Category: Episode Guide

We’re Off to Kill the Wizard: The Timeline

It’s time for a deep dive into this episode’s thrills and chills…

There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 includes the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • This is Part 2, a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode. (Coming Soon!)
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features. (Watch this space!)

Using in-episode clues, I’ve been able to pin down a specific timeframe for the following events. You can find my methodology here. If pinning MSW episodes to the calendar is something that interests you, may I suggest the MSWSW Murder, She Wrote canon timeline.

Saturday, July 21, 1984

Saturday Morning

Michael Gardner solemnly swears to his boss, Horatio, that he will obtain Mrs. Fletcher, by hook or by crook. Meanwhile, Aunt Jess fixes little Billy’s bicycle.

A Digression

One of the weaker points of this episode is that its title clearly references the Wizard of Oz, while the episode itself does not bear much resemblance to the books or the film.

I may be grasping at the Scarecrow’s straws here, but I feel like there are a few vestigial Oz references in the episode, perhaps indicating a first draft version that was closer to the source material.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Wizard of Oz art by John Romita

… And one of the few similarities that can be drawn to the 1939 film is an opening scene featuring a bicycle.

Another similarity is the frequent mention of Kansas. However, rather than our heroine finding she’s not in Kansas anymore, she’s not in Kansas (City) yet. Also, most of Kansas City is in the State of Missouri. Just sayin’.

Saturday Afternoon

Persuaded to visit Horrible Horatio and his latest House of Horrors, Jessica and her Chicagoland niblings are properly shocked at his opening stunt. The tasteless hangman’s noose gag foreshadows Horatio’s impending doom.

My last Oz straw: It’s clear that Horatio is meant as the titular Wizard, since he’s a larger-than-life impresario and illusionist. However, that’s where the similarities end. Horatio likes to be center stage, rather than behind the curtain. And, unlike the Emerald City’s venerated man of mystery, Horatio is despised by his entire horrible household.

After Horatio’s little tableau of terror, Jessica reluctantly agrees to meet with him, and descends in a red elevator to his Basement of Horrors.

Hands down the best line of the episode.

We meet the other inmates of Horatio’s subterranean lair, and they’re all either mad, sad, or bad:

Mad!
Sad.
Also sad.
(Spoiler!) Bad!

Well Horatio, you’ve gotten J.B. Fletcher’s time and attention, so it’s time to make a polished business proposal to a well respected author. Don’t f*ck it up.

Ooh, and we’re off on the wrong foot. This line should definitely stay buried in the Basement of Horrors.

While we here at MSWSW have a weak spot for alliteration, our lady remains strong in her convictions. She “writes for people who read,” and says so with such aplomb that the viewer may not be bothered by the absurd tautology.

True fact: Fellow gadgeteer, showman, and infamous creep Matt Lauer watched this episode and took notes.

Well, that went just great. Time to call in your favorite boy, Mickey.

Hey Mickey, you’re so fine.

Saturday Night

At 7:15 pm, a gunshot disturbs the after hours quiet at the House of Horrors. Security guards Ned and Nemo investigate, but are thwarted by Horatio’s bolted door.

Ned calls Phil Carlson from Laurie’s desk. Phil tells him to break down Horatio’s door.

Moments after Ned and Nemo discover Horatio’s body, a shirt-sleeves Phil joins them from the anteroom.

Meanwhile, back at Casa Donovan, Aunt Jess cooks up a delicious family dinner while they tell Bert about their visit to the House of Horrors.

Detective Donovan is called away from his cozy Saturday night to investigate the Baldwin murder. Jessica is expressly invited, not as a witness or a suspect, but as a crackerjack mystery novelist who might be able to solve this quintessential locked room mystery.

The coroner is positive that Horatio was killed by a blow to the head, and yet he was found alone, locked in his impenetrable office with a freshly fired pistol in his hand. What looks like suicide must actually be murder. But how?

Sunday, July 22, 1984

Sunday Morning

After her early morning run, Jessica discovers Laurie Bascomb’s glamorous headshot on the front page of The Chicago Record.

