Ep 18. Willkommen

In the third season of Cold Case, Episode 18, titled Willkommen, the team investigates a case that sparked a chain of events leading back to a mysterious group of performers in Germany.

The episode opens with the discovery of a body inside an abandoned circus tent. The victim, Howard Keel, was a carnival performer who had been missing for 27 years. The team is called in to dig up the past and uncover the truth behind his murder.

With little evidence to go on, the team starts piecing together Howard's life and the people he had associated with in the circus. The trail soon leads to a group of Germans who had travelled to America with the circus in the 1970s. The group, known as the Willkommen Group, was a cabaret circus troupe that specialized in burlesque shows and flamboyant performances.

The team finds out that Howard was romantically involved with a member of the Willkommen group, a woman named Reina. The troupe was filled with chaos and madness, and it was difficult for the investigators to find out what really happened to Howard. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover that Howard had become increasingly unhappy with his place in the group and had been planning to leave them.

What follows is a web of secrets and lies that the team must unravel to finally get to the truth behind Howard's murder. Despite being met with resistance from the surviving members of the Willkommen Group, they persevere and continue to dig deeper into the vast array of characters and storylines surrounding the case.

The episode is full of twists and turns, and the complexities of the case keep the team and viewers on their toes. Along the way, they uncover some truths about human nature and the lengths some people can go to for power or fame.

Throughout the episode, the show also highlights the struggles of the carnival and circus industry. It touches on the challenges that performers face, such as drug addiction, in their quest for success. The storyline is handled with sensitivity and empathy, and it adds a poignant layer to the case.

In Willkommen, the team deals with a case that is both fascinating and heartbreaking. It captures the rough-and-tumble world of the circus, with all of its joys and sorrows, and brings the time and place vividly to life. The episode is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the investigators who strive to unlock the secrets of the past and bring justice to the present.