Birds of a Feather - Jessica Fletcher Saves a Man in Drag

Season One, Episode Three
Aired: October 14th, 1984
Rating:

Synopsis:

Jessica heads to San Francisco for the wedding of her niece, Victoria Brandon, only to learn that Victoria is having second thoughts because she suspects that her fiancé, Howard, is having an affair. Although Jessica and Victoria are relieved to learn that Howard isn't cheating but rather dressing up as a woman to perform at a nightclub, Les Champignons, the relief is short lived when Howard is arrested for murdering his boss, Al Drake, who had been refusing to pay him. The police are convinced that Drake was shot during Freddy York's act, which doesn't leave a lot of time, but Jessica is determined to prove Howard's innocence.
From tv.com

Impressions:

Spike: What a zany, delightful episode. Don't you agree?

Ginger: I loved it! It was amazing. It was funny, exciting, thrilling. Just cool. It was just really cool.

Spike: This was the type of episode that made me love "Murder, She Wrote". Great dialog, outlandish characters… I especially enjoyed the relationship between Jessica Fletcher and the police detective.

Ginger: My favorite part was when she knocked on his apartment door, and his expression was really funny.

Spike: Did you think this episode had a good murder?

Ginger: Yes, yes, yes!

Spike: Definitely. I don't think the murder was especially creative, but watching Jessica figure out how it was done was entertaining. How about the killer? Easy to spot, or did you have to wait until the end?

Ginger: I had to wait until the end. I had lots of suspects, but I couldn't pinpoint them.

Spike: Everybody had a believable motive to kill the victim, so the show kept us guessing. This episode had a good ending, too, don't you think? I especially liked that you could follow along if you were paying attention and connect the dots when Jessica did.

Ginger: All the people I guessed weren't guilty. The person that I never would have guessed was.

Spike: Any other thoughts on this episode?

Ginger: Jessica's soon to be nephew doesn't look good in pink.



Actors spotted: Ginger spotted the guy who played Gepetto in Pinocchio, but Spike remembers him from Space 1999. Spike also remembers Jessica's nephew-in-law as the guy from A-Team and Babylon 5.

Deadly Lady - Jessica Fletcher Swoons Over a Hobo

Deadly Lady

Season One, Episode Two
Aired: October 7th, 1984
Rating:

Synopsis:

After a terrible storm in Cabot Cove, Stephen Earl's four daughters tell Sheriff Tupper that their father died while they were out on the boat. Jessica is only midly intrigued; she finds Ralph, the older gentleman who has offered to work for food, much more intriguing, especially since it is obvious he comes from money. The womens' stories about what happened on the boat change constantly, but once Ralph is found dead and later found to be Stephen Earl, Jessica has to help Amos wage through the inconsistencies in the four Earl daughters storylines to determine who killed their father and why.
From tv.com

Impressions:

Spike: Well, that was a dreadful episode.

Ginger: I hated this episode. It made me mad.

Spike: Mad? What about it made you mad?

Ginger: I thought the father's family's acting was poor. And they looked like they were bored. Except Nan. I liked Nan because she put excitement and depression into her character when it was needed.

Spike: I liked the hometown characters, though. There was some good dialog between them, but like you, I could live without the snooty family members.

I think that the show started off wrong right from the beginning. Jessica Fletcher finds a strange man in her garden, he offers to do odds & ends, she invites him inside, feeds him, and all the while she knew he was lying to her. Then she leaves him in charge of the house. Really?

Ginger: Yeah, I didn't get that part. I mean, if I was Jessica I would make him leave the house then lock the door before I left. I would have to know him more before I trusted him with my house. And I also didn't get why she offered to leave her door unlocked for him while she was asleep. What type of moron would do that? I mean really?

Spike: And I loved how she handed him her deceased husband's pipe after knowing him for a day, complete with tears. Angela Lansbury made that scene work, yet it didn't feel right. The problem with the episode was that the script was poor, but it held together because the actors played along. So there was emotion, but the motivations weren't believable.

Ginger: I thought Jessica and Nan were the only believable actors, but sometimes they weren't.

Spike: So, was it a good murder?

Ginger: No, it was kind of boring.

Spike: Did you spot the killer?

Ginger: Not really. I knew it was one of his daughters, but not Nan.

Spike: Has this episode scared you off from seeing any more? This is almost as bad as the show can get. Amazing that they hit this nadir with the second episode then went on another twelve years. There are better episodes to come. Hang in there with me?

Ginger: You bet I will. I wouldn't be surprised if you dropped out first.

Spike: Ha!

Is Jessica Fletcher Still Writing?

Did you know that a new Jessica Fletcher book is hitting the stores today? When we started our blog over the weekend we were surprised to find that out. Well, *I* was surprised to find that out. Ginger is still too new to the series to even know there are books based on the show. I was also surprised to see that Jessica received writing credit. I wonder how Rick Castle feels about that?

The new book is called "Murder, She Wrote - The Queen's Jewels" and it's available in hardback and for the Kindle, as well as other ebook readers such as iBooks. Our local library doesn't have it yet, so we may have to hunt it down another way locally.

Here's the plot summary:

In the brand-new novel in the USA Today bestselling series, Jessica Fletcher takes a cruise through some rough-and deadly-seas.

Jessica Fletcher has always wanted to take a transatlantic voyage on the legendary Queen Mary II. Now, she's finally getting her chance. She's hoping to fly to London, spend a few quiet days visiting, and then depart on the high seas.