Determined to protect Miss Bascomb, J.B. calls her airline to change to a later flight to K.C. and book a return flight to Chicago that evening.

Back at the House of Horrors, we hear Horatio’s voice from beyond the grave. Spooky! Tip of the hat to the production team- I think this larger-than-life set piece really captures the essence of the subject. I’m always impressed by a good caricature.

Jessica seeks out Phil Carlson in the Tunnel of Horrors, and we get our first introduction to the phone system from Nils.

Carlson insists that Horatio’s death must have been suicide, but also provides a long list of people with grievances. Our lady seems dismayed by the willing ease with which he speaks ill of the dead.

Sunday Afternoon

At the airport, Mickey uses a crooked skycap and a gun to force Jessica aboard a private jet. Thankfully, the situation cools off once we meet the icy Mrs. Baldwin.

Will J.B. help the grieving widow prove it was murder? Erica is short on cash and wants the life insurance payout.

After Erica and Mickey kindly drop her in Kansas City, Jessica gives a well-received lecture and makes a return flight to Chicago.

Sunday Night

Waiting for Jessica’s return in the cozy kitchen of Casa Donovan is the sweet and downtrodden Laurie Bascomb. Her confession makes for a classic commercial break cliffhanger.

That sweet Laurie killed Horatio is sheer and utter nonsense, of course. Through flashback, we learn that Laurie argued with Baldwin, quit despite his threats of blackmail, and left the office around 6:45, half an hour before the shot was heard.

Jessica and Detective Bert get a key piece of information from Laurie: Horatio had blackmail files on all his key staff members. Jessica is sure these files were kept in hidden somewhere in his Office of Horrors.

Monday, July 23, 1984

Monday Morning

Back at the House of Horrors, the show must go on. Nils and his team continue to prepare for the grand opening of the park.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Bert search Horatio’s Office of Horrors for the blackmail files. Our lady discovers the secret hiding place, but to no avail. Detective Bert concludes that the murderer must have stolen the files. Phil Carson derides the entire theory.

If you’re paying close attention to the timeline, you’ll notice that Phil’s 48 hours points to a Wednesday grand opening, while Nils’ sign says Friday.

Let’s chalk up this discrepancy to the fact that one of the men in question is a seasoned engineer, and the other is a liar liar pants on fire trying to neg the Keystone Cops into leaving him alone.

Jessica and Bert reassure Captain Davis that even though the files are gone, one of Horatio’s employees must have dug up all that dirt- but who?

Monday Evening

We are misdirected back to the airport, where a panicked and flustered Arnold Megrim just wants to escape – to Mexico City, to be exact.

After an airport security chase, a fool and his money are soon reunited in Detective Bert’s office.

Megrim’s a bookkeeper, not a killer! Horatio Baldwin’s blackmail files on Megrim point to embezzlement from a previous employer, but Megrim claims someone else took the money.
Just one thing- how exactly did Baldwin’s missing files end up on Bert’s desk?

We learn about two suspicious phone calls:

  1. A disguised male voice called Megrim and told him that the police had the files and would be coming for him.
  2. A phone call tipped off airport security about Megrim and his suspicious briefcase.

Detective Bert lets Megrim go home to his little cat.

Jessica and Bert discuss two suspicious aspects of the files:

  1. They consider the dirt on Phil Carson- draft dodging- pretty weak stuff.
  2. Michael Gardner’s name is conspicuously absent from the list of blackmailed employees.

Meanwhile, alone, aloft in a Chicago high rise, a plaintive mew can be heard:

I bet Megrim’s cat will be relieved when he returns home. Food bowls don’t fill themselves…

Say, that’s a pretty swanky looking pad for a timid soul like Megrim.

Wait, this is Mickey’s clubhouse! Quelle surprise!

Readers, I feel that, in his final moments, Mickey redeems himself. He loses his life trying to take pity on a poor, stranded cat.

An unlikely end? Perhaps. But let it be said that this man died as camp as he lived.

Tuesday, July 24, 1984

Tuesday Morning

The lurid details of a second violent death cannot dispel the gauzy haze of domestic bliss at Casa Donovan.

