And so commences the climatic conclusion of Murder in Small Town X. Within lies the promise of all questions answered, all open-ends closed, and all "wrongs righted." We can only hope.
Part 2 of the season finale begins with the team approaching the Kingfisher cannery. When Jeff went out in search of the killer's clue the night before, he discovered a sealed vault with the OSL logo beside it. Now with the help of a demolitions expert and under the watchful eye of what appears to be the entire town, the team will open that very vault. As they set the explosives, Jeff is concerned with the presence of Frank Kovick, or rather the lack thereof. We, the viewers, get to see Kovick taking pictures of the cannery from across the bay, but the team is none the wiser. Once the charges are set, Alan receives instructions on when and how to blow the vault. No sooner can one say "fire in the hole" than the vault locks are no more. Finally the time has come to reveal the dark secret of Sunrise. As the town and team descend upon the opening vault, we get our first glimpse as to what that secret might be. It seems that the hidden OSL vault is much more than just that. It is the final resting place of several who did not wish it to be. As Alan begins his methodical search of the secret vault he takes his time to count the bodies. There are quite a few: Eight to be exact.
After our final viewing of the titles, we get to see how the remaining five suspects are perceived by the players. Angel is utterly convinced that Lambert is the murderer. Alan on the other hand is teetering between Jimmy Tinker and Frank Kovick, while Jeff doesn't have that problem at all. He is convinced that the Kovick is the killer. Indeed, both Lambert and Kovick are watching the proceedings on the other side of the bay with much interest. Only one suspect can be the killer: Prudence Connor, Jimmy Tinker, William Lambert, Frank Kovick, or Reverend Rusty. This will be at the crux of the MiSTX finale.
Back at HQ Fredo tells the team that he's proud of them. He knows about the hostilities which Angel and Jeff engaged in the night before, and he's thankful that they were able to put aside these differences for the good of the investigation. Fredo then informs the team that they will be naming the next lifeguard at this point. As Katie declares her allegiance to the people's republic of Angel, Alan can only be thinking of what he gave up by selecting Katie for the black envelope mission. Because Angel was chosen as lifeguard he is now free from any danger that the killer might present. When the next black envelope mission comes along, Jeff and Alan will be leaving. Angel will be sitting at home in complete safety.
Now the investigators begin to discuss the latest killer clue. In the vault they found more than just eight bodies. They also found an old newspaper article proclaiming the government's new crackdown on smuggling during the war (in this case WWII). In crates along the wall they found tobacco, liquor, and some type of narcotic which the group believes to be cocaine. The team also noted that the bodies were handcuffed together, clearly indicating that they were inside the vault against their will. By comparing the clothing on the bodies to that of the clothing in the photo of the Duchamps (recovered in Part 1), they come to the conclusion that they have found the remains of the murdered Duchamps family. We then see a cut of Alan counting the bodies again. He says that if he can find nine then they will have the whole Duchamps family. Angel politely tells him that they can only find eight because the little boy escaped. It appears that Angel knows that the burnt man and the youngest Duchamps are indeed one and the same. Back in the present, Fredo tells the investigators that the Duchamps died of asphyxiation and extreme heat. Also one of the bodies was missing two fingers on his left hand. This was the clue that the team needed to begin putting it all together.
With the knowledge of the man's two missing fingers, the investigators can now establish the killer's super-motive. It seems that the killer is recreating the Duchamps family by murdering townspeople and forcing them to fit his needs. The killer sent Nate Flint's two left fingers to the investigators, thus that man is represented. For the two twins in the family, Abby and Mary Elizabeth fill in quite nicely. Leita Rose-Blodgett's hair needed to be shaved in order for her body to match that of her hair-losing counterpart, but that's no problem for the killer. Thibodeaux, DeBeck, and the missing Oscar Blodgett fill in the rest of the picture. This theory is even more affirmed by the fact that the killer returned Carmen Flint, an outsider and Flint by marriage not by blood. The picture is complete except for one, a woman on the far left. When both Alan and Jeff seize upon the fact that Prudence Connor might represent that woman, Fredo reigns them in, telling them that the town of Sunrise has many women whom the killer could use.
