'm picking up from Dr. Kruger.
Thank you.
(soft, reflective music)
- Everything okay?
- Just drive.
- Well (laughs), doesn't take a genius
to see what's happening here.
It's this new statute.
They couldn't get it through the voters
so they did an Enron,
shoved it right through the legislature.
- But why?
- It's these animal rights groups like the UAPA.
They have a lock on the state, all the laws
that are being implemented, offering training
to law enforcement.
They moved into North Dakota after pushing this new law.
- But, why would they want to take ranchers' horses?
It doesn't make any sense.
- Oh, well.
Lots of reason.
They'll tell you it's because they're taking care
of the animals but the truth is
those horses are worth cash whether they're healthy or not.
- Okay, then so what can she do?
- Well, you need to show them you're compiling,
first of all, and as soon as I get that vet assessment
from you pal Dr. Marla, the care plan for the horses.
- Yeah. - You and I can walk
it over to the courthouse ourselves.
That will buy you some time
and you get that ranch in order.
- Okay.
- We had an agreement, Tom.
(dial tone) Tom?
Tom!
Tom Gardner just hung up on me.
He says he doesn't have any hay for us this year.
- I have an idea why.
- Now listen, Dell, we've known each other a long time.
- 35 years, Tom.
- I told your pa, Janna.
I just don't have any hay to sell.
- Tom, you and I pulled hay for Hoag,
what two three weeks ago?
There's plenty of hay there.
- Since then, I sold to the young feller,
over at Mandan.
He came took everything I had.
Paid top dollar, too.
- This actually the truth of it?
Mr. Gardner, is this why you won't sell your hay to us?
People will think it's your hay
that contaminated the Connelly ranch?
Jack got put down for EHV-1 had nothing
to do with the product coming from your ranch.
- Ruth, I got this, go on.
- Tom.
These people, your friends deserve the truth.
You owe them that.
- It's title 23.
Everybody's spooked.
All the ranchers are hiding from the Sheriff and his posse.
- Tom's scared that what happened
to you can happen to us, too.
Sheriff visits, articles,
the value of our stock goes down.
- Reputation's everything, Dell, you know that.
Any whiff of fever or some problem with our hay,
we're finished.
- First they want to take my damn livestock
now they want to take my friends.
(somber tense music)
- Okay, Dell, let's see about this.
- We got some calls out on those yearlings.
See if we can get some buyers lined up.
- Thank you.
Okay, so you're saying the court can act without notice?
Do you know how hard we've been working out there?
They could just show up. - I'm gonna prepare
an injunction in case they do
want to move on the ranch.
Now if they do come, that's all we got.
So you better hope it holds up.
- Absolutely not.
(laughs)
all right, 10 bucks.
I'm impressed.
- Your mother taught me some things.
- Oh!
Thank you.
- [Vin] We'll just take Marla's assessment
on over here to clerk's office.
- [Janna] Right down here?
- [Vin] Yup.
- I just thought we'd get a little color back in here.
- Mom's favorites.
God, she loved these.
You know she used to put them in the planter box
and I'd pick em and take em to school with me.
(laughs)
Hey, I made a lot of friends.
- You have your mother's hands.
- I didn't know that.
(reflective music)
You miss her, don't you?
- Every hour of every day.
- Morning specials, we have pumpkin spice pancakes
and maple bacon potato hash.
I'll give you a moment to decide.
- Thank you.
You know it's the sugar that raises cholesterol
that gives people heart disease.
So Russel, how can the Sheriff's Department
help the UAPA?
- You know all these ranchers in these parts personally?
- Most of them
and if I don't I'm happy to introduce myself.
- How much livestock is here?
- A couple thousand head, anyway.
- That's a few pesos.
- More than a few, Mr. Ashton.
When those horses are shipped across the border
no back tags, no certificates.
It's clean.
- I'll have to get firm with a few of them in my own way
but we're gonna need that political cover.
