S02.E06: Head Case

[Trini]

The team investigates the murder of an architect who was tasked with renovating a supposedly haunted hotel.

Airdate: Feb. 16, 2021

 

[Trini]

Promo ad:

 

[Chaos Theory]

Loved the wish fulfilment of the episode.  I wasn't sure the episode would work for me but it did in so many ways.  Loved that even in this other world fantasy Ainsley followed in Martin's footsteps but in this case became an actual surgeon  not like "The Surgeon."     And while not a BrightWell shipper I do appreciate the happy Malcolm wish fulfilment of the pairing and how he became an actual detective in this world. 

Martin "You had a choice."

Malcolm  "No I didn't."

Again the mystery itself was secondary to what was going on in Malcolm's head and in the Whitey family and real world Martin needling him with the idea that he didn't "have to" turn him in as a child.  And this is the world that could have been if things had gone differently.  But as Malcolm puts it his  father would still be a serial killer but he just wouldn't know it.   But Malcolm has always been a detective and he would always want to open the box with the girl in it.  

Just like he would want to protect Ainsley but by not telling her the truth sooner he left her unaware of what she was capable of.    That last scene with her opening up her coat and having blood on her was very chilling.  So much like her father.  

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[redfish]

They promised a twist ending. They didn't lie. Hold crap, who's blood was that?

That scene with Martin and Malcolm in the basement and the trunk. And when Martin kept taunting him that "waking up" to the real world will suck  Malcolm had this devastated look on his face. Aw Sad boy was so sad.

 

[nodorothyparker]

What a surprise that Malcolm covering it up this one time to protect Ainsley backfired on him. It was one thing when he thought it was an isolated case and well there were circumstances, blah blah blah, but it quickly becomes something else entirely if she's now making a habit of it.

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did because let's face it, the interior of Malcolm's head isn't exactly new territory at this point. But it was kind of painful for Malcolm to see the life that might have been with a happy family and functional relationship had they all lived with the lie and Martin not been caught. Interesting that real-life Malcolm has been unable to follow through to kill anyone any of the times the situation presented but subconscious Malcolm barely hesitated to kill to protect his father.

Still not shipping anyone because Malcolm's still more of a head case than any woman should be saddled with, but I'll admit I didn't hate the dream Malcom-Dani pairing like I might have expected. Maybe it was the lovely wistful coloring of it. The actors have decent if not overwhelming chemistry.

The Martin wig on dream Gil was a hoot. 

[l star]

I was not expecting Ainsley to kill again so quickly. This time Malcolm wasn’t there to clean up all the evidence for her. So did she just kill and walk away? Risky. 

Jessica and Martin scenes continue to be gold. Wow, Martin holds a grudge over that while turning him in thing. That’s a few times now that a grudge has been hinted at. I hope it’s building to something more than an argument. 

Bellamy Young looks great with curly hair. 

The dream element was okay. Definitely less goofy than I was expecting which is good. I liked the touch that Ainsley still followed in Martin’s footsteps. Jessica was much looser and more casual, maybe more like she was when Malcolm was a child. Martin was very much the same which makes sense if all that changed was Malcolm knowing about the murders. The Dani/Malcolm pairing was a dud, even in perfect dream world. There’s just no chemistry there. It was nice to see Malcolm as a functional, real detective though. Does he carry a gun in real life? That surprised me somehow. 

[AnimeMania]

Why was there so much blood on Malcolm's collar, why isn't he in a hospital. The Malcolm/Dani chemistry was such a dud that they couldn't even have Edrisa in the episode or she would have overshadowed it.

[cameron]

While I really like this series, the latest episode left me cold.  Couldn't wait for it to end.

[Trini]

I'm a sucker for alternate realities, so I liked seeing what was different (or the same) in Malcolm's dream world. It was interesting that Ainsley also became 'just like her dad', but I don't know if Jessica would really be that much more laid back even if she never knew about Martin; but that's probably just how Malcolm wants her to be!

Congrats to Malcolm/Dani 'shippers, I guess. I'm not one, but it didn't bother me that much to see them together in the dream world. I don't think they'd work so well in the 'real' world, though. I thought it might have been interesting if it was Eve instead Dani.

About the actual case; I'm no expert, but even though it was a traumatic injury, it wasn't really believable to me that the victim would just die from being stabbed in the eyes. Not saying it's impossible, just that people have survived worse. Also, I don't think the Actual Killer murdering the victim made sense either. Supposedly, the Victim found evidence, but I don't think it was established that it could be traced back to Actual Killer, so murdering the Victim only drew attention to Killer.

 

18 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Martin "You had a choice."

Malcolm  "No I didn't."

