Forever, “Memories of Murder,” was written by Anderson Mackenzie and was directed by Zetna Fuentes, who last directed “The Frustrating Thing About Psychopaths” – I think I see a connection there! Mackenzie’s only other writing credit is for The Tomorrow People, but Mackenzie is listed as Nicholas Wootton’s assistant on Scorpion, and Matt Miller and Wootton worked together on Chuck… if you’re interested on the trajectory of these things! The title plays on the theme of memory and how our memories may change over time as well as whether the actual murderer in the episode remembers committing the murder. The other theme that comes through loud and clear in this episode is love.
I really liked how the episode plays with time as it opens with a blast from the 70s. The central case focuses on someone else with a time problem as Neville (Cotter Smith) is obsessed with the past. As always, the episode is bookended by a voice over which tells us a lot about the theme of the episode. Abe (Judd Hirsch) finds a box damaged by water that contains Abigail’s (Mackenzie Mauzy/Janet Zarish) old cookbook. Abe concedes that while he’s usually happy to let go of “old junk,” the cookbook doesn’t fall into that category.
Henry (Ioan Gruffudd), however, surprises Abe by saying, “It’s a new day and new memories to be made!” However, the first voice over tells us “We are told that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it, while those who dwell in the past would love nothing more than to repeat it over and over again. The memories like photographs have a way of fading with time.” There’s a terrific concrete example of this in the polaroid photo that helps solve the crime.
Love is a powerful motivator in this episode. It’s what prompts Neville to hire Sarah (Auden Thornton) to pretend to be his wife to recreate the best moment of his life – the night his wife told him she was pregnant. By dwelling in the past, however, he loses any relationship he might have had with his daughter, Cecily (Paula Jon DeRose). Jennifer (Emily Kinney) is obsessed with her roommate, and her wanting to keep the relationship as it was in the past leads to her murdering Sarah. Kinney is just off of The Walking Dead, and it was great to see her here, putting in a terrific performance as the crazy, small town girl roommate. Jennifer becomes distressed at having to deal with Sarah changing.
Love is also a powerful motive for Henry, and we see this play out in the flashbacks as Abigail is struggling to deal with change. Once again, I have to mention how good the writing is on this show to have flashbacks that help to throw light on both the characters and the case at hand each week. In this instance, we see the effect of memory on both Henry and Abigail, and we get some insight into how difficult their relationship must have grown as Abigail aged and Henry did not – despite his artfully places grey temples! Anybody else flashing to Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four? Abigail is concerned with being seen out with Henry now that she looks twenty years his senior. It’s their anniversary, however, and Henry just wants to go out and have a good time. It’s clear that his love for her has not faded.
Abigail is distraught when they return from their night out. The hostess had mistaken her for Henry’s mother. She tells Henry that they are ridiculous, but Henry insists, “A ridiculous love story. That’s what makes it so special.” He then uses memory to soothe her and takes her back to the Queensborough Officers Club in London – and we get a flashback within a flashback. I had to wonder how their relationship with Abe worked at this point. Clearly, he could still be seen as Abigail’s son, but how would Henry fit in to that picture? Perhaps Henry had left both of them at this point? There’s just so much more of Henry’s past to explore!
The final scene has Abe making Abigail’s lasagna out of her cookbook. The taste of it has Henry remarking, “for a moment it felt like she was still here.” It’s an odd quirk of memory that our senses can help to stimulate it – like fondue and a Manhattan for Neville – or vintage hairspray. The final voiceover is interspersed with more of Henry’s memories: “Some memories are so powerful that they never fade” is paired with the scene of Henry dancing with Abigail around the table as a young Abe watches – and the lasagna cools on the table – but “everything is perfect.”
The voiceover goes on, “Memories which become more powerful every time we remember them.” And here Henry is dancing with the older Abigail who says, “this can’t last forever.” Henry tells her not to think about that. And the voiceover finishes, “Thus making our present lives seem a little more faded. But let’s not think about that now.” And we see Henry smiling sadly to himself as he remembers the one great love of his life. Perhaps the memory can live forever with Henry. I love when they weave that reference to forever in!
So is Henry the one who ignores the past and is therefore doomed to repeat it or the one who dwells in the past repeating it? Actually, I’d say neither, though his past is holding him back from finding love again. Once again, it’s Henry’s relationship to the past that helps him to solve the case. He recognizes the hairspray, nail polish, and dress on the victim are vintage, and that the apartment is “a perfect simulacrum of the late 1970s” – thank you show for the smart dialogue here! I loved him recognizing the record player and saying, “We had the exact same one…. In the shop!” It’s a nice inside joke for the audience.
