'Case' Closed?

Today's post is bittersweet for PTR.  This week's Cold Case double-header was fantastic, but it might also be the show's swan song which makes this, quite possibly, the last time I get to write about a new episode of one of my favorite shows.  If the rest of the season had proceeded as the first half, then this would be a very different post.  I would be telling you how "ready" I was to say goodbye to the show and how disappointing it was to see it go out on such a low note.  Thankfully, the second half of the season was nothing like the first and if this week's finale was really it's final episode, at least the show went out on a high note -- a very high note.  Somewhere between Christmas and spring, the CC writers decided to shake up the formula and focus on telling good stories for both the case-of-the-week and regular characters instead of being confined by a narrow format.  This week's season ender epitomized the change, and it provided some closure to some of the show's personal stories for the detectives.  And the story line that I thought I was going to like the least wound up being the one that captivated and moved me the most.

Help Rush Stay on the 'Case'

From the Look Again message board:

This Sunday May 2nd from 9-11 pm (ET) is the Season 7 finale of your favorite CBS prime time drama.

Will Sunday’s final two season episodes be the last new episodes of this series? Do you desire to see Lilly Rush and her “nameless male horde” and Kat back next fall with a fresh set of cases to solve?

It is a fact that Cold Case is “On the Bubble”. What does that mean? It means fans have to vocalize in writing by a letter or postcard to CBS Entertainment. It’s in our hands. Cold Case needs our letter, envelope and stamp now! This is the final call. It must be done one fan at a time. We are providing an address and letter. It’s that simple.

Can a television series be saved solely by the fans? Yes. Various television series’ have been saved by fans when they were scheduled to be dropped from the line up. (Jericho, Angel, Firefly, Veronica Mars) It takes every fan who sees this to respond and tell others everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, other message boards and fan run sites. Cold Case is “On the Bubble” and your response “will” make a difference. Believe it and respond with your letter/postcard to CBS by MAY 8..


ADDRESS:
Nina Tassler
President of CBS Entertainment
CBS Headquarters
51 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6188


STANDARD MESSAGE: (use this or devise your own letter/note)

Dear Ms. Tassler;

“People shouldn't be forgotten, even if they are my kind of people. Maybe they don't have a lotta money, they don't have lawyers... but they matter. They should get justice, too.” -Det. Lilly Rush (Cold Case)

Ever since Lilly Rush uttered those words in the pilot episode of Cold Case, viewers like us have been drawn to her personal crusade to find justice for every victim. The fact that her victims have had to wait longer than most makes her job and this show that much more interesting. At the end of each episode, there is a sense of justice that can’t be replicated by other crime shows. Cold Case has always stood out of the pack with its solid writing, raw emotions and ability to transport you to the time period of the latest victim’s untimely death. The show is special and we, the fans, would hate to lose such a quality program.

It is shows such as Cold Case that set apart CBS from the other networks and prove that crime dramas can have character and emotion and not just fancy science. The characters can make you laugh one moment and cry another. And the stories appeal to everyone because justice is a theme we all rally behind.

Before you make your final decision on Cold Case’s fate next season, we implore you to “Look Again” at the series and discover why so many of us want to see it return. Please give Cold Case another season so Lilly can stay on the “Case.”

Sincerely,
(your name here)



So... faithful PTR readers, SEND THOSE LETTERS!  Make sure Lilly and co. stay on the Case!

'Cold' Files

This post is going to make me very unpopular in the Cold Case world. I'll explain later, but first, I loved this episode. It had a few weaknesses, but overall, it was excellent. Who would have thought that CC, based in Philadelphia, would be able to pull off an episode centering around a murder at Woodstock?! They did, though, and they did it very well. And just in case I wasn't in love enough with this hour, they went and gave us more of Yates!! Seriously, it's like the writers are reading my mind.  Plus, they're delivering the best run of episodes since the second season. It's too bad we have to wait a few weeks before we get to see more from this season. The only element of this outing that I wasn't too fond of was the personal stuff transpiring back in Philly (with the exception of the Yates/Stillman story). Meanwhile in NYC, Lilly was facing a huge decision and this is where the rest of the CC fans and I part ways.

