The best episodes of this often way over the top crime series are like individual movies - little slices of life that explore an issue. This is one of those episodes. Jay Stratton (Anthony Starke) is a nasty, cold hearted business executive with many enemies. Having been dying of a brain tumour, he is now, years later, found to have died from a morphine overdose. Is it murder? Or euthanasia? It's a whodunnit, because most people he knew, even his own son, despised him. Starke turns on a stunning performance, as the wisecracking, bitter and ultimately regretful Stratton. Equally compelling is well known character actress Lynda Boyd, as his long suffering wife, Ellen. For once, these two actors' scenes together steal scenes from detective Lily Rush (Kathryn Morris) and her team. The episode is moving and well written and directed.
4 Reviews
Terminal
jotix10013 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Jay Dratton was a ruthless, self-made man. His death takes center stage when a convicted male nurse confesses to several 'mercy killings' at a local hospital. Dratton was supposed not to have succumbed to his brain cancer so soon. Instead, a high amount of morphine, was found to have been the thing that killed him.
As the Cold Case reconstruct the facts surrounding Jay's death, one thing comes clear, he was not a well liked, or regarded man. He might have been a good business man, but his family life was a mess, although it really didn't start that way. The detectives discover the name "Louise" written in Jay's papers, no one seems to connect him with any woman by that name.
While in the hospital, his mind keeps wandering back to a happier time with his wife and young son. Jay, a horrible individual, quarrels with Amelia,a young mother, whose daughter is also in the last stages of the same disease. After the young girl dies, Jay goes, in a surprise visit to Amelia with a check that covers what she owes for the hospitalization.
The mystery of Jay's death is put together by the Cold Case team when they questions the son, and the estranged wife. Both have a lot to say about a father and a husband they came to regard as a horrible person.
Lilly has words with her mother after Ellen is found at a local bar drinking. Ellen, an alcoholic with no desire to stop, in spite of her live cirrhosis, is killing herself, something that is hard on the well meaning Lilly. Ellen accepts to stay with her daughter.
Paris Barclay directed this episode, written by Gavin Harris. Anthony Starke and Linda Boyd play Jay and Caroline Stratton with conviction. Justina Machado has some good moments as Amelia. Meredith Baxter appears as Ellen Rush.
As the Cold Case reconstruct the facts surrounding Jay's death, one thing comes clear, he was not a well liked, or regarded man. He might have been a good business man, but his family life was a mess, although it really didn't start that way. The detectives discover the name "Louise" written in Jay's papers, no one seems to connect him with any woman by that name.
While in the hospital, his mind keeps wandering back to a happier time with his wife and young son. Jay, a horrible individual, quarrels with Amelia,a young mother, whose daughter is also in the last stages of the same disease. After the young girl dies, Jay goes, in a surprise visit to Amelia with a check that covers what she owes for the hospitalization.
The mystery of Jay's death is put together by the Cold Case team when they questions the son, and the estranged wife. Both have a lot to say about a father and a husband they came to regard as a horrible person.
Lilly has words with her mother after Ellen is found at a local bar drinking. Ellen, an alcoholic with no desire to stop, in spite of her live cirrhosis, is killing herself, something that is hard on the well meaning Lilly. Ellen accepts to stay with her daughter.
Paris Barclay directed this episode, written by Gavin Harris. Anthony Starke and Linda Boyd play Jay and Caroline Stratton with conviction. Justina Machado has some good moments as Amelia. Meredith Baxter appears as Ellen Rush.
Will make you cry
VickyC13 September 2019
Very strong story about what is important in life. The final song "Good Day" by Paul Westerberg is beautiful. I actually downloaded it to my favorites play list. I highly recommend this episode. You will not forget it. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy.
Unmissable Story
jsrtheta22 March 2022
The other reviews here very well capture the story and excellence of this episode, so I won't belabor the details of the story.
It's easy for stories like this to descend into melodrama. The temptation to go over the top can be irresistible. But the performers, most especially Anthony Starke and Lynda Boyd, don't step wrong even once. They capture the disintegration of a marriage, but also the stubborn persistence of a husband and wife's love for each other.
The lessons of the story, which may seem trite, hit like a velvet freight train, human and shattering, yet still full of a love and an awful truth of what, in the end, remains, and is really all that ever mattered.
Perfect.
It's easy for stories like this to descend into melodrama. The temptation to go over the top can be irresistible. But the performers, most especially Anthony Starke and Lynda Boyd, don't step wrong even once. They capture the disintegration of a marriage, but also the stubborn persistence of a husband and wife's love for each other.
The lessons of the story, which may seem trite, hit like a velvet freight train, human and shattering, yet still full of a love and an awful truth of what, in the end, remains, and is really all that ever mattered.
Perfect.
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