- I have no idea what you're talking about.
- Sorry, I've kept you waiting.
Have you decided?
- I think we have.
- All right, you can stay.
(Janna laughs)
(Matt groans)
- Wow, this is really something.
- Yeah, it is.
You know sometimes between shifts,
I'll go up by myself and look up at the stars,
think of this place, right here.
- You know I think everybody thinks about home
when they want a little comfort.
- Yeah, it's not always like that.
But even though I ran from this place with everything I had
I'd do anything to save it.
- I don't know if I've ever had a place like that.
- Where are you from?
We haven't really covered that.
- Nowhere, really.
A bit of a nomad.
- I know the feeling.
- There was a place near Elko, Nevada.
It's called the Ruby Mountains.
You ever?
No.
It's unreal.
It's like you're staring at a dream or something.
In fact, those stars look a lot like these.
- Sounds romantic.
You ever taken anybody up there?
- My brother.
One summer we were both ranching near Elko
so we met up, hung out, just stared at the mountains,
the stars.
You know if I had to pick a spot that I'd call home
I guess it be there, with him.
- This one time we took in this Afghan girl,
her mother had been hit, either by us or by them,
I don't remember but we took her in,
she would have these fits, inconsolable
and one night I took her out, it was just us,
we looked up at the stars and she stopped crying.
She recognized home.
- Bet she was thinking about her mother.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Maybe it's not the place that makes home, but the people?
- Maybe it is the people.
- To nomads.
- To home.
(laughs)
(phone vibrating)
- Why do you always call so early?
- Janna, it's happening.
They're on the move to the ranch.
I'm on my way.
- Shit.
(tense music)
Dad!
Dell, wake up.
Fuck.
(tense music)
- [Vin] This is Vin.
- Hi, they're on the way.
- [Vin] Okay, when you get the seizure order,
you take a picture from your phone.
I'll try to buy you some time.
- Okay.
(tense dramatic music) (heart beating)
Dell!
They're coming to take the horses.
(tense dramatic music)
- Heard you're readying to sell a few horses.
Just making sure they're clean animals is all.
It's those spot inspections we talked about.
- Looks like you already made up your mind, Roger.
(horn honks)
- I'm a licensed vet registered here in Paxton County
to corroborate any action that may be taken.
Well, you're looking at your paperwork, Dr. Morel.
(tense music) (man whistles)
- [Vin] Good morning, Raymond.
- Mr. Connelly, after checking the horses,
my suspicions have been confirmed.
Here's a notice of seizure.
The hearing will be in not more than 10 business days
from today.
- Under what authority are you taking my animals?
- Under my authority as the vet of this county.
They'll be well cared for.
- Let me see that.
- They can't take these animals with this seizure order,
it's incomplete.
This is bullshit, Victoria.
- I'm afraid you're gonna need a judge to tell us otherwise.
- [Man] All right, let's round them up.
Someone check the barn.
(tense music )
- Hey, Judge Williams.
Nice morning, isn't it?
Do you mind if I bend your ear for a second?
- Carl!
Carl, why you doing this?
- [Victoria] Bring out the mares, let's go.
- Push around local ranchers,
people you've known your entire life.
- Yeah, yeah, I'm just doing my job, Ms. Connelly.
I'm just doing what I'm told.
- That's not the preacher's son I used to know.
- [Victoria] Let's pick up the pace.
(horses neighing) (tense music)
Here goes the first trailer.
- [Man] We're good.
- Oof, Doc.
- Watch the ramp.
(man whistles) (horse neighs)
- [Janna] This isn't right.
- Damn, damn.
- [Man] All right, let's head out.
- Hello, Judge.
You got a minute?
- Fuck it.
(horns blaring)
We just got to buy some time.
- You're gonna need to move away
from the front of the trucks.
You're interfering with an officers duties.
- You have a court order based on old information.
It's not too valid, Sheriff.