Did Mickey jump, or was he pushed? Detective Bert seems to be in a very “don’t know, don’t care” frame of mind this morning. He does tell his lovely wife that Mickey was working as a private investigator for Horrible Horatio…

…but the audience knew that already.

Bert seems either concerned or annoyed that Jessica is already at the House of Horrors. Time for a telephone call.

After Bert’s call to the Office of Horrors and a little game of telephone with Officer O’Brien, Jessica puts together all the pieces.

Eureka!

Tuesday Afternoon

With some help from the remaining staff and law enforcement, Jessica lays a trap and confronts the killer in the Tunnel of Horrors.

Thrills! Chills! Denouement.

Part 3: Analysis – Coming Soon!

We’re Off to Kill the Wizard

Don’t be afraid, my friends. Nothing frightening awaits you.
Oh, perhaps a moment or two of panic, but we did warn you.
Seat belts pulled tight? That’s good. And now, just sit back…

Welcome to Horatio’s House of Horrors!

This episode is a delightfully campy, deftly executed locked room mystery. If you want to make it dinner and a show, you can eat along with Jessica and the Donovans with this family-friendly menu. Guests who wish to avoid spoilers should watch the entirety of “We’re Off to Kill the Wizard” before proceeding. Thank you, and enjoy the ride!

This episode guide has four parts:

  • This is the first part, an introduction which includes the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • The second part is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • The third part is an analysis of the episode’s mystery. (Watch this space!)
  • The fourth part is a collection of fun extras called Bonus Features. (ETA? TBD!)

Where in the World is Horatio’s House of Horrors?

The casual viewer could be forgiven if they came away thinking this episode takes place in Kansas City. (I’m looking at you, imdb.) Kansas City, the City of Fountains, is mentioned numerous times throughout the episode, but that’s because it’s Jessica’s next destination.

Aunt Jess is currently visiting one of her nieces, Carol, who lives somewhere that’s only a short flight away from Kansas City… you may have heard of it – Chicago! Check it out in the MSWSW Atlas.

This episode is low, low key set somewhere in Chicagoland. There are no glamorous on-location scenes with sightlines to Chicago landmarks. The name “Chicago” is never even spoken. The only direct reference to the Windy City is this fake newspaper.

When Are We?

The Original Airdate

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the first guiding principal I use in my work on the MSWSW canon timeline is to place an episode’s events before, but as close as possible to, the initial airdate. This episode first aired on Sunday, December 9, 1984.

The Oeuvre of J.B. Fletcher

Dirge for a Dead Dachshund has been published! This means that Jessica’s visit to this episode’s House of Horrors takes place after S1 E2: “Deadly Lady”, when Dirge was still in pre-publication. The earliest “Deadly Lady” could have taken place is June 1984.

This gives us an initial, broad timeframe for “We’re Off to Kill the Wizard” of June – December 1984.

The seasons of the year

Little Billy rides his bicycle down a leafy street. The canopy is a full, lush green, with no hint of fall colors. Chicago’s fall foliage season is typically underway by early October.

All those green leaves allow us to narrow the timeframe further, to June – September 1984.

The Days of the Week

I’ll go through the episode’s timeline in more detail in Part 2, but for now, it will suffice that the episode begins on a Saturday. Two days later, on Monday, Lieutenant Donovan’s desk calendar tells us it’s the 23rd.

Let’s take a look at the 1984 calendar:

From June through September, there is one Monday the 23rd, and it’s in July. Could an argument be made that in the midst of an active murder investigation, Lt. Donovan didn’t find the time to flippy-flip his day calendar? Sure.
However, unless and until we come across evidence to the contrary, the MSWSW timeframe for “We’re Off to Kill the Wizard” is Saturday, July 21 – Thursday, July 26, 1984.

The Players

In order of appearance:

Michael Gardner

In the eighties, a three piece suit and a car phone meant you were a big shot, like Mickey here.

J.B. Fletcher

We see two sides of Jessica this episode. Aunt Jess is in town for personal reasons, spending quality time with her niece’s family. A model guest, she can fix bicycles and burgers for dinner! However, it’s J.B. Fletcher, the sought-after novelist, who finds herself mixed up in yet another colorful murder.

