Schadenfreude was the first episode of Cold Case I watched, so although it isn't the strongest episode, it has special meaning to me.
The storyline is classic Cold Case: new evidence (a missing ring discovered on the body of a dead junkie) leads the team to reopen a murder case (the death of a surgeon's wife in her own home). The twist: her husband, the only other person in the house at the time of her death, was convicted and has been imprisoned for 23 years.
The strongest element of the episode is the interaction between Lilly and the convicted Dr. Chase. He has the stereotypical doctor's arrogance but with the hard edge of knowing that he has lost so many years of his life for a crime he did not commit. Lilly walks a fine line between compassion and contempt with this difficult character, who may well in fact be guilty, and her scenes with him crackle.
The investigation uncovers evidence that Dr. Chase's improbable story of rushing downstairs to find his wife dead and a dark haired man and blonde woman escaping out the front door may have some validity. Along the way, the episode highlights one of Cold Case's strengths: the murderer is, in my view, a sympathetic character while the victim is less than pure. By blurring these lines between good and evil, CC provides emotional punch and depth of character. The resolution makes sense given the characters that we have met during the hour.
I'm also a sucker for the soundtrack. The 70's/80's episodes almost always have great music, regardless of the rest of the episode. And Schadenfreude is a solid and enjoyable episode that deserves credit for getting me hooked--highly recommended.moreless
AIRED:
A man claims that he was wrongfully convicted of the 1982 murder of his rich wife. The case is reopened when the victim's rare ring is discovered worn by a recently deceased junkie.
 Jeremy Ratchford |
Det. Nick Vera |
 Thom Barry |
Det. Will Jeffries |
 John Finn |
Lt. John Stillman |
 Kathryn Morris |
Det. Lilly Rush |
 Danny Pino |
Scotty Valens |
 Linda Purl |
Diane Moore (2005) |
Guest Star |
 Jenna von Oy |
Kitty (1982) |
Guest Star |
 Andrea Savage |
Lindsay (1982) |
Guest Star |
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (1)
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Goof: According to the title card, Lindsay was killed on January 2, 1982. However, her case box said June of 1982 and the original preview of the show said she was killed in 1984.
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QUOTES (1)
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Nick: Do you know if Lindsay and Mike ever met again?
Tim: If they did, she'd be dead.
Scotty: Actually, she is dead.
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NOTES (5)
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International Episode Titles:
Czech Republic: Škodolibost (Schadenfreude) -
International Airdates:
- Denmark: April 13, 2005 on TV3+ -
Actress Andi Eystad (young Melanie) was born in 1982, the year of the events in this episode.
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Music Featured in This Episode:
- Under Pressure by David Bowie ft. Queen
- Save a Prayer by Duran Duran
- Still in Pain from Manhattan Production Music Library
- Caught up in You by .38 Special
- Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
- All Night from MasterSource Music Catalog
- 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone
- Wish I Never Met You by Dave Feldstein, Scott Nickoley, and Jamie Dunlap
- Don't Stop Believing by Journey -
The episode title, Schadenfreude, is German and means the feeling of malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others. There is no equivalent word in English but it could also be translated as "malicious glee or gloating".
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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Some details of this story are borrowed from the real-life case of Dr. Sam Sheppard. His wife Marilyn was murdered and he claimed to have seen a man with bushy hair fleeing the scene. A jury didn't believe him and he was convicted of murder. The Sheppard case also inspired two TV series (The Fugitive (1963), The Fugitive (2000)) and the 1993 movie The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford.
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Season 2 Episodes
See AllEp 23
The Woods
Ep 22
Best Friends
Ep 21
Creatures of the Night
Ep 20
Kensington
Ep 19
Strange Fruit
Ep 18
Ravaged
Ep 17
Schadenfreude
Ep 16
Revenge
Ep 15
Wishing
Ep 14
Revolution
Ep 13
Time to Crime
Ep 12
Yo, Adrian
Ep 11
Blank Generation
Ep 10
Discretions
Ep 9
Mind Hunters
Ep 8
Red Glare
Ep 7
It's Raining Men
Ep 6
The Sleepover
Ep 5
Who's Your Daddy
Ep 4
The House
Ep 3
Daniela
Ep 2
Factory Girls
Ep 1
The Badlands
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