History Awesome / ColdCase

** It might have been the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for him, but the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister, her friends, and several others. Better still, during their ensuing conversation, when the "[[AssholeVictim victim]]" tries to muddy the waters and say the boy will "[[NoMeansYes understand]] [[NotSoDifferent one day]]", the brother displays the virtue to [[ValuesResonance recognize]] that no amount of "understanding" will ever make rape right.

* The female victim's FamousLastWords in "Who's Your Daddy?" to the creepy construction foreman who had just shot her husband and tried to force her to orally service him: "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Don't. Exist]]."

*** What makes it brilliant, it's a CallBack to an earlier flashback, to when the female victim said the holes in her stockings and the blisters on her fingers did not exist. She not only refuses to acknowledge the foreman, but she's regarding him as little more than a blister or a hole in her stocking. In other words, she [[ReasonWhyYouSuckSpeech rightly insulted]] the foreman in ''just 3 words''.

* "The Perfect Day" has the epilogue montage, where Stillman solemnly watches as the victim's late father's picture is taken down from the wall of honor. No matter what he did as a police officer, the fact that he [[DomesticAbuse abused his wife and children]] ''and'' [[OffingTheOffspring killed]] one of his daughters doesn't make it all right. So it's fitting that he's punished by having his title posthumously stripped from him.
** The scope of his posthumous punishment takes on a whole new layer when one remembers what's become of his late daughter these past years. Shortly after her death, his wife convinced their remaining daughter that her twin sister was but an [[LyingToProtectYourFeelings imaginary friend]] to spare her any grief. In the present, it's rather fitting that while the daughter he murdered is remembered again, now it's his turn to be forgotten by all who knew him.

** It might have been the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for him, but the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister, her friends, and several others. Better still, during their ensuing conversation, when the "[[AssholeVictim victim]]" tries to muddy the waters and say the boy will "[[NotSoDifferent understand one day]]", the brother displays the virtue to [[ValuesResonance recognize]] that no amount of "[[NoMeansYes understanding]]" will ever make rape right.

** It might have been the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for him, but the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister, her friends, and several others. Better still, during their ensuing conversation, when the "[[AssholeVictim victim]]" tries to muddy the waters and say the boy will "[[NotSoDifferent understand one day]]", the brother displays the virtue to [[ValuesResonance recognize]] that no amount of "understanding" will ever make rape right.

* In "Sherry Darlin'", we have James' half-brother who, while James was away, Sherry tried to seduce. She offered that they could run away to anywhere they wanted. But the half-brother had too much integrity and refused. Oh sure, when he tried to tell James what happened, the latter thought he was lying and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished hit him with a brick that left a scar]]. But not only does it prove the step-brother has character, it later helps Lily Rush provide evidence of Sherry's [[YourCheatingHeart other husbands]].

** It might have been the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for him, but the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister, her friends, and several others.

** Lily telling Max's kidnappers that his mother's name is "Priscilla" when said-kidnapper calls her "[[ItIsDemeaning that woman]]". Lily may have issues with druggie moms, but she's [[CharacterDevelopment come to see]] Priscilla is a [[GoodParents cut above the rest]] and deserves to be addressed as Max's rightful mother.

* "The Perfect Day" has the epilogue montage, where Stillman solemnly watches as the victim's late father's picture is taken down from the wall of honor. No matter what he did as a police officer, the fact that he [[DomesticViolence abused his wife and children]] ''and'' [[OffingTheOffspring killed]] one of his daughters doesn't make it all right. So it's fitting that he's punished by having his title posthumously stripped from him.

** It might have been the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for him, but the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister (and several others).
** Even before that, the sister in question had her rapist at her mercy when she holds a gun to him. All his other victims are egging her on to pull the trigger. She has every right to kill somebody who should've been jailed a long time ago. [[WhatYouAreInTheDark But she doesn't]]. Why? Because [[HeWhoFightsMonsters she doesn't want to be the monster he is]].

