Wow, there is a lot to say about last night's episode of Cold Case, and luckily, I have an entire edition to say it in because there was little else on over the weekend. I've always been a fan of Cold Case's "whydunit" approach (to quote star Kathryn Morris). It's something that separates this show from the crowded market of crime shows on television today. The show has backed away from that premise in the last couple of seasons, but it was back in full force last night! The show is at its best when it tackles the psychological depths of human nature. Because they're dealing with long unsolved cases, it's fascinating to delve into how someone commits a crime and how that affects them through the years. It had obviously taken a toll on John, last night's killer. Shortly after he began confessing, I started to believe that he must be dying of an illness. Otherwise, it didn't make any sense as to why he would come forward 26 years later after claiming another victim. This man learned that he was suffering from, and eventually dying from, MS 26 years ago, and never accepted his fate until he walked into that police office. He was so angry that the disease took away the belief that he would live forever that he wanted to take it away from others. He killed one young man right after he found out and he tried to kill another when the final stage of his disease began 26 years later. He had jumped off a 100-foot bridge into a raging river and lived to tell the tale, but a disease that took over his life years before was going to get the best of him, and he just couldn't handle that truth.
Lilly's interro - gation scenes with John were well played. Kathryn Morris is so deserving of an Emmy and she doesn't even get nominated! It's such a shame. Between her performance last night and in "Saving Patrick Bubley" (the episode where the four brother had all been killed) earlier this season, she should be a shoe-in, but she won't even get the nomination again. She managed to bring Lilly to the brink of being too emotional, but never really taking her there (see above). We got that Lilly was finally talking about her experience with George and how it affected her deep down without her going off on an emotional diatribe that would have been out of character for her. Finding out that her encounter with George affected her in a more permanent way was nicely done and it provided some unforced closure that the show had neglected this season. It's funny because I would have thought that Lilly struggled more with the idea that she had killed George or the fact that he fed her all that crap about her being just like him or even just the fact that she was forced to relive a painful experience from her childhood through the ordeal, but it was the loss of something very valuable to her that seems to have affected her the most. It was the same thing that turned John into a killer - losing the belief that you can live forever by facing your own mortality. Both dealt with the realization in a destructive way: John wanted others to suffer the same loss and Lilly has gone from being an emotional basket case to getting involved in a seemingly dead-end live-in-the-moment relationship with a former flame. She was the perfect person to extract from John the location of the new victim.
My one complaint for this episode was the lack of the time issue. Here they were trying to get information from a killer on where his next victim is slowly suffocating to death, and yet, I never once felt that there was any sense of urgency or race to beat the clock. I expected to spend the episode on the edge of my seat, but that never happened. Every time one of the detectives mentioned the dwindling time, it was more of an afterthought than a focus. This episode was centered on one location - an interrogation room - and a small amount of time (instead of the usual days that go by in a single episode), so playing up the time factor would have enhanced the pacing for me. Earlier this season Law & Order: SVU did a similar episode where Olivia was on the phone with a little girl who claimed to be a kidnap victim. The episode also revolved around a single location (Olivia in an office on the speaker 
phone) and a small amount of time, but the time factor was played up much more heavily and I found myself on the edge of my seat in this case. Surprisingly, the lack of the time element didn't really hurt this episode, though. It was well done despite the slight misstep and the playing it up would only have enhanced it. Overall, this was an excellent episode and a stand-out for the season. What did you think of Cold Case's break from its usual format? Did you like the intense interrogation scenes? Leave me a comment with your thoughts on last night's episode.About Last Night...CBS won the first hour of the night with the last 44 minutes of 60 Minutes and the first 16 of Cold Case, followed by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and NBC's The West Wing. At 9, a rerun of ABC's Desperate Housewives won the hour, followed by the last 44 minutes of Cold Case and the first 16 of the CBS movie and NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The final hour of the night went to ABC's Grey's Anatomy, followed by NBC's Crossing Jordan and CBS' movie. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.
~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Fox's Prison Break finally returns as Michael comes up with a plan to keep Lincoln alive after his escape plan fails. Over on NBC, Deal or No Deal continues.
@9 p.m. - CTU follows new leads to Bierko while conspiracy theorist and First Lady Martha Logan questions the administration's next defensive tactic on Fox's 24.
@10 p.m. - Horatio protects Marisol after she witnesses a robbery on CBS' CSI: Miami.
QUICK CUTS
*Fox wants more of two of its animated comedies. The network announced that it is renewing both The Simpsons and King of the Hill. The Simpsons got a two-year pick-up that will carry it through the 2007-08 season, making it the longest running animated series ever and the longest running current show. King got a one-year deal that will carry it through next season. The show probably won't premiere until January because of the long production cycle for an animated show. King is the second longest running comedy currently on television behind The Simpsons.
*The CW is adding to its pilot repertoire with a new sitcom starring Nick Lachey. Lachey will play a bachelor living in Manhattan in the pilot called She Said/He Said according to a network spokesman. Word on whether the show will make the new CW's line-up (a combination of the soon-to-be defunct WB and UPN) will come May 18th when the network makes its schedule announcement.
*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the powerful war drama Over There to hit store shelves tomorrow along with Huff (season 1), Bewitched (season 3), The Flying Nun (season 1), Roseanne (season 3) and South Park (season 7). To see a list of all of tomorrow's releases, click on over to tvshowsondvd.com.
That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the reasons why a CSI in any other city isn't as sweet (and other thoughts on the prolific nature of procedurals). Plus, all the latest television news!
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1 comment:
I watch it from time to time, but I haven't seen it lately. I have about 3 episodes saved on my TiVo, though. I think I know what development you're referring to, and it sounds very exciting!
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