TONIGHT on Murder, She Wrote

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra join mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her nephew Grady (Michael Horton) as they visit a very deluxe New York City hotel, filled with brandied chocolates, Freudian nonsense, and vases with vermouth.

The Montaigne is run with an iron floral blouse by Janet Leigh's Cornelia, who never met a ruffle she didn't love.  Her recent marriage to young, unscrupulous boytoy Garrett (John Callahan), who went to school with Grady and the former cheerleader-turned-shrewd businesswoman Sandra Clemens (Jennifer Holmes), and their reunion are tested by matriarchal tension and interrupted by murder.

Jessica is on the case to determine who did what to whom, why, and how to get the police inspector (Monte Markham) to actually do his job.  Grady is soon the prime suspect, and makes a series of terrible choices to further his likelihood of going to prison. Naturally, we can't let that happen.  But maybe it would teach him a few things.

Charlotte Rae, as Garrett's mother, is chewing all of the scenery, as Robert Desiderio and Macon McCalman further assist and obfuscate the truth behind the murder.  We're ready for turndown service, with DOOM WITH A VIEW.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we address uncomfortable race relations in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine. 

When a war bonnet'd First Nations man on horseback throws a spear at the Mayor (Richard Paul), the townspeople are irked. It turns out the theatrical equestrian is Algonquin George Longbow (Bernard White, who, uh, isn't), and he has a claim on the town, which further instigates worry, rage, and indignation.

It's all a particularly complex episode, INDIAN GIVER, which features domestic violence, hate crimes, and our intrepid mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) trying to stand between the slur-spewing yahoos and an early primetime discussion of reparations.  

The cast includes Theodore Bikel, Gary Lockwood, Charles Siebert, and Tom Bosley, and a lot of very very white New Englanders. 

Don't hold your breath for a whole lot of "oh this aged well," but Petra and Viktor steer the way as best they can as this civil unrest leads to a particularly bold murder scene, and an awkward happy ending. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, there's TROUBLE IN EDEN—Eden naturally being a charming hotel in idyllic suburban Oregon that also happens to serve gentlemen with the companionship of ladies for a short while. Yes, this cozy mystery enters the brothel life where the lingerie is questionable, the rooms are quaintly tacky, and the floorboards contain the blackmailed secrets of powerful men! 

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is undercover as friend Mary Rose (Joan Canfield) to discover the true circumstances of the madam's sudden death and subsequent coverup.  Oh, and Mary Rose is the madam's sister and the new inheritor.  Allied with a cutie lawyer (Tom Fitzsimmons), a nervous housekeeper (Betty Garrett), and the local sheriff (Roy Thinnes) who doesn't know who she really is yet, Jessica gets immediate attention from some dangerous townspeople. 

The men in town (among them: Mills Watson, Stuart Whitman, Thom Christopher, Macdonald Carey) are quick to weigh their options when it appears Mary Rose may become the new de facto extortioner. 

Add in the fabulous Tricia O'Neill as Lila Benson, the front desk clerk and bawd in absentia, and you know Viktor and Petra are, appropriately, hooked. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we return to the magical backstage world of network television and all of the terrible people who make it!

JB Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is famous enough to get ripped off; she learns from an intrepid novice telewriter, Gayle (Kim Miyori), that her latest novel will be used nearly plot point for plot point in an upcoming medical soap.  Instead of seeking a lawyer, or even flinching at the notion of plagiarism, she offers to help Gayle write a new plotline instead, and when that isn't good enough for the head writer of the show (Bradford Dillman), only then does she decide to make it to the set to argue her position.  When appealing to the network exec (Gail Strickland), she learns the true villain behind the schemes is Sid Sharkey (Ken Swofford), who everyone seems to detest.

Unsurprisingly, the worst person we've met meets an untimely end: an indelicate bomb blast via a package in "feminine pink" wrapping paper.  Jessica and Gayle are high on the list of suspects, but so is the head writer, the exec, and the equally douchey show director (Vincent Baggetta), and even some of the cast (an exhausting Doug McClure and a delightful Lenore Kasdorf) might be in on it.  When she finds an enthusiastic ally in Sharkey's resilient secretary Freida (the fantastic Fionnula Flanagan), and a reluctant one via the police department (Yaphet Kotto!), she may finally be able to press into the true matter that led to the big boss' death.

STEAL ME A STORY is a somewhat overfilled dance card of plot lines in a live-in world, so stick with Petra and Viktor as they keep up with all of these similarly profiled white men and glamorous ladies for an amusingly meta yet cynical view on the era of the late 80s primetime murder mystery drama series.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra celebrate getting to the beloved episode IF IT'S THURSDAY, IT MUST BE BEVERLY!

Sex lives of the small-town Maine women over 50 are exposed when a shocking murder startles the beauty salon. It all comes down to the swingin' log of Deputy Jonathan Martin (Jonathan Lenz), who has been laying pipe all over town: 

The realtor, Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), the travel agent Phyllis Grant (Gloria DeHaven), the divorcee housewife Ideal Malloy (Kathryn Grayson), the doctor's secretary Beverly (Dody Goodman), and... well, possibly more. They're all in for a shock at Loretta's (Ruth Roman) parlor when the gossip hits the fan. 

