Pickard County, Nebraska, July 1979. Sheriff's deputy Harley Jensen is restless, looking for something to take his mind off the past. Pam bristles against her role as wife and mother; her husband, Rick, struggles with the wreckage of his youth. Paul Reddick, town miscreant, is flint to Harley's steel. It's just a matter of time before their conflict burns Pickard County to the ground.