** Earlier on, when Scotty and Lily confront Mr. Freely in the interrogation room. When they tell him they know what he did, Mr. Freely casually [[ShutUpKirk points out how nobody really cares about his victims]]. In response, Lily presents case files on every child he ever worked with. And she tells him that they're on the other side of the window, telling "all about Mr. Freely". ...Only, there's nobody there. But ''he'' doesn't know that. It works, and he spills the beans about what happened to Toya and Rosie.

* Shamar in "It Takes A Village". He's been starved and basically tortured for four days straight, and he still has the presence of mind to remember that he's being videotaped and leave a clue in the hopes that someone other than his killer will see the tape and use the clue to find the killer. The clue he provides (the name of the videogame he was playing when he met his killer) turns out to be critical in helping the detectives put the pieces together.

* Shamar in "It Takes A Village". He's been starved and basically tortured for four days straight, and he still has the presence of mind to remember that he's being videotaped and leave a clue in the hopes that someone other than his killer will see the tape. The clue he provides (the name of the videogame he was playing when he met his killer) turns out to be critical in helping the detectives put the pieces together.

* Rose's ClickHello to her psychotic brother (at the moment trying to strangle her girlfriend) in "Best Friends."
** What sells it is her cool-as-a-cucumber declaration that he is no family of hers and her direction to her girlfriend to get into the truck so they can leave. It's an especially awesome moment when you consider that Rose is a) afraid of her controlling brother and b) by far the softer and more feminine of the two women.

** In an earlier flashback, a rather snide teacher was giving Skill a hard time with a reading lesson and blatantly claimed he'd never make it far in life. But then, just as she says those words, Skill adeptly reads the entire sentence of the book, a sentence that accurately claims [[ArmorPiercingStatement that of course he's not going to learn because she doesn't "see" him]].

** In an earlier flashback, a rather snide teacher was giving Skill a hard time with a reading lesson and blatantly claimed he'd never make it far in life. But then, just as she says those words, Skill adeptly reads the entire sentence of the book, a sentence that accurately claims [[ArmourPiercingStatement that of course he's not going to learn because she doesn't "see" him]].

* Near the ending of "Gleen", [[spoiler: When Lily and Vera confront the killer. Instead of letting him listen in on his daughter's conversation with his would-be fiancée, he's forced to stay out. It's barely even thirty seconds before he's stewing in frustration, revealing his weakness as a ControlFreak. Lily and Vera casually point out [[ReasonWhyYouSuckSpeech how the killer controls his wives instead of letting them lead their own lives]]. Just when he's a split second from "[[WouldHitAGirl teaching a lesson]]" to Lily, she calmly drops an ArmorPiercingQuestion about how his wife's flasher was a convenient scapegoat. This leaves the killer speechless, unable to deny what an overall weak person he is.]]
* "Love conquers Al": Seeing how much a [[LackOfEmpathy cold-hearted bitch]] she was through the episode, it is satisfying to [[spoiler:Jane]] being taken to jail, all for setting up the murder of an innocent girl.

* In "Sherry Darlin'", we have James' half-brother who, [[spoiler: while James was away, Sherry tried to seduce. She offered that they could run away to anywhere they wanted. But the half-brother had too much integrity and refused. Oh sure, when he tried to tell James what happened, the latter thought he was lying and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished hit him with a brick that left a scar]]. But not only does it prove the step-brother has character, it later helps Lily Rush provide evidence of Sherry's [[YourCheatingHeart other husbands]].]]

** And then there's the big moment: [[spoiler: Kyle, Linda's killer, came only because he wanted her to come away and be her lover. After he murdered her, poor Sean/Bobby reached out to him in hopes he would comfort him. His response to the boy was a [[KickTheDog cold]] "[[ItsAllAboutMe Sorry, Bobby, gotta catch a train]]." Then, comes the Awesome moment... Over a decade later, what exposes Kyle as the murderer? Sean/Bobby's vague recollection of those words. Yep, in the end, Karl's callousness towards someone who needed help [[LaserGuidedKarma comes back to bite him]].]]

