#Coroner Season 1 Episode 5 Review: All’s Well

There’s nothing like a holiday to bring everything to a head. It was Canadian Thanksgiving on Coroner Season 1 Episode 5, and the food was the only thing that didn’t implode. Those pies looked pretty good, though, right?

We’re getting to know Alison a little more. I wasn’t sure what to think of her in the beginning, but by this point, I find her likable.

She’s the only one standing by Jenny’s decision to open Dr. Peterson’s cases, even though it means more work for both of them.

Alison: Most choose the easiest path to get what they want. But not you

Jenny: Nope. It is my least favorite quality in myself right now.

Alison: Do you want me to get your pills? I don’t know why I said that. It’s none of my business. You are a recently-widowed single mother who is in the midst of a professional shit-storm. I only have one one-hundredth of that stress and I bake three pies a night.

Jenny: What?

Alison: I bake. Uh, to manage my stress.

Jenny: Does it help?

Alison: I find the precision of it very calming, very centering. Plus when I’m done, there’s pie.

She also doesn’t judge Jenny for the pills she takes. She knows it isn’t her business, and she respects that Jenny has a lot going on.

She and Sabine seemed to have a little flirtation going, so might that become something?

Speaking of ships, where was Matteo? I guess he was spending the holiday with his family. Shame though. He was missed at the table. Ross could have used the support.

Poor Ross, he’s been through so much. Hiding her relationship with Liam wasn’t the right call, but her actions are understandable. Ross’ actions are also understandable.

Jenny’s feelings for her dead husband don’t seem to be too positive. They were having issues, and he saddled her with a lot of debt (which his mother seems not to know about). She’s angry. But to Ross, that’s still his father.

Jenny: Liam is a good guy and I was lonely.

Ross: Dad is dead! You are supposed to be lonely!

Some people bounce back and start dating right away when their spouse dies. Some take years. Some never recover. But it’s never easy for a child to see their parent move on and be with someone else.

Eventually, when he’s had time to process, Ross will be able to support his mom finding happiness with someone else. Jenny needs that. She deserves that.

But right now he’s mad, and it’s fair. It would have gone down better if Jenny hadn’t hidden it.

And, when she does find happiness, it might not be with Liam. Because it seems he isn’t exactly a one-woman man. Now, we don’t know. Maybe that lady was just a crazy ex, a stalker type who can’t let go.

Liam: I don’t like to be surprised in my home, even though I’m a “smoke show.” That’s okay, I’ve been called worse. Like, um … “handyman.”

Jenny: Okay, look, I just, I, I didn’t know what to say. And calling you my boyfriend doesn’t feel right, does it?

Liam: I don’t know. What do you want us to be?

Jenny: I don’t know. I guess I just, with everything else in my life being so complicated, I liked that we were …

Liam: Easy?

However, the more likely answer is that Liam has been carrying on with her while he’s been hooking up with Jenny. But Jenny won’t define the relationship, so he owes her nothing. 

It did seem like he owed that other woman something, though. Just saying.

He’s got a lot to deal with, his post-war issues, etc., and he wants to be a part of this family for some reason.

Honestly, I’m just glad that that’s all there was to those phone calls. It could have been something far more sinister.

Okay, one. Only one. That’s how many bodies it took to mess me up. The first time that I shot someone it took away a part of me. I’m trying to get that part back.
Liam

This episode was full of, well, maybe not sinister, but certainly scary, creepy, and just plain gross aspects.

Were you as freaked out as Liam when they were looking at that corpse? I screamed when the snake came out of its mouth. That was terrifying and disturbing.

It was easy to feel for Alison, too. She’s pregnant; she’s supposed to be taking a break, and she wound up with psychosomatic nausea.

As is the case with most psychosomatic stuff, nobody takes it seriously, which is always sad. It was a bad Thanksgiving for her.

I’m glad she went home. And again, maybe it will lead to something between her and Sabina. Canadian shows include the sexual context in a more subtle way than American shows, or at least more than The CW shows.

Jenny: Let’s not take our grief out on each other, okay? I’m sorry.

Muna: I never understood why you left your ER doctor job. A job healing people.

Jenny: I did it so that Ross and I could have a more balanced life.

Muna: If today proved anything, it’s that your life is more unbalanced than ever. And so are you.

Jenny: I’m sorry, what?

Muna: You have a very unhealthy fascination with death. And the worst part is …

Jenny: Oh, wow.

Muna: I think you like it. First your sister, then my David. All these people, these bodies, that man in your well. It would break David’s heart, all of this …

Jenny: Muna, David is dead, okay?! His heart is the least of his problems. Do you …?

Ross: We can hear you yelling.

Jenny: Oh shit. Um. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. That was, that was a horrible, it was a horrible thing to say.

Ross: Look, I think that we’re all just a little bit hangry right now. Maybe we could just go eat?

We get why Ross is pissed at his mom, but there is the question of Manu. Of course, her loyalty will be to her son and grandson over her daughter-in-law. She is grieving. Still, some of the stuff she said to Jenny was out of line.

She doesn’t know that they had to move because her son gambled away all their money, not to mention their house. She has the right to defend her son, but Jenny is protecting her from the facts.

And the fact is that he screwed over Jenny and Ross with his gambling problem. She’s just trying to pick up the pieces.

As for Jenny having a fascination with death, I don’t think we know enough about her yet. They are teasing an origin story with her sister and that dog.

Eight is a very young age to lose someone. Depending on the circumstances, it could be traumatizing. Maybe Jenny wanted to get something back from death.

Jenny always says she wants to speak for the dead. That may well have started with her sister. We’d have to know more about their relationship and how it ended. Her sisters’ death could have been an accident, but maybe not.

Either way, it looks like there is a lot to unpack, and she needs to schedule a therapy session ASAP.

Except she can’t, because McAvoy gave them a mystery. He gave it in a very angry, passive-aggressive way, but he gave it all the same.

If this is a “screw-you” for opening Dr. Peterson’s files, save it. My phone’s been ringing off the hook with screw-yous.
Jenny

It’s sad to see them on the outs. But again, it’s understandable. McAvoy worked hard, for a long time, to put people like Jones away, and now they might get out of jail scot-free.

Greer is a cool character. Hopefully, we’ll see more of her. It would be a waste to introduce a character like that and not follow-up. She has a lot of potential, as does the case they are dealing with. It’s pretty relevant to current events.

McAvoy: Tell me what you know about Gerald Henry Jones?

Greer: Bay Street Banker. Went for a jog by Tent City. Claims a homeless man, Floyd Shipman, tried to rob him. Jones stabbed him 26 times with a pair of scissors he had in his running pack.

McAvoy: You don’t buy his story?

Greer: Even kids know not to run with scissors. I think that he was a rich white man who felt entitled to take the life of a man who didn’t count.

The way homeless people are marginalized and discriminated against by just about everybody, but especially those in power, should strike a chord with people today.

Powerful white men who are taking advantage of a broken system are also relevant.

This case is clearly going to come into play more later. And, at some point, it will involve Jenny.

The question is, will it bring her and McAvoy back together in their fight for justice or pit them against each other and tear them farther apart.

As for the body, Grigson, its a sad plot that we’ve seen a thousand times. They cannot reward people for committing suicide, regardless of the circumstances, but his daughter did nothing wrong. At least she now has closure.

So, what do you think, Coroner Fanatics? Is Liam a two-timer? Will Ross forgive Jenny? Will Sabina and Alison get together? Will Jenny make sense of her demons?

Let us know in the comments, and remember, you can watch Coroner online right here via TV Fanatic.

Coroner airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

Leora W is a staff writer for TV Fanatic..