FBI Makes its 'Case'

These past two weeks have reminded me why I love Cold Case and why it used to be my favorite show: because it is capable of stuff like this excellent two-parter!  I'm going to miss Yates and her no-nonsense/cut- to- the- chase style of crime solving. Plus, I just really LOVED the way she and Rush played off of each other. I'd love to see them team up in the future. But for now, we have the conclusion of an exciting and surprising serial sniper case that had Lilly and co. working with the FBI (led by Agent Cavanaugh) in a desperate race against the clock. It was an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that certainly had its ups and downs. And if that wasn't enough, we finally got clarification on last week's most heated discussion in the comments section here at PTR.

Caught in the Crossfire

Oh.  My.  COLD CASE!!!  Sometimes an episode comes along that is so awesome, so wonderful, so perfect that I'm actually afraid to do a write-up about it because I know that I cannot possibly do it justice.  Such is the case with this week's beyond-stellar outing of Cold Case.  There wasn't a single thing wrong with this episode, but there were a lot of things right about it starting with guest star Susanna Thompson as FBI Agent Yates.  Sure she was pushy, over-the-top and forward, but that's what made her such a great contrast to the "hand-holding" PPD characters (although, we all know that Lil and co. have their moments in the interrogation room, but in a completely different way than Yates).  Plus, the evolving relationship between Yates and Lil was well-played and the two made for great foils-turned-teammates.  But this hour wasn't just packed with awesome-ness, it also had its share of surprises and a few jaw-dropping moments.

Vera's Tough 'Case'

Not to be a wet blanket, but seriously, I'm getting sick of the Cold Case gang covering up for each other.  I didn't agree when Scotty did it for Lilly, I really worried when Lil did it for Scotty, and this week, I was down right angry that Lil/Scotty/Will/Kat all did it for Vera.  He was drinking and driving for crying out loud!  He could have killed someone!!!  Is Hollywood's moral barometer so out of touch that they think it's OK to have a detective on a network show get away with drunk driving and the detectives who covered for him seem to face no consequences??!!  I can't even tell you how angry I was when Lil covered up Vera's DUI.  It sorta ruined the rest of the hour for me (as I was steaming over the show's decision to do something so reprehensible without showing any consequences).  I'll step off my soap box for now (but I'm not forgiving the show for this part of the story), and I will say that, overall, I enjoyed this episode.  It was another break from the usual formula and it worked really well.  The hour's biggest question turned out to be a lot less serious that Lil and the gang feared.  Vera was depressed and MIA, but had he gone off the deep end?  Lil and co. raced the clock to prevent the tragic ending they feared was right around the corner.

Wrestling with the Truth

I am so not a fan of wrestling, but there was something endearing and engaging about this week's wrestling-themed episode of Cold Case.  Of course, setting the episode in the 80s didn't hurt!  At its core, though, this story was about a father and son and trying to mend their fractured relationship before it morphed into the father's relationship with his own father.  So, how does a down-on-his-luck dock worker turn things around and begin to have a meaningful relationship with his young son?  Well, it wasn't through his day job (although, it did lead to a really cool opening song: Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer").  That left his new night job and as it turns out, it did indeed bring him closer to his son, but it also led to some unfortunate events, and ultimately, it cost him his life.

Two Weddings & a Murder

I know I shouldn't have LOVED this week's episode of Cold Case.  I know there were some forced plot points and a few over-the-top story elements.  BUT, seriously, I didn't care because I loved the whole concept so much that it just didn't matter.  Plus, it was so good to see Louie again!  I loved Lilly's comment about having a soft spot for him.  Those two were always funny together at crime scenes back in the first couple of seasons (ahh, the good ol' days!).  Well, he was back and everyone was supposed to be having a nice time at his wedding, but leave it to the CC gang to turn a wedding into a murder investigation!  They couldn't even enjoy themselves on a day off celebrating a very happy occasion for one of their co-workers.  And I thought Lil was bad, but she was the voice of reason when the rest of them dragged her into the fray.  Then again, she did want to make sure that Louie wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life.  His fiancee had lost her first fiance on the eve of their wedding, so was Anna a grieving or black widow?