When she calls her old friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland, to let him know she's on her way, he mentions the case of an enormously valuable diamond that was stolen from its wealthy owner, who was murdered during the heist.

Jessica is well aware of the story. But when she finally boards her dream ship, the deadly mystery appears to have followed her up the gangplank. Now, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, she must try to enjoy the sumptuous seaborne surroundings while she tries to find a priceless diamond-and the killer desperate enough to take a life for it.

What do you think? It seems Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland is the creation of Jessica Fletcher's co-writer, Donald Bain. After seeing Jessica spooning with a two time murderer, we're not sure what to expect of Inspector Sutherland. If we can track down a copy of the book, we'll post a review of it. And if you get your hands on a copy, let us know what you think of it, too.


~Spike

Why "Murder, She Croaked"‽

Years ago when I first caught "Murder, She Wrote" in reruns, I was a young intellectual in my twenties, too hip and sharp witted for such a "stupid" show. I derisively called it "Murder, She Croaked". Such clever wit. Jessica Fletcher was an old biddy and not worthy of my lofty approval.

Over the years I would catch an episode here and there, but still called it my pet name, thus preserving my intellectual superiority. Then something odd happened. I found myself liking the show. And sometimes, when the choice was between work, Matlock, or "Murder, She Wrote", I rooted for Jessica every time. I blame old age. Our wits settle like dust in the attic as we grow older. Mine apparently settled all over the rough edges of my youth.

When I proposed doing this blog with my daughter, we thought "Murder, She Blogged" would be an excellent name. And it is. Somebody else is using it with great flourish. That's when I thought of my old pet name, tarnished with age and no longer coated with a sneer. My daughter had never heard me use it before. It made her laugh. And so it stuck.

~Spike

 

Jessica Fletcher Falls in Love with a Creep

The Murder Of Sherlock Holmes

Season One, Episode One
Aired: September 30, 1984
Rating:

Synopsis:

Jessica Fletcher, a retired schoolteacher from Cabot Cove, Maine, is shocked to find out that not only did her nephew send her manuscript to a publisher, but it's been accepted! Rushed to New York, Jessica is caught up in a whirlwind of publicity tours, book signings, and public appearances, but everything takes a turn when she attends a costume party in New Holvang and a private investigator dressed as Sherlock Holmes ends up facedown in the pool, shot. Jessica initially tries to stay out of things until her nephew Grady becomes the prime suspect, and Jessica decides to take matters into her own hands while fighting her attraction to Preston Giles, the first man to interest her since the death of her husband Frank.
From tv.com

Impressions:

Spike: We had a nice and gruesome first murder. How can you not be thrilled by Sherlock Holmes floating in a pool with his face shot off? Good stuff. But the second murder seemed disconnected from the story and a little boring.

Ginger: The plot was believable, but sometimes it didn't make sense, like on the boat with the detective and cops.

Spike: Yes, the motive for the second murder seemed a bit vague. Our killer cold-bloodily killed a man just to throw suspicion off himself? And Jessica snuggled with him? Ew? Not super believable.

Ginger: Angela Lansbury was a good choice to play Jessica Fletcher, though. She gave the character life and enjoyment and made the movie worthwhile.

Spike: I agree. It was a good episode. The plots were never really stunning in this show. We all watched to see Angela Lansbury play Jessica. She is a fun character and you can tell Lansbury had a blast playing her. She is the reason the show lasted for twelve years, and made TV movies, too.

So, did you guess who the killer was early?

Ginger: I spotted the killer thirty minutes into the movie at the party. I thought the killer was well hidden, but was my top suspect.

Spike: I spotted the killer earlier, but I honestly can't say whether that is because I'm awesome or because I've seen it before.

Ginger: I go for option B.

Spike: Thanks… That's it for our review today. We'll have more after we watch the next episode.


Actors spotted: Ginger spotted that lady from the Court Jester and voice of Mrs. Potts. She also noticed the Parent Trap dad and the evil Goonies mum. Spike spotted Otis from Superman the Movie—a movie he watched when he was eleven.

"Murder, She Wrote" - The Silly Show I Love to Watch

The other day somebody stole my daughter's bike in the dead of the night. We felt violated and helpless. I drove around the neighborhood with a flashlight peering into every porch and examining every bike I could find. In the end my girl's bike was nowhere to be found.

The Case of the Misanthropic Cyclist is now a cold one in the filing cabinet of our life, but if I had half of Jessica Fletcher's luck and gumption, I would not only have ended up talking to the thief the very next day, but I would know exactly which neighbors to annoy until I got some answers. Mrs. JB Fletcher was god-like in her ability to know everybody everywhere. The connections that lady had could have filled twelve years of television, and it did.

I have loved and hated "Murder, She Wrote" for ages, but something about this cheesey show keeps me coming back. Credit probably falls fully on Angela Lansbury's shoulders. She brought a solid, grounded, reality to the show's pantheon of B movie actors and has-beens. The scripts could be dreadful-the acting worse-but there was an undeniable charm to the production.

I have a daughter who loves mystery television, and with the power of Netflix I can now introduce her to this series that is bound to genuinely entertain her and also bring her to giggles as it has done for me. We'll judge each episode from one to five stars. We'll also keep track of actors she recognizes, how quickly we identify the killer, whether the solution was pulled out of a hat, and which episodes had the best dialog.

On with the show!

~Spike