Cold Case (TV Series) The Letter (2004) User Reviews

A Time We Regret

[badlandscowboy · 8/10 · 2 January 2013]

An intriguing idea: solve a case from 1939 that has been written off as a "colored" prostitute being killed by a john. Liitle had been done to find the perpetrator. When the granddaughter asks Detective Lilly Rush to help her discover the facts (and perhaps clear the stigma she and her deceased mother have felt), the search is on.

Old employment records, pictures, news stories, diaries, and letters and notes treasured for all those years provide Rush and her team with intriguing clues, but the final conclusive evidence must come from the victim herself: fingernail scrapings from her exhumed body provide DNA which leads to the culprit, still haunted by the event after all those years.

I despise ignorance! Racism, of course, is ignorance personified, but how could anyone writing this script approve the hate group's being called "The Fifth Day" and say it was the day Genesis tells of man's creation?! That was the SIXTH day!!! Animals AND man.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, the poignant look back at a time when people were not able to look past the color of a person's skin to the content of their character. I especially was touched by the two love stories that unfolded as the story progressed: one tragic and one enduring.

Heartbreaking

[quigleyrebecca · 8/10 · 14 June 2021]

This whole episode was fascinating, but heartbreaking to watch. They're solving a murder from 1939 and to see how they went about it was wonderful, but dealing with the racism and hate of the times is emotional. And in last bit of the episode they show a gang rape scene. There is no nudity, but it's very clear what's happening and hard to watch.

Gutted me

[kellielulu · 9/10 · 11 June 2023]

Most of them do but some get to you more than others this is one of them. I have only been able to watch this once fully once but maybe someday again. It's even sadder that everything was going well until the milkman realized he was falling for a woman of a different race. There are countless stories like this out there and this episode helps represent that. The best episodes of Cold Case did that. The manner of her death was particularly disturbing and of course all the more disturbing because it's not only in fiction. I know it's not enough but I like how Cold Case was always getting justice albeit late for victiims and that the show remeinds us good people are murdered and it could be anyone.

One of the best episodes of the series

[christie-ensley · 10/10 · 10 April 2020]

One of my favorite episodes of the series it was also the first episode that I ever saw. It is a very moving episode that is heartbreaking

Cold Case's Powerful Episode on Racial Bias and Heritage

[jmstgirl7 · 10/10 · 3 March 2024]

I recently watched an episode of Cold Case. This particular episode focused on a young lady living in a boarding house for "women of color" and the reopening of her case. Detective Rush took on the challenge of solving this case for Sadie's daughter, who had been grappling with shame regarding her own heritage since the murder. I have to say, this was an outstanding episode that shed light on the racial bias that prevailed during that time period. The storyline was compelling and highlighted the struggles faced by marginalized communities.

One aspect that truly stood out to me was the attention to detail in the outfits and period era for the flashback scenes. The costume design did an excellent job of transporting viewers back to 1939, creating an immersive experience. Overall, this episode of Cold Case was both thought-provoking and visually captivating. It effectively addressed important social issues while delivering an engaging and well-crafted storyline. I highly recommend watching it.