Cold Case (TV Series) The Key (2006) User Reviews

Annie Wersching Shines in this Episode

[Tarasicodissa · 7/10 · 26 September 2007]

It is the height of the sexual revolution and a man bored with his schoolmarm wife pushes her into a 'key party'. Never once did it enter his head that another man might want her. Never once did it enter his head that she might blossom into a babe which she does. Never once did it enter his head that 'open marriage' cuts both ways. Never once did it enter his head that she would get the 'better deal' instead of him.

Annie Wersching does a remarkable transformation here from rejected wife who thinks she has kinda missed out on life by always playing by the rules and doing what was expected of her to 'liberated swinger' and back to responsible mom. Libby Bradley remains profoundly sympathetic throughout because she brings more generosity of heart to this situation than any of the other 'swingers' do. Unlike her husband and unlike her new lover she is a giving person. I am glad to see that Annie Wersching went on from this to "General Hospital" and will be starring in this season of "24".

The story line clearly disapproves of their actions. The fashionable at the time belief that sexual exclusivity in marriage is a 'hangup' which the truly liberated can just outgrow was on a collision course with reality. The authors of the '70's "Open Marriage" book which touted all of this themselves acknowledged in their follow up book that they got buckets of mail from people who tried it and ended up either in divorce court or going back to monogamy. It is massively "too much information" for the children to handle and much damage is done out of sheer carelessness.

Total eclipse of the sun

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 3 March 2010]

The finding of a jacket in the woods near Philadelphia brings back Will Jeffreys to the scene of the crime that was committed years before. A young detective, Jeffreys, had made a promise to the daughter of the woman that was found dead in a clearing, that he will get the perpetrator to justice. Alas, it has been now twenty five years and no one has been found.

In flashbacks we are taken to the events that led to the killing of Libby Bradley, a school teacher, and mother of a teenager, Helena. Libby, who appears happily married, is part of a young couples set that meet and party occasionally. At a party thrown by the Livingstons, a swinging couple, they suggest a game of "The Key". Each men must throw his car keys in a bucket and the ladies must pick one at random. Each women will go home to bed with the men whose car keys they select. Thus, Libby draws Bill Huxley's and goes with him. Bill and Libby end up in an affair she gets to regret.

Libby's home life gets wrecked. Helena realizes what's going on and begins to hate her mother. Jed Huxley, on the other hand, has always liked Libby who was his fifth grade teacher; an inspiration, as far as he was concerned. Since Libby doesn't drive, he offers his services. Jed develops a strong desire for the kind Libby. Unfortunately, just when Libby is straightening her life, she is killed during a solar eclipse of the sun.

David Barrett directed this episode of Cold Case. Jennifer Johnson's fine script works as it evokes the times when the concept of changing partners and open marriages were the fad of the land. Annie Wersching is impressive as Libby. Nestor Carbonell appears as Mike Valens, the brother of Scotty, who convinces him to come forward and testify in a case he has been involved. Thom Barry is also featured as the detective that was involved in the original case.

I know which song is the last one of this episode!

[bordeaux55 · 9/10 · 27 May 2007]

I thought this show was a really good one and the casting was great. I love how they match the younger & older actors of the same characters. The topic was interesting too, you don't hear too much of that anymore, not to say that it doesn't happen. I did feel bad for the kids of these families on the show. Knowing that their parents weren't hiding their lifestyles of drugs, alcohol and open marriages. Too much information for me if it were my parents. I'm also glad that they had Scotty & his brother come to a decision on how to go forward. The music always takes me back. I can't remember the last time that I heard the song Makin' It by David Naughton. By the way, to answer a previous comment, the last song of the show is: Broken Hearted Me by Anne Murray.

Name of song at end of show/where the show is filmed

[MMacG1167 · 9/10 · 28 May 2007]

The song that is played at the end of the show - where they show the montages of the characters switching back and forth between how they look today and in '79 - is "Broken-Hearted Me" by Anne Murray. It came out in 1979. Someone also asked if the show is shot in Philadelphia. Certainly at least some of the outside shots are, perhaps all of them. But I don't believe all of it is shot in Philadelphia - as was the case with the recent series "Hack" with David Morse. I think maybe the indoor scenes are shot in Los Angeles or wherever, but not here. I think I would have been hearing more about the show locally (I live in Philadelphia).

The adventures, disillusionment, and aftermath of the 70s

[sttrhm · 17 September 2011]

In its episodes, Cold Case frequently presents a historical survey of selected time periods....the issues, trends, consequences and resulting aftermath that led to the next time periods' reactive changes in response...and is seen through the life philosophies of those who lived in that time....in this episode we have the Swinging '70s....as one who was a young person then and in the 80's that followed, I have to say that the portrayal was quite accurate in many ways....

