Blog and Video Description: In this episode of the Mattacritic, I will be reviewing and analyzing Joe Pickett Season 1 that is currently on Parmount+. I will go over several topics in this episode. I will also make comparisons to the book and let you know if it is faithful to the original text of Joe Pickett. The first season is based on Open Season, which is the first book of the Joe Pickett book series. The original book came out in 2001. The original book had references to Jay Leno who is retired now from doing late night shows. Jay Leno took over for Johnny Carson who did the Tonight Show. The season will begin with Joe Pickett writing a ticket to Ote Keely and Ote taking his weapon. Ote Keely will be found dead in his yard with a cooler. I will give you my rating at the end of this review. I hope this episode will inspire you to read, watch, and learn.
YouTube Video Description: In this episode of the Mattacritic, I will be reviewing and analyzing Joe Pickett Season 1 that is currently on Parmount+. I will go over several topics in this episode. I will also make comparisons to the book and let you know if it is faithful to the original text of Joe Pickett. The first season is based on Open Season, which is the first book of the Joe Pickett book series. The original book came out in 2001. The original book had references to Jay Leno who is retired now from doing late night shows. Jay Leno took over for Johnny Carson who did the Tonight Show. The season will begin with Joe Pickett writing a ticket to Ote Keely and Ote taking his weapon. Ote Keely will be found dead in his yard with a cooler. I will give you my rating at the end of this review. I hope this episode will inspire you to read, watch, and learn.
Hello everyone, welcome to the Mattacritic. This is Matthew Hemenway. In this episode of the Mattacritic, I will be reviewing and analyzing Joe Pickett Season 1 that is currently on Parmount+. I will go over several topics in this episode. I will also make comparisons to the book and let you know if it is faithful to the original text of Joe Pickett. The first season is based on Open Season, which is the first book of the Joe Pickett book series. The original book came out in 2001. The original book had references to Jay Leno who is retired now from doing late night shows. Jay Leno took over for Johnny Carson who did the Tonight Show. The season will begin with Joe Pickett writing a ticket to Ote Keely and Ote taking his weapon. Ote Keely will be found dead in his yard with a cooler. I will give you my rating at the end of this review. I hope this episode will inspire you to read, watch, and learn.
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As was mentioned earlier in this review, Ote Keely took Joe Pickett’s gun when he was writing a citation for killing an elk. Joe gets the weapon back, and he was so frustrated that he was tempted to shoot Ote Keely, but he does not. He writes him the ticket and Ote Keely must find a way to get his license back. As Joe Pickett tells Ote Keely, you must give the mother a chance to birth her offspring before you kill it. This only makes sense, if you need it for food, this is the best way to go about it. You need that offspring to be born so that the circle of life can continue. Yes, that reference can be found in the Lion King. If you are asking, is this accurate to the book. What happens with Ote taking Joe’s gun and Joe having to get it back is in the book.
The audience will meet Vern Dunnegan who was the Game Warden before Joe Pickett and at first the audience will believe Vern to be a good guy. Vern looks like he is on Joe Pickett’s side, and he wants to the only the best for Joe Pickett. Later, as the season progresses, Vern shows his true colors, and he is more interested in making money than doing what is right. This is accurate to the book as Vern was like this in the book.
The audience will meet Joe Pickett’s kids Sheridan and Lucy Pickett. They are good kids, and I personally would want them as my kids. They are the type of children that play well with each other. Sheridan asks Lucy to please not tell her parents or anyone else about the animals in the wood pile. Yes, if you are asking this is accurate to the book as Sheridan did ask Lucy to keep them a secret. Sheridan fears that if anyone else knows about her pets, they will die. She lost goldfish and dogs. I personally do not know if that is true because we all have pets that die. I had plenty of pets that died, and some of that had to with either of them getting old or someone intentionally killing them. It is unfortunate when that happens, but personally I would not trade the love I have gotten from them, and what it taught me as well. My cats have helped me to be a better person as I have learned to love them, and in return they love me in the best way they can. Albus, one of my two cats usually must check on me in the morning to make sure I am still here, and he likes to come in my room to spend time with me. Yes, I may have to get up a little earlier than I would like, but I would never trade that time for anything else. It is a good time because I realize he loves me, and I love him. Trudy usually greets me when I get home, no matter what it is and Albus will do this occasionally. This is why I believe when a person can show love to animals like Sheridan does, it helps to humanize you. It makes a person more capable of loving others. This is a good thing, and it makes a person stronger.
Before the animals were in the woodpile, Ote Keely was found dead near Joe Pickett’s wood pile that he keeps in his yard. Joe Pickett calls the police, and this will lead the viewer to meeting Sheriff Barnum and Deputy McLanahan. Yes, these two characters are in the first book of Open Season. Sheriff Barnum is not the best of Sheriffs as he is more interested in staying in office than solving crimes. Barnum was concerned about losing the election. They both make a joke that Ote Keely maybe bringing a beer. That is what could have been in that cooler. The cooler did not contain beer, it contained something else.
