Ep 3. The Farmhand Who Bought the Farm

Carter season 1 episode 3, titled "The Farmhand Who Bought the Farm", begins with the sudden death of a prominent woman from a small town called Bishop. As the investigation proceeds, the police find evidence that suggests that the woman was murdered. Carter, the former detective turned actor, is asked by his friend and police officer, Sam to help out with the case as he thinks that Carter's detective skills could be useful in solving the mystery.

Carter, Andy and Sam drive over to Bishop to investigate the murder. While talking to the locals, they learn about a man named Davey who was the victim's farmhand. Apparently, he had been fired by the victim a few months back and had been harassing her ever since. After further investigation, the team learns that Davey had recently purchased a farm of his own and was planning on starting his own farm.

Carter and co. arrive at Davey's farm and find him to be very uncooperative. He is not willing to talk to the team and denies having anything to do with the victim's murder. Andy and Sam stick around to gather evidence while Carter, who is insistent on proving Davey's guilt, decides to do some solo detective work.

Carter ends up getting into a bit of trouble over his knack for jumping to conclusions. He accidentally confronts an innocent bystander who he thinks is Davey, stirring up a commotion and getting himself into a bit of trouble. Meanwhile, Davey is seen in his workshop tampering with some machinery and is later caught by the team. When pressed for an explanation, he reveals that he was actually fixing the machines and had nothing to do with the murder.

As the investigation continues, the team discovers an unexpected twist in the case. They find out that it wasn't Davey who was harassing the victim, but it was actually her husband who was. It turns out that the victim's husband was not happy with the fact that his wife was planning on leaving him and had been sabotaging her farm in order to force her to stay. The team finally pieces together the entire story, with the murder being committed by the victim's husband.

Carter season 1 episode 3 delivers yet another entertaining murder mystery that is both engaging and compelling. The episode is well-crafted and keeps the audience guessing right until the very end. The performances from the cast are top-notch, particularly Jerry O'Connell's portrayal of the quick-witted and quirky detective. The episode manages to tackle some serious issues along the way, such as domestic abuse and harassment, without ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed. Overall, "The Farmhand Who Bought the Farm" is a great example of what makes Carter such a fun and interesting show to watch.