Mosaic continues to spotlight Joel (the first episode has Nate telling him he's under arrest) as the murderer of Olivia, as Petra and Nate orchestrate a trap to bait him. This goes on before Olivia's body is found, and the end sure enough provides the corpse that had eluded the local authorities. Joel is obviously paranoid and concerned because he seems to be suffering "lost time". Ilsa from Finland does give us details that up until this episode were absent from us...a woman Joel "almost" slept with, too drunk and tired to accomplish that. But the time he was supposedly at the movie until 11:57 (very precise and explicitly remembered by the current assistant teacher Joel reacquaints himself with in the hopes of filling in the gaps that are missing) remain a passage he so desperately strives to recover. Petra considers him certainly the likely suspect and Nate continues to goad him into a corner he can't escape. The discovery of the body separates Nate from Petra's investigation, while Joel frustratingly looks for another suspect to replace him. Visiting someone who knew the maid and conversation regarding Cameron (a thief) don't quite work in Joel's favor as he so aims for as Petra pokes holes in the motives for returning to the safe on New Year's. Obviously, the show hanging everything on Joel puts such a target on him that it would appear he's just too easy a bullseye. And he isn't the only one who would have had reasons to kill Olivia. As Joel says to Petra, a lot of folks were pissed as Olivia and would benefit from her demise. To just zero in on Joel would be to the detriment of both Nate and Petra. But Eric's life is currently impacted by an implication he very well could be innocent of. So Petra is invested in getting to the real truth. Meanwhile the episode recognizes Alan's interest in seeing the case remain closed and Eric in jail while Nate must uncomfortably avoid tensions with him. Alan confronts Nate about "taking the case from him" and how continued interest in investigating the case stems from not being in charge back when the case was officially closed. Nate having to back Alan away from the crime scene when Olivia's body is eventually found, also pushing back Joel and Petra who arrive stunned by this development, shifts the tides considerably. I could see why the fixed gaze on Joel as the killer is an option for the show to go with, piling on the suspicion considering his behavior, and he does increasingly look guilty as the episode (and series) reaches the cliffhanger concluding Ilsa from Finland. This kind of bait is par for the course in murder mysteries and whodunits. There is clearly so much more to the story, though. Poor Frank having to work against Joel although he doesn't seem to believe he's at all responsible for Olivia's murder does further reasoning behind Petra and Nate narrowing their sights on him. Petra does carefully gauge his reactions to things and Joel does fail to disguise worry that they suspect him. So the different sides trying to poker face each other is part of the show's allure...what if all sides are so busy attentively looking in the wrong direction? Petra might very well want to not have such tunnel vision...but it'd be easy to see why she would considering Eric remains in prison as long as another suspect doesn't emerge to create reasonable doubt. With Petra trying to coerce Nate away from talking about how pretty and smart she is and dialogue about his wife's handicap (and her interest in Petra and Eric's back story), confined to a wheelchair due to a wreck on the ice, Ilsa from Finland covers some interesting character ground. And now that Olivia has been found, the pressure will undoubtedly turn the screw on Joel. Whether or not the first episode regarding Joel being the identified killer holds up as fact remains to be seen...
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