Cold Case“Roller Girl”
Original Airdate: Oct 19, 2008
Amanda - TwoCents Reviewer
amanda@thetwocentscorp.com
Back to the ‘70s this week, y’all, for a little roller skating! I had no idea how big roller skating was in the ‘70s, but it was apparently quite the rage (even Lilly and Jeffries got into it, as we’ll soon see). This episode, investigating the death of fifteen-year-old Missy Gallavan, was pretty lighthearted, a wee bit light on plot, actually, but a welcome change from the heavy, gut-wrenching, two-box-of-Kleenex episode that was last week’s outing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the heavy emotional stuff, but it’s nice to have a change of pace, and that’s exactly what this episode served up.
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Cold Case
ReplyDelete“Roller Girl”
Original Airdate: Oct 19, 2008
Amanda - TwoCents Reviewer
amanda@thetwocentscorp.com
Back to the ‘70s this week, y’all, for a little roller skating! I had no idea how big roller skating was in the ‘70s, but it was apparently quite the rage (even Lilly and Jeffries got into it, as we’ll soon see). This episode, investigating the death of fifteen-year-old Missy Gallavan, was pretty lighthearted, a wee bit light on plot, actually, but a welcome change from the heavy, gut-wrenching, two-box-of-Kleenex episode that was last week’s outing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the heavy emotional stuff, but it’s nice to have a change of pace, and that’s exactly what this episode served up.
Missy’s case is reopened when a woman serving time for armed robbery claims to have seen her getting into a van with a spaceship painted on it. While Scotty and Kat try to track down this rather unusual van, Lilly and Stillman talk to Missy’s mother, who tells them about a new friend Missy made, Julie Reed. Julie was “fast,” as Missy’s mother said, and loaned Missy some clothes and makeup so she could get into the skating rink at night, when the over-18 crowd gathered. Missy immediately attracted the attention of Rick the DJ, who was known for hitting on underage girls, but the party was soon broken up by the arrival of Missy’s childhood friend, Hugh, who was upset by the changes he’d seen in her.
Meanwhile, the van owner has been located: one Joe Bosquay, also known as Missy’s mom’s sleazy boyfriend. He put the moves on Missy one night, and in a touching mother-daughter scene, Missy told her mother that Joe wasn’t right for her. Indeed, all signs are pointing to Joe, including the fact that his stepdaughter reported him for sexual assault, and the shag carpet (it was the 70s, folks) in the van matched fibers found on Missy’s clothes. However, it seems too obvious, too perfect, especially when Missy’s mother starts blaming herself for letting Joe into their lives, and, indeed, it is. Joe did pick Missy up at the rink that night, but she’d called because Julie had overdosed on drugs, courtesy of our old pal Rick the DJ. He’s not the doer, but Scotty and Lil are able to arrest him anyway, thanks to $1400 of outstanding moving violations (nice payback for constantly putting his sleazy moves on Lil).
Responding to Missy’s call for help, Joe came in to see what he could do, but, after being bribed by a vial of drugs from Rick the DJ, he agreed to keep it a secret. He blackmailed Missy with the knowledge of her new nighttime activities, and Missy refused to go home with him, saying Julie needed medical attention. Julie woke up just in time to hear Rick kicking them out of the rink, and took out her frustration and teenage angst on Missy, who was only trying to help. Fortunately, Missy’s friend Hugh came to the rescue…only, in an extremely predictable turn of events, wanted to be more than that to her. He attempted to kiss her, but, after everything she’d been through with the DJ and her mom’s boyfriend, Missy rejected his advances, feeling betrayed by him, too. She tried to run off, he caught her and tried to talk, and they engaged in the usual Cold Case shoving match leading to a death, although this time, the final shove was given by Missy herself, causing her to tumble into a ravine, and the death to be ruled an accident.
In other developments, I am pleased to report that Lilly Rush has re-entered the building. She’s not Super Mopey Angst-Ridden Lilly, as in seasons past, nor is she Happy Bouncy Cheerleader Lilly, as in recent episodes, she’s simply Lilly: an awesome detective with a knack for knowing just how to talk to, and respond to, witnesses and suspects, and a bit of feistiness to boot. Who, apparently, is also something of a fiend on roller skates, as we see her and Jeffries racing during the end montage. It’s nice to see Lilly having fun with the people who have been there for her through thick and thin through the show’s entire run. Welcome back, Lil. We missed you.
This is a small point, but I’m appreciating the glimpses into the inner workings of PPD, namely, the hints we get that our detectives’ cold jobs aren’t necessarily the highest of priorities. In attempting to procure Missy’s fingernail clippings to test for DNA underneath them, Jeffries had to hassle a clerk known cryptically as Mr. Happy Meal and finally go back and get the evidence himself. The scene where he and Vera gripe about this was priceless.
Perhaps the finest moments of this episode came courtesy of Scotty and Kat, who, I am beginning to realize, are a categorical whirlpool of awesome when thrown together in pretty much any situation. This time, Kat’s mother has set her up on a blind date with a guy from church, and Kat, who, as Scotty points out, has gone toe to toe with jacked-up gangbangers, is scared out of her mind to the point that she not only a) confides in Scotty, but b) calls him when she has too much to drink and runs out on her date. The snarky comments Scotty shoots her way and the brotherly way he picks her up at the restaurant and practically orders her to call her date and reschedule are just made of win and awesome. I love these two together, and I’m glad the show has decided to let them have some moments.
So that’s my two cents, which, in 1978, would have bought you a few drops of gasoline (but definitely a few more drops than today). How soon did you peg the doer? Did you roller-skate in the 1970s? Do you go on blind dates? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
You must be young, Amanda! I was born only 2 years before this murder took place, but oh I remember roller skating! I had regular skates and clip-on ones! I could shoot-the-moon (I didn't know that's what it was called, but I did it all the time)!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree with you about Lilly, and about Kat and Scotty. At first I was thinking "are they going to start some romance between these two?" because that would be typical on TV. Sometimes I feel little sparks between Lilly and Scotty, but with Kat there weren't really any sparks. But that was okay! I liked that they could be friendly and care about each other and joke around, and NOT wind up in the sack!
Heh. Thanks! I'm flattered! I'm actually not that young (I was born in '79), so I remember lots of elementary school skating parties at the roller rink. Of course, instead of skating to disco, I remember skating to "Ice, Ice, Baby." Never learned any tricks; staying upright was enough!
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't see them ever doing anything with Kat/Scotty other than this fantastically snarky friendship they have. I think it's really interesting how, when Lilly was dating, Scotty was constantly ragging on the guy, but when Kat had her date, he was nothing but supportive and encouraging. That, right there, I think, illustrates the difference between the Lilly/Scotty sparks and the Kat/Scotty friendship.