Whodunnit? has been the most entertaining of reality competitions I have yet to see. Based on the popular board game Clue and America's love for crime TV it allows the viewer to gather evidence with the contestants, hypothesize on the crime and see it played out in a well-produced short each episode. Atop all that, it has us all guessing till the end on who among them is the mysterious mastermind behind it all! While I have made my choice clear since the beginning as Lindsey, let's take a look at the latest episode, All the World's a Stage, the complex crime, and any hints as to whodunnit!
This week, it was three-on-three as the self created alliances were evened out in a double-elimination. This produced a perfect trifecta of duos to examine each of the three areas for clues as to how our illustrious host slayed both Dana and Sasha. As opposed to finding the two "southern belles" at their death site, this week there was no crime scene as they were posed at the piano in the foyer. This meant the contestants were presented with the choice to scrutinize; Sasha's last known whereabouts, Dana's last known whereabouts or the morgue, where the bodies were transported. Kam and Ronnie headed to the morgue, where along with gathering evidence, they calculated a plan to freeze Geno out. While Kam wanted Ronnie to just pull Melina over and leave Geno without a team, Ronnie decided to just block information from him to make the day easier. The problem was, Ronnie spent most of their time together trying to distract Geno in order to get the correct information to Melina, rather than pool together the clues his teammates discovered in their areas and hypothesize about the crime. The information Kam and Ronnie found at the morgue was a slit up each girl's arm, fibers around their noses and several cuts along Dana's back corresponding to blood on her pajamas. Meanwhile Lindsey and Geno investigated Sasha's last known whereabouts, her bedroom. Here they found dolly marks, some with deeper impressions, large footprints and a towel undoubtedly laced with something on her bed. They also investigated the hallway where they discovered the same large footprints combined with smaller barefoot impressions as well as drops of blood that led them to a hidden elevator. Cris and Melina searched Dana's last known whereabouts and found approximately the same clues: dolly marks and large footprints. In addition they stumbled upon a gizmo that allowed an intruder to break into the locked room and the same smaller barefoot prints originating in Dana's room and going out into the hall. They also followed the blood trail to the elevator but didn't come across the rag like in Sasha's room. This combined with the lack of Sasha's footprints should have lead them straight to the conclusion that Dana left her bedroom willingly, or by force, while Sasha was knocked out and transported on the dolly. Cris utilized her time with Melina to plant seeds of doubt in her mind about Geno, as the large footprints only matched his size of shoe.
For the next portion Giles lead the anxious contestants to the Rue Manor movie theater, where they found bizarre recreations of themselves seated for the show. While the faux cast was creepy, I didn't find them to be impressive as far as their likeness to their corresponding contestant. The group was entertained with a silent movie and a riddle hidden within referring to "double snowmen" and "the key". They were off, and it was Geno who first understood the reference was to the 88 keys of the piano. Although suspicious of Ronnie, Geno clued in his team as to where the next piece of the puzzle lied. This cryptic rhyme spoke of cutting open the stitches and came with a scalpel that led them back to the eerie movie theater where they began hacking away at their faux bodies. Finally Cris realized to slash open the back, where Dana's wounds had been, and found the final part of the riddle. Although Team Geno was ahead, both Geno and Melina forgot their scalpels and had to go back, leaving Cris to find the hidden area in the morgue and win the challenge. In the secret chamber Cris discovered; two metal slates, where the killer had positioned Dana and Sasha, drains full of blood, the knife used in the attack and the large shoes which made the footprints in the upstairs bedrooms. She also uncovered an added twist, the large shoes were stuffed with tissue implying their host had smaller feet than the evidence had dictated. Cris' win was enough to push Team Kam to victory. While Ronnie and Geno tried to get the vital information from the room, Kam lashed out at both of them. He insinuated Ronnie hadn't gone through with the plan to freeze Geno out and join Kam's team while Geno, although he helped Kam and Cris on a previous challenge, didn't deserve to be helped in return. I felt like Kam was extremely obnoxious and rude as Ronnie had withheld information to hurt Geno's chances of winning and Geno did help Kam in the past, atop that it was Cris who ultimately solved the riddle but Kam took all the credit and ownership of the information. He even ended up winning the round for his version of the crime being closest to the killers actions.
So how did our sinister host serve up this double-sized murder? While all of Rue Manor was asleep in their beds, they used the hidden elevator to sneak upstairs with the dolly-chair. Our insidious mastermind employed the help of the door gizmo to slip into Sasha's room first, using the chloroform soaked rag to knock her out almost instantly and hoisted her into the chair. Next, after breaking into Dana's room, they woke her up at knife point and guided her to push Sasha inside the elevator all the while digging the blade into Dana's back causing the cuts, which dripped blood down her pajamas and onto the floor. The murderer guided them to the secret room, adjacent to the morgue, where they then used the same technique to knock Dana into a sleep she would not arise from. Wielding a scalpel, a large incision was made on each of the girls forearms as the assassin drained all of their blood. Finishing the task, they redressed Dana and Sasha, including a top-notch makeup job, staged them at the piano and turned the AC all the way up to ensure their masterpiece would last.
As to theories on who the malignant murder is, I am sticking with my gut from the premiere, as well as various clues from each episode, Lindsey. The sneakers stuffed with tissue call for a smaller person, and though Melina is yet to receive a "scared" card, I feel like her emotional outbursts are too risky for the producers to cast her in the lead role as her acting could be unreliable. While I had my eye on Cris for a short time, I have also cast her out as a suspect due to the fact that she has solved two riddles now back-to-back and with the killer knowing just how they committed the crime, it is unlikely they would be the first to uncover the clues or share them with their teammates or foes. Lindsey has never solved a riddle or shared any key information and also has a somewhat hidden personality as she is not outspoken or overtly opinionated. At this point I feel quite confident in my original choice and unless Lindsey ends up dead or does something highly improbable, like break out in tears or shake in fear of being eliminated, I doubt I will be persuaded into suspecting someone else until the killer is unmasked.
While both Geno and Ronnie received "scared" cards, Giles returned with a note from the mischievous host claiming they had no wish to murder anyone and instead have planned a luau for the contestants. While all is fun and games at first, with the perplexing decorative touches added to Rue Manor, complete with umbrella drinks and matching Hawaiian-themed shirts and leis for the contestants, after a short celebration, complete with Giles doing a limbo, the staple killing of any clue-lover fell from the air. Yes, the chandelier! A classic way of offing someone in a lavish mansion and it was Geno who ended up beneath the massive décor. With only five contestants remaining the stakes are high and I foresee alliances and tempers growing thin. Now we await next week's Whodunnit? a spectacle that will be well worth the time! Tune in Sundays on ABC and check back here for weekly updates, as we near the end of what I regard as one of the best ideas for a reality competition in my lifetime. Enjoy!
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