It is apparent that Morris Chestnut was born to play Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. aka Rosie. Episode 110, which is a “to be continued” storyline, the first in the season, brings a lot of things together while keeping the “serial killer” question alive and well. Chestnut fills the shoes of the self-medicating pathologist and pursuer of Detective Villa with ease.
This episode features a pretty impressive killer. One who takes out a victim’s heart through his esophagus and fills the veins around another’s brain with acrylic. As Rosie’s mother points out, this homicidal “artiste” is a creative whose narcissistic tendencies mean that they want to be found out.
The show starts with a game of charades. Rosie on one team, with TMI and Pippy, and Villa with Dr. Mike (Taye Diggs) on the other. Turns out that Annalise (Jaina Lee Ortiz) is killer at the party game and Rosie’s team threaten to defect to the other side.
A phone call interrupts the game and allows Rosewood a chance to “fix up” his pal Neil (Rodney To) who is the coroner who has a man-crush on Rosie. The first victim is delivered by Neil and he is fascinated that the man has no heart or blood and no visible wounds.
Someone hacks the police departments computer system and leaves a clue:
“Think INSIDE the BOX”
Neil becomes a suspect and Villa, along with Rosie, visit his house and find evidence that points to the hapless coroner. He comes home and Villa finds the victim’s heart in his backpack. It is revealed that Neil did not kill the victim, his airtight alibi was that he was having sex when the victim killed.
Away from the case, Villa and Dr. Mike are becoming quite the item. At one point the two share a shower and Boyce talks of them taking a holiday in the Keys. Rosie is concerned and not a little jealous of the couple. He later tells Mike off when he realizes his friend was going to leave the country without telling Annalise.
Mike changes this mind and decides not to work for his favorite organization Doctors Without Borders so he can stay and be with Villa. The detective does not react well to this news and leave her birthday celebration with Mike early to be with Rosie. It seem that Villa was not as serious about the new relationship as Mike is.
Meanwhile, Rosie has patched things up with Kat (Nicole Ari Parker), as has Annalise. Later, however, when Villa comes to see Rosewood after leaving Mike in the lurch, the pathologist breaks off his conversation with Kat and their plan-making the moment the detective shows up.
Before that interrupted phone call though, the case heats up as the local police race to catch the killer before the FBI and TMI’s former fiancee; FBI profiler Heath Casablanca (Sam Witwer). A not-so good-natured rivalry begins as Captain Hornstock professes his hate of these “full haired” young men from the bureau.
By the time Aortic Atresia & Art Installations ends, two suspects have been arrested, although the first; Neil, is released. The second one, Roger was framed and this is discovered when Annalise shows up at Rosie’s to celebrate her birthday. The doctor’s computer system has been hacked and his monitors all say “BLACKLIGHT ME.” The pathologist does and he and Annalise discover a clue on the floor. This indicates that the police have the wrong man and the screen dissolves to “TO BE CONTINUED…”
This show fits together like a finely constructed jigsaw puzzle. Each piece perfectly slotted into its place with no forcing necessary. All the characters interact smoothly and effortlessly.
Example:
The scene where Rosie, and his team of TMI and Pippy are discussing the profile of the killer. His mother Donna Rosewood (Lorraine Toussaint) comes into the area to give her profile of the murderer, which is different than that given by Casablanca.
Before and after the prognosis, Rosie admonishes his mother for “eavesdropping” and she replies that his “open office” plan makes it impossible not to:
Rosie: “Mom, this eavesdropping is becoming a problem.
Donna: “Well, you’re the one who’s built a lab with no walls. Words echo in here.”
After her profile, Mrs. Rosewood goes to leave the examination area:
Donna: “Anyway, I think I’ll just, uh, go back to my little office where, uh, I can hear everything.
Rosie: “Stop eavesdropping, mom.”
Donna: “Build some walls, son.”
This exchange is indicative of the quality direction, performances, writing and pacing of this show. The character’s interact on a genuine level and a sense of truth exists between everyone on the show. The relationship between Pippy and TMI is lovely to see and later in the episode when TMI ask her partner to move up the wedding date there cannot be a dry eye in the house.
FOX have a real winner here with Rosewood and in impressive show of faith, the network have already given the order for a full season. The series airs on Wednesdays. This is a clever, intelligent show with humor and writing so tight it is almost screams. Watch this series and become a fan of Chestnut, the rest of the cast and thank show creator Millicent Shelton for coming up with a show that entertains almost effortlessly.
