"Cold Case"
The Key (2006)

Director:

David Barrett

Writer:

Jennifer Johnson (writer)

TV Series:

"Cold Case" (2003)

Original Air Date:

5 November 2006 (Season 4, Episode 7)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

The team reopens a 1979 murder of a schoolteacher when new evidence, including a key-chain belonging...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Older Woman Younger Man | Suicide Attempt | Adultery | Husband Wife Relationship

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 30

10:00 PM

TNT

The Key

#4.7

Cast

Kathryn Morris	...	Lilly Rush
Danny Pino	...	Scotty Valens
John Finn	...	John Stillman
Jeremy Ratchford	...	Nick Vera
Thom Barry	...	Will Jeffries
Tracie Thoms	...	Kat Miller
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Allen Alvarado	...	Young Scotty Valens
Tay Blessey	...	Young Helena Bradley
Ben Bode	...	Jed Huxley
Jaye Browning	...	CSU Tech
Catherine Elizabeth Buell	...	Gold Dress Girl
Nestor Carbonell	...	Mike Valens
Diane Cary	...	Alison Huxley
Allison Dunbar	...	Alison Huxley
Matthew Glave	...	Carl Bradley
Gregory Graham	...	Blond Party Guest
Darwin Harris	...	Detective Will Jeffries
Lorenzo James Henrie	...	Young Mike (as James Henrie)
Jay Huguley	...	Joe Livingston
Ele Keats	...	Helena Bradley
Angela Little	...	Julie Livingston
J. Patrick McCormack	...	Bill Huxley
George Newbern	...	Bill Huxley
Bonnie Root	...	A.D.A. Alexandra Thomas
Annie Wersching	...	Libby Bradley
Mark L. Young	...	Jed Huxley at 15

Trivia:

The detectives state that a total solar eclipse happened on the day of the murder, February 26, 1979. This is true, but in Pennsylvania, it was only a partial solar eclipse, not total, as depicted in the show. (The path of totality was further North.)

Soundtrack:

Best of My Love

Annie Wersching Shines in this Episode

It is the height of the sexual revolution and a man bored with his schoolmarm wife pushes her into a 'key party'. Never once did it enter his head that another man might want her. Never once did it enter his head that she might blossom into a babe which she does. Never once did it enter his head that 'open marriage' cuts both ways. Never once did it enter his head that she would get the 'better deal' instead of him.

Annie Wersching does a remarkable transformation here from rejected wife who thinks she has kinda missed out on life by always playing by the rules and doing what was expected of her to 'liberated swinger' and back to responsible mom. Libby Bradley remains profoundly sympathetic throughout because she brings more generosity of heart to this situation than any of the other 'swingers' do. Unlike her husband and unlike her new lover she is a giving person. I am glad to see that Annie Wersching went on from this to "General Hospital" and will be starring in this season of "24".

The story line clearly disapproves of their actions. The fashionable at the time belief that sexual exclusivity in marriage is a 'hangup' which the truly liberated can just outgrow was on a collision course with reality. The authors of the '70's "Open Marriage" book which touted all of this themselves acknowledged in their follow up book that they got buckets of mail from people who tried it and ended up either in divorce court or going back to monogamy. It is massively "too much information" for the children to handle and much damage is done out of sheer carelessness.