Cold Case (TV Series) Look Again (2003) User Reviews

Fantastic Pilot

[euterpe-310-472188 · 9/10 · 6 March 2012]

"Look Again" This is Cold Case's pilot episode.

Lily Rush is a hardened Philadelphia homicide detective who investigates unsolved murders (or 'cold cases').

For any longtime fan of the series, it's entertaining to be introduced to Lily's life and personality, and see her early origins.

The style in which this episode is written and directed is a bit edgier, aggressive and more cinematic than later episodes in the series. The pacing is a bit slower, but it works.

While I enjoy the show as a whole, I felt this episode really stood out and was of exceptional quality.

This is a must see for any Cold Case fan.

This Pilot Shows Why Cold Case Did Melodrama Better Than Most

[Better_TV · 8/10 · 16 November 2018]

This show still holds up, and the pilot episode isn't bad at all. The plot is simple as can be: a maid approaches Detective Rush (Katherine Townsend) with information about a murder she witnessed in the '70s. Kate Mara is the victim, and the perp could be any one of the jerkoff preppies she hung out with.

All of Cold Case's strengths are on display here: fantastic licensed music that's smartly used in just the right places, great casting (D.W. Moffett is a standout), interesting (though not excessive) flashbacks, a touch of slo-mo, and a compelling sense of melodrama. That last point is key: Cold Case was never the most gritty, realistic detective show on TV, and it wasn't trying to be. Instead, it took a humanist approach, using heightened emotional tensions and situations to carry out its thesis that, as Detective Rush says in this episode, "People shouldn't be forgotten." It's corny, sure, but it also totally works.

All of that is to say, while the script here is alright (it deals with domestic violence and misogyny -- sad stuff, but we've seen it all before on network TV), it's the production values and music and cinematography (with a very distinct, steely-cool color palette) and acting that really elevate this material. When Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" starts playing over a montage in the final moments of the episode, it's hard not to find your eyes getting just a tiny bit moist -- and this is coming from someone who just called the plot "simple" two paragraphs ago. It's a testament to just how effective Cold Case can be.

A good pilot episode

[jlukssabino-38675 · 8/10 · 24 August 2023]

It's a great example of how to make a pilot episode. The case is simple but intriguing, holding our attention until the end, while the series introduces us to the great cast of characters in an efficient and enjoyable way (featuring one of the best female protagonists of all time). One of the most brilliant things about the whole series is how they cleverly transition between the younger and older cast members (it's incredible how they also find actors who look alike). In conclusion, Cold Case was a great show back then, and it continues to be one, adding to the nostalgia factor. This pilot episode serves its purpose in an efficient way.

Tennis

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 21 June 2020]

I like the bit where she annoyed the bloke when he was rowing

Homophobic

[RonSinMichigan · 6/10 · 25 October 2018]

Very disappointed , really offended in the character of the suspect in prison who purrs and blinks flirtaceously constantly during his interview . This episode is from 2003 . I don't know how this escaped GLAAD's notice .