** Daryl Booker. [[spoiler: His CharacterDevelopment from a gruff [[RecoveredAddict former crackhead]] to [[PapaWolf Kara's father figure]] and [[KnightInSourArmor Protector]] to (nearly) becoming [[AntiHero her parent's avenger]].]]
* The ending montage of "Discretions", [[spoiler: when the two real killers of a college girl are caught in a stake-out. If they had any doubts they'd ever be arrested, those doubts practically ''evaporate'' the second those cops show up.]]

* The scene in The Woods, where Lilly rips apart George's god complex and tells him that for all his bravado and posturing that he's god, he's still just the same frightened little boy whose mommy [[spoiler: abandoned him to be raped by a pedophile and never loved him]]. While George was angry once before, this is the only time where his mask completely cracks, reducing him to a screaming lunatic begging her to shut up.

* Det. Jeffries in "Death Penalty: Final Appeal". First, midway through the episode, he delivers a ShutUpHannibal TalkToTheFist reaction to the smug, JerkAss lawyer who railroaded an innocent man just to win the case [[spoiler: who then is later [[LaserGuidedKarma fired from the D.A.'s office and has a ruined reputation]]]]. Also, once we see the real killer arrested by the end of the episode, he is seen roughly handling him in handcuffs. Considering that this is [[GentleGiant Jeffries]] we're talking about, it's so shocking, and well-deserved.

** We also get this:

** It's no wonder we get this bit: [[spoiler: "My daughter is my hero."]]

* Pretty much everything about [[LittleMissBadass the victim]] in "Fireflies," especially the fact that [[spoiler:she's one of the only two main victims to survive the attempt on her life, and the ''only'' one of the two to do so under her own power. Also, she's in grade school.]].
** Also, [[spoiler: this same little girl was bullied earlier by a young man to hit her own best friend, and instead responds by hitting him in the nose with her ''lunchbox''.]]

* In "8:03", [[spoiler: Lily and Scotty confront Madison's killer, a SmugSnake who dealt drugs in his youth. Oh he may act cool as a cucumber at first, but it doesn't last. Evidence points to him, especially since he identified [[INeverSaidItWasPoison the gun he purchased from Skill]]. But the true crowning moment of awesome comes when Scotty ''only'' threatens the killer, and the killer turns [[DirtyCoward coward]] and promises to spill his guts.]]
** Also in a similar scene, [[spoiler: Miller brings in Toomey for interrogation. The latter tries to sweet-talk his way out, but Miller is livid and will not condone that he essentially lied to her about having nothing to do with Skill's death. This scene gets marks for Miller not playing favoritism.]]

* At the climax of "Thrill Kill," Lilly gives an absolutely ''terrifying'' BreakingSpeech to the wife of the killer [[spoiler:and mother of the victim, pulling no punches in laying it on how much of a pathetic coward she must be to stand by the man who murdered ''her only child'' in cold blood]]. Best part? [[spoiler:It works, and the wife gives up the murder weapon]].

** Maybe it was the wrong thing to do and it was probably traumatizing for [[spoiler:him]] but I can't be the only one who broke into a smile [[spoiler: when the young boy shot and killed the bastard who raped his sister (and several others).]]
** Even before that, [[spoiler: the sister in question had her rapist at her mercy when she holds a gun to him. All his other victims are egging her on to pull the trigger. She has every right to kill somebody who should've been jailed a long time ago. [[WhatYouAreInTheDark But she doesn't]]. Why? Because [[HeWhoFightsMonsters she doesn't want to be the monster he is]].]]
* Scotty and Vera give the murderer in "Slipping" - [[spoiler:a vile piece of work who not only tried to drive his wife to madness to steal her work (recruiting the gullible and lovelorn housekeeper into helping him) and murdered her when she confronted him, but also allowed her daughter to spend 45 years thinking that she had driven her Mom over the edge and that she might go crazy too before wrongfully claiming the Nobel laurate that her work earned]] - a Massive ReasonYouSuckSpeech outlining just how much of pathetic bag of garbage he really is before arresting the bastard in front of a crowd of people.
** What ultimately gets the murderer caught? [[spoiler: His own step-daughter's drawing, which turns out to be the evidence to how he stole his wife's work.]]
** In the end, [[spoiler: even the killer can't help but bitterly admit he may have been a good writer, but his wife (the victim) was ''better''.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Daniel:''']] You still don't get it, do you?

