Murder in Small Town X Rewatch: Episode 2
Justin Carreiro
at
.
Who was the more powerful force: the killer or Kristen?
Murder in Small Town X Season 1 Episode 2 was Kristen's retribution round to enact justice against those who wronged her. As the Lifeguard, she held all the power over Andy and Jeff, which made this a very thrilling chapter.
Plus, new layers to the mystery offered a delicious twist on the story. Let's find out why by rewatching "Episode 2."
One of the best twists on Murder in Small Town X was having the most recent eliminated player choose the next Lifeguard.
The move allowed the player to get their final revenge and make a big move. Plus, it took power away from the majority.
Could you imagine if the majority kept bouncing the power between Jeff, Andy, and Alan? The frustration would've been endless.
We have to give a round of applause to Shirley; she had the last laugh on her way out. Choosing Kristen gave so much entertainment, and you could feel the awkwardness radiating off Andy.
As compared to Murder in Small Town X Season 1 Episode 1, the tracks this time around all centered around the funeral and memorial for the Flint family. The players branched out from there, but it all started in the graveyard.
The Leita Rose-Blodgett/Oscar Blodgett track had the most weight to it for the main story.
Whenever someone comes back from the killer's game with a clue involving a suspect, that twist typically steers the main story. Their only true lead involved what Leita might know; the investigators needed to do whatever it took to get her information.
In this case, lots of grave digging and cold mud were the price to pay.
Someone digging up Oscar's grave (who was revealed to be Leita's late husband) surprised me as a kid. The killer had only murdered the Flint family at that point, so for them to dig up a corpse added a new layer to the mystery.
The killer (or someone else) needed Oscar's skeleton for a strange reason we didn't know.
Thankfully, Leita was very forthcoming about the history and her theories. Tidbits like her believing Oscar was murdered instead of drowning, the Oscar/Hayden DeBeck/C.R. Flint connection to Kingfisher Cannery, and her past with DeBeck were all notes to round out suspects and coming reveals.
Andy: Who do you think did this? Do you have an idea?
Leita Rose-Blodgett: There is somebody here that’s never forgiven me and never forgiven Oscar.
Still, I find it confusing to this day why Leita had an old photo of all three men as twenty-somethings in her purse. Why would she have this readily available? Why not just a photo of her and Oscar?!
Leita served them some big exposition out of the blue. She didn't need this photo to visit her husband's grave.
Also, why haven't the players learned not to split up? (They need to watch more horror movies!)
Sure, Angel going off with Dudley Duncan was safer since he was cleared as a suspect, but they didn't need to leave Andy behind. Andy could've been killed at the gravesite if the show wanted to pull that twist out to scare the players.
Dudley Duncan: I need you guys to break up.
Andy: We can’t break up.
Dudley Duncan: You can break up. You’re gonna break up.
Both players were in the wrong for that mistake. And, we can't excuse Kristen's behavior in the matter either.
Kristen should've cared more about Andy's life, regardless of their tension. Her hanging up on him made her look bad because she cared so little about him while being the Lifeguard. She's responsible for the whole team.
Track #2 involving Prudence Connor was another case of bad splitting up. Why did Jeff go off on his own with her?
Luckily, them being in a public space made it known that he was with her. However, them going off to her boathouse could've exposed him to the killer's wrath. He made a bad judgment call that could've killed him.
Also, where were Alan and Lindsey in the case?
Both were assigned to investigate Prudence too, but Alan was more focused on G.D. Thibodeaux. That tactic worked at the funeral, but them letting Jeff go off alone with Prudence could've ended badly. Someone should've gone with him as a backup.
Prudence Connor claimed she didn't know who took the photos or why they were sent to Nate. To her credit, she looked genuinely upset over the reveal, but that could've been an act for Jeff.
Her affair with Nate Flint was kept a secret because he had a family, and she reiterated that she did love Nate.
[About the photos] I asked her who took them. She’s like, “I have no idea.” She really truly loved Nate. They’re all lying to us.
Jeff
Should the players trust her?
No, there's more to the story than she's letting on. I felt this when I watched "Episode 2" as a kid, and I still have this feeling whenever I rewatch the series. (Once again, I'll give no major spoilers.)
Track #3, or better named "G.D. Thibodeaux is sketchy as hell," threw everything to make the players think he's the most suspicious. Every piece of evidence made him look like the obvious killer.
Let's get this upfront first: this track wouldn't be possible in the real world.
No court would've allowed any evidence discovered by Katie, Stacey, and Brian to be used in court. All three broke into his house illegally to find clues and a motive for their investigation.
This only happened because Murder in Small Town X is set in a fictional story about a fictional town. Still, they should've grabbed the tape in the camera. Their investigation hit a hurdle because they left it behind.
From the clues discovered, G.D. Thibodeaux had the means and motive to want Nate Flint dead.
He clearly obsessed over Prudence Connor, and he hated Nate enough to dig hooks through a photo of him. And the mysterious blood in the fridge showed he had many secrets that the town didn't know about.
His biggest mistake was running away when Dudley Duncan and the police arrived for their search. He only made himself look more suspicious by running, especially since he was adamant about his innocence.
"Episode 2" made it clear that he's a suspect to watch for the story.
Based on the elimination vote, I'll never understand why the players left the choice in Kristen's hands for the second name.
They all knew going in that Kristen was picking Andy. By taking the option away from her, they left it up to chance.
Ugh, I could kill you guys. I really could. You guys made this very hard for me because everybody knew who I was gonna choose. The only decision I can make is based on people who I know that they know what they’re looking for. And as much as the Lifeguard probably usually doesn’t want the person to return that they pick, whoever I pick believe it or not, I want to return. But for tonight … Brian, I want you to go out tonight. You better get your butt back here. Okay?
Kristen
Granted, the cast played in the early stages of the reality TV competition era, so they weren't overtly thinking about strategy. However, if I were playing it, I would've banded an alliance together to vote someone else into the killer's game outside of the group and then let Kristen choose Andy as the second name.
The move would've ensured our safety and won over Kristen by having her get her top choice. Instead, Brian was thrown to the wolves because they wanted to make it hard for her, which was mind-boggling.
Her not choosing Jeff as the second name was equally confusing. Maybe his work during Track #2 proved he did a lot to stick around?
Kristen and Jeff hadn't butted heads then, but there was some misogynistic tension carried over from Murder in Small Town X Season 1 Episode 1. No one would've blamed her for sending in Jeff to compete against Andy. They each had a 50/50 shot to survive.
Brian coming back was the best outcome because it ended the Kristen vs. Andy war, and it allowed more screentime to be shared on other players. Plus, the rest of the group seemed to like Brian more.
His arrival with the Kingfisher can/two severed fingers strangely ended "Episode 2" on a positive note, but it's the upbeat reveal they needed as a group.
Last Thoughts From The War Room:
-
If you missed it: Moe Zaleski was Sam Witwer from Smallville Season 8, Being Human U.S., and Riverdale Season 4.
-
The killer's question removed another obvious non-killer possibility. There was no way X-Ray was the killer; he barely had any lines or connections to the other characters.
-
Mary-Elizabeth Merchant is a suspect to watch. Her connection to Abby Flint shouldn't go unnoticed.
- Hayden DeBeck had major movie villain vibes when he crashed the memorial. He and William Lambert could've fought right there if no one stopped him.
Now, it's over to you!
What did you think of "Episode 2"?
Do you trust Prudence Connor about the mysterious photos? Why did the killer dig up Oscar Blodgett's grave? Why are the investigators playing fast and loose with the "not being alone" rule?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
