Coroner Review: Bunny (Season 1 Episode 2)
Why are murder mystery stories on TV so formulaic and predictable?
Coroner Season 1 Episode 2, “Bunny,” has so many unique details that could have made this murder mystery stand out. There is a secret sex club, a literal death by a thousand cuts before the Taylor Swift song reached the masses, and a guy in a bunny suit.
So, why-oh-why does Detective McAvoy have to confirm Shanti’s alibi so quickly via dialogue instead of demonstrating the details? He says she has been cleared because he returned home from a trip to New York to find her husband Vic dead.
What has he done to confirm this? Shanti is both Vic’s spouse and the first person to find him dead. I have watched far too many episodes of Deadline to let Shanti off the hook because of a few lines of dialogue.
But Coroner isn’t exactly a “police” procedural, and I always want to be open to surprise, so I let it off the hook. Sadly, this show has yet to truly shock me, but that doesn’t mean it’s uninteresting.
It’s amazing how Jenny draws parallel’s between herself and Shanti to develop empathy for the woman and goad her into confessing her crime.
It’s easy to care about Lauren, the woman who Vic sexually assaults at the sex party, even though we don’t know her for long.
However, “Bunny” has the same weakness as Coroner Season 1 Episode 1, “Black Dog.” At least this time we do get taken back to the scene via flashbacks, and they do enrich the narrative.
We’re only two episodes in and if it weren’t for the name of the show, it would be easy to mistake Jenny for a detective.
Jenny’s personal story again shines above the case she helps to solve. It is refreshing to see a woman on TV working through her issues in therapy on-screen.
How honest to see her being a good mom and attending swim practices in the same episode that she’s still being a “bad” one and keeping a secret from Ross.
How messy and wonderful it is for a woman whose former marriage was estranged to be starting a “friends with benefits” situation with a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who lives in a literal treehouse.
I’m even more excited about Ross’s journey. He’s lost his dad and perhaps lost his love for swimming.
It’s very hard to understand if Ross is giving up swimming at the end of the episode. He says he’s never going back to something, but I’m not sure if he means visiting his grandfather or the sport.
He’s also just learned of his father’s gambling addiction and his mother’s attempt to shield him from the truth with her lies.
How much can one teenager take, really? Watching his breakdown is sad, but it’s also easy to cheer him on as he cries. That’s right, Ross. Let it all out.
Despite rolling my eyes through the murder plot, the characters’ lives keep me coming back for more. That’s enough for now.
Autopsy Notes:
- More men of all ages need to cry on TV.
- A veteran who lives in the middle of a forest? This series could only be Canadian, we don’t have that kind of imagination in the U.S.
- Speaking of Canadian things, I’m going to begin to count how many victims on Coroner are killed by gunshots. So far the count is 0/2.
- Liam is pretty dreamy. I might move into a freshly dead woman’s house just to be closer to him.
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What did you think of this episode of Coroner? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Coroner airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.