Cold Case“One Small Step”
Original Airdate: November 9, 2008
Amanda — TwoCents Reviewer
amanda@thetwocentscorp.com
Keeping aso than most, deals with the effect of those long-buried secrets. A retired detective still can’t sleep at night due to his one unsolved case, keeping a secret proves more than one unfortunate soul can handle, and Lilly delves into one of her own secrets. All this against the backdrop of the summer of 1969, when man first walked on the moon. So, without further ado, let’s take a small step (or a giant leap, whatever floats your boat), into the world of Cold Case.
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Cold Case
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Original Airdate: November 9, 2008
Amanda — TwoCents Reviewer
amanda@thetwocentscorp.com
Keeping aso than most, deals with the effect of those long-buried secrets. A retired detective still can’t sleep at night due to his one unsolved case, keeping a secret proves more than one unfortunate soul can handle, and Lilly delves into one of her own secrets. All this against the backdrop of the summer of 1969, when man first walked on the moon. So, without further ado, let’s take a small step (or a giant leap, whatever floats your boat), into the world of Cold Case.
The episode begins when retired Detective Shep “Mac” McAvoy approaches Lilly with new evidence in the case of 12-year-old Danny Finch, a science geek and rocket enthusiast found dead near a creek. The case has been haunting Mac ever since, and he produces a model rocket delivered to him by one Michael Collins, featuring an engraving by the “Chestnut Hill Rocket Boys,” which included Danny’s name. Despite the flimsy new direction, Mac manages to convince Lilly to take another look at the case, which quickly centers on the other three Rocket Boys: Chuck Collier, now a private jet pilot, Bobby Kent, owner of a sporting goods store, and Seth Lundgren, whose mental health has taken a decided turn for the worse.
The guys first try to pin the crime on Dick Wallace, the ill-tempered watchman at a construction site, where the boys all tried to steal parts to make their rocket. He ran them off, but Danny went back with fourteen dollars, and, after a heartfelt speech, Dick was moved to supply Danny not only with parts for the rocket, but fuel as well. The guys also claim to have not spoken to one another in years, though pilfered phone records from Seth’s apartment, and a clever trick Scotty pulls on Bobby with his cell phone, disprove this theory. Bobby comes clean then, talking about a trip to the woods to launch a rocket, which was interrupted when they were accosted by Bobby’s bully of a half-brother, Malcolm, and a friend of his, who beat up Danny and tried to steal his rocket. Danny fought back, however, at the same time Seth came back to help. Bobby reveals that Seth was almost as obsessed with the rocket as Danny was, and that’s what leads Lilly and Mac to realize that Seth was the one who turned it in.
Realizing that Seth knows more than he originally claimed, Vera goes back to talk to him, and Seth reveals that their rocket launch was successful. After bringing Seth back to the squad room, the detectives learn that Seth’s mental treatment and anti-psychotics have been paid for over the years by Bobby and Chuck. Vera goes back in to talk to Seth again, but, in the episode’s most dramatic moment, discovers that he’s hanged himself in the interview room.
The other detectives bring in Bobby and Chuck, inform them of Seth’s suicide, and interrogate them, but neither one of them cracks. Vera, however, decides to try again with Bobby, the only one who seems to actually care. In one of his most brilliant interrogations, Vera tells Bobby that Chuck has ratted him out for murder, then accuses him of being a sheep, going along with everything Chuck, the leader, says. Bobby finally tells part of the secret: in order to return home from the words, the boys either had to take the long way around or jump over the creek from a great height. Everyone except Chuck wanted to jump over, but Chuck wanted to take the long way, telling Danny he was too weak and would never make the jump. Danny tried anyway and made it.
Armed with this information, Scotty and Lilly talk to Chuck, who initially claims that Danny didn’t make the jump as Bobby said, but fell in. Chuck says he tried to save him, but the water was too deep, and he had to save himself. Scotty and Lil are fine with this…except for the teeny, tiny, inconsequential detail that Danny was beaten to death, he didn’t drown. They then turn back on Chuck, figuring out that Danny, the former geek, had proven himself so valuable to the Rocket Boys that Chuck’s unquestioned leadership was in danger. Nailed to the wall, Chuck finally confesses. Danny encouraged Chuck to make the leap, he tried and fell, and Danny jumped in to save him. This done, Danny promised not to tell anyone that Chuck was scared, but his promise wasn’t good enough for Chuck, who hit him in the head with a large tree branch.
Like last week’s, this episode was almost exclusively about the case. Although this was a very intriguing case, I didn’t feel like it was strong enough to carry the entire episode. Danny was a sympathetic character, and I enjoyed watching him find his confidence as he proved himself to the Rocket Boys, but I found myself far more interested in Seth’s storyline than I was the actual case. However, Lilly’s interaction with Mac was fun to watch. In a pivotal scene, he asked Lilly if she had her own “cold case” that still eats at her. She does: a case involving someone named Cooper. Mac implored her not to let it eat her alive, and, during the end montage, we see that Lilly’s taken his advice to heart, done some digging, and turned up contact information for a Paul Cooper. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
So that’s my two cents, which, in 1969, probably would have bought you a couple pieces of penny candy. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
does anyone know what the first song of this episode was?
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