I handed Marla's findings into the courthouse myself.
- I'm gonna arrest you right now for obstruction,
all of you, how'd that be?
(phone buzzing)
- You're gonna want to answer that.
- I want to answer wha-- (phone rings)
- That's your judge.
You're not taking our horses.
- Hello?
- We handed that paperwork into Cook, ourselves.
There's no way it just went missing.
- Every time we get our heads up, they push them back
down again.
- Well, I'll dig through the public county records,
see if they let anything slide between crossing their Ts
and dotting their Is.
- I can ask some other vets in other counties.
I'm sure somebody like Victoria Morel
has a few skeletons in her closet.
- I keep thinking about old Hoag.
- Thank you.
- He just didn't have anybody to help him.
- Yeah.
And no one knows where his horses went.
- I uh, I read the hit piece the Gazette did on your dad.
- To say the least.
- Well, I appreciate you coming up
to Fergus Falls this morning.
A long drive.
What can I do for ya?
- Well, I'm wanting to talk to you about the article
you wrote on Hoag Rafferty.
- The rancher?
- Yeah.
I'm curious, you never say what happened to his horses.
- Well, um.
After the coroner's office was done,
they were just hauled off somewhere.
- I noticed you didn't get a quote,
you just referred to the coroner's report.
I mean no quote from Sheriff Bostwick who was there either?
- And?
- Well, a dead man in his barn and the seizure of his horses.
You're scared of something.
- You weren't there.
- But you were.
You saw something and your article doesn't account for it.
Please.
- Oh, fuck me.
(low, tense music)
It was more than just a suicide.
See I gotten an anonymous tip that Hoag Rafferty
was neglecting his herd.
Ow, shit, shit.
The other ranchers were feeding the thin animals,
your father and Tom Gardner.
Josh Falvey, Fergus Falls Daily.
The horses weren't neglected.
They were a little skinny from winter, that's all.
Your pa told me that Rafferty was in the barn.
I didn't think any of it.
Took a few pictures of the ranch,
wanted to get a quote from Mr. Rafferty,
everyday stuff.
So I walked over.
I looked back, I saw your dad in the field
and Mr. Gardner at the truck still getting the hay out.
I went inside the barn.
I saw the rancher and the sheriff over by the window.
The old man was shaking, pleading with Sheriff Bostwick.
It felt like I was intruding so I stayed behind the tractor.
- It's cold, it's all the stress.
Living way the hell out here in Cottonwind
all by yourself.
(tense music)
- Then the Sheriff started to work on the old man.
Work on him real good.
- Your wife's gone. - Yeah, yeah.
- Kids have lost interest.
- It was more than the horse the Sheriff was after.
- [Sheriff] Hell of a lot of work to do.
- Then I saw him hand the old man his gun.
- Lot of sick animals.
- Everything I ever worked for, Roger.
- I know, Hoag.
- I thought he was gonna put down the mare in the stall.
- All the stress will be gone.
No more pain.
(tense dramatic music)
(gunshot)
- You were in the barn.
- I stepped out before the sheriff could piece together
that I may have seen the whole thing.
I ran to where your father collapsed.
- What, you didn't want to go to the authorities?
- I checked his record.
Decorated military service.
No one else to corroborate his word against mine.
The gun was in the man's hands.
The Sheriff said he was there to help him put down a horse.
Caught him off guard.
You pick.
(scoffs)
- And the horses?
- Um.
This lady, Dr. Morel, shows up,
she begins collecting horses, separating them
into different trailers.
Here.
That's the research file I put together
when I began to dig in but uh,
nothing went beyond that, I'm afraid.
- This guy.
Is his name Brock McCarty?
- Um.
A man named... Sam Mansfield.
- And he worked for Rafferty?
- He did, but he quit by the time I'd gotten out there.
Hey if I'm...
if I can be of any more help to you...
let me know.
- Thank you.