18 hours ago, redfish said:

That scene with Martin and Malcolm in the basement and the trunk. And when Martin kept taunting him that "waking up" to the real world will suck  Malcolm had this devastated look on his face. Aw Sad boy was so sad.

😭  I'd love for Malcolm to be somewhat mentally healthy before this series ends! Again, I'm asking for him to be in therapy.

Ainsley!! So will they have to hunt for another body? And cover up the murder? Again??  So Endicott was one thing, but now we have a pattern. Ainsley will have to end up in Claremont at some point, right?

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

 

Ainsley!! So will they have to hunt for another body? And cover up the murder? Again??  So Endicott was one thing, but now we have a pattern. Ainsley will have to end up in Claremont at some point, right?

During the family dinner sequence Martin said about Ainsley (mind you about being a doctor but it could be about Malcolm’s fears of her becoming a serial killer) when Jessica says that Ainsley and Martin are two of the best Surgeons  in New York. “Ainsley is the talented one.  I am the distant second.”   

Edited February 17, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[tennisgurl]

I was unsure about this one, worried that it would end up being a bit of a gimmick and end up just treading a lot of ground we have already covered, but I thought this was a really good episode, probably my favorite of the season so far. It had so many layers and it did a whole lot with combining the case of the week as well as the overall story with Ainsley, both thematically and narratively. Like Malcolm said, symbolism can be rather on the nose or it can be subtle, and some of Malcom's dream is pretty obvious, like his dream of a happy family life and a stable romance, but also a bit more subtle, like having dream Ainsley following in Martin's footsteps by becoming a doctor. Like father like daughter indeed. 

I like Dani/Malcolm just fine as a pairing in theory, even though Malcolm is still not in any kind of mental place to be in a relationship, but seeing them as a couple, even an imaginary one, did help me see their potential, the actors had a nice easy chemistry and they did both seem quite happy together. The shippers must have been loving this one. 

I admit to being a sucker for these kinds of alternate universe episodes where we see how things could have been, so that was a really good time, and it did actually serve a purpose to the story. Yes Malcolm's life would be easier and probably happier if he had never realized that his father was a killer and turned him in, but it still wouldn't change the truth about who Martin was and what he did, and truth and justice is more important than having a more comfortable life. So he not only got to solve the case, he worked out that he needs to tell Ainsley the truth, its not fair to her to lie to her about her own life, and just pretending that nothing is happening isn't going to fix anything. 

The dream world in general was fun, Jessica was quite a bit more happy and loose, detective Malcolm is quite a bit less...quirky than normal Malcolm is, and it was fun seeing Martin walking around getting involved in the case (even being all buddy buddy with JT) and Gil and his Martin sweater and hair piece. You could tell the actors were having a ton of fun getting to play their roles a bit different, especially Lou Diamond Phillips, who was clearly have a blast chewing the scenery when he normally plays one of the more down to earth characters. The case of the week was pretty good, I suspected the male painter as the killer, but in retrospect I totally should have caught all of those details the old guy and his daughter dropped and figured it out. I just thought that Malcolm going all fan boy about a serial killer from the 60s in the area was just a joke about Malcom's very macabre interests, not a clue. I always like creepy hotels/, so I liked the atmosphere of the eerie half broken down hotel and the old serial killer who has lived in the same hotel hunting ground for years. And of course Malcolm accuses the guy by sticking a skull in his face, because as always, the Whitly's are always super extra. 

So it seems like Ainsley is finally going to learn the truth...but then it turns out she already killed again! Holy shit, who did she kill? 

[seacliffsal]

I really enjoyed this episode.  The alternative version of his life was sad though as it emphasized how devastated he has been every since finding the girl in the trunk.  I thought this was really well done.  The ending?  Crazy good.  Why oh why is there a two week break and then a longer break after the "winter finale"?  

[rove4]

I enjoyed the episode.  I liked all the symbolism and the way that it helped Malcolm to see that telling Ainsley the truth was the right thing to do, if probably a little too late for her to try to take safeguards against it happening again.  And what an ending!  I didn't see her killing again so soon.  I'm so curious about who the poor sap is...and if there were any witnesses this time.  Loved that Malcolm realized that having a "normal" life would not have worth living the lie - "she'd still be suffering" (referring the girl in the box).

While I don't think Malcolm is anywhere close to being ready for a relationship - and may never be lest the show lose the hook of slightly zany Malcolm - I do think that Dani would be the best choice for him. They have a sweet chemistry and, next to Gil, is the person to has gotten closest to him.  I don't count Eve because that character was never meant to stick around.  I think they work great as friends and if the show ever decides to go there with them, this episode showed me that I'd be fine with it.  It does actually make me wish Malcolm would confide in her more.  Now that Ainsley has gone all murdery though, and Malcolm has helped cover up one murder so far, it'll be interesting to see how this impacts his relationships with both Dani and Gil.

