No one is innocent in the town of Sunrise, Maine. Everyone’s secrets are bubbling to the surface!
Between Frank Kovick and Samantha Larabee’s potential affair to Mary-Elizabeth Merchant hooking up with Jimmy Tinker, Sunrise looks more like a soap opera than a murder mystery. Murder in Small Town X Season 1 Episode 3 exposed more of the inner workings hidden in this quiet coastal town.
“Episode 3” was slower, but the plot added more layers to the grander mystery at large. Let’s jump into the rewatch to discover the new twists.
Andy choosing Alan as the next Lifeguard wasn’t surprising in the least. I called it during the rewatch for Murder in Small Town X Season 1 Episode 2 that he had a close bond with Jeff and Alan.
Plus, add in Brian for a complete majority voting bloc built in the war room.
Luckily, Alan had a clearer head in his position as he treated everyone evenly and fairly. Jeff would’ve used his dominance over the other players, and Brian would’ve spited Kristen for randomly choosing him to visit the killer’s location.
Alan was the better option for the early rounds. Though he’s still reckless with his life in the game, that deduction will never change.
Jimmy Tinker (Abby Flint’s boyfriend) seemed like an obvious suspect for being involved somehow. Even if they didn’t know whether he committed the murders or not, they still had him as a guaranteed connection to the main storyline.
His stealing of Abby’s car had to be tied to a bigger reason.
This track was the more worthwhile one for the investigators to join because it tied to the Flints, provided subplots for other suspects, and created a greater conspiracy involving Jimmy/Mary-Elizabeth. Granted, being stuck in a car overnight didn’t sound like fun, but at least the van was in town and warm.
Katie and Angel wish they were so lucky. They probably would’ve switched if they had the option to avoid being stuck outdoors.
As a kid, I questioned Jimmy’s innocence because of his weird relationship with Mary-Elizabeth. Sleeping with your dead girlfriend’s best friend goes against a major BFF code.
Now, as an adult, I understand why they hooked up. Grief and loneliness mess with your head, and you can find solace with someone who’s also going through the same thing as you.
Mary-Elizabeth Merchant: See me as Abby, Jimmy.
Jimmy Tinker: What?!
Mary-Elizabeth Merchant: See me as Abby.
Mary-Elizabeth, on the other hand, has a deeper hang-up than simply grieving with Jimmy.
Her obsession with wanting to be Abby was uncomfortable. Like being called Abby, everything she said crossed a lot of lines; the developments painted her as someone plotting to take over Abby’s life.
Still, Jimmy shouldn’t have put his hands on Mary-Elizabeth in the town square. He might’ve been mad over her “Abby” title, but that didn’t warrant shoving her head to a car. Jimmy’s anger issues couldn’t be ignored.
Are Jimmy and Mary-Elizabeth working together? That is the big question after Stacey, Lindsey, and Jeff surveilled their place all night.
A few key details were made clear: Jimmy had possession of Abby’s car the night before, but someone else drove it at night and dumped it into the ocean. Jimmy couldn’t have done it since he was over at Mary-Elizabeth’s place.
Based on the evidence, Mary-Elizabeth seems like the obvious suspect.
Her car drove away in the middle of the night, and Jimmy was alone at her place. Plus, she wants to please Jimmy as his new “Abby.” What better way to make him happy than by disposing of the car?
Track #2 of Angel and Katie never had a chance of identifying the driver in Abby’s car.
Both investigators were alone in the middle of the night; the forest was pitch black with no way to see anything. Beyond the creepy Sweepers swinging their lights, they wouldn’t have been able to see who was wearing the hoodie while driving.
They’re lucky that Dudley Duncan took them to the washed-up car. At least they would look through the car and find evidence to push the story forward.
Track #2 was pointless had they not searched the car. Katie and Angel didn’t need to spend overnight in the woods since the opportunity was handed to them.
Compared to the other two tracks, Track #3 provided the most developments for the town. The first two groups focused on the murder and specific characters, but the sardine can and town meeting exposed how a town conspiracy could be behind it all.
“Kingfisher Cannery” is a name you should keep in the back of your head. The company, logo, and hotel development are pieces that connect to several suspects over the course of the story. (No spoilers here.)
I’m writing in the paper that Kingfisher is on the verge of bankruptcy … which it is. The next morning, I get slapped with two lawsuits from Natey Flint. He takes out a liable suit against the Sunrise Herald and a one-million-dollar liable suit against me.
Frank Kovick
Leita Rose-Blodgett having the final vote over the hotel development/cannery land could be an important piece to the murders.
Hayden DeBeck and William Lambert were fighting over the land, and Nate Flint was William’s business partner. Plus, if Frank were telling the truth, the company’s bankruptcy would push anyone to be desperate enough to get the deal approved (or rejected if they wanted Nate and William to lose).
Mayor Emmerson Bowden was a suspicious suspect that shouldn’t be ignored.
I didn’t pay much attention to the mayor as my own investigation was heading down a different path as a kid. However, during this rewatch, I’m surprised I missed a lot of key details about him.
Emmerson, a skilled taxidermist, pointed him as a strong suspect since he had the skills to preserve Nate’s severed fingers. His knowledge of the town’s history made him invaluable to the murder case. And, he had a lot of stake over what happened to the Kingfisher Cannery since the deal would add business/tourists to the town.
Plus, Kristen was right about him: Mayor Bowden acted pretty creepily.
He’s a suspect to keep in mind, first-time watchers. It’s still too early to rule out anyone just yet.
Though, Leita being cleared during the killer’s question wasn’t too surprising. Did anyone actually believe she committed the murders?
Her connection on the suspect’s list seemed more like a character we needed to keep our eye on than the killer behind the mask.
Leita Rose-Blodgett: It is not a done deal. I have not decided about selling this land, and I am not for it at the moment.
[Back at the house]
Brian: So, if she ends up with a toe tag, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Leita plays an important part in the main story, especially since she heard Jimmy/Nate fight during the night of the murders, and she’s the key vote during the hotel deal. Plus, her husband’s dead body had been stolen from his gravesite.
This won’t be the last we’ll hear of Leita, even if she’s been cleared of suspicion.
The Shirley/Lindsey/Kristen trio took another major hit when Lindsey became the killer’s next victim.
The players knew exactly what they were doing by sending Lindsey in there to face off against Kristen. They wanted Kristen gone, and if she happened to survive, losing Lindsey would weaken Kristen’s allies.
Of course, everyone clapped and showed their appreciation for finding the killer’s clue. But, not only will I beat the killer’s game, I’ll beat everybody in that house’s game as well.
Kristen
It’s a shame we lost Lindsey because she was one of the few players who were the narrators of the season (i.e., the players who got the most confessionals and explained the drama). Lindsey wasn’t the strongest investigator, but she spoke her mind and dropped one-liners like it was effortless.
At least Kristen is still here to bring the drama and fight the majority against her.
Last Thoughts From The War Room:
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Hayden DeBeck appearing by tape at the meeting gave off strong horror movie vibes.
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The Sweepers were creepy in 2001. The Sweepers are still creepy now in 2021.
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Jimmy and Mary-Elizabeth are toxic together, especially with the anger and the Abby obsession. Both would be better off apart.
- Frank Kovick yelling at Stacey and Lindsey only made himself a bigger suspect.
Now, it’s over to you!
What did you think of “Episode 3”?
Could Mary-Elizabeth’s obsession over Abby drove her to kill? Who dumped the car into the ocean? Which suspect is the creepiest in town?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.