(soft tense music)
- God damn it.
- Okay, Mansfield, Mansfield.
They had to submit Dr. Morel's bonafides to the court
as part of her assessment right?
- Well, maybe the Sheriff knows something about that.
- Let's leave him out of this for right now.
- [Dell] Are you sure?
- [Janna] Yeah.
- Here it is.
Dr. Morel lists Sam Mansfield as part of rural practice
in Layman County.
So Brock is connected to Morel.
- They're probably still working together.
- No, it's bigger than that.
We're missing something.
Like what are they doing with these horses?
- [Matt] Well, any of y'all ever hear
of the Blue Orchid Ranch?
- No.
- [Janna] Why?
- There's a bunch of paperwork here the Sheriff's Department
filed before the seizure order
and on this transport slip,
looks like Deputy Carl moved some of the horses
to a Sarah Windgate at a Blue Orchid Ranch.
And here's the address.
(energetic tense music)
- What do you see?
- Well, they're definitely separating studs from the others.
- Well, a good bloodline goes for 35,000.
The rest are probably getting shipped out for processing.
- Holy shit.
Sarah Windgate looks an awful like Victoria Morel.
- That's how they're doing it.
Morel's operating as Sarah Windgate
to get these horses shipped.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, I see Sugar.
They're keeping her here, thank God.
- [Matt] Is she okay?
- Yeah, she looks fine.
- Okay.
How do we prove all this?
- Well.
We know one guy who's part of transporting horses here.
Hey, Carl.
You're out of uniform today.
You got the day off?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah day off.
- [Man] Your drink, miss.
- Thank you.
Listen, I saw you sitting over here
and I just wanted to apologize
for unloading at you on the ranch.
You got a job to do.
I should respect that, it's way out of line.
Can I get you another one, Carl?
- Yeah, sure, why not.
- Take another one on my tab.
- [Man] Sure.
- I suppose I'd feel the same way you do
if I were in your shoes.
Ranchers all over they're pissed off.
- How many?
- Well, Rafferty ain't the first one.
Far from it.
You know it's not like I'm new to this, right.
I took the classes in my community college
for law enforcement, I'm ready.
I thought I was at least.
- No, Carl, come on.
You're a good deputy.
Really, honestly, I don't know how you do it.
God and that Victoria Morel.
She tends to ride part and parcel with the Sheriff,
doesn't she?
- That lady she, she's a cold piece of work.
- You think she's after Dell personally?
- Nah, she don't care about no one but herself.
Fact is your old man just isn't worth as much
as 70 horses.
- Yeah, well speaking of horses--
- She don't even care that I have
to run these papers all the way down to Linden.
I mean can't they just email that shit?
What am I the Pony Express?
- Linden?
Why so far as Linden?
- Ah, Sheriff's got me doing it two or three times a week.
There's a satellite office out there by the bowling alley
and it takes me about an hour just to get back.
- You work hard, Carl.
(tense music)
He signed them.
Matt!
Matt, if you--
- Hey, hey, what I tell you about protocol?
- Sorry, I'm not here for that, dummy.
Here get dry, meet me outside.
- Okay so how in the hell you'd get all this?
- Dr. Morel's field office.
- Dr. Morel's field office?
- Yeah, and look at this.
Here's an assessment for a horse buyer in Colorado
and now it reads (mumbles).
- Okay, okay, so she's confiscating the horses illegally,
messing with the paperwork, selling them off for herself.
- Yeah, and look.
Here's the bill of sale for the Rafferty horses.
- Mexico.
- Yeah, and north to Canada.
These horses were sold illegally
and look who signed it, Sheriff Bostwick.
(siren in distance)
- Oh, shit. - Fuck.
- What is this, Roger?
- Hey, Sheriff.
There's not gonna be any trouble here.
- Good.
Dell Connelly.
You're under arrest for multiple accounts
of felony animal abuse and neglect.
- What?
