S01.E03: Dirty Rotten Scoundrel

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Then, when she tells them that Kyle climbed up the wall and entered the window (and here I thought that LBCC was Long Beach City College), the detective goes right over there and puts his hands right where any fingerprints might have been.

That made me question whether the show has a sustainable budget if they couldn't afford to reshoot it with gloves.

[chaifan]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

It's also a good thing that both defendants blurted out their confessions almost right away removed the need for the tainted evidence.

I kept thinking that if this were The Closer, Brenda would have had the two suspects pass each other in the hall, then told each of them whoever squealed on the other first would get a deal.  Or put the two together in a room and waited for them to start fighting, incriminating themselves and each other (all on video, of course). 

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, chaifan said:

I kept thinking that if this were The Closer, Brenda would have had the two suspects pass each other in the hall, then told each of them whoever squealed on the other first would get a deal.  Or put the two together in a room and waited for them to start fighting, incriminating themselves and each other (all on video, of course). 

Both shows have a main character who could lean into this kind of subtle comedy, but the writers aren't doing it here. 
I hope they go there soon.

[Paloma]

On 10/10/2024 at 12:46 AM, possibilities said:

Did they actually say that the killer used a towle to clean up and then folded it and put it on the pile of fresh towels? Wouldn't it be easier to notice a WET towel than just that it ws folded differently? 

Although I enjoyed this episode more than the second one, the towel clue really bothered me because it didn't make sense that the towel would look dry and clean (even if not folded properly) after being used to clean up the water spilled from the tub. There were enough other clues that they could have left that out, but I guess they wanted to show how Morgan's cleaning experience helps to solve cases.

[love2lovebadtv]

On 10/8/2024 at 11:09 PM, Annber03 said:

I also got a good laugh out of Morgan's reaction upon learning the victim's date was a blonde and that cut to a blonde woman coming in and just shoving the brunette out of the way, LOL. 

I know people complain that this formula has been used before, but I like watching smart, quirky people solve crimes, so it doesn't bother me. Each character/show does it differently. Those bits that we see in Morgan's mind make it unique and entertaining.

On 10/9/2024 at 10:06 AM, Mindthinkr said:

I had to suspend my disbelief with the part about the dictionary being given as a gift. I’m sure a child that age isn’t that interested in words, but what kid after being given a book, doesn’t at least open it up and look at it? 

I would have cracked open that dictionary and probably slept with it - but I grew up to be a linguist, LOL, while the kid in this episode seems to be attached to her camera. I still think she would have at least opened it - even if it was to see what was inside or to look for pictures. Or maybe she opened it, didn't see anything interesting, and left it alone.

On 10/9/2024 at 11:42 AM, shura said:

It was an odd way to murder someone, wasn't it?  How do you know the guy will not have the presence of mind and the body strength to grab the sides of the bathtub, pull his upper body out of the water and put up a fight?  Why not go for something more surefire?

An essential part of the hotel room investigation was that glass that was different from the others in the room that had been wiped clean to destroy evidence of drugging. 

The killer(s) knew the victim wouldn't have the strength to fight back because he/she/they had drugged him. 

On 10/9/2024 at 6:24 PM, I Want My MBTV said:

Otherwise unpopular opinion but I agree with the detective; for a smart person Morgan does really stupid things!  My issue is she never really seems sorry about it and no one else says anything and she just brings in donuts and everyone things she's awesome.  I wish she would be paired with a different detective sometimes as well so they could see while she's great she can also be a giant pain in the rear.

Morgan definitely misses a lot! I like that we at least heard her acknowledge that her high potential has made it hard for her to have a successful long-term relationship and career. I like that she makes mistakes because it shows that she knows a lot of facts and has lots of life experience, but she doesn't know everything - and she certainly doesn't know everything about detective work. If the show were about Morgan solving crimes for an incompetent police squad, I'd be less interested. As it is, I hope they don't let Morgan take the lead on everything and that the detective has her step back since she doesn't have the police badge or training to complement her high potential. They need to work together.

On 10/9/2024 at 9:31 PM, chitowngirl said:

I hope not…I’m SO tired of every male/female partnership end up being a romantic one. Unless he is gay, the seemingly only acceptable way men and women can possibly work together without “pairing up”. 🙄

Agreed! I really want them to remain colleagues. 

On 10/10/2024 at 12:43 AM, agathapenny said:

I really liked this unexpectedly complex portrayal. I very much sympathized with the killers — what that guy did to them was despicable, especially to the woman with dementia. But I also liked the wife and daughter and was sad for the daughter at least that her parent is dead.

And the thought of Kyle's mom now not having anyone as her mental condition inevitably continues to worsen is heartbreaking.

That is, unfortunately, an entirely realistic depiction of dementia.

This episode actually made me shed a tear because it presented yet another difficult scenario for people and families dealing with dementia. 

