Critic’s Rating: 4.4 / 5.0
4.4
That was the high-stakes case and angsty drama that Karl and Cassandra needed.
It seemed like Gordon Murphy was stalking someone from the beginning of Murder in a Small Town Season 1 Episode 5. His intent didn’t become apparent until later in the episode.
He wasn’t there to court Cassandra or help her improve the library. He only wanted to hurt Karl.
This episode explored how much Karl and Cassandra meant to each other, how a criminal exploited their love, and if their relationship could survive a terrible abduction.
Besides the main plot, Karl also dealt with how Cassandra and his daughter interacted with each other. The series also added a subplot in which Andy gets a complaint for flirting with a suspect, which would have worked better in a different week.
When At First The Creep Doesn’t Succeed, He Tries Again
As soon as a strange car started following Holly and her new friend, I suspected there was a stalker in Gibson.
Gordon Murphy wasn’t even that subtle as he scoped out the essential people in Karl Alberg’s life.
Nearly everyone blew off the incident with the girls as an unfortunate one-time creep and thought Karl was an overprotective cop dad, including Holly.
Gordon Murphy became even creepier as he realized Karl’s weak spot was Cassandra as he witnessed the couple sharing a romantic lunch.
Karl’s main problem was that he wanted to become an instant family, and neither his daughter nor girlfriend were comfortable with each other. They needed time to get to know each other, and Gordon Murphy set his plan in motion when things were fragile.
Holly thought Cassandra blew her off to attend a meeting, yet she was among the last to see Cassandra.
Gordon Murphy assumed he could wow Cassandra with his construction expertise and help with her new project.
I’m unsure what his next step would be if she bought his lies, but she saw right through them, and he wouldn’t let her get away.
Karl’s Search for Cassandra Overwhelms Him
Karl and Cassandra still lived separate lives, but he knew something was wrong when he couldn’t reach her.
It seemed off that he didn’t know about her meeting with Gordon Murphy since it was about the library and arts center expansion.
Although they seemed so close in the beginning, there was still a distance between them, and Karl’s sixth sense kicked in. When he saw Cassandra’s new charm bracelet missing, he knew something was wrong.
During those press conferences, it felt like Karl knew Cassandra was watching and wanted her to know how much he cared.
He was so stoic and didn’t often share his feelings, and this tragedy made him realize how much she meant to him, especially as the clues worsened.
Karl Realizes an Old Suspect Wants Revenge on Him
Cassandra was so well-loved that Sid and the rest of the team didn’t hesitate to try to raise the ransom money.
However, Karl realized the abductor was playing a game and messing with their heads. He recognized the catchphrase, “What’s done is done,” as one he used from when he was a beat cop and needed to learn who he arrested back then that wanted revenge.
Holly saved the day when she reminded her father to look beyond the mug shots and learn details about these men’s lives because they weren’t always hardened criminals.
Sure enough, when Karl arrested Paul Wheeler, he lost his girlfriend, and Wheeler’s life spiraled out of control. He hated that Karl had everything and looked like a hometown hero.
That crushed Karl, and he would have done anything to save Cassandra, including sacrificing himself.
Some of the best scenes were of Sid keeping Karl centered and focused during this investigation.
I had wondered if Karl would have excused himself because of a conflict of interest, but then the case wouldn’t have been as dramatic.
Cassandra Realizes Many Hard Truths
Cassandra looked as surprised as the rest when Gordan Murphy, aka Paul Wheeler, captured her because of Karl.
That wasn’t on my bingo card, and naturally, he tried to prey on her sympathies, implying that if she got hurt, it was Karl’s fault, not his. He wanted her to believe they were both his victims.
Kristin Kreuk hinted that Karl’s past would affect Cassandra and Karl’s relationship, but back then, I suspected she meant his daughters, not a former suspect. This was more dramatic.
Since Cassandra cared for her mom, she also realized Paul Wheeler had terminal cancer and attempted to use that to her advantage, pleading with him not to waste his last days committing another crime.
He only cared about taking something from Karl, as if Karl had hurt him, and she was the best way to do that.
Cassandra was strong and intelligent and figured out a way to outsmart her attacker and get word to Karl so he would know where she was. While she needed the Gibson police’s help, she was a fighter and a survivor.
Cassandra had never seen Karl’s darker side because he usually ended fights without engaging in them.
This time, Karl would have beaten Paul Miller bloody before arresting him if Sid hadn’t intervened. Seeing him so angry might have frightened Cassandra even if he defended her honor.
While she said everything was all right, Cassandra wouldn’t let Karl visit her at the hospital, and she fell apart as soon as she was alone.
Did Paul Miller’s plan work, and did kidnapping Cassandra tear Karl and Cassandra apart?
Was Andy’s Storyline Needed in This Episode?
Did we need an arc about Genevieve filing a complaint against Andy for flirting in this installment? It just didn’t fit with the rest.
We could still have him pull her over initially, so his police car scared Paul Wheeler away from the girls.
But the rest of the arc just seemed to point out that Andy used his charm too often, and Genevieve took advantage of that, thinking she would call in a complaint.
Corporal Yen saw right through her act and wouldn’t let her pull the race card or try to bond with her about batting eyelashes to avoid tickets.
While I love the blossoming friendship Corporal Yen and Andy have formed, this arc seemed like it would have fit better in another episode.
What was your favorite part of Murder in a Small Town, this time, TV Fanatics? Were you excited to see the mystery revolve around Karl and Cassandra?
Did you also think that Andy’s arc didn’t fit with the rest?
Let us know in the comments below.
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