Some girls are born with an innate ability to do things, such as being mechanical inclined or other skills, usually associated to being a natural thing for boys to do. When that phenomenon occurs, these highly intelligent females are called "tomboys", an unfair sobriquet, indeed. It is not such a big deal nowadays, but in the 1960s it was a terrible thing for a girl not to show interest in boys, clothes, or makeup.
When Samantha Randall, better known as Sam, is transferred to a Philadelphia high school in 1963, she shows to class dressed as a boy. To make things worse, her peers finds Sam is really a girl! Sam becomes the object of disgust for her classmates, who make terrible fun of her because her desire to be different. When she showed up dead, having jumped from a bridge to a river below, it was labeled a suicide. The unsolved death comes to the attention of the Cold Case unit more than forty years later because new evidence she might not have killed herself.
The detectives begin their investigation, reopening the case and going to interview people that are still around that knew Sam and can shed some light into what happened to her. Her father Archie Randall, now an old man, has always suppress his guilt for having contributed, indirectly to Sam's death, but of course, he didn't do it. Her former classmates have a different view. Dom Barron remembers her more vividly because Sam had a big crush on him, but he rejected her, even knowing she was a girl. Red Buckley and Jean Davis, two teens in her class became relentless in treating Sam as a pariah.
In this episode John Stillman calls Scotty to his office. He had been told to suspend the detective without pay, something he didn't think was fair. Instead, John takes the thirty days suspension, not being certain what would happen after his punishment for not having obeyed the Internal Affairs directive.
Holly Dale directed the screenplay Joanna Lovinger wrote. Ms. Dale has been directing in her native Canada as well as working in this series. She shows great affinity to the material, getting good performances from her cast. Michael Constantine plays Sam's father. David Selby is the adult Dom Barron. Lindsey Godfrey has some good moments as the misunderstood and derided Sam.
When Samantha Randall, better known as Sam, is transferred to a Philadelphia high school in 1963, she shows to class dressed as a boy. To make things worse, her peers finds Sam is really a girl! Sam becomes the object of disgust for her classmates, who make terrible fun of her because her desire to be different. When she showed up dead, having jumped from a bridge to a river below, it was labeled a suicide. The unsolved death comes to the attention of the Cold Case unit more than forty years later because new evidence she might not have killed herself.
The detectives begin their investigation, reopening the case and going to interview people that are still around that knew Sam and can shed some light into what happened to her. Her father Archie Randall, now an old man, has always suppress his guilt for having contributed, indirectly to Sam's death, but of course, he didn't do it. Her former classmates have a different view. Dom Barron remembers her more vividly because Sam had a big crush on him, but he rejected her, even knowing she was a girl. Red Buckley and Jean Davis, two teens in her class became relentless in treating Sam as a pariah.
In this episode John Stillman calls Scotty to his office. He had been told to suspend the detective without pay, something he didn't think was fair. Instead, John takes the thirty days suspension, not being certain what would happen after his punishment for not having obeyed the Internal Affairs directive.
Holly Dale directed the screenplay Joanna Lovinger wrote. Ms. Dale has been directing in her native Canada as well as working in this series. She shows great affinity to the material, getting good performances from her cast. Michael Constantine plays Sam's father. David Selby is the adult Dom Barron. Lindsey Godfrey has some good moments as the misunderstood and derided Sam.