As not to forget the Keelys have a daughter and her name is April Keely and yes April Keely is in the book of Open Season. This makes it accurate to the book of Open Season. April Keely knows Sheridan Pickett as she and Sheridan go to the same school. April Keely’s mother Jeannie Keely is pregnant and if you are asking, yes this is accurate to the book of Open Season. April gets made fun of by girls in her school for wearing a coat that one of those girls claims to have given to a charity. This girl would have been considered as a mean girl. The other girls that were laughing at April would be considered as mean girls as well. April later when she gets home throws the coat in the trash. Her mother Jeannie Keely finds the coat and tells her daughter that she does not care if she does not want the coat anymore. It is understandable as the Keelys are living in a trailer park and do not have a lot of money. They are struggling to make ends meet. This is why Ote Keely needs his hunting license as this helps to provide for his family. Yes, Ote would not be considered a saint, but he is doing the best he can to help provide for his family. No one can fault him for that.
Jeannie Keely is struggling with her husband being dead because without her husband she does not have a way to provide for herself. She is desperate and does not have a lot of money and skills. Saddle String is not a place where there are a lot of jobs. It is in a rural area, unless you work on a farm, or you hunt, there are not a lot of opportunities.
Do not worry, I have not forgotten about Joe Pickett’s wife MaryBeth Pickett. MaryBeth Pickett is a beautiful woman and like in the book, she looks good even pregnant. Yes, she is pregnant in the book of Open Season. The book describes her being pregnant and being attractive even when she is pregnant. They will do an ultrasound when MaryBeth Pickett is at her doctor’s appointment. The doctor tells Joe Pickett that it is a boy.
The viewer will meet Nate Romanski. I do not remember him being in the first book, but I could have missed that part when I was listening to the audio version of this book. This is a change to the book, but it works. It is good to see how Joe Pickett meets Nate Romanski and as Nate Romanski will tell Joe and the audience, he was set up by the actual killer of Ote Keely. Nate Romanski uses a compound bow, and it will appear to the Sheriff Barnum and Deputy McLanahan that he is the killer. There is one thing that does not make sense, the arrow was tipped with poison and if they did a complete search, they would find that he does not have any type of poison like that in his living space.
Joe Pickett will go with Wacey and Deputy McLanahan up to the mountain to find the answers to the murder of Ote Keely. It will appear to the viewer that the answer is there, but it will not be so. They will lose their horses as Deputy Mcclanhan will shoot his gun off and it will cause the horses to be scared. This was a stupid move as they had to go up foot on that mountain and spend the night outdoors. Yes, this is accurate to the book.
MaryBeth Pickett will meet with Nate Romanski and tell him if you sent my husband up there to die, I promise you will regret hearing the name of Pickett. This proves to the viewer that MaryBeth Pickett is not a woman to messed with. She is a strong woman who does not any flak from anyone.
Joe Pickett with Wacey, and Deputy McLanahan get up the mountain and find Clive Lidgard who if you are asking is in the first book of Open Season. Yes, he gets shot, and Joe Pickett must shoot him before he shoots Wacey, Deputy McLanahan, or himself. When a person has a gun, that training tells you to use deadly force before you become a victim yourself. This makes sense.
Sheriff Barnum will fly up there with the helicopter and Joe Pickett, with Wacey, and Deputy McLanahan will be able to get out of that situation. Joe Pickett will be in the hospital as he was shot, and he needs to be tended to. MaryBeth Pickett will go to the hospital and find out that her husband is okay. Joe Pickett will be met by Vern Dunnegan by his bed and yes this happened in the book Open Season. MaryBeth is frustrated with Joe not because she does not love him but because she does love him. She was afraid of losing him.
The series will progress with Clive Lidgard’s trailer being exploded with Joe Pickett and MaryBeth Pickett. This is a change to the original book because Joe Pickett was alone in the trailer and lost his gun. This is a good change because personally I like MaryBeth Pickett being with him and helping him to find the truth. MaryBeth Pickett will tell Nate Romanski that she will step down as his attorney. He tells her, "I understand that you are scared, but I am fighting for my life here. Doing the right thing is not easy”.
The series will progress with MaryBeth Pickett representing Nate Romanski and trying to get the charges dismissed by the court. A person who claims to be with the U.S. Marshalls is trying to get Nate Romanski so that he can kill him. Nate must tie MaryBeth Pickett up and escape out the window to protect her and himself from this man.
The fake U.S. Marshall will try to kill the female deputy that was overseeing Nate Romanski while he was in jail. She fed him food that he could eat. He could not eat food that was hard. Nate Romanski will rescue her from this man and kill him. She knew that Nate had to be a government operative because he burned off his fingerprints. She lets Nate go knowing that he could not be the killer of Ote Keely since guilty men do not come back to rescue someone if that person is guilty.
Joe Pickett will meet Les Etbauer who is the head of Game Wardens and is wanting to suspend Joe Pickett for losing his gun to Ote Keely. He wonders how this could happen. As Joe explained to Les Etbauer that he was writing a citation to Ote Keely and explained to him that it is easier than you think. To prove Joe’s point, he took his name tag from Les Etbauer that it is easier than you think. Joe gets suspended and as in the book, this is a joke as this does not give Joe a chance to have his case heard by anyone else.
