‘My Life Is Murder’ Recap: ‘The Good Oil’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Lucy Lawless and Brynley Stent as Alexa Crowe and Vinnie in Episode 406 of ‘My Life Is Murder’ – ‘The Good Oil’. (Photo Courtesy of Acorn TV.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 406 of ‘My Life Is Murder’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There are few things more shocking to see on the six o’clock news, than the sad report that a life has been lost courtesy of a family member. For murder is the original and most devastating sin and killing family, is right behind it. For they are an extension of us, and our blood courses through their veins and vice versa. So, the thought of causing them harm should sicken everyone. But alas, people do it and do it for a variety of reasons that are equally as unsettling. From everything from jealousy and money… to something as pitiful as outright shame. As evidenced by the next episode of My Life Is Murder on Acorn TV.

For ‘The Good Oil’ saw Alexa Crowe and her amazing team step in to investigate the death of a good man named Ropati. Who worked in the community, sold honest goods to the world and had no enemies or did not know anyone that should have crossed that line. In fact, the prime suspect, the man who inherited the dance academy Ropati also owned, showed no signs of malice and that prompted Team Alexa to look elsewhere and see who might want to harm a good man, and well… for a time… it seemed the only logical person that would cross that line was someone mired deeply in the wonder and the majesty of greed. Since… Fia owned a cross-town rival to Ropati’s company, and wanted his products badly.

Not to mention, Fia was rude and only cared about profits, so it stood to reason that perhaps she might cross that line. Because there were all kinds of documents that spoke to a merger with Ropati’s company, one that clearly fell to pieces. So why not eliminate the competition to finally get one’s hand on that bread and that product? But alas, it just turned out that Fia was nothing more than a greedy jerk, not a murderer. Which forced Alexa to look closer at the clues and look for some kind of tie, some kind of constant and well, she found it. For Chris, Ropati’s top employee, and Vinnie, were names that often showed up in the paperwork and in mention and with good reason.

For Chris was in essence, an adopted member of Ropati’s family, and took great pride in being part of something bigger, especially since his real family… was an embarrassment, and Vinnie was part of that. Because she was just a failure through and through and rarely did the right thing and she of course, followed her brother everywhere in an effort to just be around and potentially gain a little financial scrap from him. Which infuriated Chris to no end, and well, he decided the time had come to just get rid of her, by paying off her debts so she would go away and to do so… he used company cash. And to complicate matters further… his gambit didn’t pay off. She just went on with her life with no debts to her name and that… brought about complications.

The kind where Chris needed to pay back what he used and he thought a merger with Fia would help, but instead… that backfired and left him in a dark and twisted place. One where he killed family in the name of shame when confronted. Shame for his sister, and shame for himself, but shame none the less. All because… he could not reconcile his past and the reality of his family and somehow thought fantasy could fix a person. When what he should have done, was accept his family for better or worse, and be honest with his chosen family about the trouble Vinnie would bring into their lives. Or… just let it be as Alexa did here with her own sordid family life. But alas, shame is a powerful emotion and so is frustration, and that made this a cautionary tale of sorts, one that showcased another fascinating reason why families shatter and go to the darkest places imaginable. Until next time.

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