America is kind of obsessed with serial killers. I’m a part of that. Any book or documentary I can get my hands on- I’m there. So when it comes to a place called “The Blood Cottage,” I realize that it’s crazy to think that I would want to attend. But I totally would.
This episode was about serial killers- three in particular. When the episode started I was almost convinced I was watching a re-run, because it was the very first scene from the very first episode of the series. A murder by Charles Hoyte! I loved that guy. Crazy, creepy, and played by the amazing Michael Massee who can be seen in film and television as many different weirdoes, Hoyte is a throwback from the books. Though his murders and necrophilia are quite a bit different in the series, the same eerie hold he has on Jane persists. The guy is just plain wrong.
The episode starts with a symposium on serial killers for law enforcement. Rizzoli and Isles are both presenters as Hoyte was the topic of one woman’s book on serial killers. Their perspective was needed as when it comes to law enforcement, the question that is asked is not so much the “why” but “how can we find and stop them.” The Blood Cottage, as it is described, is a recreation to the finest detail of a crime scene. Dummies have gooey blood, bodies are placed just so, the whole nine yards. But what is not expected to be a part of this scene is a real dead body. Or two.
I thought the writing on the whodunit part was a bit lacking. The obvious red herring was in place to stir trouble and cause irritation. What was odd, though, was that even though you had an idea of who it probably was, even though we are told the “why” is not important, you can’t help but wonder. I get the reasoning, as much as one can reason with a sociopath. I get the technique and signatures. It’s the “why,” though, that is what makes it so entertaining and thought provoking.
What leads a person to murder? Not only that, but what chemical imbalance is in place where it makes sense to teach your son to kill with no feeling? These thoughts leave me angry and irritated at the unanswered. I think it’s because I’m a rational human being, but who knows. The point of drama is to find the emotional truth. Sometimes the truth is an unknown, and the emotions of that are unpleasant. So kudos to this episode for evoking irrational emotions towards a fictional story. That’s the whole point!
It is with that weird note the episode left us with that we get the in memoriam for Lee Thompson Young. It sucked the life out of what was a good episode and reminds us of the very real balance of life. An announcement was posted on this site concerning his passing, and I wanted to acknowledge that. Young was an amazing actor, a face I always remembered when I would see him in various things. He was a charismatic young man that was all too engaging to watch. Frost was one of my favorite characters because of what Young gave him; heart, wit, compassion, and charm. He took the character from the book and completely made it his own and for that I thank him.
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