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“Cold Case” TV Show 2022 Observations

I loved this show when it first came out, then it was mired in royalty issues for decades and shelved.

After resolving them, the full run of every season of episodes has only recently been available (It’s on HBO Max) and here’s what I’m finding-

1. The music selections are FANTASTIC- it really makes the show and foreshadows the flashbacks in a way us elders can appreciate. I can’t see how they would’ve been able to quickly reference and capture the essence of each era any other way. You get the impression the sky was the limit and they didn’t hold back and were able to pick whatever they wanted for soundtracks

2. Danny was portrayed as a manwhore and I’m only on the second season.

3. Some of the episode topics would be difficult if not impossible to remake in today’s realm. Topics like poverty, race, and sexuality are handled with what was back then- tactful grace and aplomb- but would be considered baiting, triggering or stigmatizing today.

4. Most of the episodes follow a sincere arc, offer up closure and compassion upon each episode and surety in the uncertain world we live in today and stick to a tried and true “feel good” formula rather than the woke mess that SVU has morphed into.

by Anonymousreply 43October 29, 2024 5:41 AM

It’s the only series I ever torrented because of their lack of availability on DVD.

by Anonymousreply 1January 23, 2022 9:44 AM

This show is where I first saw Chadwick Boseman (RIP). I could tell he would go on to bigger things.

And the Chad Everett episode was beyond heartbreaking.

by Anonymousreply 2January 23, 2022 9:48 AM

So, it’s one of the few shows that really pulls on my heartstrings without being too sugary, frau, or in your face. I also love that it captures both small town AND urban mentality. I literally cried myself through three recent episodes, especially when the dead come back and salute them- MARY!

by Anonymousreply 3January 23, 2022 9:52 AM

It's available on the Roku Channel. Great show, very poignant.

by Anonymousreply 4January 23, 2022 10:06 AM

During the original run, I only got into the show during the second season. I remember TNT for some reason was showing reruns of season 1 on Wednesdays and I got caught up on the prior season. It was a procedural show, but I liked how the audience was given insight into who the victim was and audience got better insight in what led up to the murders from suspects or victim families' views. I liked how they handled several topics as the OP mentioned.

The music was used well and most of the episodes had great costume work. I liked the use of showing the younger versions of characters mixed in with the older versions during questioning scenes and such.

I always figured during the original run the chances of DVD or Blu Ray releases were slim. I was glad that cable channels were airing reruns. I remember ION showed reruns after the show ended. I noticed last summer that the show was added to HBO Max, I started watching a few episodes a week.

by Anonymousreply 5January 23, 2022 4:35 PM

The five "gay" episodes are among the best - not because they're gay, but they're among the best done.

It's Raining Men

Forever Blue

A Time to Hate

Daniela

Boy Crazy

by Anonymousreply 6January 23, 2022 4:46 PM

[quote]So, it’s one of the few shows that really pulls on my heartstrings without being too sugary, frau, or in your face. I also love that it captures both small town AND urban mentality

I really appreciated those aspects.

by Anonymousreply 7January 23, 2022 9:24 PM

The music selections are often incorrect in terms of the years they are portraying. Very sloppy.

I found Jeremy Ratchford oddly sexy and would have let him bend me over.

by Anonymousreply 8January 23, 2022 9:27 PM

[...]

by Anonymousreply 9January 23, 2022 9:34 PM

I've never seen this show. Was it the one where the commercials had a blonde with a stylish-but-disheveled hairdo, and she was usually holding a flashlight in a dimly lit storage room?

by Anonymousreply 10January 23, 2022 9:37 PM

It seemed in the later seasons they tried to have her styled better lol.

by Anonymousreply 11January 23, 2022 9:38 PM

R10, yes that’s the one. And a whore of a loser sister too!

by Anonymousreply 12January 23, 2022 9:45 PM

I hated the storylines involving the loser sister. The loser sibling trope is one the worst ones to be used in film and TV.

by Anonymousreply 13January 23, 2022 10:25 PM

I was team loser sister. I would have banged Danny Pino day and night.

by Anonymousreply 14January 23, 2022 10:28 PM

R9, THIS is why they couldn’t do any sort of remake nowadays.

A few episodes definitely come across as homophobic when seen through the lens of 2022. The world wasn’t as woke, and they were emulating what the norm was… I think we try too hard to look back and judge harshly what was not there rather than appreciate we’ve been building more acceptance all along.

I would argue certain straight guys can’t handle getting attention from another guy, or see it as questioning their masculinity if done in front of other straight guys. If you didn’t grow up in a large city back then, being hit on openly by, or gay men displaying sexuality or intimacy in public was something you’d never encounter.

I’ve also experienced with my brother that straight guys do all sorts of contortions with situations and joke with each other- not meaning to be homophobic- but to reinforce a healthy construct with each other as close friends HAVE to do when they decide to put themselves in a very vulnerable position with each other. It’s very rare in gay relationships- and honestly I was a little envious.

Imagine if a girl hit on you and you told her you were gay, but she keeps joking, alluding to having sex with her, and won’t stop putting you in situations where you’re uncomfortable, or have to constantly defend your sexuality in front of others, so after awhile you exhibit frustration. Is this suddenly being heterophobic?