Billy & Cindy Donovan

These two adorable young people share a family resemblance and lend a before-they-were-famous vibe to this episode.

Carol Donovan

Jessica’s niece of the week, Carol leads a picture perfect life in leafy suburb. Another leafy place you can find Carol is the MSWSW Fletcher Family Tree.

Jessica with her niece Carol and grand-niblings Cindy and Billy

Horatio Baldwin

A man, a plan, a House of Horrors.

Nils Helander

Is Nils merely “temperamental” and “bullheaded,” or is he justifiably concerned about safety issues at the House of Horrors?

Arnold Megrim

Arnold is very discontent at the House of Horrors. He’s sick of cooking the books, but for some reason, he can’t just quit.

Laurie Bascomb

Laurie is Horatio Baldwin’s secretary and an aspiring writer.

Phil Carlson

Phil is Horatio’s “right-hand man,” and he wouldn’t quit even if he could, because he’s looking forward to a promised promotion.

Ned O’Brien

O’Brien, House of Horrors Security, is the man that hears the shot and makes the call.

Nemo

The other security guard at the scene of the crime has several lines, yet remains noticeably, and somewhat inconveniently, nameless over the course of the episode.
I’ve decided to call him Nemo.

Lieutenant Detective Bert Donovan

Bert, Jessica’s nephew by marriage, is also a very competent police detective.

Captain Davis

Police Captain Davis is very solicitous of Jessica’s crime solving abilities because she’s such a swell mystery novelist.

Erica Baldwin

Is the glamorous, jet-setting Mrs. Baldwin a femme fatale? Perhaps we’ll never know for sure.

Repeat Offenders

If you’re a MSW fan (and if you’ve read this far, you are) I’m sure you’ve recognized a few actors who appear multiple times throughout the series, but in different roles.  Check out The Rogues’ Gallery for more details. 

In this episode, nearly all the actors portraying supporting characters (even Nemo!) will return to the MSW universe in future episodes, except James Coco (Horatio Baldwin), Anne Kerry Ford (Carol Donovan), and siblings Joaquin and Summer Phoenix (Billy and Cindy).

Part 2: The Timeline

Hit, Run and Homicide: Bonus Features

Hello, and welcome to the fourth and final installment of the episode guide for “Hit, Run and Homicide.”

  • Part 1 includes the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode.
  • This is Part 4, a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

Bonus Features!

Do Crimes.

Murder!

  • Culprit: Leslie Andler (and Charles Woodley)
  • Motive: Greed
  • Weapon: Blunt Object
  • Done Deed: Dean Merrill’s murder happens (just barely) offscreen.
  • Crime Scene: A body by the side of the road, this time it’s sadly realistic.
  • Discovery: At 13 minutes, or 27% through the episode

Weapons: A Digression

We here at MSWSW categorize murder weapons thusly:

  • Blunt Object (Bricks, stones, urns…)
  • Explosive (Things that go bang, except guns)
  • Gun (Guns, all varieties)
  • Garrote (Lengths of wire, strings of pearls, telephone cords…)
  • Pointy Object (Hat pins, knives, skewers…)
  • Poison (Allergens, overdoses, toxic substances…)
  • Rube Goldberg Contrivance (Absurdly complex contraptions and scenarios)
  • Sabotaged Conveyance (Automobiles with the break lines cut, doped horses…)

A remote controlled auto was used to hit and kill pedestrian Dean Merrill. In this case, the car was used as a blunt object. If poor Jessica had been driven off the cliff while she was inside the car, it would have then been used as a sabotaged conveyance.

Other Crimes!

  • I’m not even sure what the charges would be for intentionally sending a remote controlled car through a public park, or along a public road, but I’m going to go with multiple counts of reckless endangerment for Leslie Andler. Plus kidnapping, for taking Jessica on that wild ride.
  • In that vein, in addition to murder, Charles and Leslie probably committed all kinds of lesser offenses, like lying to a police officer, conspiracy, trespass, and probably wire fraud for that phone call from Daniel’s landline.
  • Speaking of wire fraud, there’s probably a case to be made against Jessica and Letitia, for snooping through Daniel’s phone records.
  • Remarkably, Jessica did not trespass for an entire episode; she had Sheriff Tupper’s permission to go snooping around the old Gentry farm.

