If you would like to read my review of last episodes, click here.
Synopsis: Josh’s team continues to hunt for the potential murder weapon that would seal their timeline. The case takes a dramatic turn as their search leads them to two new suspects and some shocking news about Lavinia. (1) As the trial begins, Josh and his team experience some hiccups in proving Lavinia’s innocence to the judge. As soon as Josh thinks he’s been able to find cause for dismissal of the case, Carol Anne argues to test the timeline herself, leading them to uncover a hidden passageway on Lavinia’s property. (2) (TVGuide)
Writers: Liz Astrof (1), David Booth (2)
Directors: Jeffrey Blitz (1), Yana Gorskaya (2)
Rating: TV-PG
Running Time: 44mins (2x22mins)
Airs: Thursdays at 9:00 pm on CTV (Canada)/NBC (United States)
“The Murder Clock”starts off with Josh recapping the case and how focused the team is, but Mickey Moose is distracting them with Moose Day, the day that Peckers watch for Moose breath to determine how many Saturdays are left in the month. The broadcast is interrupted by the news that Lavinia was arrested for stealing a sandwich. Josh picks up Lavinia from the police station with her hairless cat Fluffy. Josh hopes to get rid of the trial by discrediting the opportunity, motive and murder weapon. They have the first two, but Dwayne has to go to the Jessup’s to retrieve the clock. As Dwayne knocks on the door a gun is fired and he frantically runs back to his cruiser.
At the courthouse, Josh talks about his optimism for a relationship with Carol, but he also talks about the flirty banter he has with Nina including some awkward singing to avoid Nina overhearing. Using Ann as a translator, Josh hopes to admit the clock as evidence to the court, but Dwayne is a little late. He explains the reasoning behind the murder time and the North/East Peck saying his clock expert was Jesse Ray Beaumont (Michael Hitchcock) which enrages both Lavinia and Carol. Dwayne bursts in with no evidence and the Jessup’s took his car as collateral.
Carol confronts Josh about bringing Jesse into this trial because he was part of the worst case of her career. Carol decides to get a warrant to search Lavinia’s house for the murder weapon. She brings the lawyers around constantly bringing up her lack of children when they hear a clock behind a closed door. They enter to find it’s Edgar’s old workshop filled with clocks. On the desk they find a ledger that says the Jessup clock was signed in by Edgar’s ex-apprentice Amanda, but was never returned. We have a new suspect!
At a local bar, the team question Amanda and discover she idolized Edgar. Anne is unconvinced and tries to find out if Amanda and Edgar had an affair, which she surprisingly admits to. They learn that Carol already had this information. Josh bursts into the veterinary gynecologist office that Carol is waiting at to confront her about withholding information. Back at the office, Josh talks to Nina (Amanda Payton) about toning down the work talk because its privileged information. She reveals that the Peck’s are absolutely broke which prompts Josh to question Lavinia about it. She deflects the questions and ends the lunch BY PICKING UP THE TABLECLOTH AND THROWING IT OUT THE WINDOW.
Josh decides to figure it out himself and goes to the only insurance agent in the city to figure out Lavinia’s situation. Apparently he had a $50 million dollar life insurance policy, but it was under the name Ronnie Delmondo. As Josh relaxes at his place, Nina arrives with some pizza to hang out and chat. Suddenly a loud bang is heard and Josh pulls Nina to the ground as a cannonball flies through the window at 5 o’clock. Through the broken window, Carol sees Nina and Josh getting close. At the police station, the team get word that Ronnie Delmondo has a criminal record making their lives a lot easier. The episode ends as the information is faxed to them and they learn that Ronnie Delmondo is actually Lavinia in her disguise.
“A Hole in the Case”starts off with Josh recounting what’s been going on and being fearful of the upcoming trial. He receives their new business cards with the name: Josh Segal and Ass’s. At Peck Gardens, Josh asks Lavinia about her alias Ronnie Delmondo. Turns out he was a real person that worked for the family, but he died. Unfortunately it means that Lavinia is the prime suspect once again.
The team look over the evidence as Josh pleads that any information Dwayne finds he bring to them first. At the courthouse, they start opening statements. Carol brings up the life insurance policy and uses a new trademark catchphrase: Yes we Kean. Josh rebuttals with the lack of opportunity and the timeframe not adding up. Carol brings up her first witness, the owner of the life insurance office, who admits that the beneficiary was changed from a charity to Lavinia which could have only been done by him and his wife. Josh asks the same witness if Lavinia had come in to change the documents, but turns out it can be mailed in so back to square one.
At the office, the team discuss trying to find the clock. They think perhaps they can find it with the resident auctioneer E-Bay. Meanwhile, Carol is dealing with some pregnancy issues. The second witness, a handwriting expert (guest star Jim O’Heir), describes the handwriting of both Edgar’s insurance signature and the changed one to confirm they are not a match. Dwayne and Anne go find E-Bay who discover that the clock was brought in and knows who had it. They arrive at the courthouse to reveal it was Milton Buckley, the Peck’s houseboy. Dwayne arrests him as Lavinia continuous slaps him in the face.
Dwayne brings Milton Buckley and the hilariously named John Lithgoat to the station. Turns out the one-way window is installed backwards. Through Milton’s interrogation they are able to find the murder weapon and think they have the murderer, but Dwayne arrives to reveal there were pictures that prove Milton was at the party during the time of the murder. Josh arrives at a gala Lavinia has put on, except it’s all been a ploy to get alone with her lawyer. She starts to flirt with him and reveals that Edgar started to have tremors which could break this case wide open.
Back at the courthouse, Josh brings up Edgar’s condition known as Clock Hand that caused tremors in his handwriting. The handwriting expert compares the ledger and the second insurance signature saying that they are a match proving that Edgar changed it himself. The judge calls to end the trial, but Carol wants to retest the timeline by running from Peck Gardens to the river. As they run down, Dwayne and Anne are inspecting the pool where he falls into a hidden passage. The episode ends as Dwayne falls out by Carol and Josh proving that Lavinia could have made it down to the river in plenty of time.
New Conditions for Anne:
- Jumping Frenchmen of Maine , causes you to jump high when startled
- Localized spontaneous human combustion , triggered by Rum
- Hyperacusis – dog-level hearing when she has an ear infection
- Saint Vitus’ dance – involuntarily raise hand
Overall, this was a good set of episodes. The story continues to follow the cycle of Ah ha! and Oh no! moments without getting stale. The characters are eccentric and hyperbolized caricatures, but that’s what we expect from this series. The best part of the show continues to be the subtle humour hidden in the history of the town and what appears to be normal conversations between people. It may not be for everyone, but the humour continues to rival that of other clever mockumentaries in the past and what more could one possible ask for. The comparisons are only aided by the great guest appearance by Park and Recreation‘s Jim O’Heir.
Score:
The Murder Clock: 8.5/10
A Hole in the Case: 8.5/10
What did you think of these episodes? Does it have enough mystery for this murder? Let me know in the comments below!
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