This episode could have easily been a 10. The writing, the story, the casting, the investigation, etc, all great in this episode. It didn't feel repetitive, didn't seem like a story they've told before, the characters were well layered and complex. Hayden Panettiere was the perfect casting choice for the character she played. The only reason it gets a 6, the is a giant gaping massive hole in the plot that ruins the ending, which in turn kind of ruins the entire episode.
***SPOILER*** * * * * * * * * * The hole in the story, the second murder makes no sense and the way they discovered the evidence makes even less sense.
Hayden's character claims she killed the doctor because he wouldn't give her the sex tape they made, but says he wouldn't give it to her BECAUSE he would be in trouble if it got out. I'm going to skip right over 2 other issues, one being if Hayden's character was so desperate to make sure no one would ever see the tape, why did she keep it? The first thing she would have done is destroy the tape (which is apparently what they both wanted), so there is no reasoning as to why she would keep the tape. She had for days, she could have destroyed it, recorded over it, burned it, thrown it away into a public city dumpster, anything would make more sense than keeping the tape in your locker. Second issue I'm overlooking, it makes no sense for the doctor to be this concerned when it's already out. They know he had an ongoing sexual relationship with a minor, etc etc. His family knew, the police knew, the added charge of making child porn is so far down the list of the crimes they already knew, that it doesn't make too much sense as to why he would be that concerned. But ignoring that, these two people wanted the same thing. She wanted to make sure no one saw the tape, he was afraid of anyone knowing he had that tape, but wanted the tape gone. There is no possible reason whatsoever for them to fight over it. They were there in the same room alone with the tape, they could have destroyed it together and both get exactly what they wanted. It means no sense for Hayden's character to kill the doctor because the doctor wanted the same goal as her, making sure that tape never got out. It's honestly so obviously a hole in the story, I can't imagine how no one cared enough to make the ending make sense. It's not just not believable, it's the exact opposite response anyone could ever imagine in this context. He's dead because they agreed on the topic? What's worse, they could have fixed this issue with the tiniest little change. If Hayden's character in the ending confession had said, "the doctor wouldn't give it to me because he said it was all he had left to remember the victim, and he can't let go of her, he loved her too much to lose the tape" the whole thing would have made sense. They don't have to change anything in the story or scenes or anything but a few words being different in the confession. It would have actually made sense for both characters, as opposed to the Doctor really having no reason for his choice, and Hayden's character's reaction would have made sense, compared to what was shown, which made no sense.
Imagine every single detail of this episode being the same, the only change at all is, instead of Hayden saying she shot the doctor because she went to see him to get the tape to make sure it never got out, and he wouldn't give it to her because he was afraid of the tape getting out; she says she shot the doctor because she went to seem him to get the tape back to make sure it never got out, and she says the doctor instead responded by saying no, BUT the reason he says no isn't that he totally agrees with her and the both of them want the same thing.
If he said no because he wanted to keep the tape, there would be a reason for Hayden's reaction. It fits better into both characters and the whole story. The doctor did very little to cover his tracks and seemed to care very little about the consequences of his actions, even leaving his wife and child to move to NYC to be with her. At every opportunity he picked the dumb illegal choice, all because he's that obsessed with the girl. So, it would better fit his character to want to keep the tape because he always puts his obsession for the victim ahead of any possible personal or legal consequences. Him suddenly picking the safer thing over the victim doesn't play into his character and is entirely opposite of the character. Like, it's crazy to me how this could have all been different by changing just one sentence. It could have been a great episode had it not been for this obvious issue of it not making any sense and ruining the ending.
***SPOILER*** * * * * * * * * * The hole in the story, the second murder makes no sense and the way they discovered the evidence makes even less sense.
Hayden's character claims she killed the doctor because he wouldn't give her the sex tape they made, but says he wouldn't give it to her BECAUSE he would be in trouble if it got out. I'm going to skip right over 2 other issues, one being if Hayden's character was so desperate to make sure no one would ever see the tape, why did she keep it? The first thing she would have done is destroy the tape (which is apparently what they both wanted), so there is no reasoning as to why she would keep the tape. She had for days, she could have destroyed it, recorded over it, burned it, thrown it away into a public city dumpster, anything would make more sense than keeping the tape in your locker. Second issue I'm overlooking, it makes no sense for the doctor to be this concerned when it's already out. They know he had an ongoing sexual relationship with a minor, etc etc. His family knew, the police knew, the added charge of making child porn is so far down the list of the crimes they already knew, that it doesn't make too much sense as to why he would be that concerned. But ignoring that, these two people wanted the same thing. She wanted to make sure no one saw the tape, he was afraid of anyone knowing he had that tape, but wanted the tape gone. There is no possible reason whatsoever for them to fight over it. They were there in the same room alone with the tape, they could have destroyed it together and both get exactly what they wanted. It means no sense for Hayden's character to kill the doctor because the doctor wanted the same goal as her, making sure that tape never got out. It's honestly so obviously a hole in the story, I can't imagine how no one cared enough to make the ending make sense. It's not just not believable, it's the exact opposite response anyone could ever imagine in this context. He's dead because they agreed on the topic? What's worse, they could have fixed this issue with the tiniest little change. If Hayden's character in the ending confession had said, "the doctor wouldn't give it to me because he said it was all he had left to remember the victim, and he can't let go of her, he loved her too much to lose the tape" the whole thing would have made sense. They don't have to change anything in the story or scenes or anything but a few words being different in the confession. It would have actually made sense for both characters, as opposed to the Doctor really having no reason for his choice, and Hayden's character's reaction would have made sense, compared to what was shown, which made no sense.
Imagine every single detail of this episode being the same, the only change at all is, instead of Hayden saying she shot the doctor because she went to see him to get the tape to make sure it never got out, and he wouldn't give it to her because he was afraid of the tape getting out; she says she shot the doctor because she went to seem him to get the tape back to make sure it never got out, and she says the doctor instead responded by saying no, BUT the reason he says no isn't that he totally agrees with her and the both of them want the same thing.
If he said no because he wanted to keep the tape, there would be a reason for Hayden's reaction. It fits better into both characters and the whole story. The doctor did very little to cover his tracks and seemed to care very little about the consequences of his actions, even leaving his wife and child to move to NYC to be with her. At every opportunity he picked the dumb illegal choice, all because he's that obsessed with the girl. So, it would better fit his character to want to keep the tape because he always puts his obsession for the victim ahead of any possible personal or legal consequences. Him suddenly picking the safer thing over the victim doesn't play into his character and is entirely opposite of the character. Like, it's crazy to me how this could have all been different by changing just one sentence. It could have been a great episode had it not been for this obvious issue of it not making any sense and ruining the ending.