Wacey will offer up the Kissinger house for the Picketts to stay at. If you are asking, no I did not forget that Wacey threatened Sheridan that he knows about her animals in the woodpile. He does threaten her that he will kill her family not just her if she tells anyone about them. She is scared to say the least. She has nightmares which are understandable. If any person were threatened like she was, no matter your age, you would be scared not for yourself, but those you care about. Missy, Marybeth’s mother, is a user, and she believes that it is her right to live in luxury. She takes the most expensive wine while she is a guest in the Kissinger house.
Joe Pickett will go up to the mountain to find out with Nate the proof he needed to prove that the Miller’s Weasels do exist. He does this after MaryBeth Pickett told him what he was feeling was bullshit. She told him, you cannot believe that. She told him to keep fighting the good fight. This is what Joe is doing. He goes up the mountain which is narrow, and that is not an easy thing for the horse to navigate. That is accurate to the book. The change with Nate works in the show as it made it, so Joe did not have to do this alone. Nate tells Joe, the uniform does not make the man, the man makes the uniform. If you are not a man of character, the uniform means nothing, unless you are a person of character to begin with. Joe will figure out with the pictures from Clive Lidgard that Wacey is the killer and that this conspiracy to cover this has a bunch of actors involved.
Sheridan and Marybeth Pickett will go back to their house as Sheridan tells her mother that she needs to get her book for a class she needs to finish a school assignment. This will lead to Marybeth being shot by Wacey and she tells Sheridan to run after that happens. Wacey will be upset with her claiming it was her fault, when he was the idiot that shot her in the first place. Marybeth Pickett will later escape and must crash a car in a shed to get someone to call 911. She is taken to Billings, MT as that has a hospital that can treat her. As a result, she loses the baby.
As not to be revealed, nothing more will be revealed here. It does bring the viewer to the climax of season 1 and set up season 2.
I will give you, my rating. I give Joe Pickett Season 1, a 10 out of 10. It was fun but helps the viewer to understand how bad greed is. The other players in this story are the Scarletts as they are corrupt rich people that want to get richer, and like Vern Dunnegan and Wacey do not care who they hurt if they get what they want. Jennie Keely does leave April as she was desperate, and she would be on the run, and feared for her life as well as April’s. What happens speaking of April? Please leave your answer in the comment section below. There are changes to the original book of Open Season, but they work as the story flowed well and the essence of the original story remains in this season. Does Sheridan survive? Please leave your answer in the comment section below. The reason I mentioned greed before, you can watch the Dopesick series reviews which was the first thing I reviewed for my channel. You can click on this link to the playlist of the Dopesick series reviews. I said in one of those reviews that greed is the worst sin, and that like Sacklers, the people such as Vern Dunnegan, Wacey, and the Scarlets do not care about who they hurt, if they got their pipeline so they could all become rich and in Wacey’s case to become Sheriff. This is a dangerous thing as this story proves. Wacey wanting to being Sheriff and doing whatever it took to be Sheriff is very similar to Sebastin Blood in Season 2 of Arrow when he was willing to do whatever it took to become Mayor when he decided to work with Slade Wilson and not fully understanding what Slade wanted to do. What rating do you give Joe Pickett Season1? Please leave your answers in the comment section below. Thank you.
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Music: A Day to Remember and No Filter Trap from Microsoft's Clipchamp Video Editor
Reference: Joe Pickett Season 1 on Parmount+: www.appletv.com and www.paramountplus.com
Reference: Open Season: A Joe Pickett Novel by CJ Box: https://www.amazon.com/Open-Season-C-J-Box-audiobook/dp/B004NOS4I4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W6UBVL4O4H9Z&keywords=open+season+a+joe+pickett+novel+book+1&qid=1691077424&sprefix=Open+Season%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1
Reference: Joe Pickett Season 1 pictures on Google images: https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=554462504&sxsrf=AB5stBhxrbtBG4Pr7vZylAZwpof7fyj6Kw:1691421742846&q=joe+pickett+season+1&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiC5ZaB7cqAAxXym2oFHfW9DDYQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=1920&bih=931&dpr=1
Reference: Dopesick Picture from Google Images: https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=554523056&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS850US859&sxsrf=AB5stBjwX3WxABpcoF2JRSsoBLs1zy1R5Q:1691433319126&q=dopesick&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-2JaRmMuAAxVgk2oFHcarCY4Q0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1920&bih=931&dpr=1
Reference: Arrow Season 2 Picture from Google Images: https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=554523056&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS850US859&sxsrf=AB5stBjxIYiK8jchrbLKJHw32LDm4F0mpA:1691435348709&q=arrow+season+2&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjxz_rYn8uAAxXOlWoFHfrpBCUQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1920&bih=931&dpr=1
Reference: The Lion King (2019) image: https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/the-lion-king/gDBvSe4GpZPD
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