# Whodunnit? (Summer Mystery/Reality Show) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784 "2013-06-24T14:26:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/121 "2013-08-14T20:09:43Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I’m really hoping that Melina’s disappearance means she’s the killer, if only because I’ve had my money on her since the beginning. I really liked the way she sat down and tried to get information out of the team–she certainly seemed way smarter than anybody had previously given her credit for. > > Did anybody notice Cris walking the wall separating the hot tub from the pool in those ridiculous shoes? I was really hoping she’d take a spill, because I’m a terrible human being. > > And Lindsay … just standing there while everybody else assumed she was dead. Way to be creepy, Lindsay. Tactically it was kind of sound, especially if they had been talking smack about her, but all it did was scare the hell out of them. Did anybody else think that maybe she’d already been poisoned or something when she got all giggly and stupid? I would have loved if she’d just dropped dead in the middle of a game of pool. I certainly thought so! I’m pretty sure a trained monkey was pumping nitrous into her room or something. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/122 "2013-08-19T03:47:52Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Kam seems to be where the show is leading us to think, so I’ll guess: > > \*\*Cris is the murder, with Kam winning the prize. \*\* Did anyone else watch tonight? I was right, though it doesn’t matter since who is the killer was irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/123 "2013-08-19T08:20:57Z")
Just finished watching. _Damn_, this is good TV. Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but that’s just how it is. And I don’t remember a time when I was this riveted by a season finale. (The only one that comes close was the second The Amazing Race and the unbelievable footrace that decided it.) Looking back, I’m astonished by… …wait a minute… “If I had to hazard a guess…I’d say that Kam _isn’t_ the killer, mainly because he’s totally ruthless and playing a very solid game…” “I don’t really think they’re going to pull a ‘the butler did it’…” “I think…it’s going to come down to a gritty, no-holds-barred race to the line where they have to grab as much information as they can as quickly as they can…” Oh my…I…I nailed it! I wasn’t even _trying_, and I nailed it! Me! DKW! The guy who managed an oh-so-brilliant 2 for 4 in the finish order for the four semifinallists of American Idol’s 7th season, which was more predictable than a Joe Girardi press conference! The guy who predicted outright winner, winner against the spread, and over/under for the Patriots/Rams Super Bowl and got them all wrong! The guy who made _two_ predictions (one serious, one snarky) for each of the four semifinallists on the 12th season of Dancing With The Stars and got ALL FREAKING EIGHT WRONG\*!! This…I don’t know what to think…it’s downright scary. And exhilarating. But mostly scary. Okay, where was I…oh yeah. Looking back, I’m astonished by just how difficult this contest was. So much to consider, so many angles to find, so many clues that are all too easy to overlook (I’m still a bit stunned Lindsey missed two _huge_ clues in the study). And then at the end, _all_ of it comes into play, including things that Kam and Lindsey, thanks to the mechanics of the game, never even had a _chance_ to find out. All that and you also gotta be able to _run!_ If I were ever on that show, I might last two or three weeks through raw intellect, but I wouldn’t beat Kam in a foot race in a million years. Anyway, the bottom line is that the best player won. And for that, I am happy I stuck it out to the end. If Giles is to be trusted, there’s an amazing amount of buzz about this show. I’m almost certain that ABC will find a way to have a second season next year. Will most definitely be there when it happens. (Cris. Huh. Of all people. Talk about flying under the radar.) - Seriously, I was absolutely blown away when that happened. I just didn’t feel like talking about that show anymore after that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/124 "2013-08-19T11:41:54Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I am officially calling this show “Howdunnit” instead since apparently the who is irrelevant. > > It makes sense, though. Nothing has pointed to any particular person as being the killer. It’s all about the method of murder and nothing indicates anyone. Exactly. Where were there any clues that pointed to the identity of the real murderer? ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/125 "2013-08-19T13:40:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Exactly. Where were there any clues that pointed to the identity of the real murderer? Apparently subtle ones - the one people on other boards like to bring up is that, during the Champagne scene in episode 1, Cris is conspicuously absent. That being said, I was blown away by the reveal. I did not see it coming at all - I had Melina as the killer, with Lindsey as a second. Did not see Cris as the killer at all. Congrats to Kam - he played a good game and was the strongest competitor throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/126 "2013-08-19T14:09:07Z")
He should have been made to write down who he thought was the murderer before he entered that room to win the prize. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/127 "2013-08-19T14:25:53Z")
Great finale! I do love how they had the questions of the previous deaths - bringing back the dead contestants actually ended up being pretty cool rather than super cheesy (ok, maybe a bit of both). Fantastic stuff!! I am glad that Giles wasn’t the killer (Kam should have known better - I mean he’s the best character and they gotta bring it back for Season 2!) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/128 "2013-08-19T23:01:24Z")
