Make no mistake, I like this show, i like the cast, and I like the idea, but there are two things about it that consistently bug me.
First, the show uses every trick in the book to manipulate the viewer's emotions, culminating in the "ghosts" of the victims etc. making tear-jerking appearances (presumably in the main character's imagination) at the end.
But the biggest weakness is that the crimes frequently lack a convincing motive -- so many episodes end with our discovering that the killer didn't really have a good reason to commit the crime. It may be that this is a common feature of cold cases, but realism isn't a big feature of the show in general, so why the writers would do this escapes me. Usually the red herrings have much stronger motives, which makes almost every episode's outcome seem forced.
It's a nicely acted, well put together show, with a laudable agenda (teaching history, especially civil rights) to it's audience — I just wish they could put in plausible motives.
First, the show uses every trick in the book to manipulate the viewer's emotions, culminating in the "ghosts" of the victims etc. making tear-jerking appearances (presumably in the main character's imagination) at the end.
But the biggest weakness is that the crimes frequently lack a convincing motive -- so many episodes end with our discovering that the killer didn't really have a good reason to commit the crime. It may be that this is a common feature of cold cases, but realism isn't a big feature of the show in general, so why the writers would do this escapes me. Usually the red herrings have much stronger motives, which makes almost every episode's outcome seem forced.
It's a nicely acted, well put together show, with a laudable agenda (teaching history, especially civil rights) to it's audience — I just wish they could put in plausible motives.