Murder in Small Town X, Episode 3: Follow that Car!

Episode 3 of Murder in Small Town X (MiSTX) begins a little bit differently than last week's installment. Even before the show's opening titles come up, we see X-Ray, now a cleared suspect, running up to headquarters on the morning of day 7. It seems that after X-Ray brought Brian home from his successful black envelope mission, he had an encounter with a '91 Dodge Spirit. While this normally wouldn't pique the average person's curiosity, this particular Spirit just happened to be Abby’s care – which had gone missing on the night of the murders. X-Ray goes on to say that the one-headlighted car was being driven by Jimmy Tinker, the late Abby Flint's boyfriend. After the encounter, the car went down the Old Fire Road, where X-Ray says it left his view. After this, we see the titles and the show begins its now familiar course.

First, we hear from the investigators themselves. Alan thinks that Jimmy might be a suspect because of his film school background, while Brian expresses his belief that the team still has no idea who the killer might be. Stacey feels that everyone has a motive, and I agree. The problem with this lies in the fact that when almost anyone could have committed the murders, the game itself is just a matter of the producers' whim. Right now, the killer could be virtually anybody, and if the list of suspects isn't whittled down by something other than the weekly red envelope quiz, I think that the show will quickly lose its already waning steam. For now, though, MiSTX is still more enjoyable than some of TV's other offerings, no matter what Dharma and Greg's ratings say.

After we hear from the investigators, we see Andy selecting Alan as the new Lifeguard. Its hard to say why Andy does this, as it doesn't seem like he got to spend a lot of time with him, but it seems like a good choice. Ever since Alan dealt with Thibodeaux at the beginning of last week's episode he's been my favorite to win. He's smart, capable, and willing to take charge. At the same time he doesn't seem to offend anyone, so its easy for me to see him in the final three. After that its anybody's guess. Alan seems to agree, professing his belief that Andy made the right choice. Not quite the most surprising comment of all time, but I never said he was perfect.

Finally, the team has to decide what it's going to do for the next three days. In this episode Fredo once again seizes the reins of power, assigning tracks left and right with nary a word to or from the players themselves. First, he decides that the team should follow Jimmy, but because Jimmy and the stolen car appear to be in two different places, this task will require two separate teams.

Track 1: Jimmy Tinker

1. Question him about his alibi.
2. Plant a "bug" on him.
3. Stake out Jimmy Tinker.
4. See if he leads the team to Abby's car.

Track 2: The Stolen Car

1. Stake out the Old Fire Road.
2. Obtain pictures of the car and driver.

At this point, Fredo warns whoever is assigned to the stakeouts that it could be a very long or short night depending on the circumstances. Also, the team on track 2 will need to stay on its toes, as the missing car will probably only be in view for a matter of seconds. Alan then assigns Stacey, Jeff and Lindsay to track 1, and Angel and Katie to track 2.

As for track 3, it seems that the infamous fingers from last week's episode were in fact the left ring and pinkie fingers of Nate Flint. Because the fingers are preserved in common taxidermy chemicals, Fredo makes track 3 an investigation of the only taxidermist in town: Emerson Bowden, mayor and suspect.

Track 3: Emerson Bowden

1. Investigate the fingers and their preservative.
2. Inquire into the origin of the can which housed the fingers.

What apparently no one picks up on, however, is the fact that the killer sent the team Nate Flint's ring finger, wedding band included. Since we know that Nate was having an affair, it seems only natural to assume that the killer's sending of the left ring finger is something more than just a coincidence. If this is the case, then that little affair has far more significance then we have ever been led to believe, but regardless, the team never touches this issue, at least not on tape. Since Alan has already chosen the members of the other tracks, its Brian and Kristen on track 3.

When track 1 begins, we see the team question Jimmy about his use of Abby's car. Jimmy, though, deftly avoids this by proclaiming his love for his recently murdered girlfriend. When he goes on to explain that Nate didn't want the two to be together, we get to see a little bit more of the fight Leita Rose-Blodgett told the team about in episode 1. It's clear (at least in Jimmy's mind) that Abby was about to leave with Jimmy when Nate turned around. Nate then yelled something about Jimmy using her (a similar sentiment to the one expressed by Abby to Mary Elizabeth on the webcam tape found in her room) when the true scuffle began. The very fact that this is the second time we've seen footage of this fight indicates that it is of some importance. If that is the case, then both Mary Elizabeth and Jimmy Tinker are important suspects, but it's not clear how they could fit into the Leita/Oscar/Hayden plot. In continued questioning, Jimmy tells the team that Nate said that he was too old for Abby, but he knew the real reason that Nate disapproved was because he was never good enough. Neither one of those things would cause Nate to say that Jimmy was "using" his daughter, however. It seems that there is something Jimmy is not telling us.

