This was a weird episode. First, there was a strange dynamic happening between Cass and her old high school friend Roger. And there were also some vibes between Karl and Zoe. Plus some not so good vibes between Zoe and her brother, Ben. Basically, there was a whole lot of vibes happening and some strange behavior all over the place. And at the center of it was, naturally, a murder that it was up to Karl to solve. Though clearly, no one around town was going to make that one easy on him. So keep reading for my Murder in a Small Town 1×03 review!
Strange Relations
Okay, am I missing something here? Karl and Cassandra are together, right? Because they weren’t really acting like it in this episode. Or maybe it’s just me. But Cassandra and Roger flirting while there also seemed to be some vibes between Karl and Zoe was giving some pretty mixed signals. So I’ll be honest about being pretty lost there. Also, Roger was a complete dick. He knew exactly what he was doing when he was talking to Karl about taking Cassandra out of town. The only thing those parts of the episode did was succeed in making me angry and frustrated. So if that was the goal, great job. I know that Cass told Phyllis she was with Karl, but she wasn’t really acting like it. Sorry not sorry.
The only positive part about this strange relationship storyline that was happening was seeing Stana Katic on the screen. She’s so impressive. While I’m used to seeing her play the hero, it felt like she was playing more of a villain this time around. I will say she was playing the role of creepy a little too well. Between her tone of voice and her treatment of her nephew, she was definitely giving me some shivers up my spine. Which really just shows how impressive she is. Zoe definitely had it in her to kill her brother and it wasn’t something I would put past her with her behaviors. She also seemed to really enjoy playing games with Karl, which just made her that much more creepy.
Ruse or Real
There was definitely something sketchy going on between Zoe and her brother Ben. The tension between Ben and Zoe was real. And he was definitely a threat to her with the way he approached her and was trying to force her hand into helping him. But ultimately it was Zoe who was the ultimate threat since she ended up killing her brother. As the clues were revealed, so were some of Zoe’s mental health issues. It seems she had done some pretty terrible things in the past before. Things like killing other family members. So maybe her killing her brother wasn’t so far outside her range. Which left me that much more worried about her nephew. If she could kill her aunt and her brother without a second thought, what would she do to her nephew? Attempt to burn him to death apparently.
I didn’t know what to think from one moment to the next when it came to Zoe. She was giving off the creepy vibes a little too well. And she was saying some strange things. Along with exuding some odd behaviors. And the heebie jeebies that Zoe was giving me from start to finish were real and intense. But clearly, it made the most sense to assume that Zoe was the one that killed Ben. Even before we saw the flashback and the rest of the clues came together. Like Karl said, there was certainly something in her that was missing. Maybe that explained some of her bizarre behaviors. She was definitely throwing some major sociopathic vibes.
Homecoming
I loved seeing Karl’s face light up when he saw Holly sitting on his front porch waiting for him to get home. Their moments were some of the sweetest for the entire episode. They were definitely the most normal interactions. And it was nice to find some interactions heartwarming instead of having me wondering what the hell was going on. So there’s that. I do feel like Sid, Andy, Edwina, and Isabella got some more screen time in this episode, which was also nice to see. Though it did leave me wanting to see more of them working as a team and figuring things out together. They certainly all work together well and bring different skills and assets to the table.
What did you think of Murder in a Small Town 1×03? Were you as confused as me about the relationship status of Karl and Cassandra? What did you think of Roger? Were you hoping he would go away as badly as I was? What did you think of the situation between Zoe and her brother Ben? What did you think of Zoe in general? Are you going to have some nightmares about her like I am? What did you think of Sid saving Karl? Are you excited to see more of these two becoming best friends along with colleagues? Find and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Threads to talk all things Murder in a Small Town 1×03! And be sure to check out our site for more articles, podcasts, quizzes, and more on all things Disney and beyond!