Fox’sMurder in a Small Townmust fix one crime drama trope after its first episode to succeed. The series brings a cozy coastal mystery setting to Fox’s fall 2024-2025 roster, introducingTrench 11’s Rossif Sutherlandas Karl Alberg. Sutherland plays the chief of police for the small seaside town. The series' first season will follow the character as he solves a spree of murders in the otherwise quiet town, based on L.R. Wright’s nine-book Karl Alberg mystery series.Murder in a Small Townpremiered in late September 2024, featuring a touchingconnection to Donald Sutherland.
In episode 1, Rossif Sutherland’s Karl Alberg character displayed his unique duality as an artist and police chief, which is the series' opportunity to stand out in the police procedural genre. Despite its unusual setup,Murder in a Small Townfelt grounded and realistic compared to other cop shows throughout time, providing another opportunity for Sutherland’s show to distinguish itself. Still, the series must avoid falling into this one trope from its pilot episode to live up to its potential and compete with other more established,popular police procedural series.
Karl Alberg Uses His Artist Training To Investigate Crime Scenes
Murder in a Small Townpromises realistic mysteries, but one element of the series stood out as sensationalized. When investigating the crime scene, where an older man died after being struck in the head,Murder in a Small Townplayed up Karl Alberg’s instinctsas an artist and chief of police. The episode illustrated with music and visuals how the crime scene came together for Karl. While it was a compelling moment, Karl’s instincts led to unfounded conclusions. While the trope sets up Karl as a genius, the series must beef up the investigation to maintain believability.
Looking at the murder scene, Alberg processes the scene around him like a painting.
Specifically, when investigating, Sutherland’s character noticed that the house had a sense of symmetry. He believed the home’s mantel was missing two large objects (because they would otherwise balance out the homeowner’s focal display) and that the objects were the murder weapon. Karl followed his initial instinct throughout the investigation, andthe trope complicated the show’s grounded natureby suggesting that Alberg could rely almost entirely on instinct over evidence. While Alberg eventually backed up his case, and it could be a way to characterize Alberg, the brilliant artist trope could hinder the series in the following episodes.
Why Murder In A Small Town Works Better Focusing On The Investigative Process
Murder In A Small Town Is An Otherwise Grounded Mystery Series
Sutherland’s Alberg character was best when he felt relatable and grounded in his investigative process. While there were a few times that coincidences withKristin Kreuk’sMurder in a Small Towncharacterfelt convenient, and Alberg’s instincts felt somewhat unbelievable, the first episode otherwise featured a realistic setup with a satisfying conclusion. The blend of elements allowed audiences to focus onMurder in a Small Town’s story rather than sensationalized or graphic elements. Ideally, the show will balance Karl’s artistic genius with his down-to-earth manner and investigative style to create the perfect blend of believability and brilliance in subsequent episodes.
Murder in a Small Townairs on Fox on Tuesdays at 8 pm Eastern.
Murder in a Small Town
Cast
Detective Karl Alberg moves to a peaceful coastal town to recover from the emotional toll of big-city police work. However, a series of mysterious murders shatters the town’s tranquility. Alberg must rely on his investigative skills to uncover secrets buried in this seemingly idyllic community, as danger continues to surface.
