BACKSTROM Recap: ‘Inescapable Truth’

Hello, BACKSTROM viewers! Did you like this episode, “Inescapable Truth”? There were some good laughs, some hints of romance, and the episode had a darker side as well. All combined, it felt a little uneven at points, but for the most part, the episode worked for me—and there certainly were many truths inescaped learned. There’s more to discuss, so let’s get to it!

THE CASE:

The team solves the case of a missing musician, Sebastian Serafian. He was part of a collective of musicians in Portland, and while no one technically had the title of leader, Sebastian wrote many songs and sang lead, giving him unofficial power in the group. The group prides itself on its commonalities and fair distribution of authority, but they are quick to turn on one another when it turns out Sebastian is dead. Some group members also where animal masks, such as bear, eagle, etc.

First, the team merely searches for him after it’s reported he escaped rehab. Backstrom and Gravely visit the facility, and see footage that he escaped. They travel to a nearby bar and see more camera footage that he got into a van and sped away. Additionally, the bartender takes a shine to Backstrom and also assumes Gravely is his daughter. Win some, lose some.

Backstrom and Gravely then question Dr. Kobrine, Sebastian’s doctor and the previous owner of the van. Almond interrupts them and is joined by Assistant District Attorney Steve Kines, who tells them Sebastian is a key witness in a pill pushing scandal about Kobrine. We see there’s a negative history between Gravely and Kines, but they both insist it’s not a romantic past. Kines also states that Kobrine couldn’t have killed Sebastian, since he has been under surveillance and wiretaps for weeks.

Niedermayer listens to Sebastian’s songs and works with Nadia to figure out where he might have gone after rehab. They find a blackstone quarry that features a cliff, and sure enough, the van is in the water and Sebastian is dead inside. He shows marks of being on drugs and hurt with an instrument string until he was unconscious, but cause of death is drowning, as someone planted an amplifier against the gas pedal. They must look for a killer with string marks on his or her hands.

Nadia points out that the band’s fluid nature means there are many suspects, and there is one person recently kicked out. Because it’s a good enough motive, Gravely and Almond pay him a visit. He insists Sebastian asked him back into the band and that he would never ruin it, as his daughter only thinks the band is cool. Almond then realizes someone at the rehab facility must have broken protocol and allowed Sebastian to make the phone call. He and Backstrom visit and identify an employee, who confesses. He also states he saw Sebastian get into the van with a female band member.

Under questioning, she admits she gave him a ride sometimes, but that she wasn’t the one driving on the night Sebastian was killed, and she didn’t tell anyone, because she didn’t want the other band members to be angry about it—and if they knew she was co-writing songs with Sebastian, they would be. When the team finds drugs on her, especially Oxycodone (Dr. Kobrine’s speciality), the decide to get the doctor to fess up.

Backstrom and Gravely visit him on the golf course and Backstrom blackmails him into telling him who he gave the pills to, the band’s drummer. Of course, Backstrom also took many pills as part of the deal, so when he questions the drummer, he’s definitely under the influence. His questioning is out of control, and his usual “I’m you” tactic gets crazy fast. But it’s somewhat effective, as the drummer confesses that he doesn’t drive and had to take the bus to get the pills from Kobrine. It’s not a murder confession, but Kines has his new material witness against Kobrine.

The team realizes they need to re-focus on the band. After associating the different members with his own teammates on the SCU, Backstrom beings to identify possible motives. Drew Carver is a band member who has a lot to gain creatively by Sebastian’s passing, unofficial leadership in the band and the ability to have his songs played and sang. When the team visits the band to figure it out, they are resistant at first and agree to get a lawyer and not say anything else until it arrives. But when Backstrom and Niedermayer figure that Drew’s hands might show signs of the instrument string, the group turns on Drew and collectively demands he cooperate. He does, and it’s clear he used the string.

THE GOOD:

• Backstrom trying to dry off after a shower with toilet paper is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on TV in a long time. So futile; so hilarious.
• I love, love, love that we might be seeing a storyline about Gravely. I thought ADA Kines seemed nice, there was certainly chemistry there and more to the sting operation story we first heard about in the pilot episode to be had. Yay, continuity and additional character development! I loved Almond’s line “oh, you’re THAT guy,” and that Kines left Gravely a little bit intrigued at the end. I didn’t love his attitude that she OWES him a drink or whatever, but I still hope to see more of that story.
• It was funny how Niedermayer kept trying to take credit (on behalf of forensics) for case breakthroughs, but no one was listening.

THE BAD:

• I thought the connections between the animal heads/personalities and the SCU team members went on a little too much—like every single character had to have some side comment, and it was overkill. Not sure if it was the writing or scene editing there, but it sort of took away from the important thing, which was identifying the killer
• I’m still not convinced at all on the Nadia/Niedermayer romance. It’s too forced, in my opinion.

THE BACKSTROM:

• Outside of the case, the primary sub-plot revolved around the identity of Valentine’s father. After seeing his twigs & berries (his words), Backstrom wonders if he himself is the dad. He tries to do the math and even asks Valentine’s mother if it’s possible (especially after Valentine tells him that what he knows about his father is that he’s “a client, some kind of genius, and a total dick”), and she says it isn’t, but eventually confesses that Valentine and Backstrom are brothers. It’s a bit weird that Backstrom and his dad slept with the same woman, but on the other hand, I guess it’s not even the weirdest thing about their relationship. I’m glad B & V are brothers—that will make for interesting storylines, I think.
• As for the scene where Valentine is injured and Backstrom goes off on Dante Trippi—that got pretty intense pretty fast, and Backstrom’s reactions then and at the end of the episode were kind of everywhere. I think ultimately it worked—it was just a lot in the span of 20 minutes or so. I did really like the conversation Moto had with Backstrom about Valentine though—it was a great scene.

Enough from me—what did you like or not like about this episode. Were you surprised by the Valentine/Backstrom relationship reveal? What might happen in the future between them now that they know? And what about Gravely/Kines—are you feeling it? Let us know in the comments below!