The reason I call this the super-motive is because it supercedes all other motives. If you assume that Kovick is the killer, it doesn't matter that he was upset at Leita for her telling his wife about his affair. Now he killed Leita only to aid him in his completion of the family portrait. The same goes for all of the other suspects. If one is to assume that the primary reason for the killings is this twisted end, then none of the other events in the town of Sunrise matter. On the one hand I think this is a great step forward for the show. Finally MiSTX has a reason for being. On the other hand, though, it is now obvious that virtually anyone could be the killer. Since these murders are taking place solely to match up with some family portrait, it doesn't matter that Lambert was trying to gain the land the cannery was built on, any more than it matters that Connor probably wanted DeBeck dead so that she could keep all of the blackmail money. Nevertheless the writers have created a wonderful story even if it lacks somewhat in the "solvability" department.
At this point the doorbell rings. In walks Mayor Bowden telling the team that the morning's events have sent the town into a panic. In response he has called a town meeting for 5:00 PM. He desperately needs the team to back him up. As the team rolls up in front of Town Hall, they are met by a mob of frantic people. This very definitely reminded of the scene in Ghostbusters where the team has arrived to take on Gozer at the top of the apartment complex. The town is depending on these people. They are the only ones who can save them now. Once inside, Angel reads a statement to all those allowed into the building. In it he says that the team now believes the killer to be somehow related to the Duchamps family, and he then reveals the specifics of the game in which the investigators have been playing. When Neva questions the relevance of a set of murders which took place some 60 years ago, Kovick goes through the roof. He eventually goes so far as to say that this implies that the town was built on the murder of the innocents (not looking too good for Kovick, I admit). Lambert disagrees, but Rev. Rusty calls for the town to repent of its past sins. After this explosive town meeting Jeff admits that this investigation has been a long haul. Angel believes that they will be able to finger a suspect in a couple of days, but right now the picture is still a little unclear.
When the team returns to HQ they are greeted by a bassinet complete with a set of red and black envelopes. Also included are instructions to use those envelopes that night, a mere one day after the previous black envelope mission. Fredo tells the team that he believes that the killer is speeding up because he (or she) knows that they're close. When he arrives the red envelope question is read. In what year did my father die? The answer to this one is a real eye opener. As many on this and other sites have suggested, the burnt man is in fact the killer's father. Knowing this, the team answers 1971 and is proven correct. Reverend Rusty is eliminated from the suspect list. Now for the black envelope. As was already apparent when the lifeguard was selected, Jeff and Alan will be heading out with nary a vote or selection between them. Instead Angel just sits idly by as Alan heads out towards the Flint house, with Jeff returning to DeBeck's compound. The two are told that their video wills will determine who gets to pursue the killer of his choice if in fact the two remaining investigators share the same belief in the killer's identity. Alan ponders the game's many twists and turns while Jeff looks as sullen as we have ever seen him. Jeff, it seems, "knows" that he has picked the wrong map. These will be his final words. Before the two leave, they discuss the paternity of the remaining suspects. Angel is still very sure that the killer is Lambert but Jeff believes he knows the true connection. The burnt man is Frank Kovick's father. The killer is Frank Kovick. He has solved this case.
As Alan and Jeff leave for their respective destinations, Angel tells Fredo that he wants Alan to return. When pressed about his reasoning, he explains that he is concerned that Jeff won't share the final clue with him. While I'm not sure if that would be strictly legal in the world of game shows, I agree with Angel's belief that Jeff would certainly try it. Fortunately, he never gets the chance. When Jeff discovers the X in DeBeck's compound he is greeted only with the sweet release of death itself. Alan on the other hand has found the killer clue. He returns to Angel with it and gives Fredo a very grateful handshake. Angel tells us that Alan's return, complete with the final 16mm film the team would receive, brought the smile back to his face. At the same time, however, elsewhere in Sunrise, C.R. Flint was unfortunately losing his.
The next day, Fredo informs Alan and Angel of C.R.'s demise as a result of natural causes. Alan responds to this news with a small shake of his head and the added belief that their questions concerning the OSL will never be answered. Fredo, however, does his best Lee Corso impression. Sooner than you can say, "Not so fast my friend," Fredo reveals to the team that the tape which Angel and Jeff brought back in Part 1 has finally been decoded. On it is a roll call of the high officers of the OSL. Family names are called out: Merchant, Rose, Blodgett, Flint, Thibodeaux, DeBeck, and Larabee. The killer it seems has not only been recreating his lost family. He has been recreating them with the bodies of those responsible – or at least their progeny. The only name left on that list is Larabee. Fredo quickly instructs the investigators to head over to the diner to see if she's all right.
When the two arrive they find the diner in shambles. The only clue is a TV/VCR with the Wonderland-like instruction, "play me." Once they get the green light from Fredo to play the killer's tape, the investigators are greeted with an infrared image of Samantha Larabee, looking very much like Carmen Flint before her. She is clearly reading the killer's statements as she congratulates the investigators on a job well done. They have helped to right the wrongs of the past and in so doing have exposed the town of Sunrise's dirty little secret. Now the killer will complete his father's life's work, before retreating into the background. From this video it is clear that Sam Larabee is now a hostage of the Sunrise killer, and if they have any hope of preventing her death they will need to identify the killer and soon.
Before they can do that, however, there is still one more piece of evidence to examine. Alan returned from his mission the night before with a roll of 16mm film. The team must now watch it. The film once again contains the image of the burnt man in his hotel room in Sunrise. This time, however, it is obvious that the film is being recorded for someone. As the burnt man brings up the photo which the investigators now possess, he explains the family tree to whomever the film is intended for. He then goes on to explain the exact details of what happened in 1941. He explains that the OSL was using the Kingfisher Cannery as a front for their illegal smuggling operations. When the government began to crack down on this smuggling, the OSL officers grew tense. Oscar, C.R., and Hayden lit the match that destroyed both the cannery and the Duchamps family, including a pregnant woman (we are never told the exact details of why this mass murder was necessary). The burnt man admits, though, that his killing of Oscar Blodgett has not relieved him of the pain of his family's death. He is now a monster and will thus kill himself. He just made these films so that the viewer might receive it once they were old enough to understand the events which had transpired. Before he died he just wanted his son to know that he loved him.
Incidentally, at this point in the show it is now evident that the Duchamps descendent has been avenging the family's deaths by killing those who he deemed responsible. Yet C.R. is never touched. Instead Abby and Nate flint are killed despite the fact that one of the actual perpetrators of the crime is sitting comfortably nearby. This doesn't make any sense. While it is true that C.R. was old enough to take care of dying on his own, there is no question in my mind that if revenge is the true motivation, C.R. should have been at the top of the hit parade. Instead the killer has muddled his own message. By allowing C.R. to die of natural causes he has missed his opportunity to inflict the most damage on the man who perhaps caused the most damage to him and his family. This is opportunity lost.
Nevertheless, Alan immediately seizes on the fact that the killer is a boy, due to the burnt man's calling him his son. Thus Prudence Connor is eliminated. Since Jimmy Tinker is too young to be the son of a man who died in 1971 he too must be eliminated. This leaves only two: Frank Kovick and William Lambert. Both Alan and Angel must now make their decision as to the identity of the killer. As the show cuts to commercial the tension is palpable. The final act of the final episode of MiSTX has begun.
As the next sequence begins, we see Alan looking over the burnt man's final film as Angel reviews Lambert's video interview. Angel still says that every part of his body is telling him that it's Lambert. Alan on the other hand believes that he has discovered the key to the puzzle. Since the burnt man believed that his son was too young to understand the implications of his film journal in 1971, there is only one suspect that fits the correct age profile. Frank Kovick would have been about 5 in 1971 while Lambert was near 16. This indicates definitively that Kovick is the killer regardless of any of the other facts.
Later, in the war room, Fredo stands before the two men. They have placed their choices for the Sunrise killer in closed envelopes in front of them. Fredo then asks them both if they are confident in the choices that they have made. Both reply yes and Angel is then asked to reveal his selection. Angel, it seems, has chosen Frank Kovick, despite the fact that he felt the killer was Lambert for nearly the entire series. When Fredo asks him about his reasoning he explains that the burnt man's saying that his child was too young was the clue which tipped the scales for him. It seems that the evidence in favor of Kovick was strong enough to change the mind of even this usually certain man. It then comes as no surprise when Alan reveals that he has chosen Kovick as well. Alan goes so far as to say that he was convinced because of Kovick's puzzle piece under the blood at Leita's murder scene. Kovick, it seems, is the consensus choice for the Sunrise killer.
Unfortunately, the team must assure that the killer is stopped. Thus one of them will have to pursue Lambert. This will be decided by Jeff who taped his choice when he was taping his final words. Jeff has chosen Alan to pursue his first choice (to no one's surprise). He even goes so far as to stress his belief that the killer is Frank Kovick. Angel will have to be content pursuing the killer which he professed to believe in for the previous 99/100ths of the show. Alan confesses that he knew Jeff would pick him as the winner of any tie. Angel is just upset that it appears that Jeff will have the last word.