I think every pretty straight guy like Danny has the same problem.

by Anonymousreply 15January 24, 2022 12:53 AM

How accurate is this madTV parody? I've never seen the original cold case.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 16January 24, 2022 4:04 AM

The MadTV parody was pretty accurate and I cracked up when I saw it.

by Anonymousreply 17January 24, 2022 4:48 AM

That was spot-on hilarious!

by Anonymousreply 18January 24, 2022 8:13 AM

I prefer my crime shows non-fiction, thank you very much.

by Anonymousreply 19January 24, 2022 9:28 AM

My favourite ever episode is the first one I saw: the Amish rumspringa episode appropriately titled “Running Around”

I sobbed like a baby.

by Anonymousreply 20January 25, 2022 10:09 PM

I hated Lily's hair. I never understood what they were doing - it was half bleach blonde with brown roots and shaggy and long, but yet always in some updo so as to look short. Your hair can't be all things to all people, Lily!

by Anonymousreply 21January 26, 2022 12:46 AM

"Forever Blue" from Season 4 made me bawl. I am not a crier, but something about that episode ripped my emotions.

by Anonymousreply 22January 26, 2022 7:01 AM

There isn't one episode that couldn't get made today. This show was super liberal, you aren't the target audience if you're bitching about "woke" shit

by Anonymousreply 23January 26, 2022 4:14 PM

Episodes not involving race or sexuality issues could probably be made today.

by Anonymousreply 24January 26, 2022 8:02 PM

I do wonder if the creepy molester grandma episode would be made today.

by Anonymousreply 25January 26, 2022 8:04 PM

[quote] Episodes not involving race or sexuality issues could probably be made today.

That ain’t even good trolling.

by Anonymousreply 26January 26, 2022 10:29 PM

There are racial tropes in several episodes that would have Black people up in arms over negative portrayals of the ghetto, drug addicted women, etc. that would be seriously problematic for advertisers now. There was an episode I watched about a crack addict mother partying with her son’s murderer right after the fact, and scenes where three of her four sons were killed on the streets because of drug violence. It came across as demeaning and the victims portrayed as completely powerless over their own lives.

I don’t consider myself woke, but I KNOW that episode simply wouldn’t fly nowadays.

by Anonymousreply 27January 27, 2022 9:46 AM

There’s an episode about an HIV positive man, obviously sick and getting sicker- it turns out his brother was also gay and killed him in a rage incident. Though the episode was thoughtful and liberal, people with HIV could see it as “promoting violence against people living with HIV” or framing a negative stereotype of people being sick with the disease- now that there’s medication to treat it.

I loved the episode but could see how someone with HIV might find it problematic. WHen is the last time since “Philadelphia” you saw someone portrayed as dying from HIV/AIDS?

by Anonymousreply 28January 27, 2022 9:51 AM

[quote]There’s an episode about an HIV positive man, obviously sick and getting sicker- it turns out his brother was also gay and killed him in a rage incident.

It's Raining Men is the episode - one of the five "gay" ones.

All five of them also had great ending montages and music.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 29January 27, 2022 7:51 PM

That was a great episode. I remember the pet store owner talking to the detectives about the old days when he was a twink and saying that now he is old and ugly. I think he's pretty good looking as an older guy.

Such a moving ending.

by Anonymousreply 30February 4, 2022 10:12 PM

I loathe most procedurals but I really enjoyed every episode of this show I ever saw.

[quote] I found Jeremy Ratchford oddly sexy and would have let him bend me over.

Me too, though hot papi Danny Pino and his hot pinga gets first billing in my hole.

by Anonymousreply 31February 4, 2022 10:22 PM

I remember the episode where they tormented the fat girl.

by Anonymousreply 32February 4, 2022 10:23 PM

R6 I was a regular on the IMDB Cold Case board when the show was on the air and even non-gays loved the gay episodes.

by Anonymousreply 33February 4, 2022 10:33 PM

R33 Was it ever as bad there as TWoP? Which was heinously bad.

by Anonymousreply 34February 4, 2022 10:56 PM

Boy Crazy was a good episode. The tomboy main character looked like a young Ellen Page.

by Anonymousreply 35February 5, 2022 8:03 AM

R34 At IMDB it varied by board. The soap boards were absolute nightmares (and according to rumor, the DOOL board is the main reason that IMDB shut down their boards), but the Cold Case one was fun and filled with die-hards that really knew the show.

by Anonymousreply 36February 5, 2022 8:03 PM

^ You were a Vera ho, weren’t you, r36.

by Anonymousreply 37February 5, 2022 8:07 PM

I also used to post on the Cold Case boards on IMDB they were fun and I loved the threads about "dream ideas" for episodes.

There were some IMDB boards that were fun and had very little drama.

by Anonymousreply 38February 6, 2022 3:06 AM

R37 Weren't we all? ;)

R38 I wonder if we interacted on there?

It was my favorite IMDB because people knew the show and had a sense of humor. Once someone posted a hilarious list of "Ways to Survive on Cold Case." It included stuff like, "If you find out your spouse/best friend/coworker/boss etc is engaged in something illigal or unethical (drugs, plagerism, insider training) refrain from confronting them or telling them how hurt you are unless you already have your funeral plans already made out."

by Anonymousreply 39February 6, 2022 2:21 PM

I also remember the humor on those boards and the fun threads. Yes, people knew and understood the show which made it pretty drama free.

There were other IMBD boards for other shows that turned into drama and argument boards. I got into the show Pretty Little Liars as a guilty pleasure and the IMDB boards for that show eventually turned into homophobic rant fest board because many posters didn't like the lesbian characters on the show.

I remember the Dexter boards turned into a shitfest.

by Anonymousreply 40February 6, 2022 3:45 PM

Polar opposites, but both Valens and Vera had their charms.

by Anonymousreply 41March 10, 2022 6:04 AM

WHET Kathryn Morris?

by Anonymousreply 42October 29, 2024 5:31 AM

R28, did you miss Fellow Travelers or The Normal Heart or all the other shows about people with AIDS?

This show could easily be made today, in fact, I've heard they are thinking about rebooting this. It would probably actually work better today because of all the older cases being solved through Forensic genealogy

by Anonymousreply 43October 29, 2024 5:41 AM
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