3.19: Jane Doe

[EmilyH]

I've seen this episode before (several years ago), and IMHO, it's one of the most interesting 3rd season eps because of the what-if questions it poses.

I don't know if killing Hitler would have stopped WW2, but I can see why even LaCroix regretted not doing it. I can only imagine how reality would be much different. Or perhaps, if LaCroix had brought Hitler across, would there have been a WW2 or worse? If he had, do you think LC or the enforcers would have been forced to destroy Hitler anyway because of his violent tendencies?

[Highlander II]

I watched about 1/2 of it last night - would have watched all of it, but I fell asleep --

however, from what I saw, to me, the plot was rather 'redundant'? maybe - one of those that's been done already - numerous times --

I knew the guy was Hitler really early on -

but, since I missed the 'investigation' part in the middle, I might have missed some stuff --

So, I'll reserve final judgement until I watch the whole thing.

[DarkCity545]

yes it has been done many, many times even on Highlander!!!

LaCroix saw the evil in Hitler, so evil he could not turn him.

[Highlander II]

yeah - LaCroix couldn't turn him evil - but why not just feed from him and let him die ---

and was it just me, or did the Hitler in this thing look kinda like a woman?

[EmilyH]

ROTFL!! Well, the guy was skinny, but then maybe Hitler was too. Hmm...I wonder if he got flak about it?

[Highlander II]

hehe --

Sometimes I wonder, back on the topic of the 'overdone plotlines' if these writers get together and say - 'hey! let's all do a story about X' -

I mean - this storyline - the "Jane Doe found in an alley..." has been done several times on "Law & Order" alone - (yeah, I know, diff genre) - but they try to make it new and different --

I might have to go back and watch this again to see exactly what the 'angle' was for the murder --- b/c I'm drawing a blank --

[EmilyH]

I've never watched Law & Order. FK is the closest thing to a cop show I've ever watched on a regular basis. And it's not even a cop show.

[Smitty]

The disfigurement-murder of a young black woman coincides with the release of a fictional account about a serial killing spree written by a man recently released from prison. Reese is convinced the author is responsible for the current murder as well as several other unsolved cases.


The episode beings with a dark sedan pulling up to the edge of a woods. The driver gets out of the car and takes a body out of the trunk. He drags it into the woods, strings it up a tree, and shoots it with a shotgun.

Some time later Reese is watching a televised interview of a new author, Jordan Manning, a recently released ex-convict who has written a book, "Killing Mind," which depicts a serial killing spree. Reese gets a call and next he is at the morgue with Nick, Natalie and Tracy. They examine the body that was left in the woods. Because the body had been disfigured by the shotgun blast and was hanging in a tree for several weeks, Natalie can't tell them much about the victim except that she was young and black. Tracy is sick and has to leave the room.

Reese knows who killed the victim. It was Jordan Manning. Back at the precinct Reese tells Nick and Tracy that Manning is a serial killer and also the most evil racist he's ever encountered. Nick recalls another evil racist that he and Lacroix met some years before. Reese tells Nick and Tracy that he believes Manning is responsible for several other unsolved murders of black women going back 20 years.

Reese sends Tracy to work with Natalie in the morgue to get over her squeamishness. While Tracy is helping Natalie, Reese and Nick visit Manning's book-signing. Reese gets rough with Manning and Manning refuses to accompany Nick and Reese to the precinct for questioning. At the morgue, Tracy finds some fibers under the victim's fingernails and Natalie finds some needle-marks. Back at the precinct Reese tells Nick that in his book Manning reveals details about the unsolved murders that only the killer could know. Nick is skeptical – he is not convinced that Manning is the culprit.

Manning has himself beat up and accuses Reese of attacking him. Reese is ordered to stay away from Manning. Back at the morgue, Tracy and Natalie continue to try to identify the victim. Since she was not a drug user or diabetic they speculate that the needle-marks may have been self-administered inoculations for a trip abroad.

Reese tells Nick to keep an eye on Manning for him. Nick follows Manning to a warehouse and listens to a conversation Manning has with Reese, in which Manning explains his motivations for the killings. Apparently it has something to do with the Book of Revelations. (Oh, I get it now, Manning – Manson!) Reese gets physical again, knocks Manning down and vows to send him to prison for his crimes. Reese also manages to get a few hair samples from Mr. Manning.

Tracy determines that the victim was Dr. Miriam Nyanda, a young physician who had just completed her residency and was scheduled to return to her native Kenya to open a clinic. She was not missed because everyone thought she was leaving the country. Natalie reports that the fibers Tracy found under Dr. Nyanda's fingernails match the hair samples Reese got from Manning.

This is the evidence they need to arrest Manning. They converge on him as he is preparing to check out of his hotel. When he sees the police have come for him Manning attempts to flee. Reese pursues him through the corridors in the basement of the hotel. Nick helps Reese by cutting off Manning every time he gets close to eluding Reese. Finally Nick blocks the way completely, allowing Reese to take Manning into custody. Reese gets to expose Manning in a news conference afterwards. In custody, Manning kills himself rather than stand trial for his crimes.

At the epilogue, Nick and Lacroix discuss their acquaintance from long ago. Lacroix burns a momento he had kept of that brief encounter and wonders if he could have changed history had he acted differently.

What's not mentioned in the summary, is Reese relating an incident years ago when he was a regular beat cop. Once again it involved the aforementioned Jordan Manning. It was a bar fight and Manning was about to shoot another patron, Reese recalls he had a clear shot at the guy, and he wrestles with whether or not he should have fired and killed Manning. If he had Manning possibly wouldn't have gone on his killing spree.
Hence the parallel with Hitler.

-cs