Cold Case

Joseph

Season 3, Episode 23, Aired 5/21/06

Episode Summary

When the victim's credit card is suddenly used a year after his death, Lilly re-opens the 2005 case of a counselor at a teens' rehab center who was shot to death just two weeks before he was scheduled to testify in a murder case. During the probe, Lilly feels a strange connection to the victim, and her personal attachment may end up jeopardizing the case.moreless

9.2

EPISODE RATING: Superb

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Cast & Crew

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Danny Pino

Scotty Valens
Tracie Thoms

Kat Miller (Episodes 3.13+; recurring previously)
Thom Barry

Det. Will Jeffries

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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Totally boring...dont get me wrong, I love Cold Case and Lily\'s my favourite characters-but this was so unbelievably boring!!

1.0

"Abysmal"

By Cosmos1990, Aug 16, 2010 Report Abuse

Totally boring...dont get me wrong, I love Cold Case and Lily\'s my favourite characters-but this was so unbelievably boring!!
I mean pur-lease, the storyline wasn\'t so bad but in all god forsaken honesty the casting and acting was in my opinion, average.
There was no chemistry between Lily and Joseph. It was incredibly stupid and ludicrous and during most of the show I was cringing at the absurd and out - of - character things that were said and done.
I cannot believe that that piece of crap was the season finale- seriously, would it kill them to put a little action for the characters into the script. So much mushy wishy washy lovey dovey crap is making me light headed!!
A boring episode, the worst I have seen of Cold Case. I\'m very dissapointed.moreless

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0 10
Excellent.

10

"Perfect"

By facebookfan, Nov 27, 2009 Report Abuse

The team reopens a 2005 case only to discover the victim is actually alive! Of course, if they had done an autopsy on the victim (Joseph) they would have known that Joseph was still alive but forensics isn't what what Cold Case (the TV show of course, in real life they always use forensics) is about. Anyway, while investigating they discover the victim was to testify against one of the teens at the rehabilitation center he worked at because he fatally beat another teen to death (shocking reason why). The drama builds when the victim's brother, Wilder, is brought into the picture. It turns out that Wilder was the actual victim (again, they could of used an autopsy, but why would Cold Case do that? lol). The only problem was, as another reviewer stated, there was not real connection between Joseph and Lilly. Another than that, the episode was a 10/10 in my book.moreless

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0 0
After a victim's credit card is used, the detectives re-open the case of Joseph who was killed in 2005.

9.4

"Superb"

By luckydagangsta, Jun 13, 2008 Report Abuse

Joseph Shaw was a counselor at a teen rehab center, Robinson House until he was shot in the face through his apartment door in May 2005. He was suppose to testify against one of the teens who he witnessed murder another teen.

There's not much I can say about this episode without giving away the surprise. I was pretty shocked with how things unfolded. I thought that because the case was so recent, I wouldn't be as interested in it as I am with most other older cases, but I was wrong.

This episode was not like most other Cold Case episodes. Every once in awhile it's nice to see things done a bit differently (as long as it's done as well as this one was done). There's nothing for me to really complain about. The acting was good, as was the writing, and storyline.

It's definitely an episode worth watching.moreless

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THIS is what a season finale should be!

10

"Perfect"

By housemate, May 23, 2006 Report Abuse

Okay, I've never watched an episode of Cold Case in my life until "Joseph." I do not know the characters or the usual story lines, although the premise is obvious from the title.
I found this episode superb! I was completely enraptured by the storyline and grew to care a great deal about the detective. I loved how she was very human, vulnerable, exposed.
I don't watch crime shows because I can't stand violence, but I'm a sucker for excellent writing and, of course, a good romance.
I usually don't like season finales: they leave us stressed out and unsettled. This episode, however, left me fully satisfied: in an hour, I grew to genuinely care about someone and saw something wonderful begin to happen in her life. That was nice!
Overall -- Excellent writing, excellent acting, excellent show!moreless

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Why I watch

9.6

"Superb"

By JPPT1974, May 22, 2006 Report Abuse

Lily usually is buttoned down and never lets her emotions
Get to her when she is working a case but boy
They do this time as she nearly jeopardizes the case
What is worse though is that she also nearly loses
Her job in the process. But the sympathetic father figure Lt knows that he can't afford to lose her as she is
The best detective and the only female on his force
Again great show and great writing!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Highlight for a spoiler: Orlando was killed on March 9, 2005. Wilder Dautry died two months later in May 2005. Edit
Notes
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- International Airdates: - Denmark: June 7, 2006 on TV3+ - Slovakia: August 9, 2007 on Markíza Edit
- In the CBS press release for this episode, Ted and Jane Robinson's last name was listed as Holden. Edit
- Music Featured in This Episode: - Float On by Modest Mouse - Munich by Editors - Somewhere Only We Know by Keane - Save Me by Unwritten Law - Fallin' by Cactus Grove - The Reason by Hoobastank - Jerk It Out by Caesars - Collide by Howie Day Edit
Quotes
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- Joseph: (in a flashback to his foster mom) You're the mother of the year, Reba. Thanks for everything. Lilly: (in the present) Sounds like the same award my mom was up for. Edit
- Joseph: Does it... feel like we've met before or something? Lilly: (deadpan) No. Edit
- Det. Vera: (about Lilly) She on her way in? Scotty: Nah. She's, uh, takin' a sick day. Det. Vera: She never takes off sick. [...] Det. Vera: Lil's sick. Det. Jeffries: She's never sick. Edit
Allusions
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- Joseph's cats: Archer and Laura Archer was the name of Sam Spade's partner in the movie Maltese Falcon (the movie being watched at the start of the episode.) Laura is the name of the main character in the movie by the same name that the episode is loosely based on. Edit
- The black-and-white movie Joseph and the kids are watching in the beginning of the episode is The Maltese Falcon (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. Edit
- Joseph: This isn't as Ted Kaczynski as it looks. For years, Ted Kaczynski was only known as the Unabomber who sent deadly mail bombs to his enemies. He killed three people and injured 29. He sent a manifesto to several major newspapers and told them he would not commit any more bombings if they published it. After the manifesto was published, David Kaczynski told the FBI it sounded like his brother Ted's style of writing and this led to the Unabomber being captured. Joseph thinks that the isolated farmhouse where he's staying might resemble the Unabomber's shack in the Montana wilderness. Edit