Meanwhile, Brian and Kristen are getting a tour of Mayor Bowden's taxidermy studio. When Brian pulls out the fingers, the mayor is notably shaken (and with good reason. I have a feeling that this is not standard police operating procedure). The mayor then examines the fingers, noting that only the outside of the fingers are coated in preservative. This indicates that the whole body is being preserved, not just the fingers. Useful, if disturbing. Finally, the mayor tells the team that anyone could get the chemicals necessary to preserve the fingers. This is the last we see of this particular interview. Afterwards, Kristen is commenting on how shifty Mayor Bowden was. I don't know about you, but if I was just minding my own business and in you walked with a plastic bag o' fingers, I'm pretty sure that my demeanor would be somewhat altered. Nevertheless, Kristen declares the mayor her top suspect, at which point we see Bowden leaving the shop to look out at the two investigators. Creepy.

Back on track 1, Stacey knocks over everything she can find in poor Jimmy's shop, enabling Jeff to sneak over and plant the "bug" in Jimmy's coat. Then the team proceeds to the surveillance van. We are told it is 6:08 PM.

At 6:22, Duncan picks up Angel and Katie to go out on track 2. Its here where we are introduced for the second time to what is sure to be a reoccurring theme on MiSTX: the ridiculously long wait. Last week it was Angel and Andy at a grave site, this week it's Angel (lucky guy) and Katie in the middle of the woods. Fortunately, through the magic of TV we get to watch the hours fly by, but for the teams on tracks 1 and 2 the night doesn't move nearly as fast. At 9:30 Angel spots a troop of people swinging lanterns moving through the woods. It must be time for Attack of the Sweepers (with all due respect to Lucas' creative genius). Angel spots about 8 of them swinging their way through the woods. It would prove to be their only entertainment of the night.

On track 1, Jimmy leaves the shop to go out with Mary Elizabeth Merchant, Abby's best friend. Jeff follows on foot, while Lindsay and Stacey listen in the van. Jimmy and Mary head to the Sunset Club, where Stacey confirms that Mary Elizabeth is indeed hanging all over Jimmy. Stacey and Lindsay discuss this nastiness briefly before they are interrupted by Frank Kovick, reporter and suspect, and Sam Larabee, diner owner and also a suspect, having a tryst in the street. When Sam departs, the two in the van look directly into the eyes of…a reporter, and a nasty one at that. Frank, it seems, doesn't appreciate being spied on. He tells the team of Angel's candidate for stupidest line of the show: in this case, asking Frank directly for his alibi on the night of the murder. Sorry Angel, but it still doesn't touch Jeff last week. Frank, though, wants the team to hear his completely flimsy and unsubstantiated alibi, as he hears they've been collecting those. It seems that Frank put his girl to bed before stalking off to his boathouse alone (ironclad, I tell ya). Stacey, though, is relatively unconcerned with all of this alibi-gathering, instead squealing with delight that she knew Frank was "banging" Sam. At the same time that all of this is going down (roughly 9:30), Angel and Katie are discussing the significance of the sweepers, and Kristen is settling into bed (a princess needs her rest, after all).

At 11:32, Jimmy and Mary Elizabeth leave the Sunset Club and go over to Mary's place. There, Stacey observes them "sucking face" (once again tactful as ever). The lovers then proceed down their own little investigative track, undressing and giving the team plenty of opportunity to take some compromising photography. Then Mary Elizabeth begins to inquire about the lovemaking habits of Abby Flint, eventually asking Jimmy to call her Abby as they get down to business. Stacey only responds by saying that she just knew that they were "hammering," but Lindsay says that she thinks Mary Elizabeth is despicable and that women should know better.

On track 2, we find our intrepid team whiling away the hours, while track 1 observes some suspicious activity. At 3:48 AM team 1 observes someone in a black hooded jacket getting into a two-headlight car. About a half hour later, they see Jimmy still in Mary Elizabeth's house confirming that Jimmy was not driving the previous vehicle. At 4:52 we see Angel making a video log as instructed by Duncan. Just a few minutes later the team sees a speeding white car coming towards them. The Spirit has arrived. After eleven hours of waiting in the dark, Angel and Katie now get their chance. Unfortunately that chance leads to nothing but a blurry picture of two taillights speeding away. Both Angel and Katie are unable to make a positive identification of the driver except to note the presence of a black hooded jacket. The car gone, the two are left alone. We, however, are treated to pictures of the car careening off of a pier in Sunrise at which point the scene advances to 7:12 AM. With the sun out and the tide receded, Angel and Katie now have to get to the car before the tide rolls back in. At this point we are treated to a montage of the two investigating the car and collecting evidence.

At headquarters, the investigators are preparing to face day 8's challenges. Unfortunately, team 1 is already doing that, as they have yet to return from their endless stake out of Jimmy Tinker. At this point the teams tell each other of their discoveries, while Fredo assigns new tasks to be completed under each of the varying tracks. Team 2, however, gets off easy, with a bad photograph as their only reward from 11 hours of standing in the woods, the team instead focuses on the discoveries made in the car itself. Fredo says that this evidence will be looked at and discussed at a later time. No other tasks are assigned o them. Team three, however, reveals that the mayor was familiar with the logo on the can which held the killer's clue. He said that it was the old logo of the Kingfisher cannery in the '50s and '60s but that he had also seen it on the back of William Lambert's jacket. We are told that there will be a meeting to discuss Lambert's plans to turn the old cannery into a hotel at 2:00 that day, so this becomes track 3's task. Since team 1 is still fulfilling their original tasks, Fredo doesn't assign them any additional ones.