'Cold Case's' Metamorphosis

I don't want to jinx anything, but I think Cold Case might be on a roll.  I'm not even sure how many episodes officially constitute a "roll," but we're two for two these last couple of weeks and next week's break-from-the-usual looks awesome too!  This show always seems to have a stronger second act, so this sudden surge isn't unusual, but it is certainly welcomed.  I was a little concerned about this week's circus-themed episode because these sorts of stories have the potential for disaster, but instead, this one was engaging, fascinating, dark and kept me guessing all the way up to the reveal.  There was also a darker side story involving Lilly and the fallout from last week's shocking Moe outcome.  And that story line piggybacked onto an even darker sub story involving Scotty and his mother's mugging/rape.  But the biggest OMG moment came when we learned who killed Mia, or rather, the shocking truth that I never saw coming about her killer.

'Cold' Tagging

PTR wants to extend a warm welcome back to Cold Case both in a literal way (the show's hasn't been on since the middle of January) and a more symbolic one since this episode was leaps and bounds above the fray this season.  And you know what's funny about it?  This outing didn't do anything spectacular or out of the ordinary; it simply told a compelling, well-written story and peppered it with some actual meaty personal bits.  And probably most importantly, the killer was 100% believable, made sense and the motive had nothing to do with the victim moving on and leaving the killer behind.  Thank you, writers, for returning CC back to its roots and giving us an intriguing, multi-dimensional hour that kept me guessing until the end.  As strong as this entire episode was, it was the final seconds that left my mouth agape and had me wanting to see what happens next.

Private Eyes on the 'Case'

Just the sheer fact that this episode didn't end with someone killing someone over the second someone finding success and moving on was a HUGE improvement as of late.  That alone would have led to a positive review here at PTR (SIDEBAR: it's amazing how much lower my standards have become for this show.  It's sad, really), but there was a lot more to this episode than a better resolution.  The year (1974) and the way the show played up the "cheesy 70s" complete with a P.I., interesting characters, and of course, the twist (that I saw coming, but enjoyed immensely anyway) all contributed to a great outing.

'Cold' Reality

Another year, another case, another person dead after they decided to leave someone behind.  Seriously, if you learn nothing else from Cold Case, please, please, please never leave for greener pastures without inviting along the neediest person in your life.  For I fear if you do, you will most certainly pay with your life.  And here I was worrying about CC tackling another military-centric case and once again ticking me off.  For once the military angle was well done, but unfortunately, the motive was tired and overly played-out this season.  It's even more unfortunate that after a long Christmas break here at PTR (partially induced by the lack of TV over the last few weeks and partially due to my own vacations), that this is the episode that will ring in the New Year here at PTR.  Yikes!  I hope it's not a harbinger for things to come.  Honestly, the rest of the episode was good.  The victim was very sympathetic and had me dreading his inevitable murder at the end.  Plus, I liked the development on the Lilly's alternate family front.  Yup, things were shaping up to make this one a solid episode and a promising start to 2010 until the final few minutes.

As 'Cold' as Ice

About halfway through this week's episode, I suddenly realized who killed Tommy.  It's not that I'm some sort of crime-solving whiz, but I did discern a pattern this season: people kill people who get ahead in life and leave them in the dust.  We've seen it several times this season, so I began to realize that Dwight was the most likely suspect.  He had encouraged Tommy to try out for the team and then Tommy started doing well.  He played with heart and the coach took notice.  Suddenly, Tommy was in line to possibly get a scholarship and go off to college.  Meanwhile, Dwight was stuck in Philly with his date rape plan and a baby he didn't want on the way.  But, would the show surprise us and go a different route?

The Great Debater

I'm going to give Cold Case some props this week.  They managed to surprise me and make the doer believable!  This is a rare occasion (we all know my dislike for the show's penchant to "surprise" us with the doer by making him/her the least likely person in the story).  Part of my surprise was fueled by the fact that the debate coach seemed too obvious and he had too many reasons to kill Luke making him an "instant cross-off" on the suspect list for CC.  The other part dealt with a clever red herring that had me believing Luke's father was involved.

Lilly Crosses a Line

Was it just me or was this week's episode of Cold Case feeling a little Deja vu? Just a couple of weeks ago we watched Lilly and co. solve the murder of a young, promising Philly soul singer and this week, we saw them solve the murder of a young, promising rapper. Same story (complete with weak killer/resolution), different decade and music style. That was a disappoint for me this week. And that's a shame because I liked Donalyn and her compelling story. In fact, I was fully engaged until they revealed the killer was... wait for it... the FOSTER MOM!!! Yeah, I'm still scratching my head too. Would it have been too much to ask to have made the foster father the killer? He was a child predator, a cheater, and an all-around creep! Plus, he had his eye on Donalyn and she rapped about it. Motive - silver platter! The "surprise me" tactic only works when the killer makes sense. Anyway...

