As we approach the close of its sophomore season, Murder in the First is starting to pick up the pace a little, and give a clearer picture of where it’s going. All of the plot threads are thickening, and many of them are showing they’re connected. The mystery gets intriguing and darker with each step, and the approach seems to be working well. I’m as excited as ever for this season’s final few episodes.
This week on Murder in the First: Raffi tries to pit the police and Suger against each other. Suger is arrested in connection with a murder from the gang war. Dustin Maker’s trial continues through testimonies, including Terry’s. Jamie Nelson’s personal life is unraveling, and some of it is caught on tape. An internal investigation of the homicide division begins. Hildy and Junior decide to try and take down the union.
Overall, I was really impressed with this episode. The actors are all atop their game, and the plot lines are thickening. “Bruja Blanca” was an emotional ride, hitting different notes as different realizations abounded. This close to the end, all of the characters are making realizations and decisions that will affect their moves over the next few episodes. At first, I was worried this was a plot-driven episode, which I thought would just be too much. But while still being plot-driven, it was not overrun by the plot. It had several emotional and powerful moments, making this one of the stronger episode of the second half of Season 2.
Let’s talk about the trial for a minute. I think all the actors involved with the trial are great, but other than that, it’s a pretty extraneous plot. I’m still thinking it might have some yet unseen connection to the major police corruption plots, though. Everything else has woven together pretty nicely, so it bothers me a little bit. It feels out of place. However, all of the strong emotional moments came from the trial. This season kicked off so well because of that plot, and it has since faded. Last night, it came back with full force. Exploring Jamie Nelson’s personal life, and how it may affect the trial, was a fascinating turn. Each witness also brought something special to the episode, but the most memorable was the mother of one of the victims. She even seemed to be reaching Dustin, who largely remains listless and cold during trial scenes. Actress Michelle Joyner joined the episode in a guest spot, and she blew everyone out of the water. It was an extremely powerful scene.
Do we think Raffi is a dirty cop? Is she THE dirty cop? There are so many mysteries remaining that I want answers to, and only three episodes left to get them. I’m sure they’ll take the union down, but at what cost? Who do you think the head guy is? They’re introducing new characters all the time, so it could be someone new. However, I don’t think introducing a new character in the back three to all of a sudden be a major villain would work to the show’s advantage. Perhaps the one pitfall of Season 1 was that it was not shocking. They danced around the “whodunnit” until finally revealing they had the right guy all along. I think this season will (and already has) varied from that, but hopefully, I still don’t know who did it because the writers are saving a juicy surprise. That would be the icing on the cake of what’s been a pretty darn good season so far.
What do you guys think? What are your theories and predictions? Let us know in the comments!
Murder in the First airs Mondays at 10/9c on TNT.
[Photo via TNT]
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So many plots and so little time! (Are there really three episodes left?) For me, at least, the number of plots this season has been hard to keep up with — I’ll be disappointed if they don’t all tie up at the end. Just a few random thoughts:
— The trial — I wonder if Siletti’s fascination with the trial and obliviousness to the troubles at home will blow up in his face. Will his troubled son do something drastic in the same vein as Dustin?
— Did Suger really orchestrate Curillo’s murder or was it the Union? The episode was named after the hit woman, so I wonder if she will appear again.
— The phrase “follow the chain of command” came up twice in this past episode — Koto says it to the chief of police, and the thumbless cop who hands Junior the note also says it. Is the chief of police the head of the Union (I hope it’s not Koto).
— As far as the acting, it’s superb. I’m especially impressed by the range shown by A.J. Buckley, who played such a one-note milquetoast on “CSI: NY.”
I hope this series get picked up for a third season!