Ep. 4.18 A Dollar, A Dream

[TVFan]

WHEN THE BODY OF A WOMAN IS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF A RIVER IN HER FAMILY STATION WAGON, THE COLD CASE DETECTIVES REALIZE THAT IT WASN'T JUST THE FAMILY CAR, IT WAS THE FAMILY'S HOME, ON "COLD CASE," SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT

Chris Fisher directed the script written by Erica Shelton

Lilly Rush: Kathryn Morris
Scotty Valens: Danny Pino
LT. John Stillman: John Finn
Nick Vera: Jeremy Ratchford
Will Jeffries: Thom Barry
Kat Miller: Tracie Thoms
Marlene Bradford: Paula Malcomson
Natalie Bradford (2007): Melinda Dahl
Abby Bradford (2007): Jennifer Lawrence
Abby Bradford (1999): Darcy Rose Byrnes
Natalie Bradford (1999): Channing Nichols
Vincent Hopper (1999/2007): Holmes Osborne
Anil Patel (1999/2007): Faran Tahir
Tony (1999/2007): Billy Gallo
Vita Chacon (1999/2007): Gloria Garayua
Isaac Keller: John Diehl
Social Worker: Verda Bridges

[boxman]

Hmmm... Looks like we're gonna be delayed because of the NCAAs.... Keep an eye on your VCRs!!

[riche]

I hope you all get to see the show without too long a delay. I'll be watching it tomorrow as usual. Give Lilly my love, and keep that michelle away from her for me

[longislanditalian2]

This episode was extremely sad, but heavily Lillycentric. I think there was a lot of simliarities btwn the way Marlene's girls lived and how Lilly and Christina grw up.

Lilly was pretty affected by it, but Marlene took responsibilty that her girls was the only thing that was keeping her alive. I think Lilly in retrospec was sypthanthesize with her daughters on what they were feeling since she had grown up poor.


The thing with Jefferies was an absolute shocker, but I'm glad that he didn't kill him.


BTW- The ending song was pretty sad, especially when the two girls reunited seeing Marlene's ghost.

I loved how they shot through the water showing Abby in 99 then moving up to showing her during the present day..

[bethanywood]

BTW- The ending song was pretty sad, especially when the two girls reunited seeing Marlene's ghost.

Angel by the one who's name we shall not say McLachlan is a tv show favorite!

I liked this episode, very suspenseful cause of Jeffries!

[boxman]

riche said:

...Give Lilly my love...

Eh. She said to tell you... "Return to Sender" ;D

*sigh*
I had a really hard time buying into this story. A lot of very unlikely situations, one right after another. I'm disappointed with Will's story too, especially as CBS saw fit to put the climax of the scene in the previews. How stupid. Music in this episode was great, though.

[longislanditalian2]

I like how they used water to symbolize death but it was also used to symobolize a new beginning when the two sisters reuniting

[coldfan74]

boxman said:

riche said:

...Give Lilly my love...

Eh. She said to tell you... "Return to Sender" ;D

*sigh*
I had a really hard time buying into this story. A lot of very unlikely situations, one right after another. I'm disappointed with Will's story too, especially as CBS saw fit to put the climax of the scene in the previews. How stupid. Music in this episode was great, though.

you think single moms struggling with their kids who resent their lives and blaming them are not common?
wow
and people in real life have killed for for even more pathetic reasons than what was shown in that episode.

[longislanditalian2]

I think Marlene realized what was really important instead of living in a fantasy world, she was determined to do what was best for her kids. Hopper wasn't that way, he had lived his whole life depending on that fantasy that had literally driven him crazy.

He was greedy after having Marlene douse him with the truth that his son was an adult, that he too had to go on with his life. I think Hopper couldn't take being that way seeing how Marlene was trying to get back on her feet to support her two girls, knowing that he couldn't provide for his wife and son.

Lilly once said' Grief makes you crazy' well in this case it made Hopper think that way. Living that way feeling like the end of the world and seeing someone in that same situtation rising up can cause one to be Jeolous especially when you had been in that sitautation for years.

When Marlene went after Abby after the car was taken away, how her realization that her daughters were the only thing she had in this world, she began to think more logically on how she was going to provide for them.