Psycho Killer

There is a theory that Jessica Fletcher is the most successful serial killer of all time. If she’s actually Dean Merrill’s murderer, she ran him down with a car, plain and simple. The remote controlled station wagon was just a red herring. Too bad Dean couldn’t run, run, run, run, run, run, run away.

Tropes, Devices, and Other Conventions

Mystery Tropes

Frame-up

This episode, an innocent person is framed for crimes they didn’t commit. This is a series first, but it won’t be the last time MSW uses this trope.

Suspicious Phone Call

While we don’t overhear any part of the phone call placed from Daniel’s home phone to Charles Woodley’s office, it’s certainly a suspicious phone call, or, at least, the shadow of one. In the final scene, Katie concludes that Leslie placed the call. We never find out for sure if the call was placed to incriminate Daniel, or just to communicate with Woodley about their dark deeds.

Plot Devices

flashback

Here at MSWSW, we aim for a thoroughness, even if it draws a tear. Technically, during Jessica’s confrontation with Leslie, there is a brief flashback to the car rental agreement, which we previously saw at the gas station. It’s honestly just salt in the wound, because it’s a second missed opportunity to show us that GD odometer, already.

There’s a second flashback during Jessica’s summation in the final scene. It shows Woodley outrunning the station wagon the day of the picnic, to emphasize how slowly the car must have been going. It’s pretty straightforward, expository stuff.

MSW Tropes

Door of Truth

As often happens on MSW, a seemingly random experience helps Jessica put it all together. This time, Jessica gains an adorable, albeit ambiguous, moment of insight while playing an arcade game with Ethan.

Infinite Jest

One of the things that makes MSW so cozy is that, sometimes, something completely absurd happens as a plot vehicle. This time, it’s the entire premise, and it’s literally a vehicle.

Bait of Falsehood

Often, our lady practices to deceive in the service of justice. This time, she doesn’t outright lie or present false evidence. She does, however, trick Leslie into thinking the station wagon controls are still in the red and gray van during the reenactment.

Smile and Smile

Jessica’s been practicing that arcade game at McIntyre’s??? LOL!

Goofy freezeframe!

Roll credits!

What She Wore

How to Wear a Scarf

Jessica wears a number of scarves this episode, here they are, in order of appearance:

If you’re interested, you can find all of Jessica’s scarves from our journey so far here.

Jessica’s Best Look

Lois and Jessica discuss Cabot Cove’s historical facts and fictions

My favorite of our lady’s looks this episode is the red, white, and blue she wears to the Founders’ Day picnic. I think a belted shirt is a flattering silhouette for Angela, and this scarf is a lot of fun. Poor Lois gets lost in a sea of red check tablecloths, but Jessica stands out. She’s appropriately festive, without being eye-searing.

Best Look Overall

Best look overall goes to Katie, and her collection of statement necklaces. My favorite is the red and black one pictured here. I love it so much I feel a bit covetous.

Jessica’s Least Best Look

Before the nap dress, there were Laura Ashley, Jessica McClintock, and Gunne Sax. These flowy, uber-feminine dresses were supposed to be comfortable and pretty, but tbh, they make me feel uneasy, and possibly a little queasy.

In the first dinner party scene at Jessica’s house, both our hostess and her guest, Leslie, wear dresses inspired by the Gunne Sax/Laura Ashley trend of that time. These characters are both independent, professional women with active lifestyles, and in every other scene of this episode, their respective sartorial choices reflect that.

…Which is why I think these particular dresses stood out to me. While they are certainly very much on-trend for the time, they do not suit the characters wearing them.
No other notes for Leslie though, she looks great in her white dress. (Patti D’Arbanville would probably look fantastic in anything.)
Unfortunately, the pale pink, billowy dress that they put on Angela is not flattering. The scarf feels out of place, and initially, I felt like perhaps it was added because Angela also felt this dress wasn’t the right thing.

