Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
It’s difficult to believe it’s already the Murder in a Small Town season finale. Where are the times of longer seasons or at least 13-episode debut seasons?
The series worked hard to provide closure to cases, and Murder in a Small Town Season 1 Episode 8 showed how sometimes judgment is wrong, and even good people are serial killers.
Some cases hit harder than others, significantly affecting the team. The locals started to doubt Karl, and we finally learned more about Sid’s family history.
Identifying Jane Doe Leads the Cops to Roger
Murder in a Small Town excels at parallel scenes and twists and turns, and the season finale was no different.
At the same time Roger saw the news with Jane Doe’s photo, her agent identified her as Sally Dublin. The icing the cake was that her agent worked with Roger too and knew that Roger and Sally were friends.
Sally’s murder hit everyone hard because she had turned her life around. While she used drugs previously, she hadn’t in months, and that affected Sid the most.
Roger looked guilty because of circumstantial evidence and keeping his life private, which was partly understandable. But he looked suspicious for borrowing and denting Cassandra’s car without telling her and asking her to lie about his whereabouts.
He didn’t want to admit to that he was scoring drugs for him and his sister because they couldn’t cope with their mom’s impending death.
That was an embarrassing family secret. As Karl said, Roger could be a creep, but he was not a murderer.
That plot point was used to throw viewers off track of the actual murderer.
What Really Happened to Devon?
It’s a fine line sometimes between mentoring and grooming, especially when a teenage girl admires and crushes on a teacher.
Devon had become Mr. Cummin’s apprentice, helping him to prepare for his art show. While they celebrated his success, some of their scenes bordered on sexual grooming she impulsively hugged him, and he told she was the best.
Trusting a teenager with a juicy secret that he helped the cops with the painting that identified the murder victim was asking for trouble.
It was also scary that Devon stated that she could die happy if she was as talented as Cummins was. That felt like foreshadowing, especially with Devon terrified in the woods soon after.
That was likely an editing choice since she showed up at Holly’s in the middle of the night. But we’re still wondering if something happened to her beyond her throwing herself at Mr. Cummins.
Did he behave inappropriately and she was embarrassed to admit it?
Since Devon disappeared while women were being killed, she scared her mother, who in turn, blamed Karl for not protecting the town.
Artwork Leads the Cops to the Real Killer
It almost seemed like Mr. Cummins was proud of his work since he kept dropping hints, such as he couldn’t paint anything he hadn’t seen.
Karl started becoming suspicious, but what tipped the scales was seeing a beautiful portrait of Clyde, the Hingle’s dog who’d just been murdered.
That scene hurt because Callum and Mary loved their dog, and like Sally Dublin, Callum Hingle had turned his life around. Someone else wanted him to suffer or put the blame on him.
Initially, I had pegged Jesse for a jerk, but perhaps it took one to know one. Maybe he was the only person who saw through Mr. Cummin’s facade enough to call him out on it. No matter the circumstances, a teacher should never hit a student.
Sid was also right that using a civilian to view their crimes was a horrible idea, and Karl finally realized that each crime scene matched one of Cummin’s paintings.
Devon noticed this too, while in Cummin’s private studio, while her life was in danger. This was one of the highest stakes case since Cummins tried to taunt Karl with Holly being in danger while holding a knife to Devon’s throat.
That was the hardest moment since he’s both a father and a cop, and I’m glad they’ve explored both aspects of his personality and that his team showed up to rescue him.
What stuck with me was how Cummins thought it was intimate to watch someone die. Generally, looking someone in the eye is personal, but that was creepy.
Returning to the Heart of the Series
The last few episodes weren’t the same, with Karl and Cassandra apart. While she needed time to process her abduction, we’re relieved she finally came to terms with dating a police chief.
It’s infuriating when everyone in town recognized that she was in love with Karl, even Roger. At least they finally talked about it or decided that too much talking and thinking got them into trouble.
That was the best way to end the season finale with a passionate make-up kiss.
Hopefully, Fox will renew the series soon because we need more Karl and Cassandra adventures. Murder in a Small Town is entertaining because it highlights their romance and cozy murder mysteries.
Many Unfinished Character Arcs Give Hope for a Second Season
While the murder was solved, we didn’t learn essential information about some characters until the last few episodes. We want that fixed if Murder in a Small Town gets a second season.
We never knew Sid had a sister, let alone that she died because she was an addict, until this episode.
He’s a kind soul who wants to help people, so it’s understandable it affected him that Sally died after becoming clean, and he tried to save Gail Galbraith from becoming her own worst enemy.
Sid doesn’t often become emotional with witnesses, and if there is a second season, hopefully, they’ll explore more about his past.
The series only recently explored Corporal Yen’s past career and how she felt guilty for being recognized for solving a crime that wasn’t her doing. However, she’s excelled at Gibsons police, so hopefully, they’ll explore her personal and professional POV.
Even Cassandra needs more flashing out. Hopefully, the series will follow up on her bid for the town council, and she will get the money to expand the library. While Karl and Cassandra are the series’ hearts, she still needs to have her arc.
Over to you, TV Fanatics. Were you satisfied with the Murder in a Small Town finale?
What else would you have liked to see? Do you want a Season 2?
Let us know in the comments.
Come back tomorrow for our exclusive interview with EP Jeff Wachtel as he dissects Season 1 and teases a potential Season 2!
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