- Title: Backstrom – Corkscrewed
- wiki: link
It seems family is going to be a big theme of the final two episodes of Backstrom‘s First Season. When the criminal who Backstrom (Rainn Wilson) threatened to stay away from Valentine (Thomas Dekker) shows up dead on the docks just outside their houseboat the unit quickly searches for other suspects besides the most obvious one. Discovering the victim and Valentine were working together on a wine-smuggling scam, Backstrom’s attention is pointed towards those hurt (especially once he learns that all the vintage wines being smuggled are forgeries).
The episode is inherently ridiculous as even the most corrupt police force wouldn’t allow the lead suspect in a murder killed on his doorstep to lead the investigation. Forcing Backstrom and Valentine on opposite sides of the case that could land one in jail and the other fired, but eventually the half-brothers (after wading through the lies and deceit) come to an understanding. “Cockscrew” also throws another wrench into the detective’s life when he discovers Amy (Sarah Chalke) is dating one of his most hated rivals (Adam Beach). The odd relationship seems to come completely out of left field and given how little time we see Chalke and Beach together on-screen doesn’t help the episode’s struggle to sell a relationship lacking any chemistry between the two stars.
