Murder in a Small Town EP Teases Karl and Cassandra Romance — Plus, Grade the Premiere
The premiere of Fox’s Murder in a Small Town may examine a gruesome death, but the series’ heart beats on with a budding romance between police chief Karl Alberg (played by Three Pines’ Rossif Sutherland) and local librarian Cassandra Lee (Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk).
But before we get to love, let’s talk murder! First things first: Just how many killings can take place in the small, idyllic town of Gibson? Can there possibly be enough to sustain a Fox procedural? Despite its title, executive producer Ian Weir tells TVLine that the series will focus on a different crime each week — and they’re not all homicides.
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“There’s a story that’s built around an abduction,” the EP shares. “There’s [another] story which is built around what looks like a murder, but the gradual realization that that is not what’s gone on at all — that the blood is something else entirely.”
But through it all, Weir says, “Gibson remains a beautiful place to live, and not everybody in Gibson gets murdered.”
Though even if nearly everyone in Gibson were killed off, we wouldn’t care so long as Karl and Cassandra stuck around! We aren’t tuning in for small-town charm or true-crime forensics. What we really care about is the chemistry between #Karlandra. The premiere sees our central duo quickly fall in love… and just as quickly butt heads after a disagreement about the episode’s central murder plot. Secrets are kept, and trust is broken. Can it be repaired?
At the end of Episode 1, Karl invites Cassandra over to see his new baby kittens — an olive branch to keep the relationship alive. “Her interest in perhaps taking a kitten is sort of the first step towards towards rebuilding something,” Weir confirms. He then goes on to reveal a terrible truth: “I’m afraid we don’t actually see the kittens on screen.” (No kittens?! Gibson might be a horrible place after all.)
Despite a reconciliation on the horizon, Weir says it’s “not all clear sailing, and it takes twists and turns and surprises” when it comes to Karl and Cassandra. Cassandra will even find herself in the mix of an investigation.
“There is one case where an old friend of Cassandra’s is… not directly involved in killing somebody, but she is on the periphery of a tragedy, and Cassandra is involved in that regard.”
For the most part, though, Cassandra’s involvement with Karl’s work will be limited. “One thing that we’ve very much tried to avoid is a situation where Cassandra becomes his sidekick in solving crimes,” Weir shares. “It’s not that kind of show.”
The 90-minute premiere concludes with an in memoriam card dedicated to Sutherland’s late father, Emmy Award winner Donald Sutherland, who died in June at the age of 88:
Will you spend more time with Karl and Cassandra in Gibson, or has the first murder scared you away from future episodes of Murders in a Small Town? Weigh in via our polls below, then drop a comment with your thoughts!
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