Lilly must have thought about her own mother and how they lived, and had a heart for Marlene's girls sympathzing with them.

[coldfan74]

i think hopper was somewhat schizophrenic or had some sort of mental disorder that's common in a lot of transients.
it makes her death that much senseless and tragic.
of all the twists and turns the girls gone through..its really sad to be killed for an irrational reason and completely unrelated even from a complete stranger with a tragic life of his own. it makes the episode disturbing in its own way.

longislanditalian2 said:

I think Marlene realized what was really important instead of living in a fantasy world, she was determined to do what was best for her kids. Hopper wasn't that way, he had lived his whole life depending on that fantasy that had literally driven him crazy.

He was greedy after having Marlene douse him with the truth that his son was an adult, that he too had to go on with his life. I think Hopper couldn't take being that way seeing how Marlene was trying to get back on her feet to support her two girls, knowing that he couldn't provide for his wife and son.

Lilly once said' Grief makes you crazy' well in this case it made Hopper think that way. Living that way feeling like the end of the world and seeing someone in that same situtation rising up can cause one to be Jeolous especially when you had been in that sitautation for years.

When Marlene went after Abby after the car was taken away, how her realization that her daughters were the only thing she had in this world, she began to think more logically on how she was going to provide for them.

Lilly must have thought about her own mother and how they lived, and had a heart for Marlene's girls sympathzing with them.

[boxman]

coldfan74 said:

you think single moms struggling with their kids who resent their lives and blaming them are not common?
wow...

Uh... I didn't say that.

[coldfan74]

i was just curious since you didnt specify what exactly you didnt buy..it was my only guess.

boxman said:

coldfan74 said:

you think single moms struggling with their kids who resent their lives and blaming them are not common?
wow...

Uh... I didn't say that.

[boxman]

Well, first of all, Marlene wasn't a "single mom"; she was a widow--meaning that at one time she had been married and raising the girls together with a husband. Quite a different situation than a young woman raising kids without a man around. Secondly, the story wasn't about Marlene "struggling with her kids" either. Their predicament was that they were homeless--they lost their home in a foreclosure.

I can say from personal experiences and from knowing the experiences of others, that it takes a lot for a person living a 'normal life' to become homeless... Kids or no kids. And for three months?? In a big city such as Philadelphia?? Give me a break. In fact, I'm not trying to be flippant or insensitive, but in my opinion, having two adorable daughters almost makes it totally unlikely for a widowed woman to go homeless.

First off, virtually everyone has a huge set of social networks to rely upon, waaaayyy before they turn to an agency or go to the streets. The husband had co-workers that knew of his wife and kids, the girls have uncles and aunties, grandparents, and so forth. Even in the preposterously unlikely chance that the Bradford family had absolutely no family, friends, former classmates, former lovers, internet buddies, or whatever to count on, Marlene herself had co-workers she could turn to. I really doubt her store manager would give a gun to her before opening up his home to them. Like c'mon. Put yourself in his shoes: Gun, or a place to stay?? No gun owner would even think of loaning their registered gun to someone, and then tell them, "Yeah, take my gun and go live with your two daughters on skid row where you can shoot someone and the cops can trace the gun back to me." Silly.

Besides having a social network, a second point is that the finances just doesn't add up in this story. For example, as a homeowner, Marlene and her husband must have had access to several options such as credit cards, homeowner's insurance, and life insurance. These people call and send junk mail all the time. Even the most foolish homeowner will consider these things to have as options in case of emergencies (such as the death of the primary wage earner ). And it's not like the husband died overnight. Cancer takes time to kill, so the Bradfords must have had some time to figure out how the family would financially survive without him and continue to pay the mortgage. Sheesh.

Oh well. It's getting late so I'm going to stop here. I hope you can catch my gist from what I've written so far......

[coldfan74]

boxman said:

Well, first of all, Marlene wasn't a "single mom"; she was a widow--meaning that at one time she had been married and raising the girls together with a husband. Quite a different situation than a young woman raising kids without a man around. Secondly, the story wasn't about Marlene "struggling with her kids" either. Their predicament was that they were homeless--they lost their home in a foreclosure.

being a "single" mom means being an only parent..regardless of how you got there. it doesnt matter whether you were divorced, separated or widowed.

