Ep 1. Fun and (S)laughter

In the pilot episode of Tin Star season one titled Fun and (S)laughter, we are introduced to the main character, Jim Worth, played by Tim Roth, the newly appointed police chief of Little Big Bear, a small town in the Canadian Rockies. Jim, along with his wife Angela, played by Genevieve O'Reilly and their teenage daughter Anna, played by Abigail Lawrie, moves to the remote town to start a new life and escape their troubled past.

The episode opens with a mysterious man driving up to a trailer in the middle of nowhere and brutally killing a family living there, leaving behind only one survivor, a young girl. Later, we see Jim and his family settling into their new home, which is a remote lodge, and Jim trying to understand the dynamics of his new town and the people he is supposed to serve and protect. We also learn that Jim is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober for over a year.

As Jim gets ready for his first day on the job, he is greeted by a local bar owner, Whitey, played brilliantly by Oliver Coopersmith, who offers to show him around the town. Whitey is portrayed as a charismatic and charming character, a contrast to the rough and hostile people of the town. He is like a beacon of light in the gloominess of Little Big Bear.

Meanwhile, Angela seeks employment in the hospitality sector, but she is turned down for her lack of references and is only offered a job by the town's motel owner, Mrs Bradshaw, played by Tanya Moodie, who reminds her that there are not many options in Little Big Bear.

On the drive to work, Jim is flagged down by a bar patron who asks him to help take care of his mounted deer head, which he believes has been stolen. This interaction shows the laid back nature of the town and the fact that people rely on the police for everything, whether big or small.

Jim's first day on the job is not what he expected it to be. It is slow, with nothing much happening, and he spends most of his time trying to adjust to the idiosyncrasies of the residents of Little Big Bear. He does, however, manage to save a little boy from a bull at the town rodeo, which earns him some respect.

As the day progresses, we see Jim struggling with his sobriety, and the pressure of being the only cop in town, responsible for the safety of its residents, and the fact that he is not completely accepted as the town's police chief. This conflict is aptly displayed when Jim tries to stop a group of men from drinking and carrying firearms. He is mostly ignored and even threatened, which shows the palpable tension in the town.

The episode takes a dark turn when Jim's daughter, Anna, sneaks out to meet her boyfriend, a local boy named Nick, played by Ryan Kennedy. They go to a party where Anna is drugged and raped. Just as the episode started, it ends on another brutal note with Jim finding a beaten and bloodied Nick tied up in his car.

The first episode of Tin Star sets up the tone of the show and introduces viewers to its main characters and the world they inhabit. The stark contrast between the beauty of the mountains and the ugliness of humanity is apparent in this episode. It also lays down the foundation for a revenge thriller that is going to be the hallmark of this series. Fun and (S)laughter might not be the most memorable episode ever, but it leaves you wanting more and sets up what is to come.