Summary
Murder in a Small Town sets up a solid mystery in Episode 7, but I’d still like to see Karl and Cassandra back together to solve it in the finale.
Just in time for the finale, a serial killer has come to Gibsons to shake things up and inevitably bring all the core characters together. With Karl and Cassandra still pointlessly separated, Episode 7, “Family Concerns”, is probably the best mystery that Murder in a Small Town has produced, but still nonetheless feels a bit far removed from the cosy small-town drama we were sold early on in the season.
The good news is that it’s pretty obvious how this is going to crosshatch all the character arcs and ultimately bring Karl and Cassandra back together. But I still question the point of separating them in the first place, especially two episodes from the end.
Gibsons Should Be Used to Murder By Now
There’s a very deliberate vibe about “Family Concerns”. It starts with a man’s dog discovering a woman’s body in the woods, and the scene is apparently so heinous that it sets the town awash with gossip. It’s not that bad – this is a TV-14 show, folks – but it got me thinking. Shouldn’t Gibsons be used to murder by now?
This goes back to a complaint I’ve made several times throughout this season about the show not picking the right cases. There have been kidnappings and murders every week since Karl arrived, so while the idea of a satanic ritual is a bit more dramatic, I’ll grant you, dead bodies should be old hat for this crowd.
When another body turns up and the idea of a copycat or serial killer is floated, I can see why this would be a bit more dramatic. But there was a shootout at the precinct just last week!
The Love Of A Father
One of this show’s most essential relationships is between Karl and his daughter, Holly, even though she’s rarely around and we don’t see much of it (she does show up a few times here, to be fair), so it was nice to see some parallels with this and Gus Cooper covering for his daughter.
One of the killings was indeed a copycat, and Gus tried to take the blame for it to protect his daughter’s scholarship. It’s obvious from the very start that he’s lying, and Karl and Edwina see through the ruse immediately. I also, for what it’s worth, like Edwina’s personal connection to this case, since she trains at the gym Gus runs and knows the real perpetrator personally.
But I especially like that it’s Karl’s relationship with Holly that allows him to put the pieces together and figure out what’s going on. That angle feels a bit more textured than a detective just analysing the clues. He sees some of himself in Gus.
The Hunt For A Serial Killer Should Bring Karl and Cassandra Back Together
But this is just one of the two killings in Murder in a Small Town Episode 7, and the other proves a lot more difficult to solve. “Family Concerns” ends with a clear suspect, and it’s here that I think we’ll see a reconciliation between Karl and Cassandra, not to mention – probably – Holly herself being at risk.
Cassandra provides the connection. Karl asks her for a local artist who can drum up a portrait of the victim, and even though they’ve broken up she helps out by recommending Tommy Cummins (Noah Reid from Schitt’s Creek), the art teacher at Holly’s school.
Tommy’s upcoming art exhibit involves Cassandra and Holly’s friend Devon, so you can see how all three of these characters might find themselves imperilled in the finale. Given Cassandra’s lingering PTSD, a close call with a serial killer may not endear Karl to her, but I reckon him playing the knight in shining armour again will do the job. And since Tommy isn’t connected to Karl’s past, she can’t really blame him for that aspect.
Murder in a Small Town hasn’t been renewed for Season 2, so a happy ending isn’t exactly paramount, but I’d still like to see one, especially since having Karl and Cassandra together would provide a lot more options for a potential follow-up if the idea was floated. There are plenty of books, after all, and it’s really this central pairing that is most attractive about the show. I always thought it was a mistake to separate them in the first place, so I’m holding out hope that the finale will rectify that.
