[Erin524]

I was watching an old episode of Cold Case...the episode is called "One Night".

Basically the storyline is that a guy who killed some kid in 1980 and has just kidnapped another kid in the present day comes into the police station, telling the characters in the show that he's a murderer and he for some reason tries to make them figure out his reasons for kidnapping the kids.

The killer's wife ends up telling the cops that the guy has MS and that he'd called her that day and said that the "end stage" of his MS had started (oh gee, he had tremors) and that he was going to die soon. (stupid researchers for the show did a crappy job of researching MS!) I'm not exactly sure what "end stage MS" looks like, but this guy "looked so good" that I just couldnt believe that the writers and researchers thought that they'd get away with saying he was "end stage MS". I would think if the MS was that bad, the guy would be bedridden and not strong enough to kidnap a 17yr old guy, and bury the kid alive.

Then several of the characters make comments about MS being "terminal" and that the killer was going to die soon. (btw, the killer had been diagnosed with MS just before kidnapping and killing the first kid, so he'd had his MS for 26yrs...the show aired in 2006)

Everytime they misinformed the audience by saying MS was a death sentence or terminal, I wanted to throw bricks at the tv. (didnt, it's a nice LCD flatscreen...dont want to waste a perfectly good tv)

I looked the episode up on the internet, and it seems like a lot of people who commented on various websites did believe that MS was a terminal illness and that the guy was nuts because of the MS. Several MSers had posted comments saying that they wanted CBS to apologize for the misinformation and someone said that CBS had written them back saying that they "stand by their research".

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if it's too late to send a strongly worded letter to CBS (and the local tv station that was showing this episode in a syndicated rerun...not a CBS station)

I know it's just a tv show, but a lot of people believe what they hear on shows like this. What about newly diagnosed people, seeing a show like that, with the comments they made. If I had been watching this show in 2006 when I was waiting to get diagnosed, I would have been so freaked!

[PolarExpress]

I remember when this first aired and all the attention it got on another forum..It's so irresponsible of CBS and their "non" research team. Fortunately, not a terribly popular show. Unfortunately, seems like there were several MS themed shows last year that weren't much better..I feel your frustration.