BWW Recap: FOREVER Investigates the Art of Murder

Tonight's episode starts with a scene that could have come right out of an Agatha Christie novel. An opulent party at a ritzy museum. The glitter of gowns. The shimmer of champagne. Magnificent objects of art all around. The venom of a vicious old woman as she belittles the city's elite. But this is no ordinary old woman; this is Gloria Carlisle, a blue-blooded billionairess and matriarch of the most prominent family of Manhattan. So everyone, from the mayor down to the curator of the museum, is more than willing to stomach her nastiness. Except, of course, for the person who murdered Gloria on the elegant marble staircase.

If this were a Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple tale, at this point, we'd start examining the family for grudges and insurance policies. Honestly, there is a bit of that, and the family is not a loving bunch by a long shot. But this being FOREVER, Dr. Henry Morgan actually knew the murder victim sixty years earlier, when she was young, beautiful and unhappy in her marriage. But she, in their brief meeting, supported him in his romance with Abigail, the woman he still loves, as seen in a flashback in an earlier museum party. So he is disinclined to leave this murder alone, even when he is taken off the case due to a major mistake by his junior coroner, Lucas (a lovelorn sad-sack who's becoming a welcome presence in the show himself).

Since Henry was off the job, there was less opportunity for his brilliant deductions, as the body was moved before several procedures could be performed. Jo solved that little problem by inviting him along to aid the investigation. That move made the show more procedural than CSI and gave Henry some opportunity to exercise his powers of observation on something other than viscera and abrasions. For example, there was the fact that the body had been moved, probably on its own steam. He raised the possibility that a missing vial of prescription drugs could have been the actual murder weapon. Oh, and there was also a small detail that permitted an afterhours liver biopsy that may make funeral homes seem even less inviting than usual.

This episode is perhaps less philosophical than the earlier ones and I, surprisingly, missed that aspect. FOREVER has been an interesting exercise in balancing its several key elements: the murder of the week, the historical flashbacks to Henry's past, and the relationships between the characters that revolve around an emotional or psychological link to the current death. For example, last week observed Abe, Henry's "son", and his interest in youth, unsurprising in the context of having an immortal for a father, within an episode centering on a very creepy anti-aging clinic. Frankly, the weekly murder has been the weakest part of the three elements. Tonight, however, more emphasis is given to the mystery of Gloria's death and the establishment of stand-alone characters outside the regular ensemble. Here, we got a taste of Gloria's imperious son, her skittish grandson-in-law to be and her cool Slavic nurse, as well as the Brothers Berkowitz, Abe's slimy competitors in the antique trade. (I'm rooting for them to recur!) The flashbacks were also played up and those are always welcome. But the emphasis on the relations between Henry, Jo and Abe were missed, although we were treated to some more time with Lucas and Jo's hardnosed Lieutenant.

Tonight's was fun entry in this establishing series. It felt a bit more like a regular old mystery show than usual, although the mystery was not particularly deep. A number of red herrings were trotted out, but for people who get a kick out of an old fashioned whodunit, it was an enjoyable show.

Unfortunately for the fans who are really becoming intrigued by the relationships among the ensemble players and, particularly, Jo's gradual uncovering of pieces of Henry's secrets, this was not a show that was filled with revelations. Henry did tell Jo that his wife's name was Abigail. We also found out that he did not like to go to the museum (full disclosure, the front of the museum is actually the Manhattan County Courthouse) and the climax of the episode revealed the bittersweet reason for his aversion. However, it was a nice little mystery and had a romantic edge to it. Since it represented a departure from the rhythms established in the earlier three episodes, it opens further possibilities of where we can go from here. And, for two weeks in a row, Henry made it through to the end without dying!

So, what's your favorite aspect: the mystery, the flashbacks or the relationships? How long do think Henry can continue to survive before the show runners feel the need to know him off again, however briefly? Please feel free to chime in!

And for a sampling of next week's show:

Photo Credit: John Clifford | ABC