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), Sheriff Tupper (Tom Bosley), and Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) are shocked to unravel the clues to the murder of a Cabot Cove citizen, with wit, humor, drama, and some of the best supporting performances of the show thus far. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra are enjoying our jolly holiday this week in England for the first (only?) episode of the series where Jessica Fletcher doesn't appear. 

Perhaps you'll be able to satiate yourself with a serving of cousin Emma MacGill (Angela Lansbury) as she explores the family dynamics of her former flame, now a lord (Richard Johnson). Everyone sucks: his sister (Rosemary Murphy) and brother (John Standing), his sister-in-law (Carolyn Seymour), and the nephews (John David Bland; Mark Lindsay Chapman). They all look down on Emma, who's here to confirm Geoffrey's suspicions that someone wants him dead. 

When Geoffrey appears to be quite correct, Emma looks to the inspector (Anthony Newley) and friendly solicitor (Christopher Hewett-- Mr. Belvedere!), but must settle the score herself, as she's the suspect du jour. 

Plus, Jane Leeves (FRASIER; HOT IN CLEVELAND) is nearby to give us all considerable (if common) charm.  

Dirty parlor songs, curious picnic fare, and the worst place to keep your recently fired shotgun and muddy boots provide IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY a series of quaint events that, while they somewhat feel like an entirely different series, provide the cozy mystery trope to the hilt. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we're on THE WAY TO DUSTY DEATH... whatever that means. 

In this Shakespeare-inspired escapade set in office boardrooms, curiously designed bathrooms, and a lavish estate, JB Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) attends a gathering where the host ends up dead. 

Our motivated social-climbing Lady MacB is Virginia McCormack (Joanna Pettet), who urges her husband (Richard Beymer) to screw his courage to the sticking place and take his ascent to the executive office. 

The question is: was the brandy, in fact, poisoned? And if so, why was Duncan (Cornel Wilde) electrocuted in his jacuzzi? And who was laughing in there with him before he got shocked? Was that psychic right about the woman with the strong will?

A house of suspects, a board room of snakes, and a staff way underpaid, consists of actors Ray Walston, Sandy McPeak, Joanna Barnes, and more. By the pricking of our thumbs, this one is a doozy. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Petra and Viktor acknowledge that OLD HABITS DIE HARD, particularly when it comes to convent humor. 

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her college bud Claire (Jane Powell) are a Sister Act as they determine the identity of the unholy murderer behind the death of popular nun Sister Emily (Evelyn Keyes). When she is found in her room, pill bottle emptied, Jessica isn't sure it's suicide like the diocese insists; in fact, it's any number of possibilities. 

The novice Sarah (Sherri Stoner) may still be devoted to her former lover, Mike (Mark Kaylyn) despite her impending vows; meanwhile former wild child ex-con Nancy Bates (Cindy Fisher) is back in town with a possible chip upon her shoulder; and of course the mayor (Ed Nelson) seems to be hiding some sort of secret that a private investigator (Clu Gulager) may be after. There's also the doctor (Scott Paulin), who no one seems to know. 

Naturally, our center figure is the brilliant Eileen Brennan—as Marian Simpson—between genius performances in PRIVATE BENJAMIN, CLUE, and WILL AND GRACE. Her appearance is of special note, elevating this already significantly spooky locked-room mystery to even higher echelons, with glorious scenes, sparkling monologues, and exceptional facial expressions to watch for. 

This is a high-marked outing in Season 4 with special appearances from Robert Prosky and a bunch of white women dressed as nuns; we encourage you to genuflect and pause in advance: your faith may be rattled. Get your water pitcher if you feel it may be extra hard to swallow. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we run to the wilds of the Canadian court system as Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) unravels the motives of the accused in WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE. 

When the matriarch (Claire Trevor) of a well-to-do Quebec family does not approve of the marriage between her son (Christoper Allport) and his common choice of wife (Marilyn Hassett), she may have gotten rid of her via a shocking house fire--but was it an accident?

Throw in incredulous attorneys, suspiciously plump envelopes, and a somewhat confusing timeline, and Petra and Viktor are keeping up with our favorite mystery writer as she manipulates just about everyone around her to get to the truth. Outstanding performances include Patrick McGoohan, Juliet Mills, and Richard Cox. 

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra discover WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT, no one is safe: the youth with their indiscretions, the mature with their secrets and lies, and the set designers who have to use Photoshop. 

John Glover is back as a wronged man out for revenge, and when the object of his ire (Dack Rambo) is found murdered, he's the only logical suspect. But he wasn't there, so who's really to blame?

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) contends with a series of Cabot Cove deceptions, with theatrical Batman villain-style booby traps, faux-disabled opportunists, and the mystery of what happened when a man died on prom night.