The Good Death

The best episodes of this often way over the top crime series are like individual movies - little slices of life that explore an issue. This is one of those episodes. Jay Stratton (Anthony Starke) is a nasty, cold hearted business executive with many enemies. Having been dying of a brain tumour, he is now, years later, found to have died from a morphine overdose. Is it murder? Or euthanasia? It's a whodunnit, because most people he knew, even his own son, despised him. Starke turns on a stunning performance, as the wisecracking, bitter and ultimately regretful Stratton. Equally compelling is well known character actress Lynda Boyd, as his long suffering wife, Ellen. For once, these two actors' scenes together steal scenes from detective Lily Rush (Kathryn Morris) and her team. The episode is moving and well written and directed.

The other reviews here very well capture the story and excellence of this episode, so I won't belabor the details of the story.

It's easy for stories like this to descend into melodrama. The temptation to go over the top can be irresistible. But the performers, most especially Anthony Starke and Lynda Boyd, don't step wrong even once. They capture the disintegration of a marriage, but also the stubborn persistence of a husband and wife's love for each other.

The lessons of the story, which may seem trite, hit like a velvet freight train, human and shattering, yet still full of a love and an awful truth of what, in the end, remains, and is really all that ever mattered.

Perfect.

Very strong story about what is important in life. The final song "Good Day" by Paul Westerberg is beautiful. I actually downloaded it to my favorites play list. I highly recommend this episode. You will not forget it. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy.