The Last Drive-In (Cold Case)

"The Last Drive-In"
Cold Case episode
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 18
Directed by	Chris Fisher
Written by	Elwood Reid
Original air date	March 28, 2010
Episode chronology
← Previous "Flashover" Next → "Bullet (Part 2)"
Episode chronology

The Last Drive-In is the eighteenth episode and first part of a two parted episode in Season 7 of Cold Case, it originally aired on March 28, 2010 on CBS in the United States.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Victims 4 Music 5 Reception 6 Notes

Plot

We open with a two teenagers at a local drive-in making out and out of nowhere shots ring out killing the male teenager in the car. Stillman introduces Rush to FBI Agent Diane Yates, a personal friend and colleague of his, who needs our teams help in investigating a recent murder case of Mel Shaver who was shot dead while walking his dog. Yates, a no nonsense aggressive agent shares nothing with our team in terms of why the FBI wants in on this case. Yates does tell Rush that she’s the reason Stillman’s marriage ended. Ballistics reveal that Shaver was killed by a serial killer who stopped killing for 27 years but has come out of retirement. In order to find a connection between all our victims, our team breaks down all their backgrounds and whereabouts which eventually lead us to Bill Shepard, a ex-marine who once owned a local drive-in which was taken away by the bank. We track down Bill Shepard’s son, Paul, who claims to have not seen his father in thirty years. They track down a PO box where Bill’s been receiving VA checks and are about to interview the postal clerk when suddenly shots fly out of no where killing our clerk. While frantically trying to end our killer’s rampage our investigation is stalled when it’s revealed that Yates wasn’t cleared to work this case. However, Rush finds a way to gets Yates out of debriefing and they track down Bill’s cabin only to discover that he’s been dead in the basement for years. The serial killer is still out there. To be continued...

Cast

Main Cast

• Kathryn Morris as Det. Lillian "Lilly" Rush
• Danny Pino as Det. Scotty Valens
• John Finn as Lt. John Stillman
• Thom Barry as Det. Will Jeffries
• Jeremy Ratchford as Det. Nick Vera
• Tracie Thoms as Det. Kat Miller

Guest Cast

• Johnny Messner as Ryan Cavanaugh
• JB Blanc as Paul Shepard (2010)
• John Gries as Bill Shepard (1978)
• Donna Pescow as Nancy Kent (2010)
• William Russ as Tim Hudson (2010)
• Melissa Ordway as Diane Yates (1980)
• Julie Ariola as Betty Schmall
• Mac Brandt as Preston Schmall (1978)
• Jonathan Brett as Paul Shepard (1978)
• George Finn as Barry Jensen (1980)
• Scott Lincoln as Carl Guidry
• Mandy Jane Turpin as Sally Shaver

And

• Susanna Thompson as Diane Yates

Co-Starring

• Christopher Carrington as Calvin Walsh (1983)
• Charles Woods Gray as Calvin Walsh (2010)
• Ronald F. Hoiseck as Ned Cotner ("Ned Jenkins")
• Karen James as Nurse
• Karlton Johnson as Fred Norris (1978)
• Charles McCurdy as Walt Granville
• Anna Rose Moore as Felicity Andrews (1978)
• Michael Petrone as State Trooper
• Adam Powell as Tim Hudson (1978)
• Pamela Shaddock as Emergency Room Nurse
• Stefani Seifert as Nancy Kent (1978)
• Matt Sigloch as SWAT Member #1
• Todd Sandler as Mel Shaver (uncredited)

Victims

• Barry Jensen died on June 17, 1980.
• Felicity Andrews died on November 16, 1981
• Preston Schmall died on July 24, 1982.
• Fred Norris died on September 9, 1983.
• Mel Shaver died on November 6, 2009.
• Walt Granville died on March 2010

Music

• "Just What I Needed" by The Cars
• "Strange Way" by Firefall
• "Even the Losers" by Tom Petty
• "Kid" by The Pretenders

Reception

The episode avaraged 10.15 million viewers, rating of 6.3/11.

Notes

• Thom Barry does not appear in this episode.
• The ghosts of the victims do not appear to anyone because the case was not closed.
• The end of this episode does not have the trademark musical finale sequence, a first in the series.