Speaking of Gil, I kind of love that it was still Malcolm's subconscious manifestation of him that steered him towards the hard truth. 

[Driad]

3 minutes ago, rove4 said:

Loved that Malcolm realized that having a "normal" life would not have worth living the lie - "she'd still be suffering" (referring the girl in the box).

This reminded me of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula LeGuin.

[Lady Calypso]

That was a nice "Alternate Reality" episode for Malcolm. Interesting way to have a "What If" episode, but one that really shed some light on Malcolm's psyche. I did like how they handled the Ainsley being like Martin angle. Her becoming a surgeon like him was a nice touch. And seeing Jessica in curly hair was such a change. 

Malcolm/Dani was a dud, I agree. The actors don't have chemistry so it was just very blah for me. I did like the touch of Gil being in Claremont instead of Martin. 

I did like how Malcolm solved the case while unconscious. Though...show, c'mon, at least have him go to a hospital first. He got shoved three floors down. Unlike his Dream Self, he probably had more than a mild concussion, especially landing on that hard ground.

I did figure him waking up would be family related. But the scene where he realized he had to open the box to wake up was very well done. You could tell he really didn't want to leave.

So, Ainsley killed someone while Malcolm was unconscious and dreaming of a world where he wasn't part of a family of killers. I do wonder who she killed.

[Cotypubby]

Well I knew Mark Margoles would end up being involved! You don’t hire an actor of his caliber for one quick throwaway scene. (Though I chuckled when he was wheeled onto the elevator. 🛎️)

I was amused by the murder taking place in a location where I’ve spent many hours, the Edison Hotel. They did really well with the set decorations to make the place seem abandoned, dark & decrepit! It’s actually full of gorgeous bright Art Deco paintings. They even kept all the logos the same, just changing it from an E to a K.

 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Cotypubby

[vibeology]

Oh Wow! They really changed things up this time. Instead of Malcolm being in danger at the end of the show, they put it at the beginning. Wow, so new. Honestly, my interest in this show is waning quickly. I expect procedurals to follow a formula but this show really takes the cake. Why is Malcolm so often in solo danger? And I feel like its so often clear who the killer is going to be early on.

The dream stuff was alright I guess. Probably fun for the cast to be their characters but different. I am hopeful with the new Ainsley reveal the show will start moving forward with some different stuff. I've found the family side of the show stronger than the police side though they could fix that by just changing the formula up a bit.

[willowk]

I have a feeling Ainsley didn't kill anyone this time, maybe not the 1st one either. I think she's being set up, maybe even by Martin. Martin would love to bring his kids to the dark side.

[Sile]

Yep, saw Mark Margolis in the opening credits and that told me all I needed to know.  It kind of reminded me of that episode of Dexter where Ronny Cox was the old, retired serial killer (the Tooth Fairy?  It had something to do with teeth) whose clippings young Dexter collected in a scrapbook.

I guess I'm the only one who just assumed that seeing Ainsley covered in blood was a continuation of the dream? He didn't guess close enough to her after the reveal to end up with blood on his collar unless he was somehow involved with it previously.  And her acting was very wooden, which seemed like a choice to suggest that all was not what it appeared to be.

Speaking of which, I've never heard of jamais vu but it sounds interesting given that it means never seen.  I'm going to need to look that one up and give it a read.

 

[KaveDweller]

1 hour ago, willowk said:

I have a feeling Ainsley didn't kill anyone this time, maybe not the 1st one either. I think she's being set up, maybe even by Martin. Martin would love to bring his kids to the dark side.

Maybe she didn't kill anyone this time, but we saw her slit Endicott's throat. Are you saying you think it was some kind of hallucination of Malcom's? That would be a pretty crappy fake out for the writers to pull.

[foxfreakinmulder]

On 2/16/2021 at 8:21 PM, AnimeMania said:

Why was there so much blood on Malcolm's collar, why isn't he in a hospital.

I agree 100%. Why isn't he in the hospital, he fell like 3 or 4 floors and landed on his back and head, and when he was laying there I saw some blood on the ground next to his head, so, I'm thinking that's some kind of head injury? But when he gets home his hair is slicked back as normal. And, come on no way did he walk away from that without some kind of back injury or broken ribs.

Is Malcolm going to cover this murder up too or will he do the right thing and call Gil? Not sure I like sister going around being stabby, stabby and Malcolm cleaning up after her. If that's where they're going to go with this.

[rove4]

It was interesting that Edrisa didn't merit a role in Malcolm's unconscious mind.  He's always looked vaguely uncomfortable and embarrassed to me when faced with her over-the-top adoration.