Ep. 5.06 Wunderkind

[TVFan]

THE TEAM RE-OPENS THE 1992 CASE OF A 14-YEAR-OLD MATH GENIUS WHO WAS SHOT AFTER HIS 16-YEAR-OLD HALF-BROTHER EXPLOITED THE BOY'S KNACK FOR COUNTING CARDS AND CRACKING SAFES, ON "COLD CASE," SUNDAY, OCT. 28

Rapper Lil' Zane ("Dr. Doolittle 2") Guest Stars

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
Dr. Penny Davoren: Patricia Bethune
Michael Carter (2002, 2007): Michael B. Jordan
Jester (2002: Zane "Lil' Zane" Copeland
Terrance Carter (2002): Maestro Harrell
Gerald Carter (2002, 2007): James Moses Black
Cheryl Carter (2002, 2007): Sandi McCree
Augustine Bennet (2002, 2007): John Lafayette
Delonte (2002, 2007): Curtis Williams
J-Kid (2002): Malieek Straughter
Fat Ray (2002): Stu "Large" Riley

WRITTEN BY: Greg Plageman, one of the series' co-executive producers

DIRECTED BY: Kevin Bray

[boxman]

"Bird Man"... LOL.. ;D

[longislanditalian2]

I liked Lilly's therapy session how she started to realize that she has no one in her life. You could acutally see the tears starting to form in her eyes; well done again by Kathryn.

[coldfan74]

i liked this episode. one of those endings that leave you with a coulda-shoulda-woulda thought for everyone involved especially for terrence who finally wised up to get out the destructive pattern.
i like how jeffries always takes any cases involving inner-city kids personally. jeffries restraint to gerald's cheap shot comment was brilliant that it even scared miller. brilliant performance by thom barry. unlike valens who always have a tough time controlling his temper that gets him in trouble. which is probably why i never liked the character. danny pino plays his character so well to make me dislike it.
i give this eppy an excellent. inspirational but with a tragic twist.

[boxman]

I really liked this episode. I thought the storyline was more unpredictable, intriguing, and tragic than the comparable 3.06 "Saving Patrick Bubley". This episode is easily more compelling as the doer was so close to the victim, rather than someone distant from a rival "gang".

I liked how layered the character Augustine "Birdman" Bennet was. He quotes Oscar Wilde, which reflects well on his character. (Characters associated with Literature on Cold Case have always been good individuals.) Ironically, Wikipedia describes Wilde's last years as a life in self-imposed exile, which doesn't seem much different than how Augustine lived his own. Also ironically, the Cold Case character shares the name with an important figure in Christianity, Saint Augustine, who also was a prolific writer.

The way Lilly pointed out how her therapist had a fifteen-year old photo of her daughter reminded me of Sheila Swett in 5.02 "That Woman", and how Sheila kept a photo of Carrie as a child, rather than a teen...

[TVFan]

I gave this one an excellent. Awesome case and great character development for Lilly. I'm going to borrow a bit from tomorrow's edition of PTR because I did an in depth character discussion on Lil. First, though, the case...

I liked the shades of "Finding Forrester" and "Akeelah and the Bee" in this one. Those are both movies that I enjoy, and it was nice to see CC's take on that story. Instead of a genius knack for literature and writing or spelling, Terrance was a math genius. His talent was easily exploited. And even though he may not have wanted to get involved in that life, his half-brother Mike and his low-life father kept sucking him back in. Chances are, if it weren't for "The Bird Man," (haha ) Terrance may not have seen the good that his talent could do in the world. This was a classic "kid from the wrong neighborhood makes good," but that relationship set it apart for me. I enjoyed watching Terrance bond with Augustine over math and what it could do for him. I HATED the low-life father and I sooo wish he had gotten what was coming for him, but he wasn't involved in Terrance's murder. Meanwhile, Mike was trying to belong and feel like he had a family. It all led to a believable, albeit sad, murder.

Lilly may be mentally certified to continue with her job, BUT I'm not so sure that she's mentally fit for her life. We know she puts up a brave front to protect herself, but could it be that brave front that is holding her back? Imagine a Lilly who used her counseling sessions wisely and got a lot off of her chest. She'd be dealing with what happened to her instead of pretending it never occurred. At the end of her mandatory sessions, she'd be a mentally healthier person. BUT admitting to her emotional difficulties exposes her vulnerability, trust issues and everything else that she despises with the very fabric of her being. She can pretend, but this isn't going anywhere, especially since, as the therapist pointed out, she doesn't have anyone in her life to turn to for help. That nightmare we witnessed last week focused on one central question; "Is there anyone we can contact for you?" Truth is, there isn't. Her mother's dead, her sister's on the run, her father left when she was just a child, and she manages to sabotage any semblance of a romantic relationship that comes her way (using work as an excuse to avoid intimacy with Kite and kissing a childhood sweetheart to escape from Joseph's impromptu "I love you"). And then there's McRay -- the live-in-the-moment aforementioned childhood sweetheart who blows into town providing companionship, but negates the commitment that makes it all too real for her. But that doesn't work either because he ALWAYS wants her to run off somewhere with him and she wants to hide behind the protective arms of her J-O-B. Yes, Lilly needs a support system and she needs to stop protecting herself because in the process, she's ultimately doing more damage. Poor Lil.

