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Cold Case Season 5 Episode 18

Ghost of My Child

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9.0

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 5/4/08

In the season finale, a drug addict mother, who lost her son in an apartment fire in 2005, comes forth claiming she just saw the same child in the park.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

The best I've seen in five years. Solid show just became great.

10

By damitchl20, Jun 10, 2008

I absolutely fell in love with this episode. I thought it was the best Cold Case in the series history, and I've seen every single episode. The story line of the mother that kept trying and stayed clean was so uplifting and positive. It's nice to see a show that showed all the temptation yet resistance from her. (Spoiler alert!!!!; Quit reading if you haven't seen the episode yet!)

I knew it had to be the nurse when she said the age of her child. Another great part of this episode was that you could see both sides about the child's welfare and good intentions (kind of like Gone Baby Gone) but also putting the best foot forward from the woman. No debate, a crime is always a crime, whether it's excusable or not is up for argument. The plot line was also accompanied by the best musical choices in a single episode. Keep in mind I think Cold Case does the best job on dramatic television in music choices, I just think this was the best. Better Days in the beginning by Goo Goo Dolls during a flashback; Stay or Leave by Dave Matthews (an underrated song at that) when she was choosing whether to use again and Far Away by Nickelback at the end with the child reunion were so on-cue.

Wonderful episode and heck of a way to end a five-year anniversary. Hopefully it will continue over to Year Six, which I'm sure it will. Hasn't disappointed me yet.moreless
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A young woman returns home in the flashback, where she finds it a lit, and not only that, but her young baby died in the fire. The twist is that the woman was once a drug addict, and soon suspicions fly that she might have started the fire.moreless

10

By AtamaC, May 28, 2008

This was a real tear jerker, the young womans jounrney for a steady path and a stable life for her young baby. The rehab councellor pissed me off big time, just because she couldn't have babies, and i felt a sense of 'SHAME', when she and her husband realised that Priscilla did care for her baby, which is evident in the babies room and the babies top "MY MOMMY LOVES ME'- AWWWWWWWWW :(..the last scene where the boy and his mother is reuntied was bliss. The flowershop in the background and the mother looking so vulnerable was just so touching. I also loved the way she was adjusting her hair when the car pulled up, it captured the sense of how much she loved this baby. The acting was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!- Big thumbs up for the girl who played Priscilla, who also appeared in The Nanny as the sweet older sister.moreless
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A good episode, but not worthy of the title "Season Finale"

8.3

By iambizarre, May 14, 2008

So I finally got around to watching the season finale of COld Case. it was good but still a disappointment. A season finale usually ends with a big twist, something thats exciting and makes you patiently wait till next season, but this was not the case. The story was good. A former drug addict loses her infant son in a fire and thinks he may still be alive. It was a very emotional storyline and i enjoyed how the mother claimed that her baby was her one reason for staying clean and how she managed to stay clean even after he has supposedly died. It was tearful and had a good story twist but still not season finale material. Oh well, next year is full of promises and hopefully a full season. Lets hope there won't be anymore writer strikes for a long time.moreless
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Good Epsiode but Season Finale??

8.5

By saleblanc, May 12, 2008

I liked the episode enough but usually season finale's have a little bit more punch, more action or even a cliff hanger. This just seemed like a normal episode. I like the episode. The case as a whole was believable. I liked Lil's interaction with Priscilla. She has to do her job but we get a peak into Lil's life as the child of an addict. She's desperate to know how a mother could leave a child. We feel she's looking for some answers for herself. We also have an appearance of Eddie Saccardo who it seems has so personal issues involved in this case as well. But from a different perspective. Again liked the episode enough but I expected more for a season finale.moreless
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The fifth season (shortened by the Writers Guild strike) ends with the case of a woman who's eight month-old son was killed in an apartment fire in 2005. Arrested for disorderly conduct, she tells Lilly she saw her son alive in a park.moreless

8.7

By meathead704, May 06, 2008

As much as I liked this episode, I did not like the presence of cliches and tired plot devices. When Lilly first talks to the woman, she does not believe her (and neither does the rest of the team) because she is a former drug addict. I knew immediately that the woman's claims were legitimate and that her son was alive. Eventually everybody comes to the realization they were wrong and start to feel real sympathy for the woman. Like we haven't seen that before. While the episode does make up for this and is enjoyable, it's not that great.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Kathryn Morris	Det. Lilly Rush
Danny Pino	Scotty Valens
John Finn	Lt. John Stillman
Jeremy Ratchford	Det. Nick Vera
Thom Barry	Det. Will Jeffries
Tracie Thoms	Kat Miller (Episodes 3.13+; recurring previously)

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Nicholle Tom	Priscilla Chapin	Guest Star
Erik Van Wyck	James McElroy	Guest Star
Julio Oscar Mechoso	Victor Martinez	Guest Star
Bobby Cannavale	Eddie Saccardo	Recurring Role
Doug Spinuzza	Lab Tech Louie Amante	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (2)
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- Rush: You know all the screw-ups, Saccardo.
  Saccardo: Hey, they make me feel good about myself.
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- Lilly: Louie, you didn't have to dress up for us.
  Louie: Well, if not for you then who, Rush?
  Vera: Me, clearly.
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NOTES (3)
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- This episode aired at a special time at 8 p.m.
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- International Airdates:
  - Denmark: May 28, 2008 on TV3+
  - Sweden: August 2, 2008 on Kanal 5
  - Germany: August 27, 2008 on Pro7
  - Finland: September 9, 2008 on MTV3
  - The Netherlands: November 1, 2008 on Net 5
  - Australia: November, 3 2008 on channel 9
  - Norway: November 24, 2008 on TVNorge
  - Spain: June 13, 2009 on La Sexta
  - Slovakia: October 27, 2009 on Markiza
  - Turkey: February 11, 2010 on CNBC-e
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- Music Featured in This Episode:
  - Better Days by The Goo Goo Dolls from Let Love In (2006)
  - I Am an Island by The Good Life from Black Out (2002)
  - Modern World by Wolf Parade from Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
  - Bedshaped by Keane from Hopes and Fears (2004)
  - Stay or Leave by Dave Matthews from Some Devil (2003)
  - Far Away by Nickelback from All the Right Reasons (2005)
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