--> [[spoiler: '''Daniel:''' ''How good'' Nancy was.]]

** [[spoiler: Lily and Will trick Spider's ex-girlfriend into confessing by simply mentioning a witness saw her helping Spider kill an innocent woman, [[INeverSaidItWasPoison but not that it was nighttime]] when it happened.]]

* In "Ghost of my Child", [[spoiler: We have Priscilla Chapin, a former drug addict who, against all odds, stayed clean for her son, even [[MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave in the span of the five years she thought he was dead]].]]
** Another, smaller one: [[spoiler: In the flashback, baby Max's abductors read what's sown on the pajamas his real mother made him: "[[ArmorPiercingResponse MY MOMMY LOVES ME]]" It's as though this innocent baby were defiantly telling his abductors "Just you wait, one day, my ''real'' Mommy will find me!" And years later, she does.]]

* In "Into The Blue," Lilly [[spoiler:figures out the case ''in a hallucination'']]. MindScrew it may be, but it's also a serious testament to her deductive skill.

** In the present, Vera giving the suspect a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech scathing tirade]] about [[spoiler: how they blindly cover for the killer, like a sheep following the herd. It works, and the suspect finally caves about what happened, lending the detectives the missing piece to solving their investigation.]]

* "Greed". The killer is a pure MamaBear, killing the AssholeVictim not because he stole from her, not because he cheated on her, but because he cheated on her son--with her. Even better, she doesn't have any self-pity--"I'm an adult. I've got no one to blame but myself for sleeping with a cold-blooded reptile like you"--reserving all her anger for his treatment of her son.

** When Becca gives a poor "presentation" in class, Rainy voices how inadequate the presentation was. Bonus points for being a moment of character development. Earlier, Rainey backed down when Becca told her being smart was "stupid". Here, we see Rainey stand her ground and tell her how school is supposed to be a place for learning, not earning popularity points.

* The scene in The Woods, where Lilly rips apart George's god complex and tells him that for all his bravado and posturing that he's god, he's still just the same frightened little boy who'se mommy abandoned him to be raped by a pedophile and never loved him. While George was angry once before, this is the only time where his mask completely cracks, reducing him to a screaming lunatic begging her to shut up.

* "Maternal Instincts" has a small moment. Just about every moment Lily has with Sean, from her pointing out [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech how unbelievable it is Sean is letting people who want to listen to him walk out the door]], to sitting down and telling him you can't just plow through life winging it without any guidance. The latter requires Lily swallowing her pride and admitting ''she'' was once in Sean's shoes and she needed help as well.
** And then there's the big moment: [[spoiler: Kyle, Linda's killer, came only because he wanted her to come away and be her lover. After he murdered her, poor Sean/Bobby reached out to him in hopes he would comfort him. His response to the boy was a [[KickTheDog cold]] "[[ItsAllAboutMe Sorry, Bobby, gotta catch a train]]." Over a decade later, what exposes Kyle as the murderer? Sean/Bobby's vague recollection of those words. Yep, in the end, Karl's callousness towards someone who needed help [[LaserGuidedKarma comes back to bite him]].]]

** And then there's the big moment: [[spoiler: Kyle, Linda's killer, came only because he wanted her to come away and be her lover. After he murdered her, poor Sean/Bobby reached out to him in hopes he would comfort him. His response to the boy was a [[KickTheDog cold]] "[[ItsAllAboutMe Sorry, Bobby, gotta catch a train]]." Over a decade later, what exposes Kyle as the murderer? Sean/Bobby's vague recollection of those words. Yep, in the end, Kyle's callousness comes back to bite him]].

** And then there's the big moment: Kyle, Linda's killer, came only because he wanted her to come away and be her lover. After he murdered her, poor Sean/Bobby reached out to him in hopes he would comfort him. His response to the boy was a [[KickTheDog cold]] "[[ItsAllAboutMe Sorry, Bobby, gotta catch a train]]." Over a decade later, what exposes Kyle as the murderer? Sean/Bobby's vague recollection of those words. Yep, in the end, Kyle's callousness comes back to bite him.