Ben McKenzie Joins Sheriff Country Season 2 Premiere as a Sheriff With Secrets

Sheriff Mickey Fox is getting some backup when Sheriff Country returns, but we're already being warned not to trust the new guy too quickly.

Ben McKenzie will guest star in the Season 2 premiere as Sheriff Wade, a neighboring lawman called in to help Mickey. CBS has revealed that Wade has “a few secrets of his own,” which is television language for please start being suspicious immediately.

The episode, titled “Cyclone,” finds Mickey struggling to process a shocking revelation involving her family while simultaneously trying to save a troubled young woman whose involvement with a dangerous criminal operation exposes a growing threat to Edgewater.

That's where Wade enters the picture. As a neighboring sheriff, he is brought in to assist Mickey, although CBS isn't revealing what his secrets involve or whether they're connected to the larger case. Either way, introducing a character with hidden baggage while Mickey is already dealing with upheaval in her personal life feels like a very deliberate way to make sure she doesn't get too comfortable with the help.

McKenzie is also a fun piece of casting for the role. After years of playing law enforcement characters, including Gotham's Jim Gordon and Southland's Ben Sherman, putting him behind another badge feels immediately familiar — although Sheriff Country may have something less straightforward planned for Wade.

The bigger question is whether this is truly a one-episode appearance or a character the series could bring back. CBS currently identifies McKenzie as a guest star in the premiere, so anything beyond that would be speculation.

For now, Mickey has enough to worry about. A family bombshell, a criminal operation threatening Edgewater and a visiting sheriff with secrets? Ma'am, good luck.

Let us know your theories in the comments!

Sheriff Country Season 2 premieres Friday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.