This week's counseling session was an interesting case study on the character of Lilly Rush. She started out as her usual cool, calm and collected self, but the moment the therapist suggested that Lilly take stock of her life, she began to get fidgety. She became nervous, unsettled and visibly upset. So, what does she do? She quickly shifts to "detective mode." She begins questioning her therapist about that "15-year old" picture of her daughter and accuses her of fixing others' problems because she can't fix her own as if she's accusing a suspect of murdering a victim. It was Lilly 101 - deflect and then turn to what keeps you emotionally grounded. Lilly's detective act is her emotional center; it's where she draws her confidence and strength. This was a brilliant scene for so many reasons, but the biggest is Kathryn's performance: Her subtle shifts between these emotions, the fidgeting, the tears that began to swell but quickly retracted, and the final reflective glance as she turned to walk out that office for the last time. It was all too brilliant for words.

And on a completely superficial note, the ponytail was back! I LOVE it. It's so adorable!!

Superficial moment over... Anyway, another stellar hour for CC.

[irishkale]

Superb episode!!!

It had alot of the elements that I love in a good CC eppy:

1) a sympathetic victim who you care about
2) a complex villian character -- the gangster DeLante
3) supporting characters that are well-written: the absentee father, the bitter mother, the Birdman (who had an interesting past.)
4) controversial dialog -- the interrogation scene with Kat, Jeffries and the father with regards to "black cops." Vera's comments to Delante -- the "making love to a sock" comment had me rolling...
5) fast pacing -- the episode seemed longer than one hour -- it felt very "full"
6) A scene that reveals how Lilly's inner mind operates (where she turns the tables on the psychologist in her counseling session.)
7) some surprsing visuals (the chalk diagrams on the basketball court.)
8) Kevin Bray (he did "Mindhunter".)

I usually don't like the stories that are too close to the present day, but this one was a winner! Well done, CC!!!!!

[The Reverend Bizarre]

I had to say this episode surprised me. I'm not much into "ghetto neighborhood" stories, but this one seemed different somehow. I was blown away about how gifted Terrance was at math, and yet if you think about it his gift appears to be in observation and memory. For example he was able to determine what cards were going to be played based on observation and memory. Then later on with the car code scene he was able to figure out the code based on things he observed.

I was also reminded of something that I had heard once. Talents and gifts are never evil or good, they're neutral. A person can use their talents or gifts for either evil or good. In a way we saw the two ways that Terrance could have gone. He could have either used his gift for breaking into places, cracking safes, and robbing places, or he could have used his gift for engineering.

Now unfortunately he chose to use his gift for good, but got killed by his half brother. There was also another reference to Cain and Abel in this story. Younger brother finds favor in the eyes of the father. Older brother gets jealous, mad, and then kills younger brother.

Also this episode gave another hint that the apparitions of the victims are not the imaginations of the detectives or the family. Augustine releases the bird as Kat watches. Then it cuts to Jeffries who looks over at the apparition of Terrance. Terrance looks up at the bird and Jeffries looks up seeing the bird too.

While the imagination is a powerful thing, I doubt it would be powerful enough to create an illusion that could point to something that's real.

[Naj]

I'm with the concenus on this ep. It was just a good solid, high caliber episode executed superbly - nods to Kevin Bray. I like when an ep just moves along and it's packed for one hour where one kinda loses awareness of the time.

[koufax]

I really did not like this episode. Too little detective work and too much victims. There were only two redeeming qualities: the math relationship and the Lilly-pyshologist scene

[LillyKat]

I thought this episode was pretty good. I think I was watching it a) tired; b) partially celebrating the Boston Red Sox World Series win, so I am not sure I can count it as excellent as nothing really seemed to reach out and grab me. But, I do give it serious points for originality of the storyline (and as TVFan said sort of very Akeelah and the Bee-esque, and I absolutely LOVED that film). I did also enjoy all of the characters – both villain and non-villain. The Birdman character – LOVED him. The twist on being a disgraced aeronautics engineer … I thought that was really clever. I actually wish CC would do more of this type of episode - kind of street/gang/hood stuff. I don’t know why, but I always feel it has a different grittiness to it, a different realism. The show has previously stated rap music rights are the hardest to get, so I wonder if that limits their ability in doing these types of storylines given the music they’d probably like to use isn’t as readily available.

As for Lilly in therapy … I did enjoy the therapy session, and I admit I was surprised that she actually fessed up about her nightmare. I agree with TVFan about the lovely subtleties of Kathryn’s performance – we definitely don’t see fidgety Lilly much. LOL!

But I find myself asking, “So, that’s it? She fessed up about the nightmare and she’s good to go?” I guess I just don’t buy that, and when there was the mention in the beginning of the episode this was going to be her “last” session, I started to guess that we weren’t really going to get anywhere. And in truth, I really thought we didn’t. Instead, it rang somewhat predictable for me with the whole Lilly doesn’t change thing once again. She just deflects, deflects, deflects, denies, denies, deflects. I fear I am getting bored with that routine, and I guess I thought the therapy sessions would show us a Lilly moving PAST this point, getting into something deeper, not just be scratching the surface and then be like “Okay times up!”

