When her bag appears in a stranger’s possession, the team reopens the 1989 case of Nadia Koslov, an aspiring opera singer from Russia who was killed soon after defecting to the United States with her family, who actually sought help from Vera upon arriving in Philly.
Tropes:
- Green-Eyed Monster: Phoebe poisoned Nadia because she was jealous of her talent and her romance with Elliot, although she was initially trying to commit suicide.
- I Miss Mom: Nadia missed her mom, but her father wouldn’t let her or her brother mourn her properly. Nadia found a way to mourn her mother and honor her memory through pop music.
- Interrupted Suicide: Phoebe was contemplating suicide with poisoned tea due to dissatisfaction with her own life and failure to gain Elliot's attention, but Nadia knocked on her door, giving her a different idea.
- The Lost Lenore: Leo, Nadia's father, wouldn’t let his children mourn their mother, or even put flowers on her grave, and he pressured his daughter to do opera because her mom had been a soprano.
- Parting-Words Regret: More like lack of parting words. Leo finally saw Nadia shine singing "Free Falling", but simply walked away without telling her that he was proud.
- Stage Dad: Nadia’s dad made her practice opera instead of mourning her mom, and got upset when she wanted to switch to current music.
- Student/Teacher Romance: Nadia and Elliot were a little too close for a high school student and her drama teacher.
- That One Case: For Nick Vera. The Koslovs sought help from him when he was starting out as a police officer.
- Yandere: Phoebe to a tee. She threatened Elliot's second wife with a crowbar, leading to his divorce, and poisoned Nadia partly out of envy that Elliot preferred her.