On 10/10/2024 at 11:48 AM, iMonrey said:

I don't understand why the victim's car was in a parking lot near the tailor shop when his body was found at a hotel.

I'm not sure how long this show can sustain its main gimmick. The hyper-smart detective thing is not a novel idea; the most recent iteration that comes to mind is "Prodigal Son" which only lasted a season and a half. As much as I like Kaitlin Olson, the show is very formulaic, and I think the gimmick is going to wear thin pretty quickly.

The hyper-smart detective thing isn't a novel idea, but each show does it differently. Morgan isn't a detective. A lot of the show is based on her being a mother, and she's got three kids in age groups, one with a different father. The father of her last two kids is very much involved and is the primary caregiver while Morgan works for the LAPD. And the father of her oldest kid is missing. All these details and more affect how Morgan does what she does and make this show different from the "hyper-smart detective" gimmick shows (which I enjoy if they're good). 

On 10/11/2024 at 7:55 PM, Chit Chat said:

I rarely figure out crime dramas before the end of the show, but this time I actually suspected the son while they were questioning him!  Yay!  I'm one for a hundred in that regard!  😄

I'm still giving a side eye to most of Morgan's wardrobe.  It's a little much for this line of work.  🙄

I suspected the son when he didn't seem surprised that detectives came to question his mom. I thought he worked at the facility but knowing he's the son made him side-eye him.

And I can't stand ANY of Morgan's wardrobe. I know it's supposed to be her schtick, but she seems to have different varieties of boots, skirts, fuzzy jackets, etc. That makes me think her extreme budgeting is recent and possibly temporary since she is newly single (she has a baby so I don't think she's been single for years and years). Her clothes don't look good together and make her look older. Whenever I see her with her baby, I see a "young" grandmother holding her baby. 

On 10/12/2024 at 12:02 PM, shapeshifter said:

…ignoring the wardrobe choices she models, which is hard for me to ignore.
It's not just the loud prints and the short skirts and impractical footwear, it's that to me her color and pattern choices clash rather than harmonize. 
Again, I long for a throwaway line explaining the specifics of her choices. 
Like maybe explaining to another character that she doesn't take time or money shopping for clothes for herself because feeding her kids and and keeping the rent paid and clothing the kids for school is more important to her.
Or she has some type of color blindness?

I agree that besides being impractical, Morgan's clothing is terrible - outdated and mismatched. I love animal print, but hers seem to clash. I think the actress looks like she's in her 50s and I find it uncommon (though possible) that she has an infant. A different wardrobe would help, but she still looks like someone trying to cling to her youth. If anything, would expect her to have adult children she raised by herself.

And it's not like she's wearing the same clothes or boots all the time. Her wardrobe choices seem intentional. 

On 10/13/2024 at 12:55 AM, bros402 said:

I hope that they use her more - I hope they are just using the initial episodes to solidify the main pair, then we'll learn more about everyone else. Then, hopefully, Reyes' character gets more to do. Maybe she and Morgan will team up for an episode or two of researching her ex?

I like Reyes a LOT, and I want to see Lieutenant Selena solve Morgan's ex's disappearance while supporting Morgan. I just hope she stays focused. 

On 10/15/2024 at 9:20 PM, chaifan said:

As soon as Morgan shouted "She's not the murderer!" (or whatever she said), I knew the doctor was at least part of the murder.  Didn't guess the son, but looking back it was a bit obvious, because otherwise what purpose did the character serve? 

If Eduardo had scammed two people out of more than $500,000, why was he buying second hand suits and having them repaired?  He's got a nice apartment, but where is the money?  (Other than the $50,000 in the dictionary.)  Dementia care isn't cheap, $200,000 can cover 2-3 years in a memory care unit.  Kyle didn't seem too worried that his mom's money would run out, though.

I like that the Chief is personally involved in finding Morgan's ex, not just handing it off to someone.  And I like the show giving us little bits each episode, one more piece of the puzzle fitting in.

I hope Morgan curtails her outbursts or that she gets put in her place. I noticed that when she and the detective went to Eduardio's apartment, Morgan was front and center. I think the detective should lead and then introduce her. 

I want to see Lieutenant Selena solve Morgan's ex's disappearance while supporting Morgan.

On 10/16/2024 at 2:54 AM, Dowel Jones said:

Morgan, pull your head out of your ass.  You put your partner in serious danger at the bar all because you wanted to make a dramatic show of how you knew it was the bartender.  I'm glad he called you on it, and responding to "I could have been killed!" with "But you weren't." is just ludicrous.

Morgan is smart, but her lack of success with other jobs shows is just more proof that she needs training to refine her skills. I want to see her supporting a competent group of detectives. And I want to see those competitive officers showing her the importance of competent detective work.

