Meet the Kleinsassers: Here's What You Need to Know About the Newest Villains on 'Big Sky'

In Season 1, Episode 11 of Big Sky, viewers were given a closer look at how powerful — and dangerous — the Kleinsasser family has become in Lochsa County. 

Ted Levine's nefarious new character, Horst Kleinsasser, and his family have made it clear that there will be some family secrets unveiled in upcoming episodes, and fans are eager to know more about the new villains that Jenny Hoyt and Cassie Dewell are up against. Here's what we know so far about the Kleinsassers on Big Sky. 

Fans were surprised to see Ted Levine and Brooke Smith reunite on Big Sky for the first time since their roles on Silence of The Lambs, and after two decades, Ted is still the bad guy we didn’t know we needed. 

On Big Sky, Ted Levine’s character, Horst Kleinsasser, is a ruthless rancher and father-of-four who has recently suffered a stroke and must now decide which one of his children will take over the family business. 

The matriarch of the family, Margaret Kleinsasser (played by Michelle Forbes), has made it clear that she’s the strong, silent type. Although she is the somewhat soft-spoken, dutiful wife of Horst Kleinsasser, viewers believe that much like her husband, Margaret has a dark side. 

The eldest of Horst Kleinsasser’s sons, Blake Kleinsasser (played by Michael Raymond-James), could have easily been the heir to the ranch if he had not alienated himself from his crime mob of a family and moved to the city. Despite being previously estranged from the Kleinsassers, Blake, who is struggling with alcoholism, has returned home to help with the family business — and it looks like he’s not leaving anytime soon. 

While visiting his mother and father, Blake is arrested for attacking a man who works for his dad and ultimately reunites with his first love — who just so happens to be Jenny Hoyt.

John Wayne Kleinsasser (played by Kyle Schmid) is Horst Kleinsasser’s middle son who believes that he should be the heir to his father’s ranch — not Blake. 

Kyle Schmid explained in a previous interview, “He believes he is very deserving of the ranch, and as Blake has taken off, he feels that it is owed to him, that he should get everything. But Blake returns, it's dangerous because it threatens what he believes should be his, and you see this whirlwind of a demise." 

As Horst and Margaret Kleinsasser’s only daughter, Cheyenne Kleinsasser (played by Britt Robertson) has it pretty rough. Although she is often undermined by her brothers and father, it seems Cheyenne has her own ideas about what should happen to the ranch after her father’s death. 

Ryan Dorsey stars as Horst Kleinsasser’s youngest son, Rand, who appears to be quiet and smart, but is also committed to living a life of crime. In a recent episode, Jenny had a dangerously strange encounter with Rand after she found him cooking meth in a trailer. 

New episodes of Big Sky air every Tuesday at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.