The Last Drive-In (28 Mar. 2010)

When ballistics tie a recent murder case of Rush's to a serial killer who was seemingly inactive for 27 years, a tough FBI agent with ties to Stillman shows up to enlist the team's aid in ... See full summary »

Director:

Chris Fisher

Writers:

Meredith Stiehm (creator), Elwood Reid

Stars:

Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Kathryn Morris	...	Lilly Rush
Danny Pino	...	Scotty Valens
John Finn	...	John Stillman
Jeremy Ratchford	...	Nick Vera
Thom Barry	...	Will Jeffries
Tracie Thoms	...	Kat Miller
Johnny Messner	...	Ryan Cavanaugh
JB Blanc	...	Paul Shepard '10
Jon Gries	...	Bill Shepard
Donna Pescow	...	Nancy Kent '10
William Russ	...	Tim Hudson '10
Melissa Ordway	...	Diane Yates '80
Julie Ariola	...	Betty Schmall
Mac Brandt	...	Preston Schmall
Jonathan Brett	...	Paul Shepard '78

Storyline

When ballistics tie a recent murder case of Rush's to a serial killer who was seemingly inactive for 27 years, a tough FBI agent with ties to Stillman shows up to enlist the team's aid in finding the killer who has eluded her for 30 years, on Part One of a two-part episode.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerry Bruckheimer Television, CBS Television Studios, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

The sniper

The episode begins as a two teens are seen in one of the last drive-in in the Philadelphia area which is about to close. The young man's date, a beautiful blond, wants them to go to the back seat to be more comfortable as they begin to kiss each other. When the boy gets out of the car, he is shot from the back. A figure in a military-like parka is seen to inspect about the murdered man, but he is obviously the killer. He is wearing a military green parka, but we never learn his identity.

Diane Yates, a former detective, now a FBI agent, arrives at the Cold Case headquarters. She has been following the sniper that has left a trail of death since 1980. Diane is introduced to Lily, but it becomes apparent the agent does not like her. Diane confesses to Lily she was instrumental in breaking Stillman's marriage. As the team reopens the investigation, Diane does not endear to Lily, Danny, or Kat. In fact, she is just plain rude in the way she treats everyone. As Lily goes over the case with Diane, a photo of the last murder, reveals a shadow hiding in the trees. That figure belongs to a homeless man that saw what happened from his hiding place. He also tells the detectives he saw a man in a green army parka go to the victim, then disappear.

The detectives go to witnesses of the different killings and a figure of Bill Shepard, the man that ran the drive-in where the first murder was committed, and how he ties to all the different victims in ways the Cold Case team cannot understand. Things get out of hand when Diane and Lily go to a remote area in search of Shepard only to witness a postman get injured in front of their own eyes.

At this point, Diane's superior arrives in the area to reprimand his subordinate because she has been acting on her own accord, without the permission of the Bureau. Diane and Lily manage to get away for a moment to check Bill Shepard's house. What they find there astonishes us because we suddenly realize a twist in the story, one we did not see coming.

"The Last Drive-in" was written by Elwood Reid and directed by Chris Fisher. This is a two-part installment on the Cold Case series. It is one of the best plotted chapters because of Mr. Reid's satisfying screenplay that keeps the viewer interested in a case that is different and keeps one trying to figure out the real reason for the senseless killings, that in the reconstruction makes one realize they are all have the same common denominator.

The episode showcases Susanna Thompson, as Diane Yates. She has great presence and does a fine job with her character. John Finn, who was connected romantically with Diane is also effective. Kathryn Morris does a fine job with Lily going head to head with Diane that has shown her scorn toward the local talented detective.