Major Crimes - Reality Check - Review

This week delivers a group of characters possibly more heinous than the wedding party we met in the last batch of episodes. These reality show contestants are over the top, thoroughly unlikable and a good deal of fun to watch.

We get a different opening this week. Instead of a murder scene we get the opening credits for the reality show, “American Scavenger Hunt”, is a scavenger hunt designed around dysfunctional married couples competing for a million dollars. The couples that won the scavenger hunt the two previous seasons are known as “The Cockroaches.”

Apparently, their mean heartless behavior toward fellow contestants and each other isn’t an act. During one of the challenges, in which The Cockroaches were driving a car set up for two drivers, the car went over a cliff, killing Mrs. Cockroach. When Tao realizes the husband jumped out just before the car went over the edge, he suspects murder. This is born out when they discover that someone hacked into the car’s computer and took it over.

Mr. Cockroach (aka Cochran) is the first suspect. He was a stuntman before becoming a reality star. Raydor and the rest of the unit are continually flummoxed by the insanity they’re forced to deal with. It is basically a group of people with no talent who are convinced they are the most important people in the world.

The shot of Cochran, in his open hospital gown, running for his sister’s minivan was just hilarious. Apparently, in Hollywood, the devastating loss of one’s spouse can only be handled in one way…an interview on The Mario Lopez show! Raydor absorbs all of this insanity in stride, until she learns that Mario Lopez got the footage of the crash before the police did.

They get the data needed to verify that someone took control of the car The Cockroaches were driving. They also get the footage and the bored, housebound Andy gets the assignment of reviewing three seasons worth of episodes of the show. The way Andy was yelling at the screen has me convinced that he’d be a fan of the show. He does manage to get the team enough information to start exploring new suspects.

One of these suspects is a software engineer with sleep apnea. He quickly admits to having written the software that hacked into the car. He informs Sykes and Tao that the program was designed to operate over Bluetooth, which means it can’t work over long distances. He also gives them the name of the murderer. The creator/producer hated The Cockroaches for ruining his show by “taking what he designed as a metaphor for marriage and turning it into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

Throughout the case, Julio is short tempered and testy. Andy reminds Sharon that this is exactly how his wife died. Once again Raymond Cruz nails some very heart breaking scenes. On the one hand, I’m still worried that we’re going to get some upsetting scenes between him and the doctor who treated his wife. On the other hand, it would be nice for him to have an episode he can laugh in. He was the only one who was completely serious in this episode.

Rusty sat down with Slider’s lawyer this week. Rusty proposes that the lawyer witness his interview with Slider. After Slider’s outbursts, during previous meetings, Rusty suggests that the lawyer needs to see how Slider handles a low pressure interview before he decides whether to put Slider on the stand to face Andrea Hobbs’ cross-examination. In exchange for being able to interview Slider prior to a hearing, Rusty will have to interview the lawyer about the death penalty. Rusty agrees, though we don’t see the bulk of Slider’s interview in this episode.

Did anyone else think about Phillip Stroh’s escape plan when the sheriff cautioned Rusty about handing anything to the prisoner?

I liked the quiet scenes between Sharon and Andy that we got in this episode.

Looking forward to hearing from you guys. Did you enjoy this episode?

About the Author - Prpleight

Prpleight is a screenwriter and senior software engineer with solid geek cred. When not writing code, screenplays, or watching TV (sometimes she does all three at the same time), she uses her broadsword Bessie to battle evil. She's been a frequent contributor to the SpoilerTV discussion boards for several years now.

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