A Dozen Red Roses - Seduction to Deception
Season 1 episode 19: When former senator Felix Hanson is murdered on Hollywood Boulevard the team discovers he is financing a movie for his actress wife.
The episode opens on a typical California morning - this time on Hollywood Boulevard. The sun is shining and the palm trees sway in a slight breeze.
Lisbon and Jane approach the taped off crime scene on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a crowd begins to gather along with a local news crew sets up for up to the minute coverage. As the CBI pair walk towards the body, located at the back of the lot. Former senator Hanson is sprawled on the ground with three gunshot to his chest while Rigsby and Van Pelt collect the victim’s belongings and make their notes. Could this be the scene of a mugging? The whole scene has Rigsby questioning why the CBI team has been called onto Hollywood Homicide turf. All becomes clear when Lisbon confirms the victim’s identity as a former California senator. His work as a crusader against the drug trade has Lisbon recognize him as a “good guy” who made a few enemies along the way.
Suddenly, Rigsby remembers that Hanson is married to a well known former actress named Felicia Scott (played by Rebecca Rigg). As they continue to canvas for potential witnesses, Cho and Jane focus on the passable Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin impersonators who were on the scene when the first officers arrived.
Jane asks them for the missing keys or rather the valet parking ticket they stole from the dead man. Charlie sighs as he takes the ticket from under his hat and hands it to Jane. After a short probing the CBI duo run the impersonators off. It turns out the valet ticket reveals the victim’s car with a drug stash in the trunk.
As usual, there will be no spoilers shared in this post so it can enjoyed by fans and new viewers alike. This is on purpose so I hope you approve. At the least it’s hoped to act as a reminder to rewatch the show, or to encourage others to check it out for the first time.
Context
Jane and Lisbon discover that Hanson had dinner with a film director named Gabriel Fanning (played by Marcus Giamatti) the night before his death, which their interview with the director reveals that Hanson was actually financing the movie that stars the victims wife, Felicia Scott. Jane’s radar goes off when he learns that the two men split the bill for dinner. Who does that when you dine with someone giving you millions of dollars?
Back at headquarters, Van Pelt learns the victim’s last phone call was to a convicted felon named Freddie Ross, an actor. Jane and Lisbon go off to meet Felicia Scott and her teenage step daughter Sydney Hanson (played by Sarah Foret).
During questioning, a tearful Felicia explains she must return to the film set immediately due to insurance obligations for the film, and that Sydney has a small speaking part in the movie as her father wanted. She denies her husband did drugs and Sydney insists she knows nothing about the drugs in the trunk of the car. In the meantime, Sydney is distracted by a picture of a young Brandon Fulton (Michael Trevino) who she is secretly dating.
Recap
On the movie set Mitch Cavanaugh (Matt Winston), Gabriel’s agent blocks Jane and Lisbon’s approach to his client’s trailer, only stepping aside when Jane cold reads him and makes him uncomfortable. As they enter the trailer, Lisbon immediately sees the array of pills lying around and decides to bust Gabriel for possession, annoyed by his attitude to their questions. Gabriel admits the victim had decided to pull his money from the movie project and that his death was convenient, all things considered.
As filming starts, Felicia struggles with the scene currently being shot and disagrees with the director’s demands. While this is happening, Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt follow Mitch to a party house where they unexpectedly find Sydney, picking her up for questioning. Back at headquarters Mitch has some interesting information to share adding a few more layers to the mystery. Jane and Lisbon return to Felicia Scott’s home with more questions than answers as they attempt to unravel the tangles that are now becoming apparent.
It seems there will need to be a confession before the CBI team will be able to close this case.
While this episode has some warm interplay between CBI team members it’s still not one of my favourite episodes in this first season, which is a shame since Felicia Scott was played by Simon Baker’s real life wife (at the time) Rebecca Rigg. Their closing scene together was touching, but acting wise it was the bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre episode. Did I think it was worth watching? Yes I did, but it didn’t hold my attention the way most other season one episodes did. There was the aspect of “peeling the onion” to discover who was responsible for the crime that was interesting so that helped move the story along. Still, it did bring up some recognizable actions from the characters involved.
They Said
In this episode there were these choice words:
Cho: “I could arrest you for that.” Jane responds: “You’ll never take me alive, copper.” Cho: “Seriously.” Jane: “Seriously, it’s Marilyn and Charlie. What - do you want to make a comedy arrest? See your name written in the ‘Weird News’ section?”
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