- I'm sorry, Dell.
Deputy, read him his rights.
- Turn around.
You have the right to remain silent,
anything you say can and will be held against you
in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney,
we will provide one for you.
- Dad.
- Do you have any questions?
Do you understand your rights?
- Yes.
(tense somber music)
- We'll get him back.
- [Russel] So I thought it was absolutely genius
setting up the satellite office out there.
- [Sheriff] Yeah, we're clear out to Linden County.
- So, States Attorneys General's office
is preparing the affidavit as we speak.
Thank you.
- As long as Dell goes for it.
So this is the model moving forward now
that we have political support?
- [Russel] Exactly, exactly.
- Carl, thank you.
Could you get the door on the way out?
- Yeah.
You uh...
You don't need anything else?
- Just the door, Carl, thanks.
(low, tense music)
- [Russel] Where'd you get the prom king?
- I don't know what got into him.
- I want you with us in there today.
Hey. - Hey.
- How's my dad, he all right?
- Yeah, he's a little tired, a little shaken.
Bails been set, he'll walk today.
Now it looks like they want to make a deal.
- Yeah.
- Look at these.
- Yeah?
- Seizure orders, livestock assessments,
shipping documents, signatures, it's all there.
- You're kidding?
- Yeah, they're giving these horses new paperwork,
washing their titles and either keeping the best ones
for themselves or they sell later.
The Sheriff's getting a nice cut.
- Where did you get these?
- Absconded, is that a legal term?
- Oh, these are completely inadmissible.
Come on.
- Well, who cares?
At least we know the truth
and that's a damn good place to start.
- All right, let's go.
Excuse me, but where's the States representative?
- I'm Russel Ashton, United Animal Protection Agency.
We've been given the authority from the state
to act in this matter today.
We provide oversight for local law enforcement
cases like these.
- Okay, well it's your dime.
Let's hear it.
- We're not heartless, Mr. Connelly.
I mean we understand.
It's been a tremendous emotional and financial strain,
both on you and the ranch.
The settlement can end all this today, right now.
- So you're offering a deal?
- Okay look.
The state will drop the felony charges
if Mr. Connelly will accept a lesser charge.
- [Vin] Okay, well what would that be?
- Class A to class C misdemeanors, animal endangerment.
- That's going to mean the forfeiture of your animals, Dell.
Now I know it's bad, but, uh, any future livestock
will be limited to what, five animals or less.
- You want me to stop ranching?
That's what you're asking.
(tense music)
- So this is how you do it?
I mean to date you haven't told us where you've taken
our foal or the horses of other ranchers.
You've done nothing but stonewall.
I came home from serving my country
because my father was sick
and I found the town I grew up in even sicker.
Good men and lifelong friends turning on each other
out of fear.
The fear you've caused.
Now this land, to make something out of it
is hard enough, Mr. Ashton.
Something I'm assuming you know nothing about
and then you come in here with all the title 23s
you can write and set out to destroy a way of life
and more importantly the families that have been
here for generations.
So.
Here's what's gonna happen.
We're gonna pass on your oh so very generous deal,
thank you by the way.
Bails been set.
Dell's walking out of here today.
(tense music)
- Well, gentlemen, looks like we'll be seeing you in court,
doesn't it?
(tense music)
(dramatic music)
Harper Lee couldn't of said it better herself.
- I'm still shaking.
- Now what?
- Well, we know what the truth is.
Just got to find a way to let it out.
- Legally.
- Sheriff, you better pull something out of your ass
because if you don't, we are all going down.
(tense music)
- [Josh Voiceover] The old man was shaking,
pleading with Sheriff Bostwick.
- [Hoag Voiceover] I'm at the end of my rope, Roger.
(low, eerie music)
- [Josh Voiceover] Then the Sheriff started
to work on the old man.
Work on him real good.
- Nothing to be ashamed about.
There comes a time, an age, best not to be a burden.