Remember when I said I liked the way the show was exploring the darker side of Lil? Well, my friends, I think we just went a little too dark!

'Case' is Off to the Races

It's fun to see a show that's boxed in by a formula do something a little outside that box. Such was the case with this week's Cold Case. The formula was still there (complete with the "who's the least likely suspect" game), but the story was just a smidge outside of the usual for this show. And it was enough to make me sit up and pay attention. Although about halfway through it, I found myself wishing we were working on Jeffries' case.  And that's not a knock on the episode, but a compliment to the intrigue the show created surrounding the missing girl he never found.  I have a feeling that case will make a re-appearance soon (fingers crossed). Anyway, I enjoyed this horse racing tale and found the move outside of CC's comfort zone to be fun.  And of course, there was also that funny conversation about whips and crops between Lil and Scotty.

'Cold' Sabotage

I've been complaining about Cold Case's lack of a strong doer this season (although, the problem can be traced back several seasons).  This week, I thought the show did a better job of picking someone who seemed like a plausible killer.  It's not that Iris was the most convincing murderer, but the show made a pretty strong case for her and provided a decent motive.  I'm not sure that I can see her sabotaging Vivian's plane knowing it would kill her (especially since it wouldn't look good for the WASPs to lose another pilot -- and their best one at that).  One thing that I found to be quite excellent about this outing, though, was its subject matter.  I'm embarrassed to say that I was unaware of the WASPs prior to this episode.  I knew that women helped out in wartime in many different ways, but I didn't know about the women who flew non-combat flights for the Army Air Force.  Interesting subject matter and a nice slice of history that paved the way for the many women in the military today (pilots and otherwise).

Other developments were a bit mixed, though.

'Case' Does Some Soul Searching

After a rude interruption by the NFL in our regularly scheduled Cold Case viewing (which was made even worse by the fact that our friends in Canada got to see the episode last week as scheduled), Lilly and co. were back to work this week. Of course, as previously discussed, the "co." in "Lilly and co." is a bit thin these days. I still haven't made up my mind about this Lilly/other family story line. I was all about it when it was strictly Lil and her father trying to find their way back to each other. I was somewhat onboard when he wanted her to meet his new family, but I'm just not sure about the teenage half-brother twist. I find myself scratching my head at this turn of events. It feels so far removed from what I thought Lilly's path would be (based on her beginning at the start of the show). Maybe I don't need to meet anymore of her family or maybe I want those I do meet to be a little closer to her age, I don't know. I will say, though, I thought her scenes with Finn were good and I liked the way the writers and Kathryn played it.

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I once again had a hard time with the killer. It still feels like the show is trying to make the least likely person the guilty party, which is great for a surprise (although, that doesn't even work anymore because we know it's going to be the least likely suspect), but seriously short changes the story. This show used to be a wonderful psychological whydunnit. It delved into the very core of human nature. It was fascinating! Now, not so much. Instead of being wrapped up in the story, I'm concentrating on which random person killed the victim-of-the-week. This time, it was the goody-two-shoes church choir girl who dreamed of a music career outside the church walls. Even writing it here it seems unbelievable and that's exactly how it felt.

[rant] One of my long-standing pet peeves with Cold Case (and kinda Hollywood in general) is its tendency to always make those with strong faith and solid church ties into hypocrites. This week was no exception. There was the aforementioned church- choir- girl-turned-murderer and then there was Billy's minister father. This character, despite being a man of the church, was full of hatred. He hated the music his son wanted to play, he hated the fact that Billy wasn't like his brother, and he expressed both of these sentiments in full fury in the middle of the church the last time he saw his son. Furthermore, he was sleeping with a church member. Ugh! Could the show go any more out of its way to paint people of faith in a less flattering light?! MAJOR PET PEEVE. [/rant]

Overall, though, I did like this episode. I enjoyed the trip through the 70s soul music of Philadelphia, seeing Will get wrapped up in the case (even if I wasn't) and the music. It was a fun trip through time. If only the doer and the hypocrisy missteps hadn't occurred, then I would have probably loved this one. Still, good enough to move the show to 4-0 on the season. Screencap courtesy of RichE at Kathryn Morris UK.

