Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
It was the Smallville reunion we had been waiting for!
Erica Durance and Kristin Kruek portrayed childhood friends in Murder in a Small Town Season 1 Episode 4.
Durance played Emma O’Brea, whose husband went missing, and she was the last one to realize how badly he wanted to disappear.
This case had more twists and turns than any other and kept us on the edge of our seats.
Karl also experienced family drama when his younger daughter, Holly, moved in with him.
A Disturbing Marriage Full of Secrets
As soon as I saw that promo of Emma O’Brea standing over her husband with a gun, I knew he had an affair,
There aren’t many things that make women lose it enough to shoot their husbands.
However, the O’Brea’s marriage was more messed up than anyone imagined. It was very telling that Cassandra only considered Charlie her friend’s husband and never warmed up to him since she liked almost everyone.
It also seemed important that Emma cared more about maintaining a perfect image, mainly because her mother expected perfection.
Emma wouldn’t talk about or accept anything unpleasant, including problems in her marriage. She insisted she had the perfect marriage.
Murder in a Small Town Pulled A Gone Girl
While I suspected there would be a “Gone Girl” twist, Murder in a Small Town took it even further.
Charlie hated being in a loveless marriage and working for his in-laws. He wanted to live with his own life, so he faked his death and disappeared with his girlfriend.
It appeared to be a robbery, but Karl and his team knew better. There were no signs of forced entry or blood trails, except in an unused office.
Charlie’s actual office had no remnants of Emma. It looked like he lived an entirely different life, which made Karl suspect that Charlie fled.
Charlie was dumb, though. He should have known the cops would have searched his office the minute he disappeared, and returning was risky.
Killing his brother-in-law upped the ante from embezzlement to murder. Emma had a harder time hiding from that, especially when her beloved brother only wanted to protect her.
The O’Breas marriage was so messed up. In some ways, Charlie was right. If Emma had let him get a divorce, some of this could have been prevented.
But Emma suffered from childhood trauma and believed that appearances were everything, so she behaved like a Stepford wife. Hopefully, she’ll be able to heal from that.
Durance gave an emotional performance as Emma’s life fell apart. She seemed like a wife who could no longer pretend and live in a glass house.
Cassandra Was Finally More Than a Sidekick
In the last few episodes, Cassandra seemed like she was merely Karl’s girlfriend and sidekick. Cassandra and Karl’s relationship is an important part of the show, but she is her own person, too.
In this installment, she had her storyline again. Cassandra cared about improving the arts, so her leading a fundraiser for the Arts Center made perfect sense.
Seeing her surrounded by friends who supported a cause like that was terrific. Watching Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk) and Emma (Erica Durance) portray old friends was perfect, though they weren’t as tight as the preview made it seem.
Cassandra wanted to help her childhood friend, but she also knew Emma lived in a glass house, and they needed to break it down to solve this crime efficiently.
Seeing Cassandra use her investigative skills and be a supportive friend was an excellent use of Kreuk’s talents. Hopefully, the series continues to utilize her well.
Corporal Yen Proves Herself
Corporal Yen kept striving to prove herself and tried to look at the entire crime scene as Karl had taught them.
She excelled at her observations, including noticing how cold and impersonal Charlie’s office was and that the blood spatter was only in one room.
The only problem was Emma overheard her, which made her spiral and angered Emma’s brother, Blake.
However, Karl and Sid defended Corporal Yen, and Karl even allowed her to interview the suspects as the case finished.
It was his way of saying he trusted her.
Karl Learns How to Deal With a Teenage Daughter
Karl learned a lot about dealing with his teenage daughter, Holly. He only saw his daughters sporadically, so having her live with him was a huge adjustment for them.
Holly felt like she was a troublemaker, and nobody wanted her since she was expelled from school for smoking pot and shipped off to live with her dad.
Karl didn’t know how to deal with her. He was thrilled to have her home, but it happened during a hectic case, making Holly feel ignored and unwanted.
You had to love Sid. He has five daughters, so he encouraged Karl to learn why Holly acted out and listen to her.
Karl had gotten used to living alone and had become even more of a workaholic. It’s easy to see why these habits cost him his marriage, as they alienated his daughter, too.
He finally realized that and assured Holly he would never run away from her. He was excited for her to be there.
You had to appreciate that he struck a deal with her, agreeing to let the pot go this time if she forgave him. Holly wrapped her dad around her finger, at least for now, while he felt guilty.
Hopefully, Holly and Cassandra will get along as they’re both important to Karl.
What did you think of this Murder in a Small Town episode, TV Fanatics? Did you enjoy all the twists?
Are you excited to watch Karl balance his career and parenting a teenager? Wasn’t it nice to see more of Cassandra?
We would love to hear your thoughts, so please share them in the comments.
