Da Vinci's Inquest/Big Whiff of a Real Bad Smell

Big Whiff of a Real Bad Smell
Season 5, Episode 1
Airdate	October 27, 2002
Written by	Alan Di Fiore & Chris Haddock & Frank Borg
Directed by	David Frazee
← 4x13 In the Bear Pit	5x02 → Ass Covering Day
Da Vinci's Inquest — Season Five

Big Whiff of a Real Bad Smell is the first episode of the fifth season of Da Vinci's Inquest, and the fifty-third episode overall.

Starring: Nicholas Campbell (Dominic Da Vinci), Ian Tracey (Detective Mick Leary), Donnelly Rhodes (Detective Leo Shannon), Sarah-Jane Redmond (Sergeant Sheila Kurtz), Venus Terzo (Detective Angela Kosmo), Kim Hawthorne (Detective Rose Williams), Alex Diakun (Chick Savoy), Sarah Strange (Helen), Suleka Mathew (Dr. Sunita "Sunny" Ramen) (credit only), Gerard Plunkett (Chief Coroner Bob Kelly) (credit only)

Also Appearing: Colin Cunningham (Detective Brian Curtis), Shaun Johnston (Fire Marshal Sid Fleming), Stephen E. Miller (Detective Zack McNab)

Co-Starring: Lee Jay Bamberry (Roy LaBoucane), Nathaniel De Veaux (Morris Steadman), Vincent Gale (Alfie), Emily Perkins (Sue), Michael Leisen (Terry Becker), Michael St. John Smith (Ed Meisner), Camille Sullivan (Suki), Yee Jee Tso (Joe Tang), Craig Veroni (Uniform #1), Wayne Baker (Undercover Cop), James Caldwell (Walt), Ryan Crocker (Tow Driver), Dennis P. Kelli (Driver), Muchi Mambo (Tracksuit Man)

Plot Overview

Mick and Leo work on a kidnapping case, but hit an unexpected turn when the person picking up the ransom money is accidentally killed and the money is grabbed by a bystander.

Dominic is troubled by Mr Steadman's presence at the scene of a house fire that bears some resemblance to a case five years ago.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• A series of fires have been reported in the area. Dominic learns the sole survivor of the recent fire, Glen Moorehouse, also survived a similar fire he took to inquest five years ago. He goes over the case with Sid Fleming who was also the investigator of the fire. The difference between the two fires is that Moorehouse wasn't home in the first fire, but got burned in the second trying to save his family. However, gases play a part in the cause of both, although the specifics are different.

• Steadman is at the scene of the Moorehouse fire and is reported to have been seen at others. It's not known if he's sought psychiatric help and registered complaints to the Chief about Dominic dereliction of duty.

• Sue tells Kosmo about Detective Brian Curtis from Vice who solicited her and attempted to use his badge to get a freebie. Sue took his badge. Kosmo promises to keep an eye on him and that nothing Sue tells her will be off the record and ask that she stay close to him.

Characters

• When working with with he and Mick on their investigation, Rose and Leo butt heads a bit.

Referbacks

• Working undercover with Mick and Leo is Alfie, who also worked on Kosmo and Danny's Alex Mills case.

Trivia

The Show

• As of this episode, the minute-plus long opening credit sequence has now been dropped with the credits now simply placed over the opening moments of the first act.

• This episode marks the first appearances of Detectives Brian Curtis and Suki Taylor from Vice.

Allusions and References

• Sue and Kosmo mention missing girls and a pig farm. This is in reference to how as part of the real investigation into the missing women, Robert Pickton was arrested in February of 2002 after items belonging to missing women were found at his farm and was charged with first degree murder for multiple women, which, by the time this episode aired, came to a total of fifteen. He later confessed to having murdered 49 and was sentenced to life in prison.