There was a lot going on in the finale and I wished it had not been so fast paced. How could they have got the snake puzzle wrong? Wasn’t Lindsey at a disadvantage? Non-running shoes (I think she took her heels off) and in a dress. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/129 "2013-08-20T01:24:48Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I am glad that Giles wasn’t the killer (Kam should have known better Yeah, I didn’t quite understand why Kam (the attorney) had a hard time with the contract. He specifically states “The contract refers to the principal party being Giles, and then the third party being the killer, so they’re not one and the same,” so he seemed to get that, but then goes on to say, “but the things that Giles is responsible for is pretty much committing murder.” Um . . . What? I think his shock and surprise at seeing Giles out of his restraints overcame his sense of logic (which was ironically the other puzzle he had trouble with). Of course the fine print (as related by Cris) stated Giles was not responsible for any of the murders. And I thought Cris did a pretty good job pretending not to know what was going on at the end before she confessed to Kam (when he definitively named her). But yeah, great diversion for a summer series, and I do hope they bring it back. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/130 "2013-08-20T12:18:42Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > There was a lot going on in the finale and I wished it had not been so fast paced. > > How could they have got the snake puzzle wrong? > > Wasn’t Lindsey at a disadvantage? Non-running shoes (I think she took her heels off) and in a dress. I wonder if there was another snake that we never saw, or if it was just a time-sink for the contestants. And yea, Lindsey took off her heels at one point. You’d think at some point the contestants would realize they’re going to be sprinting all over the place the whole day and quit doing that. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/131 "2013-08-20T12:42:30Z")
So, I assume Cris got at least _some_ money for being the killer, right? I was musing over how it could have been kind of awesome if the killer was able to win. The show would need different parameters, of course, but it would be a nice twist, I think. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/132 "2013-08-20T12:53:53Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > So, I assume Cris got at least _some_ money for being the killer, right? I was musing over how it could have been kind of awesome if the killer was able to win. The show would need different parameters, of course, but it would be a nice twist, I think. She got $50k for agreeing to be the killer. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/133 "2013-08-20T12:54:13Z")
Isn’t the killer just part of the cast planted among the contestants? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/134 "2013-08-20T13:22:59Z")
I’d like to know how much the killer knew, and when. If she was just told she _was_ the killer, but didn’t know the details of the killings in advance, or have to do anything special as they went along, it wouldn’t require her to be as good an actress during the investigations. All she’d have to fake was being afraid of being vulnerable to elimination. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/135 "2013-08-20T13:27:30Z")
Did the contestants who solved the crime best each week get an extra bonus. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/136 "2013-08-20T15:04:25Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I’d like to know how much the killer knew, and when. If she was just told she _was_ the killer, but didn’t know the details of the killings in advance, or have to do anything special as they went along, it wouldn’t require her to be as good an actress during the investigations. All she’d have to fake was being afraid of being vulnerable to elimination. She would have to know enough to pass the test each time. If she gave a crappy answer or failed at a task but still moved on the audience would get suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/137 "2013-08-20T15:54:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > She would have to know enough to pass the test each time. If she gave a crappy answer or failed at a task but still moved on the audience would get suspicious. Yeah, but they’ve made it clear the players are taken off one by one to do their little library reenactments that the audience sees, but they also take the written test before that. So normal players get taken, do the test and play act their version. The killer gets taken, but instead of the test, he gets told what his version of the crime should be (possibly including wrong bits, so they can show that the killer got parts wrong in the recaps for the episodes) and then does the live action account to be taped. From the POV of the other players, there would be nothing suspicious about the killers actions on investigation locations/reacting to clues – it would genuinely be new and unknown to him at that point. At least, I think that’s how I would do it. They were extremely lucky this time that the killer was ensconced in the ‘smart’ alliance, so it wasn’t suspicious that she coasted along safely. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/138 "2013-08-20T17:00:55Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Yeah, but they’ve made it clear the players are taken off one by one to do their little library reenactments that the audience sees, but they also take the written test before that. The test is actually after the verbal part. Kam mentioned on reddit that he wished it was the other way around, because the short answer questions sometimes helped reconstruct what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/139 "2013-08-21T03:01:57Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Come on, a slingshot to the neck? puh-leeze. Even if I believe there was enough force to kill someone from 30 feet away, I DO NOT believe anyone alive has aim that good > > . A hijack, but… [Edification.](http://youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784/140 "2013-08-21T06:06:24Z")
I liked the show and I hope they bring back the campy, silly, over-the-top murders again. I’m glad they at least addressed the _possibility_ of Giles being the killer. The actual reveal scene was odd and underwhelming (Giles delivered those stupid rhymes much better than Cris). It took Kam so long to figure it out, I could see Cris waiting and waiting for him to realize it. I didn’t guess that Cris was the killer, mainly because I didn’t try, and also because it doesn’t really matter\*. I did figure that Kam wasn’t it, because he was playing the game so well, and he was so much a leader of a team it didn’t make sense. I think the producers will learn what worked best and what fell flat, little tweaks is really all that’s needed. Better clues about who the killer is for one. It was a little like _Clue_ without the deck of suspect cards. \*: No, it really doesn’t matter matter matter matter matter matter matter… /Pirate King [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whodunnit-summer-mystery-reality-show/661784.md?page=8)