...Swinging burst on the scene sounding like a heck of a lot of fun at the time...a way to be freer as an individual and not tied down by rules of the past...here it is portrayed as a response by men to the women's liberation movement of the '60s...and there was some truth to that(BTW I'm a man writing this)...however it didn't take long before some reactive consequences reared up...the children were the first to show how uncomfortable, bewildered, and eventually contemptuous they were about actions of their elders which destabilized their families...then the swinger participants themselves realized how a lack of expectations led to a lack of the security, comfort, and stability in their lives which after all things considered they really couldn't do without....and then finally some couldn't handle the emotionally crushing psychological devastation that resulted...one because she was too naive to know what had really been happening around her and the other because he was too young and too full of adolescent libido to really process what an older, more experienced person would have realized was a reactionary flirtation, not a demonstration of genuine sexual interest....

....yet just like the 70s, the aftermath led to some favorable changes in one's awareness....our once repressed schoolteacher finally comes to realize that she had spent her whole life following others' footsteps and that true self actualization was realized not by holding on to someone else but within her own self, and she had to do this on her own. This reflected the change in thinking that occurred from the 70s to the 90s with many people in the USA.

As in previous episodes, the music really set the stage....again here I would have used a different song for the end, however..."Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac would have been a better choice although it was already the closing song for another episode (Fireflies)...another good choice would be "Songbird" again by Fleetwood Mac (a band which made a career of making record-selling albums dealing with individual instability from failed relationships)....Or for a really unique music application, try "Winter" by the Rolling Stones....a little known track off the otherwise mediocre "Goat's Head Soup" album of 1973... a song which takes a wistful look back at the mixed results of the past and a dimly hopeful wish for the future...

Key party

[rgxdzrybr · 8/10 · 9 March 2024]

A good episode but honestly even the victim crossed lines that were inappropriate. I am in no way saying she deserved to die but we have learned too much about teachers crossing boundaries.

A key party exposes a lot on discord in marriages and families.

A teacher with a teenager daughter of her own starts exploring her options more and a former student and child of her neighbors exchange skills he teaches her to drive and she helps him with other things astronomy and dancing. Nothing sexual but she drops the boundaries tells him they are friends and no matter he addresses her more formally she insists he use her first name. I think it's just one of the things she didn't consider the consequences. It later shows how some have changed for the better. I am sure she would have.

There are also a lot of adults crossing other lines and it's the kids affected by it especially the victims daughter . Jefferies who was the original lead detective makes this point.

It's an interesting episode one that stands out for me but like a lot of episodes it brings up some uncomfortable truths to face.

Great suspense...with a caveat...

[theresaconeill · 7/10 · 8 November 2006]

Before I comment on the show, I'd like to respond to rlion2: CBS posts "playlists" for the most recent episodes on its website's Cold Case section. They haven't posted the tracks for this episode yet, but they should soon. I liked the last track too, but I couldn't say what it was. I was only 5 in 1979, so I was spinning platters like "Mickey Mouse Disco." I think the writers try to get on a good mix of songs that represent the cultural climate in which each "case" is set, as well as illustrate the mood of the story. However, I am sure there have been times where they couldn't use certain songs because they couldn't secure the rights to broadcast or the royalties were too expensive. I'll bet the Bruce Springsteen episode cost a fortune just in music royalties.

Now for my review of the episode: I would caution parents that the crux of this episode involves sexual behavior/lifestyles that some would find deviant or offensive, namely "swinging," sometimes called "open marriages" or "spouse swapping." Swinging first came out of the woodwork in the 1970's on the tails of the Sexual Revolution and the idea of "free love." However, it moved underground with the advent of AIDS and super-STDs. It's still out there, though it doesn't get the press it once did.

"The Key Party" on the surface appears like a friendly neighborhood couples gathering. However, in an adult version of "Spin the Bottle," guests drop their car keys into a crystal bowl and each female blindly draws a key from the bowl and is paired with the male owner of the key for well...you know. And this nice Catholic girl rather dumbly thought at first that the key/bowl collection was to prevent impaired guests from driving home! The plot primarily revolves around Libby, a sheltered, middle class teacher/housewife and a guest at the Key Party with her husband. A few months later, she is inexplicably found stabbed to death in the woods. Each possible suspect--including Libby's husband, daughter, and the Key Party hostess to name a couple--has a vastly different, yet equally plausible motive. And it all goes back to the Key Party that started it all. Over the course of the investigation, we get to see the slow destruction of marriages and families and the emotional fallout experienced by all.

I don't want to give away the ending, but I enjoyed this episode in particular because I was genuinely surprised at who her killer was. I did pick up on a few inconsistencies in dialog and plot holes that needed patches, but nothing that would destroy the integrity of the story. Overall enjoyable and recommended.

As for me though, I think I will stick with "Spin the Bottle." :-)

Who's was That?

[rlion2 · 7/10 · 6 November 2006]

I always enjoy the music in this show. Often wonder how they pick which songs from a particular era to use.I wonder if the writers get too choose the songs that they liked from the year. Anyway...I can't come up with who sang the song at the end and it is driving me crazy. I was 22 then and I recognize it but can't place the artist. I liked the overall show but wonder how often these key parties really took place. On another note, why do they make Lilly's character so unable to be in a relationship. It seems like she doesn't even try. Do they want to always keep open the option of having a love interest in a case. Is the show really shot in Philly? Well, I hope someone can help me out with this, I'm usually pretty good at "naming that tune" but not tonight.