An Immediate Family Member Is Responsible for the Sudden Death of This 'Big Sky' Character (SPOILERS)

By now, viewers have probably learned that it’s not the best idea to get attached to any of the characters on Big Sky because they will probably end up dead. 

After the murder of Big Sky’s lead character, Cody Hoyt (played by Ryan Phillippe), fans haven’t been able to predict what will happen next. And now that Blake Kleinsasser (played by Michael Raymond-James) has been found dead, fans are even more on edge. 

"No Better Than Dogs" revealed that Jenny’s first love and Horst Kleinsasser’s eldest son, Blake Kleinsasser, had been murdered. But who killed Blake?

In Episode 12 of Big Sky, the Kleinsassers' long history of secrets was at risk of being uncovered when Blake Kleinsasser decided to dig up the body of Cole Danvers, a former ranch worker who was murdered by Horst Kleinsasser’s youngest son, Rand (played by Ryan Dorsey). 

He was then confronted by his younger brother, John Wayne (Kyle Schmid), who ultimately hit him over the head with a shovel to prevent him from digging up the corpse but accidentally killed him. 

Although it appears that John Wayne didn’t actually mean to kill Blake, we haven’t forgotten about the sibling rivalry that existed between the brothers before Blake’s death. Blake chose to leave home to evade a life of crime and avoid following in his father’s footsteps. Nevertheless, it appeared that he would be the heir to the ranch, and John Wayne wasn’t happy about it. 

In a previous interview, Kyle Schmid opened up about his character and how John Wayne really felt about his brother, Blake. He shared, “He believes he is very deserving of the ranch, and as Blake has taken off, he feels that it is owed to him, that he should get everything. But Blake returns, it's dangerous because it threatens what he believes should be his, and you see this whirlwind of a demise."

For showrunners, Blake’s death was premeditated and intentional. Executive producer Ross Fineman said that viewers should expect to see even more plot twists in upcoming episodes. 

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ross explained, "The end of the pilot was so shocking but what has been extraordinary is that every episode is shocking. Every episode has moments where when you're reading the script you go, 'You're kidding me! Where are they going to go from here? How is that possible?' And it just keeps going and going."

Although viewers may have been forced to say goodbye to Blake, we may get to see him in upcoming episodes by way of flashbacks. While the Kleinsassers were able to cover up Blake’s murder, recent episodes prove that John Wayne may have bigger problems. 

His sister, Cheyenne (played by Britt Robertson), saw the entire thing go down and used the information she had about her brother’s murder to get in her father’s good graces. 

You can watch new episodes of Big Sky Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.