I can say from personal experiences and from knowing the experiences of others, that it takes a lot for a person living a 'normal life' to become homeless... Kids or no kids. And for three months?? In a big city such as Philadelphia?? Give me a break. In fact, I'm not trying to be flippant or insensitive, but in my opinion, having two adorable daughters almost makes it totally unlikely for a widowed woman to go homeless.

i dont think this episode was intended to be a complete biography of the characters. you might be reading too much into it. these are disparate flashbacks that occur when a suspect is telling their story.

any circumstances could've brought them there..and it is possible. for a show like this, it has to be assumed otherwise we're talking a mini-series ABOUT the characters. i live in a large city. i grew up with people like this during the 80's. it happens.

First off, virtually everyone has a huge set of social networks to rely upon, waaaayyy before they turn to an agency or go to the streets. The husband had co-workers that knew of his wife and kids, the girls have uncles and aunties, grandparents, and so forth. Even in the preposterously unlikely chance that the Bradford family had absolutely no family, friends, former classmates, former lovers, internet buddies, or whatever to count on, Marlene herself had co-workers she could turn to. I really doubt her store manager would give a gun to her before opening up his home to them. Like c'mon. Put yourself in his shoes: Gun, or a place to stay?? No gun owner would even think of loaning their registered gun to someone, and then tell them, "Yeah, take my gun and go live with your two daughters on skid row where you can shoot someone and the cops can trace the gun back to me." Silly.

there's no doubt that shows like this exagerrates detailed circumstances but i disagree that this particular episode was any worse than the exagerrated plots of other episodes.

Besides having a social network, a second point is that the finances just doesn't add up in this story. For example, as a homeowner, Marlene and her husband must have had access to several options such as credit cards, homeowner's insurance, and life insurance. These people call and send junk mail all the time. Even the most foolish homeowner will consider these things to have as options in case of emergencies (such as the death of the primary wage earner ). And it's not like the husband died overnight. Cancer takes time to kill, so the Bradfords must have had some time to figure out how the family would financially survive without him and continue to pay the mortgage. Sheesh.

since there was no specific biographical information about these characters..we don't really know the timeline, the relationships, or the circumstances that got them there. estrangement from friends/family, mismanagement of finances, etc have possibilities. judging from the behavior of marlene and what she said about her husband who took care of everything..she looked to be very "dependent" on her husband. it's a possibility.
keep in mind that shows like this are not meant to be a full mini series. just because something isnt immediately shown or one can't imagine circumstances to what brought to their demise doesnt mean it didnt or cannot happen..the show would be vastly different.

on a bizarre note, few people in my area of chicago died recently in a fire caused by a homeless woman. there was no rhyme or reason why she did this. she was mentally unstable. my point is that it makes no sense, but somehow circumstances in reality caused this fate. not to trivialize this tragedy, its just another proof that sometimes the obvious has no bearing in why things happen.

Oh well. It's getting late so I'm going to stop here. I hope you can catch my gist from what I've written so far......

i understand where you're coming from and i respect your opinion. but i think you were expecting a little too much into a 40 minute television program designed to hook people.

[longislanditalian2]

Maybe Marlene didn't have any family to go to, maybe she thought she was too proud to ask for help and ended up on the streets .. There are many possibilties and maybe the thought of what would happen after her husband had died didn't phase her until it acutally happened, Somethings when people are sick relatives don't think about the aftermath..

[koufax]

I really liked this episode. I thought it was comparable with season two's shows in the way it was presented and the story line.

[Naj]

I agree, koufax. We seem to agree.much of the time. It was a season two type episode with a good case. For some reason the Will story didn't work for me - and I love Will.

The girl who played Abby is also Abby from the Young and The Restless and a very good child actor. Again another story that ties a young mother and her two girls to Lilly. Maybe now this will be a pivotal point for Lilly to understand her mom better and forgive.

I gave it one of the season's best.