For me, it rings of this on-going cycle of repeats and do-overs of the same Lilly hang-ups, and even with this woman being left near dead on the table, with no one in her life, having just watched her mother drink herself to death, all she can say is, “Yeah, I had this nightmare.” No wonder Kathryn thinks Lilly is going to up and off herself. LOL! The woman is seriously messed up, and yet, we don’t get anywhere with the messed-up-ness. We just get reconfirmation she IS messed up, and that is what I guess I'm growing tired of as it just seems so repetitive.

I guess I get spoiled with a show like The Closer whereby the main character doesn’t just seem to be repeating herself over and over. She is perhaps not as completely locked up and frozen as Lilly tends to be, but she does have her own litany of issues to deal with … and she DOES. She grows, moves, changes. I don’t hear the same ol’, same ol’ nor do I end up watching the episode and predicting the outcome of where the character is going.

The formula CC seems to be using is starting to seem very obvious to me, and by my count, since the end of season three, we’re now two seasons removed from when Lilly said she wanted to change. Has she? No. There’s no one left to kill off or run out of her life, so I’m wondering what the heck it’s going to take, and a couple of one-liners in therapy don’t do it for me. If anything, I have to say I've heard it before.

That said, this didn’t take away from my enjoying the ep, but it does make me question the formulaic nature of Lilly’s perpetual state of denial and deflection of all-things personal in her life. How many more seasons do we drag this out? I don't know. Maybe she'll take the initiative to continue therapy on her own. Even Scotty seems to be making better progress - and that is saying something. LOL!

[littlelaura1992]

LillyKat makes a VERY good point about Lilly's character. She is very repetitive. I can't believe this is her last therapy session! But maybe something will happen with a case and she will be affected really bad by it. Then she might be encouraged to go back. I dunno but I don't think it's the last we'll see of the therapist.

[The Reverend Bizarre]

In a way the fact that this was the last therapy session sort of irked me. I had been hoping that we'd learn more about Lilly's past or something, but all we learn is that she's having nightmares and she's alone.

Woop!

[foxfire0114]

I also think we'll be seeing more of the therapist! Or at least the outcome of Lilly's therapy sessions. Because my brother is an officer, I have read a lot about police psychology; and the main purpose of an assessment, which is done after any officer is involved in a shooting, is to determine whether or not the officer is fit for duty. And based on Lilly's refusal to cooperate during her sessions, she may be facing serious consequences. .... I also noticed she is showing classic PTSD symptoms: flashbacks, trouble sleeping, nightmares.. etc..

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting her to open up though. It would have been uncharacteristic of her if she had talked about her feelings. But that was a perfect opportunity for us to have learned something different about Lilly.

Overall, it was another great CC episode.

[TVFan]

Excellent points, LillyKat. I did get a sense that Lilly is going to give serious consideration to what the therapist said to her at the end about taking stock of her life. I know it's not much, but at least it's something. I have faith that the writers will allow us to follow that journey and that could lead to some character growth. Fingers crossed.

I wonder if they tend to keep Lil stuck in this cycle because they're not sure how to write her out of it and still make her interesting? I mean, the character is sorta based on this "emotional mess" persona they have created. I'll admit, it does make her fascinating, but I would like to see some growth. Otherwise, the story becomes stagnant and less interesting. It's not there yet for me, but it could be approaching that point soon if they don't show us some progress. As LillyKat mentioned, The Closer manages to do this with Brenda and she's still fascinating. But, the season is young, so I'm hoping this begins to pick up as we get into the heart of it.

[boxman]

lillykat said:

...Maybe [Lilly will] take the initiative to continue therapy on her own. Even Scotty seems to be making better progress - and that is saying something. LOL!

Well, if she decides to have therapy "Scotty-style" ( ) , I'm available here in Upper Darby for her!!

[riche]

I don't believe that that was Lilly's last therapy session.

What surprised me is that therapist left it at that. Sure, Lilly has to do her time "on the couch" (insert smutty comment here) but doesn't the therapist have to sign her off and certify she can return to work (though she's been there all this time anyway) ? She clearly knows that Lilly still has issues and they will continue until she confronts them.

I think we will be seeing Lilly back on the couch.

Anyone notice the constantly moving table tennis bat and ball during the questioning of Michael by Lilly and Scotty? It was in almost as many different positions as there were shots.

Can't say the episode grabbed me too much.

[Naj]

SPOILER AHEAD....
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Well it's clear to me the person getting a suspension will be Lilly for obvious reasons which might be spoilerish but just my educated speculation. It really shouldn't be her, though.

[longislanditalian2]

SPOILER AHEAD...
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Somehow i doubt that Lilly will be suspended, she didn't do anything wrong.

[papertiger]

SPOILER AHEAD...
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how do you know someone is getting suspended? did i miss something?