Jessica arrives in New Orleans to give a TV interview, but greets her host Jonathan Hawley two days early. To make the most of her stay, Jessica is taken to dinner, where she meets Ben Coleman, a clarinet player of the highest calibre, a legend in the making. Ben is moving on to bigger and better things, leaving his backing team behind. To see him in action Jessica accompanies Jonathan to a performance, where they witness in horror as a member of the band collapses, dead.
I would place this among the weaker episodes in the strong first series, that is to say it's pretty good, but lacking that something extra in so many of these early episodes. She's clearly not in New Orleans, for those that have visited, and as a story it doesn't grab my attention, dare I say it, it's a little dull. Lafayette must be one of the most annoying characters to date, popping up at literally every opportunity, I mean was he stalking her?
I'll applaud it for the numerous red herrings it offers, not often do you get to see the actual event of the killing on the show, but you do here, and you begin putting scenarios together. Olivia Cole, who would appear in the show again is particularly good as Cally, and I'd say Clive Revill is also pretty good, one or two actors are a little on the wooden side.
It's a pretty good episode, 6/10