As the episode opens, Shane Sloan (Keenan Tracey) arrives at a landfill, emerges from his vehicle, and opens the trunk. Murray Zuckerman (Doug Chapman) pops up and pleads for his life. Shane pulls him out of the trunk, forces him to sit on the ground, and captures his face to open his phone. Frantic, Murray offers to double what he is being paid. Ignoring him, Shane tapes a bag over his head, hits him with a lug wrench, snaps several photos, and texts them to Dr. Elizabeth Lewis (Paula Patton) with a warning. He can be seen leaving the landfill on foot.

Three Days Later – Gibsons Chief Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) talks with Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk) on the phone. He asks to see her. She promises to call him, so they can make plans for this weekend and ends the call while he is still talking. Karl informs Andy Kendrick (Fritzy-Klevans Destine), Edwina Yen (Mya Lowe), and Sid Sokolowski (Aaron Douglas) of the mayor’s $25-million reward for information leading to Shane’s arrest. Unknowing to Karl, Sid asks Cassandra to come to the station to give a written statement. Lewis claims to have information about Shane. Isabella Harbud (Savonna Spracklin) is busy answering calls. Joe Cates (Brian McBride) races in and claims to have caught Shane on his dashcam. Taking a seat beside Cassandra, Lewis asks if she is getting treatment for her PTSD. Cassandra walks away as Karl approaches and asks if she is prepared to give her statement today. She ducks through the door. Lewis warns him that Shane is en route there and there will be deaths if she isn’t involved. He asks if she has proof. She shows him a photo of the lifeless Murray. While writing out her statement, Cassandra has flashbacks of being abducted by Gordon Murphy (Devon Sawa). Lewis tells Karl that Seattle Police Detective Denis McGrath will give her a reference. While he knows McGrath, he still is sold on her claims. She insists he is pure evil and fears for her own life.

Cates’ dash cam captured Shane walking along a highway between Gibsons and the ferry. Wilson barges in and shows them a text picture of Shane outside Molly’s. Sid sends Yen and Kendrick to the café. She insists he sends more police because Shane is dangerous. Karl asks her to text Shane and ask him to call her. She is too nervous to type out the text. He takes over for her. Shane sends her a return text calling her a liar. She asks if he believes her. Seeing Shane walking along a highway, Daryl Newton (Andres Soto) stops and offers him a ride. At the police station, Sid urges Cassandra to add more details to her statement. She assures him that there will be no retribution for Murphy because he is dying. Kendrick and Yen inform Karl that Shane has fled. Karl sends Yen in to speak with Cassandra. Yen explains why she left her previous job and moved to Gibsons. Wilson tells Karl that Shane grew up in foster homes and joined the armed forces but he was deemed unfit. Elsewhere, Shane tells Daryl that his doctor friend lives in Roberts Creek. He denies their relationship is romantic in nature. Back at the police station, Wilson assures Karl that she is not romantically involved with Shane but she is concerned for his welfare. She suggests they try to lure him to her house. He reluctantly agrees. Elsewhere, Shane receives Wilson’s text. Daryl teases him about their relationship and says he kills him. Shane hopes to not have to kill him. Daryl’s smile fades.

Sid informs Karl that Shane’s stolen phone has been tracked to Powerline Road. Karl points out that he is going in the opposite direction of Roberts Creek. Wilson suggests he is trying to throw them off his trail. A short time later, Sid and Kendrick arrive at the location to find the stolen phone in Daryl’s abandoned vehicle. Wilson warns that Shane will kill Daryl. Yen reminds her that Shane’s first murder was Murray. Wilson sarcastically asks where she completed her residency. When Karl takes Yen into the hallway, Wilson retrieves her phone. He wants Isabella to check out Wilson’s social media. While watching her texting, Karl tells Yen that his mother believed the eyes reveal the truth. He believes she is telling the truth but doesn’t trust her. Elsewhere, Daryl returns to his vehicle to find Sid and Kendrick there. Sid asks him about Shane. Daryl refuses to talk. At the police station, Wilson apologizes to Cassandra about earlier. Cassandra says Karl hardly any recognition of Murphy who wanted to utilize her to get back at him. Wilson questions why Cassandra is blaming herself instead of the person who deserves it when she receives an important text. Karl questions Daryl about the stolen phone found in his car. Daryl knows Shane as an alias, Luke. Karl tells him about Shane. Only after learning about the reward does Daryl tell them that Shane is going to Old Coast Road to see a friend. He denies Shane threatened him. Karl invites Cassandra out to dinner and reaches out to touch her but she pulls back.

