Writer: Bruce Rasmussen
Director: Felix Enriquez Alcala
Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Matt Malloy (Stan Rastow), Gina Ravera (Lisa Lincoln), Scott Halberstadt (Roger), Jeanette Brox (Jolie), Pat Crawford Brown (Margo), Owen Beckman (Jimmy Davis), Jermaine "Scooter" Smith (Jack Lincoln), Stephen Tobolowsky (Wally Anderson), Greg Cipes (Hunter), John Dennis (Glenn "Surfer" Bassett), Derek Carter (Jake), Sven Holmberg (Sergei), Romeo Brown (Trey) & Stephen Fuil (Desi)
Director: Felix Enriquez Alcala
Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Detective Michael Raines), Nicole Sullivan (Carolyn Crumley), Matt Craven (Captain Daniel Lewis), Malik Yoba (Charlie Lincoln), Madeleine Stowe (Dr. Kohl), Linda Park (Sally Lance), Dov Davidoff (Remi Boyer), Matt Malloy (Stan Rastow), Gina Ravera (Lisa Lincoln), Scott Halberstadt (Roger), Jeanette Brox (Jolie), Pat Crawford Brown (Margo), Owen Beckman (Jimmy Davis), Jermaine "Scooter" Smith (Jack Lincoln), Stephen Tobolowsky (Wally Anderson), Greg Cipes (Hunter), John Dennis (Glenn "Surfer" Bassett), Derek Carter (Jake), Sven Holmberg (Sergei), Romeo Brown (Trey) & Stephen Fuil (Desi)
A young drug dealer, with aspirations to become a comic book illustrator and change his life, is found dead. Meanwhile, Raines is concerned about Charlie's son and agrees to let Samantha try and help him..."I came out here thinking I was gonna be the next Raymond Chandler.
I figured, you live here, you write like him. 'Dead men are heavier than broken hearts.'"
I figured, you live here, you write like him. 'Dead men are heavier than broken hearts.'"
-- Michael Raines (Jeff Goldblum)
This was the first episode since the intriguing Pilot that I can honestly say I enjoyed watching all the way through, even if the eventual resolution was a bit silly. I think the reason it was an easier watch boils down to genial moments of comedy in the script by Bruce Rasmussen – who once won a Golden Globe for his work on early-90s sitcom Roseanne.
Stone Dead finds Raines (Jeff Goldblum) trying to solve the murder of a 20-year-old comic-book illustrator called Jimmy (Owen Beckman) who was also a drug dealer, after his body is discovered with two stab wounds.
There's an engaging melancholy about the show, as Raines' chatting away to his "imaginary Jimmy" serves to remind you how the boy is ultimately lost and deserving of justice. It's a nice change from other shows, where psychic mediums actually converse with ghosts – as that offers immediate assurance of an afterlife to the viewer. But in Raines, the dead are dead, and we feel empathy exclusively through Raines overactive imagination, and desire to bring those responsible to justice...
Rasmussen gives star Jeff Goldblum more opportunities to be funny here, which is definitely the way to go. Earlier episodes hinted at Raines' humour and off-kilter attitude, but Stone Dead is the first episode that really makes him an enjoyably "kooky detective". A scene where he makes tough-looking black gang members crack a smile by wiggling his ears, is the best example of this. Goldblum is an odd, but engaging screen presence, and this episode full exploits his personality.
Given Jimmy's hobby, the episode also explores the subculture of geeks (comic-book stores and prissy collectors) and chilled-out stoners (a group of pot-head teens and a weed-smoking granny). Raines is amusingly befuddled by this geeky world, although his relaxed attitude to drugs is fun to play with – as one youth hilariously bails through a window seconds after Raines arrives on their doorstep and shows his police badge.
The supporting cast are still not being used, which is a shame when you Matt Craven makes his small appearances as Captain Lewis count for so much, and Madeleine Stowe is really quite splendid as the kindly psychiatrist Dr Kohl.
A subplot about Raines' involvement in his dead partner Charlie's home-life is also very welcome, as it's revealed he's taken it upon himself to help Charlie's family cope with their grief. He picks up Charlie's son Jack (Jermaine Scooter Smith) from school most days, and tries to be a "surrogate father" as best he can at their home, with the blessing of Charlie's widow Lisa (Gina Ravera).
There are some problems with Stone Dead towards the end, though. The killer's identity isn't as easy to guess (thankfully), but it was quite a stretch the way Raines solved the case using Jimmy's artwork (which spilled out his unconscious feelings an gave clues to what happened to cause his death). I didn't think the circumstances surrounding Jimmy's death rang very true, and the episode ended on a few yucky notes at the comic-book store – displaying Jimmy's artwork in testament to the loss of his talent. It was all a bit too wholesome and neatly tied together for my taste, particularly with Jimmy's gawky girlfriend being drawn as a beautiful archangel.
There were also a few times when Rasmussen's background in comedy became a bit too overt for a crime drama – with the arrival of a blind sniffer dog, in a scene played entirely for laughs, being the worst offender. And I could have done without the cliché of a middle-aged police sketch artist still living at home with his (unseen) battleaxe mother! But, for the most part, the comedy/drama balance was maintained very well, with this episode evoking a similar vibe to Monk at times – complete with that show's tendency to end with faintly-silly resolutions!
It was an enjoyable story, with a strong subplot with Jack to boost its focus on the amusing (if never riveting, or ultimately rewarding) investigation. I certainly found it entertaining to watch, and Goldblum was on top form throughout.
18 February 2008
ITV3, 9.00 pm
