Sometimes television can be so powerful that it leaves you a little speechless. This week's episode of
Cold Case did just that. It was one of those affecting episodes that stays with you for a while. It haunts you and leaves you feeling a little empty. There were so many disturbing things in this outing that left my stomach feeling a little uneasy (murdered boys, abused boys, and the final whammy: the killer - a victim himself - committing suicide). And yet, this was one of CC's finest hours. It was intense, highly disturbing, moving, powerful and shocking. In fact, it was more of what I had in mind for a 100th episode (not to take anything away from last week's landmark outing). We're used to hearing about the chain of violence and TV shows love to exploit it, but this story presented a different take on it. Malik wasn't just acting out a childhood abuse; he was trying to right the wrong that was done to him in that home known as "The Pit." He had every detail down to the room number where the other boys in the home cut off his finger and the square that he stood in for days until he developed shin splints. I shiver just thinking about those scenes. He purposely sought out "dominant" kids by watching them play an arcade game where role-playing had the winner dragging the loser down into a pit. It all made sense in Malik's twisted mind even if the four boys he killed had nothing to do with his childhood abuse. But the night's most
upsetting moment came at the end. While Lilly shielded a young boy -- Malik's intended fifth and final victim -- Malik brandished the knife he had used to cut off the fingers of his victims. Scotty begged him to put it down, but he raised the blade and sliced it across his own neck. Lilly gasped, Scotty ran to his side and Malik lie bleeding on the bathroom floor. In the closing moments, both detectives looked like they weren't erasing that picture from their minds anytime soon.
There was an underlying theme to this one about dying alone. Lilly noted that Shemar had come to that realization on the videotape right before his death. She was quick to point out that it was the worst way to go -- all alone. And then she watched as Malik (who was all alone in the world) took his own life. Scotty, like the rest of us, knew that she wasn't just talking about Shemar. Of course, there's the obvious allusion to her mother's recent death. But, there's also Lil's final conversation with her therapist. With her mother's death, no relationship to speak of (even worse- the fact that she pushes away anyone who cares about her) and the rest of her family MIA, Lilly is in danger of dying alone. A fact that wasn't lost on her during that final therapy session and isn't lost on her now after investigating this case. Just a powerful episode all around.
Cold Case moves to 8-0 on the season.
Sometimes television can be so powerful that it leaves you a little speechless. This week's episode of Cold Case did just that. It was one of those affecting episodes that stays with you for a while. It haunts you and leaves you feeling a little empty. There were so many disturbing things in this outing that left my stomach feeling a little uneasy (murdered boys, abused boys, and the final whammy: the killer - a victim himself - committing suicide). And yet, this was one of CC's finest hours. It was intense, highly disturbing, moving, powerful and shocking. In fact, it was more of what I had in mind for a 100th episode (not to take anything away from last week's landmark outing). We're used to hearing about the chain of violence and TV shows love to exploit it, but this story presented a different take on it. Malik wasn't just acting out a childhood abuse; he was trying to right the wrong that was done to him in that home known as "The Pit." He had every detail down to the room number where the other boys in the home cut off his finger and the square that he stood in for days until he developed shin splints. I shiver just thinking about those scenes. He purposely sought out "dominant" kids by watching them play an arcade game where role-playing had the winner dragging the loser down into a pit. It all made sense in Malik's twisted mind even if the four boys he killed had nothing to do with his childhood abuse. But the night's most 
upsetting moment came at the end. While Lilly shielded a young boy -- Malik's intended fifth and final victim -- Malik brandished the knife he had used to cut off the fingers of his victims. Scotty begged him to put it down, but he raised the blade and sliced it across his own neck. Lilly gasped, Scotty ran to his side and Malik lie bleeding on the bathroom floor. In the closing moments, both detectives looked like they weren't erasing that picture from their minds anytime soon.
There was an underlying theme to this one about dying alone. Lilly noted that Shemar had come to that realization on the videotape right before his death. She was quick to point out that it was the worst way to go -- all alone. And then she watched as Malik (who was all alone in the world) took his own life. Scotty, like the rest of us, knew that she wasn't just talking about Shemar. Of course, there's the obvious allusion to her mother's recent death. But, there's also Lil's final conversation with her therapist. With her mother's death, no relationship to speak of (even worse- the fact that she pushes away anyone who cares about her) and the rest of her family MIA, Lilly is in danger of dying alone. A fact that wasn't lost on her during that final therapy session and isn't lost on her now after investigating this case. Just a powerful episode all around. Cold Case moves to 8-0 on the season.
2 comments:
I was in total aww of this episode. Brilliant. It was probably because it was so different then the usual ones with the flashbacks being very sutle clues to who the killer was, kind of like last seasons finale.
I was so happy that Scotty looked at lilly when she was talking about dieing alone, he knows she is sad... hopefully it will all come out soon her PTSD.
It certainly was a disturbing episode. That guy who worked at the Pit was as much to blame for those boys' deaths as Malik was. I actually caught that reference to her mom's death when she made that comment about dying alone.
Post a Comment