Warning! Spoilers ahead for Murder in a Small Town episode 5.
Fox’s Murder in a Small Town promises a different kind of murder series, but episode 5 ditches the premise entirely and risks ruining the best part of the show. As a TV show based on a book (the Karl Alberg book series by L. R. Wright), Murder in a Small Town follows a different beat, evident in episode 5. Rossif Sutherland stars as Karl Alberg, the police chief for the small coastal town of Gibsons. If the actor’s last name sounds familiar, it’s because Murder in a Small Town has a touching Donald Sutherland connection: The Hunger Games actor is Sutherland’s father, and also responsible for the adaptation.
Sutherland stars opposite Smallville‘s Kristin Kreuk, who plays Cassandra, Karl’s love interest and a Gibsons resident. Cassandra gets involved in Karl’s investigations in various ways as she is a local librarian and avidly engaged in the community. Kreuk’s role gets complicated in episode 5 when she finds herself at the heart of the crime. Murder in a Small Town ditches its premise in the episode and Cassandra makes it out unscathed. Still, the situation put the series’ lead characters in conflict, jeopardizing the best part of the police procedural show.
Murder In A Small Town Episode 5 Doesn’t Feature A Murder
Gordon Murphy Kidnaps Kristin Kreuk’s Cassandra
In Murder in a Small Town episode 5, there is no murder. It’s not unheard of for police procedurals to switch up the pace, but Murder in a Small Town, per its title, focuses on murder investigations. So far, the series maintains its cozy mystery tone with a coastal setting that garners comparisons to Murder, She Wrote. With only a handful of episodes, Murder in a Small Town switching up its core premise is a surprise, especially since it puts Karl and Cassandra in conflict when their Murder in a Small Town romance is so refreshing.
Murder in a Small Town
airs on Fox on Tuesdays at 8 pm Eastern.
In episode 5, Cassandra gets kidnapped by Gordon Murphy (Devon Sawa), a criminal Karl barely remembers from his days as a Minneapolis police officer. Karl left his big-city police job behind for the idyllic coastal town, but the episode proves that danger still surrounds Karl in Gibsons, and he can’t escape his past by moving away from it. Episode 5 presents Karl with a more significant conflict than murder, focusing on Cassandra’s hostage situation and fallout. When Cassandra is free, she has an emotional break due to the circumstances her romance causes, which is understandable but unfortunate for the series.
Cassandra’s Kidnapping Jeopardizes Murder In A Small Town Romance
Cassandra Is Already Skeptical About Her Relationship
Cassandra’s kidnapping jeopardizes the best part of Murder in a Small Town: its uncomplicated romance between Karl and Cassandra. The 40-something couple has been able to navigate the bumps of their romance thus far, but Cassandra is skeptical about her relationship with the police chief due to his work. On their first date, Cassandra remarks that she struggles to see herself with a police officer. Hopefully, they will work through this development and make their relationship stronger. Otherwise, Murder in a Small Town ditching its murder premise to focus on Cassandra’s story would be a complete waste if it causes her to leave Karl.