Summary
“A Chill Rain” is an odd episode that sometimes feels like a transplant from a different show.
I feel a little out of the loop with Murder in a Small Town. I like the show, more or less, but I’ve been critical of it thus far in a way that people haven’t considered entirely fair. I’m not sure whether Episode 3, “A Chill Rain”, validates me or them. The most appropriate word I can use to describe it is “weird”.
This feels, at least to me, like a loose episode. It doesn’t follow on all that directly from Episode 2, almost like the progress made in Karl and Cassandra’s relationship there (and in the premiere) has been temporarily forgotten about. It’s like an older cut that ended up being wedged back in later.
The vibe is different, too. Murder in a Small Town works best as a blend of cozy romance and small-town procedural, where one informs the other. “A Chill Rain” largely abandons the romance until the end, instead becoming a more straightforward, and much darker, mystery-thriller complete with a femme fatale and a last-minute rescue from a burning building.
Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like a lot of charm was lost to facilitate the case of the week, which requires a vaguely flirtatious relationship between Karl and the villain, Zoe. I don’t use the word “villain” loosely, either. Zoe felt like a transplant from a completely different show, an arch, manipulative seductress who wasn’t above killing her own brother and then threatening her nephew. Her obvious delight in playing games with Karl was strange in the context of sleepy Gibson.
The same thing happens, to a lesser extent, with Cassandra and Roger. A bit of flirting, a limp obstacle, all to keep Karl and Cassandra apart for the lion’s share of the episode while Karl put the pieces together in the case. That’s not entirely dissimilar from the usual structure, I guess, but it’s so obvious that Zoe is the killer and that she’s an outright psychopath that I found myself questioning the choices more than becoming invested in the storyline.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some clear upsides to Murder in a Small Town Episode 3. The increased focus on the case allowed the cops more screen-time, and I especially like the relationship that’s developing between Karl and Sid. It makes sense to flesh out this supporting cast since they’re always going to be playing a peripheral role in the cases. The more we care about them, the more we’ll care – theoretically, anyway – about the mysteries.
It also helps to give Gibson some texture. I’ve said since the beginning that the setting is really integral to a show like this, which is why I think the premiere still stands out as the best episode, since the killer was so connected to the environment and the people. Little details like unfinished drywall projects help in that regard. They help Gibson feel lived-in.
And then there’s Karl’s relationship with his daughter. I don’t expect she’s going to be a regular character, but introducing her early and allowing her to float in and out of the plot is smart. It humanizes Karl and adds another contour to his relationship with Cassandra – at least when they both remember they’re in one.
I’m just a bit confused, I guess. “A Chill Rain” is a solid episode of any other procedural but it’s a really strange episode of this one that felt slightly divorced from the overarching character-driven story I thought it was trying to tell. Whether it’s a one-off or the show just isn’t sure of what it wants to be going forwards, time will tell.
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