Coroner Review: Christmas Day (Season 3 Episode 10)

Jenny spends her entire holiday helping with the Browning murders investigation when a new victim is discovered on Coroner Season 3 Episode 10, “Christmas Day.” 

The “bait and switch” Coroner pulls with which Browning brother killed their parents is inevitable. So is the fact that it’s Aaron who eventually kills Flora. But so many other details of this case are hard to follow. 

For example, we never actually learn if Aaron has the tapeworm, or the cyst, or the tapeworm cyst (whatever it is and whatever it’s called). It’s implied that he does and that’s why he goes on a holiday killing spree, but we don’t get any closure where the Brownings are concerned. 

It’s a shame because past Coroner seasons have followed villains or serial murder sprees for a longer period of time and told a much more thorough and fulfilling story. The least “Christmas Day” can do for us is fully close The Browning case. 

To be fair, there is no closure for any other storyline, either. 

The cliffhanger for the season is Jenny coming home to face Peggy. We also see Donovan finally heading off to surgery. But there is no indication of what is coming next. 

Someone could argue that Liam and Jenny at least confessed their love for each other. As much as I love the couple, this hasty happy ending isn’t earned. 

Yes, trauma brings people together. But Clark is an absolutely useless character if Liam and Jenny’s relationship is actually moving forward. 

Perhaps it’s just a testament to Serinda Sawan’s acting, but Jenny has as much intriguing chemistry with Mark Taylor as she does with Éric Bruneau.

It makes sense that Clark and Jenny’s smash room sex is not mentioned in the penultimate episode of the season, Coroner 3 Episode 9, “Christmas Eve.” But are we really meant to believe that the quick conversation between Jenny and Clark in which they avoid the elephant in the room is all we are going to see of them? 

A mediocre episode of Coroner is still fun to watch. And there are always scenes that stand out as pure art on a screen.

“Chirstmas Day” opens with one such scene. 

Watching Flora dancing as she cleans up Jenny and John’s murder scene surrounded by Christmas cheer and lights seconds before her own death is absolutely jarring. But in a strange way, it also makes sense. 

The scene where Jenny helps Caleb remember his parents’ murder is equally fascinating for different reasons. 

Flashbacks are a powerful storytelling device. Adding a slow-motion effect to a flashback helps maximize its impact — something I never knew until watching this episode because I had never seen it done before.

It’s also incredibly emotional to watch Jenny help Caleb realize that he didn’t kill his parents. She comes close to completely calming him down when Liam comes in and his macho pride ruins everything. 

Jenny is capable of taking care of herself — Liam is the mess and his pride is to blame for getting him injured. 

Perhaps that is why my feet are slightly more firmly planted on team Clark right now, no matter how doomed it is. 

When all is said and done I have high expectations for Coroner and just hope for a slightly better story on Season 4.

Autopsy Notes 

• How in the world does Donovan get up from the floor of the woods when he has cancer and a hole in his spine. I don’t believe it. 
• What is going on with Ross, his massage therapy career, Matteo and even his personal struggles related to race and social justice? 

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Coroner episodes are available to stream on the CW’s website. 

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