Broken River Review Part 2: No! Not my brother!

Broken River - Part I - Montreal Improv Broken River - Part I - Montreal Improv

There’s only two shows left this month before Broken River comes to an end, and the murderer is revealed. More and more characters have a connection to the victim, Bruce Angstrom, by way of violence, wrestling (an audience suggestion), and illicit, secret activities at night.

Broken River Part 2 - by Montreal Improv 2014

Broken River Part 2 – by Montreal Improv 2014

I’m starting to have my theories already, but instead of possibly ruining it for anyone, I’ll let the highlights of last Sunday’s show, technically Episode 3, do the talking.

Sheriff Ed Stubbs (Vance Gillis)

Local Sheriff Stubbs can’t get over the threat of losing his job if he doesn’t solve the Angstrom case, and it has him so stressed that he’s begun to gorge himself on fast food. But there’s hope. Not for the food, but in Crystal’s phone records, the first major break in the case. Mayor Wheeler is in charge of the phone records, so she has poor Sheriff Ed babysit her dogs (imaginary improv dogs) until he gets fed up, goes on a drunken bender, and has a heart attack.

Special Agent Denise Carver (Lar Vi)

Agent Carver interrogates Crystal about her relationship with Bruce Angstrom in high school. Crystal wrestled Bruce at school and because of her violent temper, she broke his arm. Could that be another clue that she’s the killer? Carver also meets up with Boyd at the local gym to find out what he knows, and whether his alibi for Crystal holds up. Instead, she finds him incredibly sexy in his emotionally fragile state, and she kisses him.

Gail (Kyla Margaret)

Gail gets a surprise visit by her ex-husband, Sheriff Ed, who unloads Mayor Wheeler’s dogs so that she’ll take care of them after he can’t take it anymore. Carver decides to give Gail a hand considering she’s been staying at Gail’s B&B since she first got to town. Apparently, the two women have gotten pretty close, because Carver also confesses to Gail that she kissed Boyd. Gail’s reaction: “No! Not my brother!”

Boyd Duffy (James McGee)

Boyd’s been a loose cannon ever since Bruce Angstrom was found dead. He would turn to Crystal for support, as he always did before, but that changed when Crystal confessed that she was sleeping with Bruce behind his back. Devastated, Boyd kicks her out of his life, but he’s a bit premature. Gail finds a pregnancy test lying around Boyd’s place, with his initials written on it. (Defies logic, but fun to watch.) Considering he just made out with Agent Carver, there’s trouble on the horizon, for sure.

Crystal (Ariel De Roo)

Crystal’s name jumps to the top of the list of suspects in the murder. After she tells Boyd that she was having an affair with Bruce, he cuts her off financially. Then Mayor Wheeler arrives to collect property tax fines for her bar, The Jug. The Mayor gives her an ultimatum – if she doesn’t find the money to pay, she’s going to shut the place down. So Crystal does something drastic and goes to visit Old Man Angstrom, Bruce’s father, who’s rich but a bit of an invalid. She doesn’t waste any time telling him he’s gonna be a grandfather. But is he?

Mayor Barb Wheeler (Kyla Margaret)

Mayor Wheeler’s first mistake is trusting Sheriff Ed with her dogs, because he immediately unloads them on Gail, and then when that doesn’t work, he gives them to Crystal. Wheeler gets slapped with a $12,000 ransom for the safe return of Daniel and Rose, who are tucked away with Crystal. Carver and Sheriff Ed end up crashing Wheeler’s place and they find Crystal’s phone records, which show that it’s Wheeler who met with Bruce during nights leading up to his death. Who’s the prime suspect now?

Broken River Part 2 - by Montreal Improv 2014

Broken River Part 2 – by Montreal Improv 2014

Broken River’s next installment happens on Sunday November 23 at Montreal Improv (3697 Boulevard Saint-Laurent) at 8:30 pm. Tickets: $8 (available at the door). For more information, click HERE