'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 1 Takeaway: Was Judge Garland murdered? Mariah's suspicion sets stage for a thrilling mystery
Contains spoilers for 'Emperor of Ocean Park'
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: 'Emperor of Ocean Park', starring Grantham Coleman and Forest Whitaker, debuted on MGM+ on July 14, 2024.
The series is based on Stephen L Carter's 2002 novel of the same name, revolving around Talcott Garland, a law professor who uncovers the mystery of his father's death.
'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 1 opens with Judge Oliver Garland (Forest Whitaker) found dead on the floor.
It follows his three grown up children coming together for his funeral while Mariah Garland (Tiffany Mack) suspects a foul play.
How does Justice Oliver Park die in 'Emperor of Ocean Park'?
Episode 1 suggests that Judge Garland died by heart attack. However, his daughter Mariah, who worked as an investigative journalist before getting married, believes that the Judge was murdered.
Mariah looks into his medical reports from last five years and concludes that he was quite healthy up until his sudden death. Her suspicion grows when she receives a call from Jack Ziegler (Torrey Hanson), a former CIA agent with a criminal history.
The timing of the Judge's death and Jack's return leads her to suspect that Jack might be involved.
As she combs through past news reports, she discovers one mentioning that the CIA once developed a heart attack machine. This fuels her belief that Jack might have orchestrated the Judge's murder.
Will Mariah Garland investigate Judge Garland's death in 'Emperor of Ocean Park'?
Mariah isn't ready yet to believe that her father died of heart attack. She asks Mallory Corcoran, aka Uncle Mal, if there was an autopsy being done.
He asserts that autopsy is done only when there is a suspicion of foul play but since authorities believe that Judge died due to natural causes, there won't be any autopsy.
Mariah then expresses her concerns to Talcott Garland (Grantham Coleman) who doesn't believe in her theory. By the end of the episode, she focuses on the funeral, where she even breaks down unexpectedly.
However, being a curious soul, Mariah will probably dig deeper into the mystery. Since she has previously worked as investigative journalist, she has a keen eye to details which others might miss.
Now when Jack Ziegler has arrived to interfere in their lives and wants something from Talcott, she will try to put together the pieces of the puzzle, in a quest to search for the truth.
'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 1 is now streaming on MGM+.