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Description[]

Human remains found at the bottom of a well are matched to a woman, Audrey Metz who disappeared on October 30, 1938; the night of Orson Welles' infamous "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which many people mistook for a real Martian invasion. Meanwhile for Vera, a chance encounter at a hospital might mean a second chance with Toni.

Synopsis[]

Back in 1938 on the night of Orson Welles’ ”War of the Worlds” live radio broadcast a young wife and mother, Audrey Metz, vanished as her husband and son fled the neighborhood to escape the invading ”Martians.”

After decades of wild speculation on the nature of Audrey’s disappearance, her body is found at the bottom of a well. Her son explains that money was tight back then with his dad out of work because of the Great Depression, and soon a friend of Audrey’s relates that she was a ”taxi dancer” to make money to feed her son. At the dance hall, Audrey became close to a wealthy widower, Will Paige, but they never danced. He bought her dance tickets, and they talked about their lives each evening.

But Audrey’s husband, Felton, found out she was dancing for money, and he was infuriated. But they came to an understanding, and Audrey continued to dance. Things changed for Audrey and Will when Audrey found out Will’s wife was still alive. He tried to get Audrey to run away with him, and she refused.

But the night of ”War of the Worlds,” Audrey wanted to spend her last moments with Will. She found him at the dance hall and they had their last dance. When Audrey went home that night, she confessed about Will to Felton. Though Audrey was going to stay because of their son, Felton flew into a rage and strangled her.

Though now an old man with Alzheimer’s disease, Felton is arrested. Meanwhile, Vera has an epiphany spurred on by Audrey and Will’s romance. He finds Toni at her hospital and tries to woo her back. Though she hesitates, later she finds Vera at the station and brings a Sinatra CD with her. They’re on.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

And[]

Co-Starring[]

Notes[]

  • The 100th episode.
  • As with many cases from the 30s and 40s, the older actors are much younger than the character they play are supposed to be. Ralph Waite was only ten years old at the time of the real "War of the Worlds" broadcast. Julianna McCarthy was only nine. Peter Haskell was barely four years old (his birthday is October 15, and the broadcast was on October 30). Lawrence Pressman wasn't even born until the following year. Len Lesser comes closest to being his character's age. He would have been just over a month short of his sixteenth birthday.
  • John Stillman says he and his wife hurried home to check on the kids the night of the broadcast, which would have made him somewhere around 90 years old as the squad's Lieutenant.
  • This episode draws many parallels with the first season episode "Churchgoing People". In both cases, the victim was murdered in their home (then discarded elsewhere) by their spouse shortly after the revelation that they'd been seeing someone else. In both cases, the killer suffered from Alzheimer's in the present and was cared for by their son (who initially protects them, to some degree, from the investigation). In both cases, the killer, in their confused state, confuses Lilly with someone else, which she uses to her advantage. Both episodes end with the killer being arrested or locked up, though it seems unlikely, in either case, that the killer would be considered fit to stand trial.
  • In all likelihood in his late nineties if not older, Felton Metz is the oldest doer seen on the show, excluding the long-deceased killers in "Torn" and "Beautiful Little Fool."
  • This is the last episode to feature a case from the 30's.
  • This is the oldest case where the detectives were able to arrest the killer.
  • Last appearance of Sonja Sohn as Toni Halstead.

Music[]

  • Artie Shaw "Begin the Beguine"
  • Benny Goodman "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes"
  • Count Basie "Jumpin' at the Woodside"
  • Ralph Flanagan "Always"
  • Bing Crosby "It's Easy to Remember"
  • Glenn Miller & His Orchestra "Moonlight Serenade"
  • Closing Song: Frank Sinatra "Always"
Season 5 Episodes
Thrill Kill | That Woman | Running Around | Devil Music | Thick as Thieves | Wunderkind | World's End | It Takes a Village | Boy Crazy | Justice | Family 8108 | Sabotage | Spiders | Andy in C Minor | The Road | Bad Reputation | Slipping | Ghost of My Child

See More Cases[]

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Season 2
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Season 3
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Season 4
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Season 5
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Season 6
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