In this episode we learn more about Jim Nolan’s Boston by going to a diner, Jim’s favorite diner to be exact. This is a stand alone case, but delves more into Jim’s character and the Boston portrayed in this detective serial. The drama exceeds the mystery when compared to the first episode. It’s not that the mystery is bad, but once again we are left with two choices for culprits and how Jim finds out has little to do with the evidence collected. In fact, it’s revealed in a character incriminating line of dialogue. A little more complexity would be nice, but seeing as this is a non visual medium I can only guess at how hard it is to have a complex mystery like you would find in a novel or short story.
If Mike Murphy went the other way with the whodunit aspect of the episode, then the mystery wouldn’t feel natural. The reveal of the episode falls into the category of “it’s so obvious no one would suspect it.” At the same time the opposite is true, for almost all mystery stories, which I believe keeps the reader turning pages (or in this case, the listener to keep on listening). The individual wants to know if they’re right, not be given the answer. At least, that’s my philosophy on mystery stories.
All in all this episode really sold me on Jim Nolan.