SLEEP WHILE I SING – Murder In A Small Town Review

Sleep While I Sing the final episode of Murder In A Small Town’s debut season is pretty close to a perfect bookend.

For those of you non-TV nerds this show is one of the first in a new approach to TV programming. TLDR basically it is an idea for setting a strict budget for talent and sticking to it. With a view to offering the shows internationally to lower costs further. With my TV watcher hat on I feel like they have given a good accounting (nudge, nudge) of themselves. However, there is no official news about the show’s fate.

Stay Out Of The Woods

Sleep While I Sing is really the second part of a two-part finale. The town is losing its collective mind over the serial killer despite like the half a dozen murders that took place in the last month. Our poor Chief Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) gets raked over the coals for this serial killer on the loose. Even though that isn’t confirmed until late on in the episode with Corporal Yen coming through with the online research.

You can almost forget that this is the second high profile killer in Gibson in a matter of weeks. Though I suspect the residents haven’t as we see from their reaction.

Whodunnit

The finale does a good job of leading us around for a long time before we know for sure who are serial killer is. Roger Galbraith (Lucas Bryant) has been off the rails for a while now and is clearly full of secrets.

Our teacher really didn’t do well to hide his creepy side but the reveal felt a little rushed once we learned that there were a number of other victims. I honestly find it hard to believe that he chose Devon (Alisha Newton) as the next victim. There is no way that even the most backward of small town law enforcement would not have found a connection between teacher and student.

As for our other main suspect, I’m surprised in such a small town that people didn’t know more about his substance abuse issues. The speed of light and the speed of town gossip are pretty similar after all. Still learning about his story served a purpose as that was one hell of a speech he dropped on Cassandra.

Town Favourites

Our Sergeant Sid has done some comedic relief during the season but this episode we saw another side. Aaron Douglas can absolutely bring it when he is given a chance to, as BSG fans know well. From what we saw is this one of his last cases? I feel like whether he stays or goes the character had a good interesting run.

Officer Kendrick (Fritzy-Klevans Destine) came in with a big save this episode. Honestly he needed to though as I still remember that problematic episode where a woman he made uncomfortable was made to drop a complaint by being accused of being racist. That whole thing was a mess.

Queen Cassandra

Cassandra comes in with a big push at the end of this finale after popping in every now and then. The finale for Cassandra can be looked at as our librarian finally figuring out what everyone else was telling her. She is a total badass; so she announced that she is going to get into local politics after the library redevelopment stalled out. I could do with a second season just to see how Cassandra does in politics.

Final Thoughts

There is more than enough here not just in Sleep While I Sing but in the entire season of Murder In A Small Town. Other than the lackluster title the show is solid. It makes me want to have a look at the source material. So I can see what sort of tone the books have. The central cast which I think of as Alberg, Cassandra and Yen all give great performances and get enough screentime so we know enough about them to connect. I need a second season to find out what it was that messed up Cassandra so bad she decided to move back and maybe we will meet with Yen’s ambitious former commanding officer?

Also I have to admit to really liking the idea of seeing more of small town Canada, I hadn’t heard of the Sunshine Coast before and while my current wallet wouldn’t stretch to, it certainly seems like an interest place to visit.

What did you think of Murder In A Small Town? Ready to book a flight? Let us know in the comments.