Shark Bytes

The only reason I even bother to watch “Cold Case” anymore is to see if maybe, just MAYBE, someone other than the stereotypical evil white conservative Republican Christian NRA member commits the “murder du jour”…

Too many of the complaints here are coming from people who clearly don't even watch the show. I can agree with comments about the show becoming repetitive and relying on a tired formula, that much is true. I still enjoy the show nonetheless. But too many people seem to be targeting meaningless stuff that obviously came from watching just one episode. And whining about anything being "too PC" just reeks of ignorance.

No one will in real the world will talk about their crimes without a lawyer

To: The Yellow One

Yes, it is amazing how these people who were at least about 28-30 in 1938 (Orson Wells episode) through 1945 (Japanese WWII internment camps) are generally not only alive, but in relatively great shape for their ages, which would seem to range between 95 and 110. It must be the safe living conditions in and around Philadelphia and other big eastern cities.
However, its a show and we have to suspend logic for the sake of interest, but with that said, I expect to see an episode soon which deals with the FDR's first inaugural (1933).
With regard to other posts about how these people just simply spill their guts when Lilly and the others get in their faces in the interogation room, I give some leeway on that aspect of the show. Having someones death on your shoulders for many years may come to really weigh you down. . or at least it may with some. Who knows, towards the end maybe they just want it off their chest. That's shoes you would have to be in.

Lately, I think the writers are getting lazy and using a formula now instead of their own creativity. As a Philadelphian myself, I enjoy the show but get annoyed with the writer's constantly using the same formula. They ought to read up on some of the 'gothic' elements of real Philadelphia history. e.g. Did they know that Benedict Arnold was the Military Commander of Philadelphia after the British regulars were withdrawn. Or that he married into a long and old Philadelphian family. Or that Ben Franklin's best friend, attended the convention regarding the declaration of independence, but walked out and refused to sign it. Galloway later assisted the British Commander in housing British Army officers in their homes in Philadelphia. My point is that things are not what they first appear in all of Philadelphia history and even to today.
Come on writers, dig deeper there are better stories and plots for you to write about us.

I used to watch this show every week but as other posters have said after a while it got to be too formulaic for me. There are other aspects of this show that give it the feel of being dumbed-down.

The fact that people have such vivid memories of things that happened decades ago.

The fact that people can remember the names of someone they met just once decades ago.

The fact that all of the Cold Case squad detectives with the exception of the two old guys are cold, arrogant, and unlikeable.

The fact that they ran an episode where they had people who were supposed to be parents of World War II parents not looking as if they were a day over 60. Now the World War II generation itself is passing away so what are the odds that someone investigating a Cold Case are going to find the three living parents who look fit enough to go for a morning jog? Its an insult to the intelligence.

After watching the BBC series Waking the Dead I can never go back to Cold Case. Waking the Dead has excellent writing and acting and no formulaic scripts. Cold Case is simply dumbed down entertainment for a dumbed down audience.

I don't understand, myself, continuing to watch this one...maybe I like the cast (sum of its parts)...maybe the music...maybe it's Lilly (who apparently didn't go out like 80% of the Hollywood actresses to the hairdresser and ask for a "Rachel")...sometimes the plots are formulaic, sometimes they throw in a red herring...but JUST ONCE when they're grilling one of these suspects I wish someone would say, "this is sheer speculation", and walk out on them...that, or "my lawyer's on speed-dial, you can question HIM in this musty old room, so if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way". JUST ONCE! I understand it's a plot device, but some of these folks "roll over" on themselves WAAAAY too easily... I mean you've kept your trap shut for 15 to 30 plus years and you're just gonna CONFESS? This is an interrogation room, not friggin Oprah! I guess I must be overly comfortable with the format, because I keep watching...but I still chuckle when they start in on some old man or woman. You know what old people tend to do when they're guilty of something? They keep their mouth shut...confessing and tell-alls and rolling over for a reduced sentence is all part of the "Oprah generation".

To: Dani
Oh, the only thing wrong with Lilly is that she read a few of her reviews.

She sure does talk tough and smug a lot of the time when she has an entire force in back of her packing heat. In the real world, I bet she wouldn't last 2 weeks.

Every show is formulaic! That's scripted TV for ya, love it or hate it. I happen to love this show. They manage to come up with a good mystery every week, many that are very sad. I love Lilly's passion for making sure that even old, long-forgotten victims still have a voice. Most people would probably be like, who cares anymore??

Not 100% sure how so many people remember soooo many vivid details about things that happened 60 years ago, but it is TV. And maybe I just have a bad memory.

Very glad they got rid of that one chick who was there for like 5 weeks. She was horrible. And while I like Tracie Thoms, I guess I never saw the need for a new woman in the show.

Not really show related, but what the hell happened to Kathryn Morris' face this year? It's like bad botox or bad plastic surgery or something. She doesn't look so good anymore.

"Cold Case" was excellent until the second season finale, when Lily cried and poured her heart to a man who killed nine people and removed their heads. (It's title was "The Woods") That was when Lily became more emotional and weak, and started to let whatever crap that was in her way get to her, whether its a breakup, a family fallout, being insulted for no reason by possible suspects (like the mother in the "Saving Patrick Bubley" episode where her sons keep getting killed over a scooter), and oh yeah, did I mention she was shot.

The show needs to go back to making Lily a strong, no-nonsense detective instead of making her constantly vulvernable.

The best episode of Cold Case that I ever saw was the MadTV spoof of it. Warch that and you´ll have seen every episode, past, present and (barf) yet to be.

I only started watching this series this year. Where I live, Cold Case comes on three times on Sunday, and some of the episodes are two years old. I have seen about 10 episodes. My impression of the series is that it is formulaic, as other posters have noted. Like cop shows from Perry Mason to Law and Order it leads the viewer to think that the guilty party is the most obvious person with the grudge, but when he or she is cleared then the focus shifts back to a person the detectives thought was in the clear.

Cold Case is exploitive of the viewer's emotions, especially as the episode draws to an end. As the guilty person is lead away, he or she walks behind some obstruction, like a column, changing in age from the present to what he or she looked like when the crime took place, and then back again. Then the victim from back yonder looks at Det. Lily with a satisfied look implying that closure has taken place and his or her soul can rest in peace. All the while a hit song from the bygone era is playing, (usually by a singer other than the one who made it a hit). The first few times I saw Cold Case I thought that device was charming, but now it seems trite. Yet at the same time Cold Case wouldn't enjoy the popularity it does without its signature formula. It's like a comfortable pair of worn out slippers -- you can't bring yourself to throw them out.

I watched this show through the first three seasons; I even "time-shifted" it to view it when I wasn't working or involved in "honey-do's."
HOWEVER, for some reason, with the start of season four, it jumped for me. I just appeared, in my opinion, to make too many politically orientated statements and the culprits were all too predictable.
I guess the story, characters and a progressive dull plot just caused CC to become a little "long in the tooth;" at least, for me.
Still, with that said, where there's life, there's hope--albeit slim.
I still aspire to follow this series, time will tell. However, as far as I'm concerned in it's present format "Cold Case" has jumped!

Simultaneously the world's most hated and watched show as it would seem. I love it! It works every damn time maybe despite or even because of its flaws.

It seems no key winesses died or retired to Florida and can't be found. Or the building is still standing after all these years and hasn't been torn down for a Wendy's or a Wal-Mart. The neighborhood hasn't changed its ethnicity and everyone still lives there 40 years later.