- [Josh Voiceover] Then I saw him hand the old man his gun.
- [Sheriff Voiceover] Relief, closure, solace.
Failure.
(gunshot)
(eerie tense music)
(glass cracks)
- [Dispatch] Carl, we got call.
Possible 59-24 out of the abandoned Rafferty Ranch.
- Yeah.
Uh.
What's that mean again?
- [Dispatch] Trespassing, Carl.
(low, tense music)
(gasps)
- Be all you can be.
- Okay.
- I'm not going to jail because of you.
(grunting)
Ah, damn!
(grunts)
(screaming)
Bitch!
Shit.
Get back here.
- Get off of me!
Let go.
- You thought you could end me?
(tense dramatic music)
(wet crunch)
(coughing)
(phone ringing)
- Well, is it over?
- Oh, Sheriff, we're just getting started.
(low, tense music)
- [Josh] Hello?
- Josh, it's Janna Connelly.
- [Josh] Oh, hey.
- Come to the Connelly Ranch.
If I'm right I think the rest of your story's
about to be written.
- [Josh] Okay yeah I'm in the area I...
- Great.
(dramatic music)
- Shit.
Shit.
(low, tense music)
- Shit.
- God you're predictable.
- Looks like you gave Brock all he could take.
Doesn't have to be this way, Ms. Connelly.
You have no idea what your ranch is really worth.
Causality, you're there, just part of the learning curve,
that's all.
Plenty to go around, just side step the paperwork
and you're sitting on a gold mine.
- Equine herpes virus, huh?
Clever.
You got it all figured out, don't you?
Hired hand lays the ground work, gets the horses sick.
Victoria Morel can accuse the ranchers of neglect
and your hands are tied.
You got no choice but to take the livestock,
make a pretty penny of course.
- I'm gonna need that vial.
Okay.
- And Hoag Rafferty?
- Old man's time had come, is all.
- That's not the whole story is it, Sheriff?
- Not what do you intend by that, Ms. Connelly?
- Well, he did your dirty work for you.
You had the perfect alibi.
You witnessed his suicide.
Horses were sick, ranch had too much work
but you handed him your service weapon.
You know a jury just might call that accessory to murder.
- See now that right there, those are threatening words,
Ms. Connelly.
I came out here hoping you'd listen to reason.
Take the plea deal.
Yeah, I guess we're beyond that point now, aren't we?
Your face is bleeding.
- I'm unarmed, Sheriff.
- Great.
- What you're gonna kill me?
You're gonna kill every rancher that gets in your way?
Was it your plan to talk my dad into killing himself?
Or was it just Hoag?
- All right, you know making this look like self defense
is a pain and a lot of paperwork for me
but that's the way you wanted to play it.
- Put the gun down, Sheriff.
- What the hell you doing here, Carl?
- Yeah, uh.
Found this phone next to a dead Brock McCarty.
It's US military.
- US military.
Well, that's her phone.
Looks like you just tied Ms. Connelly to the murder scene.
Make the arrest, deputy.
- This has gone too far, Sheriff.
There's another dead man out there, you know?
- Self defense, Carl.
- Yeah, I know it was.
- Hell we don't know anything yet, Carl.
Make the arrest, deputy, do as I say.
- No, I'm not doing what you tell me anymore, Sheriff.
No, you're under arrest.
- I'm under arrest?
Carl.
You disappoint me.
(gunshots)
(horses neighing)
(groans)
(gunshot)
(groaning)
Carl, you listen to me.
Don't let your feelings for Ms. Connelly
cloud your judgment.
This has gotten way
out of control. - What?
(heart beating) (tense music)
- [Sheriff] I'm sure we can come up with a solution
beneficial for both of us.
You're like a son to me, Carl.
You hear me, Carl?
- Carl.
Carl.
(groans)
- Is Carl dead?
- He needs medical attention, Sheriff.
We can't do this here.