Alan is then delivered to Kovick's boathouse in search of Frank and his lair, while Angel explores Lambert's house in the desperate hope that he'd been wrong in his original selection. As Alan finally gains access to the boathouse which was closed off to him before, he stumbles over something he believes to be a tripwire. Meanwhile Angel begins his search of Lambert's home by entering through the basement. As Alan continuously calls out the name of the missing Larabee, he stumbles across the "lair" of Mr. Frank Kovick. In one fell swoop the scope of Kovick's obsession is finally realized. Frank's walls are covered with pictures of the suspects, investigators, and killer clues. He has rows of melons which have clearly met with the wrong end of a bangstick, and articles with markings and scratches acting as a sort of wallpaper. Yet Sam is nowhere to be found. Angel has begun to search the main level of Lambert's home as Alan gets greeted by Kovick in his boathouse. Kovick tries to convince Alan that Sam is in fact with Lambert but Alan will have none of it. He believes that Kovick is the killer. He won't leave until he can prove it. On the other side of town, though, Angel has stumbled on the real prize. William Lambert (or should I say Duchamps) has constructed his family portrait with the preserved (and not so preserved, in the case of Oscar Blodgett) bodies of his victims. At the very end of the table stands a bound and gagged Samantha Larabee. Angel has discovered the killer's secret lair.
As Angel releases Sam from her bondage, Dudley bursts onto the scene. It seems that William Lambert is no match for the firepower of the Sunrise PD. As Lambert looks for refuge in his upstairs bedroom, Dudley wastes no time in showing the insane killer the power of the gun. Lambert meets his end while being thrown through his upstairs window and down to the hard ground below. At Kovick's boathouse, Frank has finally convinced Alan that Sam isn't there. As the two drive over to William Lambert's, they are unprepared for what they see. Angel has carried Sam Larabee from the house. Dudley has recovered a letter which Lambert had in his possession at the time of his death. It is a letter from William Lambert to his deceased father, the burnt man. In it, the producers create the biggest cop-out in the entirety of the series. It seems that the reason the burnt man perceived his son as young in 1971 when he was in fact 16, is because he left his son when he was still a boy. This, the producers apparently claim, explains the age problem. Thus, both of the investigators chose the wrong killer because they could not have guessed that the burnt man would have had this skewed perception of reality. Perhaps if the producers had taken the time to explain that the burnt man had some psychological problem with dates or ages, this would have been partially acceptable. Instead, only through this Deus Ex Intervention could the producers make any attempt at rectifying the situation.
And so the game comes to its close. Angel leaves Sunrise $250,000 heavier and with the added bonus of transportation, but Alan certainly has nothing to be ashamed of. Instead the game was chosen by default. It's not that I have anything personal against Angel. I just find it hard to get behind someone who claims to know who the killer is and then loses his nerve, only to be rewarded anyway. This whole time I've written about how I hoped that the winner of the game would have to display some true investigative skills, but when it came right down to it, those skills did nothing but harm to the players who employed them. Both Angel and Alan were right to focus on the age question, and although I did choose Lambert as the killer last week, I did so for different reasons. In my mind, even with the age question, Lambert had to be the killer. Why? Because the murders were based on a harm done to the killer's family. For Frank to have been the killer it would have necessitated additional harm to the family (his unborn child) which the killings would be meaning to avenge. In other words, Kovick could not kill the next Duchamps in order to avenge the previous. Thus only Lambert worked as the killer. Nevertheless, it became increasingly obvious that the producers wanted Kovick to look like the killer in the end. In fact they did such a successful job of it that the winner of the game actually had to be chosen by default. This is not how the series should have ended.
As I said earlier, the addition of some type of all encompassing super-motive really throws the proceedings out of whack. Instead of collecting clues and motives for each of the individual killings, we are instead left with some type of superstructure which can only be fulfilled by certain familial bonds. Thus the killer could be virtually anyone. Kovick could have revealed the bodies in his boathouse and no one would have been any more surprised. Lambert did reveal the bodies in his home, yet no one can say that his role of murderer is completely impossible. In my recap of episode 3, I addressed this: "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." I stand by this statement. What MiSTX ultimately came down to was a crapshoot the likes of which is usually reserved for reruns of Let's Make A Deal on the Game Show Network. It is a travesty that after all both Angel and Alan had done, their skills only did them more harm then good.
That being said, I do think that the story of the super-motive was entertaining, to say the least. Like Kovick's puzzle at Leita's house, the writers made (nearly) all the pieces fit. My congratulations go out to both Alan and Angel, who in my mind are both equally deserving of the title of champion. Both were deceived by an unfair process, but both showed what they were truly made of to get even that far. My best wishes go out to them.
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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