'Instinct:' S02.E09. “Manhunt”

With so much to cover, I’m finally getting around to looking at the "Manhunt" episode of the Michael Rauch created television series Instinct.

Because Dr. Dylan Reinhart (Alan Cumming) suspected the Sleeping Beauty killer knew Det. Ryan Stock (Travis Van Winkle) personally, he accompanied Ryan back to Nebraska. After a brief conversation with Ryan, Deputy Darrell Hill (Michael Mulheren), and Maggie Stock (Leslie Hendrix), Dylan determined many of the town’s residents were prone to restorative nostalgia. It was only later that Dylan realises the Sleeping Beauty killer is not someone that embodied the same type of nostalgia the rest of the town did. The only person, other than Ryan’s mother and the deputy, not impacted by restorative nostalgia is Cormac Rego (Michael Rady).

Cormac and Ryan grew up together. They were the best of friends. Consequently, Ryan had fond memories of Cormac. This is the primary reason Ryan didn’t consider Cormac a potential suspect. It was not until the detective reviewed the content of an old family photograph album did Ryan finally see the truth. A single photograph of himself with Cormac showed Ryan what he needed to see. In the image, with both Ryan and Cormac as children, they were under a teepee fashioned from cowboy patterned bedsheets. It’s this same style of bedsheet that the Sleeping Beauty killer has been using to cover his victims.

Even though Cormac told his mother and sister that he was flying down to Mexico City, his true destination was New York City. "Manhunt," picks up immediately after Dylan and Ryan discover, in "Go Figure," the true identity of the Sleeping Beauty killer.

Because of the increase in the number of clues that he left in his wake, it’s possible Cormac was either overly confident or wanted Ryan to know he is the Sleeping Beauty killer. It’s also possible that Cormac wanted to prove Ryan incompetent at his job. Unfortunately for Cormac, he doesn’t understand Ryan is now working with Dylan.

Dylan, a consultant with the New York Police Department, is a Yale University professor that teaches abnormal psychology. Consequently, because of this speciality, Dylan has a deep understanding of how a person’s mind works. Working with Det. Lizzie Needham (Bojana Novakovic) on numerous cases, Dylan has proven time and again the value of his input. The Yale University professor does the same with Ryan.

While Dylan isn’t on board with the plan to use Cormac’s sister, Candace Rego (Rebecca Faulkenberry), as bait, the professor goes along with the plan because he has no choice in the matter. Because Cormac doesn’t completely trust anyone, he chooses to watch her from a close-by rooftop.