Cases Stay 'Cold,' But Personal Developments Heat Up

It used to be that the cases on Cold Case were strong enough to overcome the lack of character development. But now, it seems that the cases have gotten weaker and even a bit sloppy at times making it so the personal stuff has to do the heavy lifting. This is problematic for a show that has always been procedural first and (very little) character development a very distant second. Last week, things felt more balanced (I was even getting season one vibes), but this week things slipped back into that mode where I found myself more interested in those text pictures and how many times Lilly and Saccardo had been secretly "meeting like that" over the course of the last year. And while this was intriguing, it's not enough to carry an entire episode. It's weird because I was interested in what happened to Alex, but the story felt disjointed and forced (again). And maybe it's just me, but flashbacks drive me nuts when the person who's recalling what happened wasn't in the room for the events they're re-telling (see Laticia's first flashback).

Last week, I hypothesized that Lil's stalker texts were either from her new nemesis Moe or her undercover "boyfriend" Saccardo. I went with Moe, but as it turns out, Saccardo is the stalker. Lil has to be breathing a sigh of relief after she traced that cell and it led back to him instead of Moe. I still don't know how I feel about this relationship. In some respects it demonstrates how far Lil has strayed from her former self (both good and bad) and in others, it shows her lighter side which may come in handy to balance out her new, darker one this season. Whatever the case, she seems happy and that's always a good thing.

No Vera this week (thanks to network/studio budget cuts, which I'm not going to complain about because the alternative would have been to cancel the show) and no surprise, but the humor was missing. Not having him on the show made me realize how much I enjoy his character. And then at the end, we saw Kat packing her things and relocating to another department thanks to PPD budget cuts. And I know what you're thinking: Is she gone for good? The short answer: No. Actress Tracie Thoms blogged about her pending hiatus this summer and explained that she would only be in 16 of the 22 episodes this season (along with two other cast members) and that the break would give her time to work on other projects. So, look for Kat to return at some point this season. Like Jeremy Ratchford (Vera), she will be missed.

Budget cuts aside, this was another mixed episode for me. It was good, but not great. Good enough to move CC to 3-0 this season, though. Screencap courtesy of RichE at Kathryn Morris UK.

'Case' Skates through a Stronger Episode

From the moment this week's episode started, something felt like season one. Maybe it was the look of the flashbacks or the familiar way that Lilly and Scotty worked together (with her taking lead), but something kept that feeling alive throughout the hour. And, this will come as no surprise, I liked it. A lot! This outing managed to capture the essence of the first season that makes you feel emotionally involved in the case even when you're not interested in the subject matter. I'm no skateboarding aficionado, but I found myself wrapped up in this one. Normally, I would have disconnected from the first spin of those skateboard wheels (and believe me, I started to), but the story and the characters fought that inclination and kept me involved. I'm really glad they did. I kinda fell in like with Cold Case again this week. The show reminded me why I (hearted) it so much originally. It's funny, too, because this wasn't a stand-out episode, but it was a return to what made this show so great.

Thankfully, there was no "least likely suspect" this week, so the writers weren't tempted to pin the murder on him/her. Everyone made for a viable suspect, which allowed me to just follow the story and not worry about a let down at the end. My heart went out to Nash. He wanted to rescue his little brother, so he took the first good opportunity that came around. Unfortunately, this alienated him from the one person who had given him a place to stay. Even more unfortunate, it also led to his drugged-up friend taking a skateboard to his head. Now that's just wrong!

Two intriguing developments on the personal front this week: Scotty's mom has a secret and Lil has a secret admirer. We got to meet Scotty's parents for the first time because his dad is worried about his mom's sudden change in behavior. She swore everything was fine, but at the end, Scotty saw her crying in her car. Is she dealing with a health scare? A new love? Or something else? Meanwhile, Lil was dealing with her own mystery. She received a text on her phone from a blocked number. The text was a picture of her taken without her knowledge while she walked down the street. My guess: it was either from her new nemesis Moe Kitchener (whom we saw her stalking last week -- maybe he was returning the favor) or her undercover beau Eddie Saccardo (who texted her a picture of herself last season when they were dating and he wasn't undercover). Place your bets now. I'm putting mine on Moe.

A much better outing than last week, so CC moves to 2-0 on the season. Screencap courtesy of RichE at Kathryn Morris UK.