Season 1 of High Desert has finally come to an end, and we know that there is more to the story. Peggy’s life has been a wild ride, but the series has not. Despite all the chaos, it was very vanilla and underwhelming. Maybe if the murderous father-daughter duo had been more of a threat, it would have amplified the urgency, and Peggy’s bullshitting skills would have really been put to the test instead of just exasperating those around her.
A decade ago, makers were hitting it out of the park with every new show, and then came the time for masterpieces that became pop culture favorites, and now, since the last 3–4 years, all they have done is try and recreate the magic and fail again and again. We simply cannot remember the last time we were bowled over by a movie or a series. We need the writers and studio executives to make up their minds about whether they want to stick to a formula or actually try something new, because artfully combining these two things is clearly out of the scope of their abilities. But that stops nobody from trying, and we will undoubtedly get a second season of High Desert.
We suppose we would like to know whether Peggy has survived the cannon fire at all. She would have to, and that is only possible if the cannon stops working at the last minute, favoring Peggy for once in her life. The next immediate problem would be Heather. Since her father passed away, she has been out for blood, and unlike her dad, she is a little too trigger-happy to be manipulated by anyone. At the end of season 1 of High Desert, Guru Bob had simply made a run for it after Denny and Kachel had outnumbered him. We can bet that he is the one Heather finds first, and naturally, he will bring her to Peggy. But this time, Peggy is in a daze from the tablets she has taken and the emotional revelations of the last episode. Thankfully, she has Denny and Kachel, who are trying to protect her. We believe that Heather’s arc might not last long in Season 2. On the off chance that it does, she might be like that bad egg that makes a reappearance in every terrible situation, which will either be comedic or result in a bloodbath, or do both.
We also get the distinct impression that Peggy might be fired from her job. Technically, she has delivered on her promises to her boss, but he must be miffed at the failure of the spectacle and how it will disappoint his mother. On that note, maybe Season 2 will give us some clarity on why he is so scared of his mother. Owen seems like a rational enough guy—maybe a little too easy to fly off the handle, but alright. Should we assume that his mother still controls his life in some weird sort of way? There is also the question of Tammy and what will happen to her. Her breast enlargement surgery has gone completely wrong, and she is currently sick. We were disappointed that she and Guru Bob never had a proper confrontation. She got the surgery for him, and he was a thankless boyfriend even before that. It was because of Tammy that Peggy and Bob met, yet the three of them did not have a single scene together. That should be remedied in Season 2.
We wonder what Tammy will have to say about Bob and Peggy’s growing attraction. It is likely that she and Denny will join hands to either console each other or sabotage the couple. Season 1 of High Desert hasn’t given us a good read on Denny. His manner of behavior doesn’t seem wrong, but we are finding it hard to believe that he is back to fight for Peggy. That also brings us to Peggy’s own issues with her mother’s passing. There might be a discussion here about the caretaker’s responsibility versus the caretaker’s fatigue, and we pray that the topic is handled with due sensitivity. We also don’t know what exactly happened to Peggy’s son. We saw at the beginning of High Desert Season 1 that he was living with her. 10 years later, he wanted nothing to do with her. Peggy even mentions in one of the earlier episodes that she fought for custody. But she must have done something for Ethan to be so apathetic to her love. Even Peggy and Denny seem to find no excuse for her actions except “love.” This means that there is a lot to uncover here. The only thing we can say with surety is that it must be connected to Peggy’s addiction problem, which she blames for her mother’s death and even for Ethan missing from her life. That brings us to Ginger and what will happen to her. Was her entire purpose to only be there for Peggy to resolve some issue by looking at her mother’s likeness? That would be a tragic waste of a character.
But before we address the most pressing issue of all, who is Nia/ Carol, and how is she really connected to Peggy? They call each other best friends, and Denny also knows her, which means that their association goes way back. She must have committed a crime for which the police put out an alert. This could be the only reason she had to change her name for her medical care. Is this connected to Ethan in some capacity? We will only find out in Season 2 of High Desert, and we will also probably see Carol repair her relationship with her stepdaughter.
We have saved the best question for last, which is, what is up with Dona’s case? Bruce Harvey and Carol had found Dona’s body in Guru Bob’s backyard with her skull smashed in. While that may corroborate Bob’s story, there is no way of knowing if he was actually telling the truth. Bruce seems to think differently, and Peggy might just let go of the case if we did not think that more of the Gattchis were alive. Leo and Nick Gattchi are dead, but there must be more members in the family. The nail salon lady can tell them about Peggy, and once their personal investigation reopens, there is no telling what tales Peggy and Bob will spin and what truth they will lead to. Season 2 of High Desert really needs to come all guns blazing to make up for its predecessor’s shortcomings, and we hope it delivers.