It’s also Henry’s particular relationship to memory that gives him insight into Neville. Neville has been recreating the same night, but with less and less satisfying results. Henry realizes that “the moment seemed to slip further and further into the past.” It felt fainter and fainter. Just like that polaroid photo. But Henry also realizes that Neville’s confession isn’t true, there’s something off about it. Neville’s fantasy was all about immortalizing his wife and preserving her, so there’s no way he would have killed her.
The case has Henry crossing paths with Molly (Hilarie Burton) again. Once again Burton and Gruffudd have terrific chemistry. It was nice to see a different side of Professor Dawes in this episode. I very much liked the scene in the lecture hall with Molly in the dark and Jo (Alana De La Garza) and Henry discussing how college has changed. It’s nicely choreographed to have the lights come up and Molly and Henry to lock eyes just at the end of his speech about finding Freud’s views on sexuality quite – stimulating. It’s interesting that Henry who can be quite conservative about many things is more comfortable than Jo.
Jo and Molly have an interesting relationship. There isn’t quite jealousy there because in the end, Jo does encourage Henry to ask her out and is supportive, but she also doesn’t really want Molly’s help on the case. I also liked Jo commenting that Molly was “full of surprises – therapist, dominatrix, professor…” Molly fires back with the fact that she has a PhD in Psychology form Yale – not too shabby.
Molly remains a very likeable character because she never says anything bad about or to Jo. Molly clearly takes her role as professor seriously and cares about her students. She was careful about the advice she gave Sarah and made sure to ask if Sarah enjoyed it and felt safe in her role playing. She is clearly upset that she might have done something wrong, and Henry is quick to empathize and try to make her feel better.
It’s hilarious when both Abe and Jo tease Henry about his new scarf. Both are clearly pleased that he’s showing an interest though. Even Molly notices the scarf, but then Henry notices that she’s wearing new perfume – she’s definitely interested. I loved how their date turned to the case, with Molly suggesting they role play the fantasy to better understand it. Naturally, this leads to a little flirting and kissing, and uncovering clues! The fact that Molly isn’t the least bit upset to have her date end in a morgue speaks to her suitability for Henry. She tells him, “you had me at the new scarf, but I’m genuinely impressed!” Neither would be satisfied with a partner who did not have a keen intellect.
As someone who works in the college/university system, I was particularly interested in some of those aspects of the episode. Molly’s office as someone who is called in to lecture “occasionally” is a fantasy in and of itself! However, I did really like what she said to Jennifer when Jennifer said, “Isn’t that what college is all about? Experience?” And Molly responds, “Actually, it’s about education.” The climactic scene with Jennifer is truly horrifying as she actually sticks the scissors in Molly’s neck. Naturally, Henry and Jo arrive just in time.
However, the scare has Henry backing off. Henry tells Jo, “I forgot what this feels like. Being scared. Vulnerable.” Jo tells him, “that’s what happens when you open yourself up. It’s a good thing, Henry.” Of course, I don’t see her taking her own advice. For Henry, this is one of those memories – the memory of loss and pain – that has faded with time. But has the loss of Abigail really faded? I think it hasn’t and the memory of that pain is preventing him from going on. After all, what must it be like to lose someone you’ve lived your whole adult life with? Molly understands that someone has hurt him very badly, Henry clarifies that “the wounds haven’t healed yet.” Molly understands and doesn’t close the door on a future relationship.
Again, there isn’t a lot of Jo or the rest of the cast in this episode. There’s some good comic relief again between Lucas (Joel David Moore) and Hanson (Donnie Keshawarz) when Hanson basically sits sunning himself, making Lucas search the dump site all on his own. I really liked that Lucas was able to immediately identify the murder weapon as a fondue fork.
I really love how Lorraine Toussaint (Lt Reece) is able to be both comic relief and a credible leader. I always enjoy the deadpan deliveries of the scenes in which Henry and Reece watch from the interrogation room. I particularly liked when Henry turned to her and said, “Did you see that?” and she just fixes him with a glare, prompting him to mutter, “Of course you did.” One of my favorite scenes in the episode is when Reece asks how Professor Dawes is doing. Learning she’s going to be fine, Reece says, “Good. I’d like to see her and Henry get together. I know everything that goes on in my precinct.” The looks Jo and Hanson give her are priceless!
Once again, this was a terrifically written and acted episode. I loved how the themes of memory and love were woven – much like that macramé wall hanging! – throughout the episode’s present and past storylines. I’m hoping we see Burton back again. What about you? Let me know your thoughts on the entire episode in the comments below! Don’t forget that there are several campaigns running right now to ensure that we get a second season of this great show. You can find links to the petition, letter writing campaign and more
here. Remember to use the hashtag #RenewForever!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
