The Station Stranger Part 1 – The episode opens in 1994, Cape Town. Joey Adamse (Connor Issacs) and Tino (Donte Fisher) are approached by a man offering them work. Refusing to go, Tino watches Joey climb into the man’s vehicle before they drive away.

Pretoria – Micki Pistorius (Charlotte Hope) teaches a class about serial killers. Professor Jacobus Hattingh (Marcel Van Heerden) enters the lecture room. A male student (Tjaart Van Der Walt) asks if serial killers have a conscience. She says it is not definite but some do. After class, Jacobus asks Micki to join the Mitchells Plains killing task team as a criminal profiler. He tells her that 21 boys have disappeared since 1986. He believes the serial killer, Station Strangler is back at it. She questions her qualifications. He assures her that she is more than qualified before urging her to release her fear.

A massive search party at Mitchells Plan is actively looking for more bodies of young boys. The locals demand action from the police. Chris Elksteen (Ivan Zimmermann) meets Micki as she lands at the airport in Cape Town. A short time later, Jannie (Grant Ross), Chris, and Micki are en route to Mitchells Plains. Chris tells her that Joey was reported missing Friday afternoon. Lead Detective AJ Oliver (Vaughn Lucas) says the man offered the boys money like the Station Strangler and Joey’s friend, Tino saw him get into the man’s vehicle. She asks to speak with Tino but they warn against it. She is looking out the window when a vehicle matching the description of the one involved in Joey’s abduction passes. The locals are protesting outside the police compound. Chris escorts her to the task team cooler box and hands her a certificate that makes her an official police officer. While going through the Station Strangler case file, she sees gruesome photos of the victims.

At a crime scene where the bodies of Ricardo Williams, David Smit, and     were found a short distance from each other, Chris tells Micki that the killer dropped the bodies off within weeks or months of each other. Studying the area, she locates a human hand. Chris fumbles while trying to wrap the hand in a white cloth. She takes it from him.

A group of children are playing soccer in a field when a man wearing a suit approaches. He collects the ball when it rolls toward him. Evan Prinsloo (Ndalo Mshiywa) says kick it back. The man tells him that he has what it takes to be a real player. Chris drops Micki off at a place that she will be staying while in Cape Town.

Colonel Cornelius Venter (Gavin Werner) assures Charlene Adamse (Foziah Davidson) that the police are utilizing all their resources to find Joey. Frustrated, Pastor Phillips (Themba Nofemele) asks how many missing children will it take before the community is taken seriously. Elsewhere, Chris introduces Micki to the other members of the Station Strangler task team, Louis Rossouw (Chris Van Rensburg), Detective Adams (Ruari McKee), Jannie, and AJ. Venter orders Micki to interrogate Leroy Paulse (Ambrose Uren), a 35-year-old karate instructor that was named a suspect in 1993.

Micki orders the table in the interrogation removed before identifying herself to Leroy. Initially, he refuses to talk to her but changes his mind. He warns that she will never catch the Station Strangler who describes as clever, nice, and likes children. She reminds him that he works with children. He stresses the importance of children knowing how to protect themselves. He claims to have been raised in Durban, PE, and Jo’Burg. She asks if he knows Joey. He points out that her hands are sweating. She admits to getting nervous around strangers. He says Joey “was” a local kid who is no longer alive. Refusing to say when he last saw Joey, he warns her that she is going into the “abyss” where it is dark. A short time later, Micki rules out Leroy Paulse as the Station Strangler. Venter is unhappy about Micki joining the Station Strangler task team. Chris tells him that another detective is not the answer, Micki may be able to help them identify the killer.

The detectives are barbecuing outside the police station. Micki joins Chris on the beach. He asks why she asked for the table in the interrogation removed. She says men who enjoy killing also enjoy talking about which is what she need to see. She tells him that it is weird to be there drinking and joking while the killer is on the loose. He suggests it is the only way to keep from going crazy. He says failed marriages are part of being a South African police officer. She has one while he has two. Later, Chris is awakened by a phone call about another Evan’s disappearance. A protest is in full force when he arrives at the Prinsloo home. AJ tells him that Evan’s mother, Celia said he disappeared while playing soccer and his ball was located in Edgar Crescent. The crowd erupts into chaos.

From the evidence, Micki learns the Station Strangler victims are sodomized, not mutilated. Chris enters and tells her about Evan’s disappearance. A short time later, she tells the detectives that the killer is a local black man, in his late-20s to early-30s, and is familiar with the dumping ground. Adams questions her theory. She explains how the killer knew the crimes scenes were hidden from the streets and which paths were deserted. She points out that the boys trust the killer enough to willingly go to the remote dunes. Pointing at a note that reads, “No. 14, Many more in store,” she believes the killer is telling them that Robert, not Nathan Goliath was his 14^th victim. She stresses the need to release the killer’s profile today but Venter isn’t so sure. Adams warns that it would cause chaos. Chris reminds him of the 21 victims with no leads. Venter threatens to terminate Chris and remove Micki from the task team if anything goes wrong.

The serial killer’s profile is distributed throughout the local community. Micki finds a 1990 photo of her and David in a book. A Cape times journalist brings a letter into the police station. It reads, “Not knowing what the future holds, I shall say farewell and see you at the next job or should I say you will see my hand world at the next job. You must not forget about Donna Lauria.” She gives them three more letters that arrived yesterday and today. Micki tells Chris and AJ that David Berkowitz, Son of Sam serial killer, taunted the police with letters. AJ says a copycat killer. She suggests checking with the local libraries to gather names of people who have checked out Son of Sam books.

Venters scolds Micki when a mass load of leads come into the police station. She tells him that one of the leads may help them solve the case. He complains about the loads of phones interfering with his investigation. She says there will be no way to determine if the leads are legitimate until they follow up. He complains about the head office sending him her instead of another detective. Later, Micki tells Louis that she thought her qualifications would make a difference. He urges her to do her job and not take risks when Jannie informs them of a boy being located in Faure. At the crime scene, Micki insists on seeing the victim. Charlene breaks down sobbing. Tino is a short distance away. The episode ends.

 

Catch Me A Killer Review

The series has that old-school vibe. The crime scene photos are graphic like in old crime dramas. The execution is spot-on as well as the acting and cinematography. My only complaint is the Son of Sam reference. It felt a bit premature and unnecessary.

All in all, the series is a pleasure to watch. The pilot deserves a 6.5 out of 10. Get more Catch Me A Killer recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Learn how advertising with us can help build your brand awareness. Join our newly established forum to discuss new TV show and movie releases, crimes, and more.