Reviewer Rating: 4.4/5.0
4.4
This is the high-stakes case and angsty drama Carl and Cassandra need.
Gordon Murphy seems to have been stalking someone from the beginning of Small Town Season 1 Episode 5.
He wasn’t here to curry favor with Cassandra or help her improve the library. He just wanted to hurt Carl.
This episode explores what Carl and Cassandra mean to each other, how criminals exploit their love, and whether their relationship can survive a horrific kidnapping.
In addition to the main plot, Carl also deals with the interactions between Cassandra and his daughter. The show also added a subplot in which Andy was complained about for flirting with a suspect, which would have worked better in a different week.
When the initial squirm failed, he tried again
When a strange car starts stalking Holly and her new friends, I suspect Gibson has a stalker.
Gordon Murphy isn’t even that sharp when examining the important figures in Carl Ahlberg’s life.
Almost everyone dismissed the incident with the girls as an unfortunate sex act and assumed Carl was an overprotective cop dad, including Holly.
When Gordon Murphy witnesses the couple sharing a romantic lunch, he becomes even more creepy when he realizes that Carl’s weakness is Cassandra.
Carl’s main problem is that he wants to be an instant family, and his daughter and girlfriend are unhappy with each other. They need time to get to know each other, and Gordon Murphy sets his plan in motion when things are fragile.
Holly thought Cassandra was letting her go to a meeting, but she was one of the last people to see Cassandra.
Gordon Murphy thinks he can wow Cassandra with his architectural expertise and help her with her new project.
I’m not sure what his next move would be if she believed his lies, but she saw right through his lies and he wasn’t going to let her get away with it.
Carl’s search for Cassandra leaves him overwhelmed
Carl and Cassandra were still living their own lives, but when he couldn’t reach her, he knew something was wrong.
He seemed unaware of her meeting with Gordon Murphy, as it was about the library and arts center expansion.
Although they seemed close at first, there was a distance between the two, and Carl’s sixth sense kicked in, and he knew something was wrong when he saw Cassandra’s new charm bracelet missing.
During those press conferences, it felt like Carl knew Cassandra was watching and wanted her to know how much he cared.
He is very stoic and doesn’t express his feelings often, and this tragedy makes him realize how much she means to him, especially when the leads take a turn for the worse.
Carl realizes an old suspect wants revenge on him
Cassandra is so beloved that Sid and the rest of the team don’t hesitate to try and raise a ransom.
However, Carl realizes that the kidnappers are playing games and messing with their minds. He recognized the slogan: “The Done is Done,” a slogan he’d used when he was a patrolman who needed to know who he’d arrested for revenge.
Holly saves the day by reminding her father to look beyond the photos and understand the details of these people’s lives, as they were not always hardened criminals.
Sure enough, when Carl arrested Paul Wheeler, he lost his girlfriend and Wheeler’s life spiraled out of control. He hated that Carl had it all and looked like a hometown hero.
This breaks Carl down and he is willing to do anything to save Cassandra, including sacrificing himself.
Some of the best scenes are when Sid keeps Carl front and center during the investigation.
I originally wondered if Carl would forgive himself for the conflict of interest, but then things would be less dramatic.
Cassandra realizes many harsh truths
When Gordon Murphy (aka Paul Wheeler) held Cassandra captive for Carl, she looked as surprised as anyone.
That’s not on my bingo card, and naturally, he tries to play on her sympathy by implying that if she gets hurt, it’s Carl’s fault, not his. He wants her to believe they are all his victims.
Kristen Kreuk hinted that Carl’s past would affect Cassandra and Carl’s relationship, but at the time, I doubted she was referring to his daughter and not the former suspect. This is more dramatic.
As Cassandra cared for her mother, she also realized that Paul Wheeler had terminal cancer and tried to use this to her advantage, begging him not to waste his final days committing another crime.
All he cared about was taking something from Carl, as if Carl had hurt him, and she was the best way to do that.
Strong and smart, Cassandra figures out a way to outwit her attacker and inform Carl of her situation so he knows where she is. While she needs help from Gibson police, she is a fighter and a survivor.
Cassandra had never seen Carl’s dark side, as he would usually end arguments without getting involved.
This time, if Sid hadn’t intervened, Carl would have beaten Paul Miller to a bloody pulp before arresting him. Seeing him so angry, even as he defended Cassandra’s honor, might scare her.
Although she said everything was fine, Cassandra wouldn’t let Carl visit her in the hospital, and she broke down when she was alone.
Did Paul Miller’s plan succeed?
Does this episode need an Andy storyline?
Do we need this part to feature Genevieve’s complaint about Andy’s flirting? It just doesn’t fit in with the rest of it.
We can still have him pull her over in the first place, so his squad car scares Paul Wheeler away from the girls.
But the rest of the arc just seems to point to Andy using his charm too often, and Genevieve taking advantage of that, thinking she’d call in to complain.
Corporal Yan saw through her behavior and refused to let her pull the game card or try to establish contact with her in order to avoid a ticket.
While I enjoyed the friendship between Donnie Yen and Andy, this emotional arc seemed better suited to another episode.
What’s your favorite part of Small Town Murders this time on TV Fanatic? Are you excited to see the mystery surrounding Carl and Cassandra?
Do you also think Andy’s arc doesn’t line up with the others?
Let us know in the comments below.
Watch Small Town Murders online