[boxman]

ColdFan74, btw, welcome to the board! I hope you don't have me wrong--I'm a BIG fan of this show. I'm very much more than willing to give the writers a lot of leeway for what they need to maintain that "Suspension of Disbelief" it takes to watch a fictional show. With that in mind, the writers also have to be realistic to the fact that their audience are largely older adults who aren't going to sit and watch this show like kids watching Saturday morning cartoons. As an adult, it's not realistic to watch television and allow the writers to spoon-feed us anything they want. Adults come to this show with knowledge, life experiences, and the capability to do some basic analysis of the circumstances surrounding the episode's story. The episode provided enough information to create a timeline of events and figure out the basic circumstances of how Marlene and the girls came to their dilemma: Marlene was single and homeless because her husband died of cancer, the family was once wealthy enough to be homeowners, and they lost their home through foreclosure. Marlene wasn't separated or divorced; again, she was widowed. She has full social contact with her late husband's friends, family, co-workers, drinking buddies, sports buddies, and so forth to help her pull through this difficult time. Unlike separated or divorced women, she also has full entitlement to her late husband's entire financial wealth; and however large or small it was, it certainly should have been enough to get a cheap apartment somewhere. You live in a big city; you know one doesn't need a car--it can easily be sold for cash to get an apartment and live cheap. It doesn't take much thinking to figure all this out. Since you say you "grew up with people like this during the 80's", with all due respect, why don't you tell me some personal stories of widowed, homeless women?? I'm not trying to be spiteful, venomous, or anything negative when I say this. Like I said before, I'm a huge fan of the show. I just don't really like being in this situation where I feel an episode is so totally unrealistic that it can't entertain me.... Especially when I know several people who were able to avoid homelessness and poverty when faced with their own unexpected, difficult, and trying situations...

[longislanditalian2]

Maybe Marlene wanted to make it on her own without anyone's help. This whole entire story does reflect onto Lilly and how she grew up.

When Abby says that her mother wouldn't leave them b/c the next day was her tenth birthday and Lilly kind of looks away, knowing what had happened to her at the age of 10.


I know that Marlene's case does happen, but to me it's quite believable that some families are forced to live in their cars instead of going to shelters

[LillyKat]

Well, I really enjoyed this episode a lot. After several lackluster eps (at least for me), this one fired on all cylinders and reminded me of why indeed I watch this show.

The story, for me, was original and touching. Erica Shelton created a family that I really cared about, and tied it to a very timely issue (as the U.S. mortgage industry currently continues its meltdown) of losing one’s home and being left to try and make the best of situation in which you never thought you’d find yourself. I personally know of a family who is currently dealing with an illness as the bank stands ready to take their home. There is no equity in the home because they are new homeowners (within the last couple of years). Even if there was, that would've likely been used for medical bills (which are being paid somehow else - that I don't know). It's a dire and scary situation for them as they don't know what they are going to do next. Family isn't around, friends are pitching in but that goes only so far .... thus, for me, I didn't have as much of an issue buying into this storyline. It seemed very plausible to me - things can go from good to bad in less time than one would think.

Additionally, I thought it tied back to one of the main themes of the series that bad things happen to good people (quoting boxman from previous threads/episode). And I felt this was very much the case with this episode. I really tapped into mom trying to make the best of her shattered world for her girls – to create some sort of sanctuary in spite of it all. I loved some of the minor elements – “The Bradford Girls,” the hope ticket … they were details I latched onto and enjoyed.

Also, there was enough of a tie to Lilly’s own “mom” issues (and perhaps even to her sister) without having it appear as if I’d seen or heard it before. It was sort of left unsaid, and I enjoyed that approach.

The Jefferies storyline, for me, was powerful. Thom Barry was so good – both in controlled anger/rage and grief/sorrow. The scene between him and John Finn is in my top 5 for the series as a whole. So much was said without being said, and I give Erica Shelton a lot of credit for the less is more approach with the dialogue, which worked for me in this episode.

The music was beautiful. InsideR had mentioned in the Spoilers folder this was an all female artist episode (something of a rarity on the show). All I can say is that if this is how they turn out, they should do several more.

I loved the use of black and white to transition between present/past. I thought all three actresses (mom and sisters) had excellent chemistry. Again, it really did feel to me like they were a family fallen on hard times due to no fault of their own, struggling to make the best of it … hoping to find their way out of the storm.

All in all, this ep is in my top 5 for this season. For me, it was excellent all the way around.