Post by TVFan on May 31, 2005 16:00:33 GMT -5
So what did everyone think of season two as a whole? What episodes really shone brightly for you, and which were a little, well, dull. Here's your chance to tell us how you felt about Cold Case's second season! I'll start. Post your reviews here. 
Season two has been an incredible journey. Cold Case continues to float between the personal and the procedural without really settling on either. The show found its identity this season by staying somewhere in the middle - a happy medium. Season two was especially good at carrying out the procedural while mixing in the personal without delving too deep into the characters' personal lives ala Without A Trace. The show continued to carve out a nice niche with a perfect balance of both. Season two was more personal, but it helped us understand the characters better without causing the usual viewer eyerolls. Cold Case manages to hint at personal connections to the cases it investigates without hitting you over the head with it - a skill lost on many of its counterparts.
Season two enjoyed a healthy amount of character growth and development. We learned what is eating at each of the five main detectives. Will is still saddened by the death of his wife. John is still coping with the time that his career cost him with his daughter, and how he was "eighteen years too late" to do anything about her rape. Nick is still wondering what would have been with the one that got away while he tries to find the road back to his wife. He wonders how they ever got lost. Scotty is trying to come to terms with Elisa's suicide and the destructive force that took over his life after the pain. He allowed someone in, and she left as well. And then there's Lilly. Lilly is still fighting the demons of her past, and being confronted by them by her sister and George Marks. It has been a very trying and emotional year for Lilly.
There were many beautiful and wonderful episodes this season that unearthed incredible mysteries and delved into all of these demons at the same time. Three standout episodes in my opinion were "Mind Hunters/The Woods," "The Sleepover," and "Strange Fruit" with "Best Friends" right behind. "The Sleepover" was a well written look at the cruel nature of young girls and the importance placed on popularity. It was a sad case that unearthed a horrible family secret within Brandi's (the most popular) family. The abuse she and her brother endured was disgusting and caused them to become the people they were today. "Strange Fruit" was a gut wrenching, emotional look at the true nature of racism. The ending scenes were some of the most disturbing in the series' history. The use of the song "Strange Fruit" in the end was an effective and haunting end to a very emotionally charged episode. Finally, there was the George Marks storyline told through the "Mind Hunters" and "The Woods" episodes. Both episodes allowed a great deal of insight into the character of Lilly Rush, while leaving us wanting more information. They were deep psychological episodes that brought us into the mind of a sociopath, and how he rattled Lilly - a tough feat.
The season was very demanding on Lilly, and Kathryn Morris really stepped up to the plate. In fact, all of the actors stepped it up this year. Thom Berry was excellent in "The Badlands," an episode that was just okay except for his great performance. He also shone in "Strange Fruit" and "Mindhunters," a brillant outing for everyone in the cast. Jeremy Ratchford showed us a whole new side to Vera in "Ravaged." Danny Pino blew us away with his strong performance in reaction to Elisa's death in "Blank Generation" and subsequent episodes. John Finn gave us more depth and emotion from Stillman in "Revenge" and "The Woods." Finally, Kathryn Morris took us through all of Lilly's many emotions this season. She moved seemlessly from the detective still full of hope and happiness in the beginning of the season to the more world-weary one after George and Christina came (back) into her life. Overall, a tremendous effort by everyone in the cast.
Overall, I really enjoyed this season of Cold Case. It was funny, touching, emotional, shocking, and across the board strong. So, a great big thank you to everyone involved for a season well done!
Season two has been an incredible journey. Cold Case continues to float between the personal and the procedural without really settling on either. The show found its identity this season by staying somewhere in the middle - a happy medium. Season two was especially good at carrying out the procedural while mixing in the personal without delving too deep into the characters' personal lives ala Without A Trace. The show continued to carve out a nice niche with a perfect balance of both. Season two was more personal, but it helped us understand the characters better without causing the usual viewer eyerolls. Cold Case manages to hint at personal connections to the cases it investigates without hitting you over the head with it - a skill lost on many of its counterparts.
Season two enjoyed a healthy amount of character growth and development. We learned what is eating at each of the five main detectives. Will is still saddened by the death of his wife. John is still coping with the time that his career cost him with his daughter, and how he was "eighteen years too late" to do anything about her rape. Nick is still wondering what would have been with the one that got away while he tries to find the road back to his wife. He wonders how they ever got lost. Scotty is trying to come to terms with Elisa's suicide and the destructive force that took over his life after the pain. He allowed someone in, and she left as well. And then there's Lilly. Lilly is still fighting the demons of her past, and being confronted by them by her sister and George Marks. It has been a very trying and emotional year for Lilly.
There were many beautiful and wonderful episodes this season that unearthed incredible mysteries and delved into all of these demons at the same time. Three standout episodes in my opinion were "Mind Hunters/The Woods," "The Sleepover," and "Strange Fruit" with "Best Friends" right behind. "The Sleepover" was a well written look at the cruel nature of young girls and the importance placed on popularity. It was a sad case that unearthed a horrible family secret within Brandi's (the most popular) family. The abuse she and her brother endured was disgusting and caused them to become the people they were today. "Strange Fruit" was a gut wrenching, emotional look at the true nature of racism. The ending scenes were some of the most disturbing in the series' history. The use of the song "Strange Fruit" in the end was an effective and haunting end to a very emotionally charged episode. Finally, there was the George Marks storyline told through the "Mind Hunters" and "The Woods" episodes. Both episodes allowed a great deal of insight into the character of Lilly Rush, while leaving us wanting more information. They were deep psychological episodes that brought us into the mind of a sociopath, and how he rattled Lilly - a tough feat.
The season was very demanding on Lilly, and Kathryn Morris really stepped up to the plate. In fact, all of the actors stepped it up this year. Thom Berry was excellent in "The Badlands," an episode that was just okay except for his great performance. He also shone in "Strange Fruit" and "Mindhunters," a brillant outing for everyone in the cast. Jeremy Ratchford showed us a whole new side to Vera in "Ravaged." Danny Pino blew us away with his strong performance in reaction to Elisa's death in "Blank Generation" and subsequent episodes. John Finn gave us more depth and emotion from Stillman in "Revenge" and "The Woods." Finally, Kathryn Morris took us through all of Lilly's many emotions this season. She moved seemlessly from the detective still full of hope and happiness in the beginning of the season to the more world-weary one after George and Christina came (back) into her life. Overall, a tremendous effort by everyone in the cast.
Overall, I really enjoyed this season of Cold Case. It was funny, touching, emotional, shocking, and across the board strong. So, a great big thank you to everyone involved for a season well done!
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. Many Kudos, i think you captured the most important elements of season 2, especially all the character developement that we saw.