At the town meeting, we find out that Lambert needs land owned by Leita in order to complete his plans to turn the cannery into a hotel. In the middle of his presentation a sweeper places a tape into a nearby VCR, prompting Hayden DeBeck's image to call out to Leita as well. DeBeck, though, wants Sunrise to preserve its heritage, asking that the cannery be turned into a fishing museum instead. Leita, it seems, is the centerpiece of an huge power struggle. In response, Brian comments that he wouldn't be surprised if Leita winds up with the next toe tag.

Later that day, team 1 finds itself outside of Jimmy's shop when Abby's car is pulled in by tow truck. The team observes from the van as Jimmy cries for the loss of Abby, C.R. Flint and Sam Larabee look on, and Mary Elizabeth wonders what the big deal is. When Jimmy shows his emotions to Mary Elizabeth, Mary wants him to remember the night before. When Jimmy doesn't respond the way she wants him to, she implores him to "see her as Abby," prompting him to throw her head first into the car itself (Seeing her as Abby? Maybe.). Mary definitely deserved it, but does Jimmy's violence make him an even stronger suspect? Only time will tell.

On the lighter side, team 1 finally receives the orders which were so long in coming: come home. With this week's investigative tracks ended, the politics of MiSTX begins. Kristen is clearly targeting Stacey for the black envelope mission, while Stacey is doing the exact same thing to Kristen. Kate merely comments on the contentiousness of it all, while Jeff attempts to redeem himself for any previous comments, stating "for the group I feel it'd be better if Kristen did die." Wow...those be fighting words.

The next morning, team 1 tells the sordid tale of Jimmy and Mary Elizabeth, stopping only to note how well the picture of the practically naked couple came out. Stacey and Lindsay then elaborate on what Frank said to them in the van. Kovick was writing articles on how the Kingfisher cannery was on the verge of bankruptcy. In response, Nate Flint sued both his newspaper and Kovick himself, prompting Frank to say that he hated Nate Flint (everyone's got a motive). Meanwhile, team 2's evidence has been analyzed. We are told that three major pieces of evidence were collected, but we are only shown one: a handbag containing 14 two dollar bills each marked with the name of a town across the river. While this is interesting, we are never told the specifics of this evidence. I'm assuming that it will turn up later in the show. Team 3's only contribution on tape is that the logo on Lambert's jacket is indeed from the old cannery and that he should still be counted as a suspect.

With the recap complete, it is now time to play the killer's game. The question this week: What is the daily tidal variation in Sunrise? What's truly amazing about this question is that its answer revolves around remembering a practically off the cuff statement made by Dudley Duncan when Angel and Katie were about to examine the recently crashed car. Now remember that both Angel and Katie had recently been on an overnight stakeout and were most likely substantially more than tired. Nevertheless, Angel amazingly arrives at the correct answer: 23 feet. For their efforts Leita Rose-Blodgett is eliminated as a suspect, and there is of course much rejoicing. The later, however, is quickly snuffed out by Fredo who reminds the team that there is still a black envelope to open.

With little further ado, we see the vote taking place. We quickly see four votes for Kristen (Jeff, Katie, Stacey, and Brian) and since there are only 7 voters, this election is over before it even began. Kristen takes the vote like a trooper (at least at first), but when Alan nominates Lindsay as the second black envelope player it becomes clear that the team has broken the back of the world's smallest female alliance. Kristen, already on her second trip of three episodes, will be attending the Sunrise theatre, while Lindsay explores the verdant hothouses. At this point we bear witness to the first real crack in Kristen's usually extraordinarily thick armor. She's been hurt by the vote. For a second I was almost touched. These are real people, after all. Even the most callous have real emotions. But then I saw it: in the middle of this huge fight with Stacey, whose only crime is a lack of tact, Kristen has the nerve to call Stacey insecure. If there's one thing you can bet on in life, it's that the most insecurity in a room can always be found in the one who is using the term on everyone he or she sees. I don't agree with much psychology, but that particular projection is as evident as any. At that point I knew that Kristen hadn't changed. If she made it back alive, she'd be just as arrogant as ever.

When Kristen first enters the theater, it’s hard not to notice two things. First the theater is just as creepy as anything we've seen so far, and second that Kristen bears a striking resemblance to Lindsay when lit up by a Blair Witch camera. This ordinarily wouldn't be a problem except that Lindsay is the other participant in the night's activities. As the two move closer to the flowered X's in both locations it becomes increasingly difficult to tell the two apart. So much so that when Lindsay finally bites it in the hothouse, there was actually a cheer in my family room. To our surprise however, Kristen once again walks up those steps into headquarters. Later, we hear Kristen saying that she'll beat the killer and the house. It doesn't take a degree to know that her days are numbered, with a massive 1 in 16 chance to survive 4 more votes. We never really get a good look at the killer's clue. Kristen, though, we get a real good look at. Its too bad it's so hard to like what you see.

Richard Hoeg is an Economics major at Hillsdale College and very thankful that he won't have to propose to his girlfriend on an imac in the Outback with Jeff Probst breathing down his neck.

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