On 1/2/2025 at 9:57 PM, Paloma said:

Although I enjoyed this episode more than the second one, the towel clue really bothered me because it didn't make sense that the towel would look dry and clean (even if not folded properly) after being used to clean up the water spilled from the tub. There were enough other clues that they could have left that out, but I guess they wanted to show how Morgan's cleaning experience helps to solve cases.

The towel clue was weird to me, too. 

[Paloma]

7 hours ago, love2lovebadtv said:

I think the actress looks like she's in her 50s and I find it uncommon (though possible) that she has an infant.

Overall your post was great in responding to various people's comments, but I initially disagreed with your age estimate. To me she looks like she's in her 40s--possibly early 40s, which would make it more believable that she has a baby. But I just looked up the actress and she is actually 49, so your estimate is much closer. (As a woman in my 70s, I have a hard time telling how old younger women are.) The way she dresses makes her look even younger to me.

In any case, even if the character was early 40s, the age difference between her middle child (he seems to be 9 or 10) and the baby seems odd. The age of the older girl makes sense since she had a different father who disappeared a long time ago. But if Ludo is the father of the younger two and Morgan and Ludo have apparently been separated or divorced for some time (though amicably), it seems unlikely she would have intentionally gotten pregnant by Ludo within the last couple of years. 

I guess we just have to put the children's ages down to plot device. 

[bunnyface]

On 1/12/2025 at 9:55 PM, love2lovebadtv said:

 

I agree that besides being impractical, Morgan's clothing is terrible - outdated and mismatched. I love animal print, but hers seem to clash. I think the actress looks like she's in her 50s and I find it uncommon (though possible) that she has an infant. A different wardrobe would help, but she still looks like someone trying to cling to her youth. If anything, would expect her to have adult children she raised by herself.

And it's not like she's wearing the same clothes or boots all the time. Her wardrobe choices seem intentional. 

Just started watching these in the last few days.  Morgan does have an extensive, possibly outdated, wardrobe that she seems to like.  But also remember, she can't hold a full-time job, she was a cleaning lady, wearing a uniform, making probably minimum wage.  She couldn't afford to her car fixed.  She can't exactly go out and say "I need a whole new wardrobe for my new job."  So she has to go with what she has, which was probably her "going out clothes."  Even with expendable cash, she also has kids to feed and clothe first.  So...even in a realistic situation, she would have to go with what she has for at least a while.  And in an unrealistic tv situation, she's not going to change because this is her "thing."  

Also, how does any police force solve anything without "consultants?" How many shows have had this gimmick?  Not complaining, I watch them, but seems like a lot of crimes are solved with consultants.

[Orbert]

That's the best explanation for Morgan's attire that I've seen yet.  She may well know that it's not work-appropriate, especially if she's working with the police and/or the public, but if they haven't said anything to her about it (which still seems unlikely, but hey, it's a TV show) then she's not going to worry about it because she has bills to pay and mouths to feed.  A whole new wardrobe is not in the budget right now.

As for all the shows with "consultants" solving the crimes, I just figure that the vast majority of the cases solved really are solved without them, but those are regular boring stories.  We're watching because we want to see something unusual and entertaining.  But you're right; TV would make it seem like the police are helpless without their consultants.

Edited January 17 by Orbert
wrong word

[Raja]

3 hours ago, Orbert said:

That's the best explanation for Morgan's attire that I've seen yet.  She may well know that it's not work-appropriate, especially if she's working with the police and/or the public, but if they haven't said anything to her about it (which still seems unlikely, but hey, it's a TV show) then she's not going to worry about it because she has bills to pay and mouths to feed.  A whole new wardrobe is not in the budget right now.

As for all the shows with "consultants" solving the crimes, I just figure that the vast majority of the cases solved really are solved without them, but those are regular boring stories.  We're watching because we want to see something unusual and entertaining.  But you're right; TV would make it seem like the police are helpless with their consultants.

They give that setup with a major case type squad. But like most shows, say what makes a case Law & Order 27th precinct and what makes it Criminal Intent we got no clue of why LT Reyes team and not regular detectives got this case. If set in a fictional, smaller city then our real life minds can see Morgan's eyes getting the first pass at every body found

Edited January 17 by Raja

[possibilities]

According to this, the majority of major crimes don't get solved, so maybe in a weird way TV is accurate in implying that the police can't do it and need consultants!

https://www.statista.com/statistics/194213/crime-clearance-rate-by-type-in-the-us/

[Annber03]

I have lost count of how many true crime shows I've seen where somebody has a podcast in which they talk about a particular case. Everyone and their mother seems to have those now, and a lot of people who watch crime shows, be they real or fictional, like to fancy themselves armchair detectives. 

So I think the consultant aspect of these kinds of shows is a nod to that. A character like Morgan is the audience surrogate - they get to be part of the investigation and do all the exciting stuff that viewers at home wish they could do.