- He knew better.
He knew his place.
(tense dramatic music)
(gunshot)
Now don't go for his weapon.
(grunting)
Let go of me.
- Janna, get the deputy's gun.
- (gunshot) - Fuck.
(tense dramatic music)
- I'm gonna fuck you up!
(gunshot)
- Come on.
(groaning)
- Sheriff, drop your weapon.
(gunfire)
(horse neighing)
- Let go.
(tense dramatic music)
- Let him go.
He's out.
- [Josh] That was some crazy shit.
I got it all.
(tense music)
(horse neighs)
- Hey, Carl.
- [Dell] Janna!
- Dell, the Sheriff's in the barn.
- [Janna] Call an ambulance.
(horse neighs)
(soft dramatic music)
- Can I get you anything else, Sheriff?
- Just the door, Daniel, thanks.
- You got it.
(door closes)
- All right, Matthew Birdie Hudson.
- How in the hell did you find that out?
- Don't matter how I found out.
Make you foreman
and you'll take care of this place
for me, deal?
- Yeah, six months without you bossing me around
is gonna feel like a vacation.
- Don't pretend like you're not gonna miss me.
- Well, parts.
- Hey, take care of my dad, will you?
- You take care of you.
Come back in one piece, okay?
Not that I care.
(laughing)
- You're mean.
Come on, Sugar.
- Give you some time.
- "Here lies the one who loved us all
and in return the one who was loved as much.
No matter how deep your sleep,
we'll always hear you, old friend.
Not even death will keep your spirit
from running freely in my field."
That's beautiful.
(soft somber music)
Here.
- Oh.
(laughing)
Hey, beauty.
Hey, come here, I want to show you something.
This is all yours.
All yours.
Welcome back, Sugar.
(neighing)
- Although we have had some setbacks in North Dakota
we have similar laws in motion.
South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's only a matter of time.
- [Man] Won't the situation in North Dakota
effect our reputation?
(soft uplifting music)
- Our story is definitely movie material.
I just really hope that overall, the message gets out
that this could happen to us and it could happen to you.
- If I wouldn't have my expertise in mental health
that I do, I really don't think I would of made it through.
- Yeah, I don't think, if they would have taken the animals,
you wouldn't be sitting here with me today.
- No.
Yeah.
- Love you.
- Love you more.
(laughs)
♪ I gotta get out on my own ♪
♪ Run away from home ♪
♪ And go my own way ♪
♪ You'll never understand ♪
♪ Ain't got no plan and that's okay ♪
♪ I know I'll be all right ♪
♪ I'm getting out tonight ♪
♪ You're sick but this town is sicker ♪
♪ A black hole where heart should be ♪
♪ Dirty money and the taste of liquor ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ I'm waking up from this bad dream ♪
(country rock music)
♪ What's right ain't always easy ♪
♪ I took a stand ♪
♪ Knowing well it could bleed me dry ♪
♪ Who knows ♪
♪ Why we do what we do ♪
♪ A million reasons why ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ And will I ever know ♪
♪ How the story goes ♪
♪ You're sick but this town is sicker ♪
♪ A black hole where our hearts should be ♪
♪ Dirty money and the taste of liquor ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ I'm waking up from this bad dream ♪
♪ (Vocalizing) ♪
♪ How do we sleep ♪
♪ (Vocalizing) ♪
♪ With the secrets that we keep ♪
♪ (Vocalizing) ♪
♪ You're sick but this town is sicker ♪
♪ A black hole where our hearts should be ♪
♪ Dirty money and the taste of liquor ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ I'm waking up ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ You're sick but this town is sicker ♪
♪ A black hole where our hearts should be ♪
♪ Dirty money and the taste of liquor ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ I'm waking up from this bad dream ♪
♪ (Vocalizing) ♪
♪ What's right ain't always easy ♪
♪ I took a stand ♪
♪ Knowing well it could bleed me dry ♪