1x09 Wide Open
Millennium (1996)
1x09 Wide Open, written by Charles Holland, directed by Jim Charleston.
quote
His children are far from safety; they shall be crushed at the gate without a rescuer.
-- Job 5:4
Clever killer: he hides in real estate open houses to commit horrific crimes on the family later. Not so clever: leaving clues, wanting to be caught.
As the serial killer plots continue there is a danger that they turn into a mere game, like a murder of the week cozy mystery. The tone of the show prevents that but we have to move on eventually.
We continue to have more of Catherine, very welcome.
How do they coach children to play "traumatized"? The little girl is good at it. They had to get cute with the character's name: "Patricia Highsmith", author of Strangers on a Train (1951), The Talented Mr. Ripley filmed in France as Purple Noon (1960) and Ripley's Game adapted as The American Friend (1977).
We almost stumble into that dumb "infinite enhancement of dim reflections" forensics.
Once the psycho is dying at their feet, Frank and Bletcher employ some unaccustomed cold humor:
quote
Bletcher: I guess, uh, one of us ought to call the paramedics.
Frank: Do you remember the number?
Bletcher: Not offhand.
Frank: I'll call.
Bill Smitrovich as Lt Bletcher has appeared in most of the episodes. He is one of Frank's best friends, often frustrated with him but also backing him up. A classic good tough cop. I understand he and Lance Henriksen did not get on very well.
Glynn Turman appears as a handwriting expert. I best remember him as the mayor in The Wire.