Wendel Bryant (Graeme Duffy) claims Wilson tried to coerce him to visit certain aspects of his life that he felt weren’t problematic. He believes she is still trying to delve deeper into his sexuality. Karl tells Wilson that Shane never harmed Daryl. She continues to insist he is dangerous. He asks if Shane ever mentioned Murray to her. She assures him that she would have alerted the police if she thought Murray was in danger. She denies ever meeting Murray. Yen suggests Wilson wants them to fear Shane. Recalling her texting on several occasions, Karl says she has stayed in contact with Shane. He wants a warrant to confiscate her phones. Sid and Kendrick arrive at Wilson’s house to find evidence of Shane being there. Shane clonks Kendrick on the head with a stick. Sid calls it in to dispatch. Karl dispatches all units to the scene. Carrying an unconscious Kendrick, Sid discovers his cruiser gone. At the police station, Isabella finds evidence supporting Wilson utilizing peer pressure to control her former classmates. Wilson and Murray were friends until he posted a sonogram photo to his social media.

Wilson puts away her phone when Karl enters the room. He tells her that Shane attacked an officer and stole his weapon. He asks if she stalked Wendel and had an affair with Murray who she fell for. Murray ended the affair when his wife got pregnant. She blames him for Cassandra’s abduction and insists he is desperate to prove to her that he is a good man. He says she coerced Shane to kill Murray. They continue to throw insults at each other when the power goes out. While escorting her out of the room, an armed Shane smashes the window and climbs inside. Karl locks Wilson into a holding cell. Isabella heads toward the exit. Shane finds Wilson. Karl fires a shot but misses him. Shane threatens him if Wilson isn’t freed. Karl tells him that Wilson is using him. Shane argues that he is indebted to her for saving his life. Karl tells him about her relationship with Murray. An armed Sid, orders Shane to put down his weapon. Shane is apprehended without incident.

Karl tells Isabella that Kendrick is expected a full recovery. He executes a warrant to confiscate her phone. She hands him a phone. Sid retrieves the phone with her and Shane’s text messages that prove she was utilizing him to kill Karl. Later, Karl arrives home to find Cassandra there. He apologizes for Murphy abducting her. She says he doesn’t know what it is like to feel unsafe. She loves everything about him but he is a cop. He says they can work through it but she refuses and leaves.

 

Murder In A Small Town Review

One of the worst episodes of the season so far. Too much dialogue and not enough action. The story is littered with plot holes. It’s questionable how Karl determined Wilson was a master manipulator based on coincidences surrounding her past life. Wendel alleged she tried to “coerce” him but is this enough to make such an assumption, hardly?

The verbiage doesn’t always match what happens. For example, Karl tells Wilson that one of his officers was attacked “in” her house when in fact, the attack took place outside.

Karl and Cassandra’s relationship feels artificial. They are like oil and water. There is nothing that says a love story is a must for a police procedural series. If anything, it would have been better to leave out the domestic scenes altogether.

The timing of Yen’s revelation as to why she moved to Gibsons is questionable. With the story already being clunky, there was hardly room to process it. This wouldn’t have been necessary if the characters were developed in the pilot which was wasted on Karl and Cassandra. The episode deserves a 5.5 out of 10.

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