And then, I found this:

There it is, legal precedent for the neckerchief and nightgown look. Case dismissed?

But why then do I still feel so ill at ease about these really comfy dresses?

Wait.
What’s that in the upper righthand corner?
What message is Jessica McClintock sending us?

Without telling me, he told me.
He loves the way I look when I look this way.

Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock

Ugh. No. Nope. No thank you to this post-feminism backlash BS. Wear what you want, but please dress for yourself, and not for an unarticulated male gaze.

Full disclosure, I never had a Gunne Sax dress; not by choice, exactly.
I was still in my Polly Flinders era.

Least Best Look

Least best look goes to Tony, and his troubling pattern of conspicuous deshabille.
Within the context of an episode of Murder, She Wrote, Tony’s inability to keep his shirt buttoned isn’t sexy, just louche and a little bit desperate.

Interior Motives

This episode’s award for most distinctive interior goes to Daniel’s made for TV workshop.

The Rest of the Story

The writers put a great big bow of a happy ending on this one for us. I haven’t really discussed it, mainly because I don’t care. I don’t feel invested in Daniel and Katie. They are too thoroughly nice and guileless to be interesting. However, their happily ever after happens in Jessica’s dining room, and I’ve included shots from that scene in my overview of our lady’s iconic home.

Tony turns out to be an easy come, easy go kind of guy. After the initial shock of Leslie’s duplicity wears off, he quickly bounces back.

Neither Jessica nor Ethan wins the Spy Hunter tournament at McIntyre’s. Lois Hoey unexpectedly routs the entire field.

Extra Credit

In a small town, locals severally glimpse a mysteriously conveyed vehicle. Its ultimate purpose is to circumvent the complexities of an estate plan.
Polly Flinders makes a cameo.

For a good read that bears a passing resemblance to this episode, I recommend Dorothy Sayers’ short story The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention.

Hit, Run and Homicide: Analysis

Hello, and welcome to MSWSW’s analysis of “Hit, Run and Homicide.”

There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 includes the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • This is Part 3, my analysis of the episode.
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

Show Your Work

Pencils ready!

How does this episode’s mystery stack up? Is it plausible? Does it make sense? Can the audience solve the mystery by the time Jessica does?

Fair Play Pause Point

Jessica has her epiphany while playing the arcade driving game Spy Hunter. By this point in the episode, which I call the fair play pause point, can the audience solve the mystery?

The Wrong Man?

This episode uses a popular mystery and suspense convention, the frame-up. The central mystery is whether Daniel is being framed for a murder he didn’t commit, rather than the murder itself. So, my analysis will focus on whether we, the audience, can figure out if Daniel is being framed, and if so, by whom.

Clues!

The Remote Controlled car

A driverless car wielded as a weapon is already stretching this plot’s plausibility nearly to its breaking point right out of the gate.

Thankfully, everyone readily accepts that this is a remote controlled vehicle, rather than some sort of supernatural phenomenon, which keeps us from veering off into Scooby Doo or Steven King territory.
Daniel readily acknowledges that he openly worked on similar designs in the past. Katie, his former WAMCO colleague, corroborates this.

Charles’ Unbroken Bones

Charles Woodley manages to out run a car. He escapes serious injury, too. Yet, he’s in so much pain he must remain in the hospital.

Dean’s Chartered Boat

This is my favorite clue this episode. It’s very subtle. It doesn’t make it into Jessica’s summation at the end of the episode, which is a shame.
When Dean Merrill disembarks in Cabot Cove, he says his partner (Charles Woodley) told him to arrive by chartered boat.

Because the walk from the marina to the hospital is shorter than the walk to the nearest cab (at the train station), this forces Dean to walk a specific one mile stretch between the marina and the hospital, setting him up for his deadly encounter with the station wagon.

Daniel’s Phone Records

Jessica and Letitia do some snooping and discover that recent calls made from Daniel’s phone number include one to Charles Woodley’s office in Boston.

As Jessica is quick to point out, this doesn’t prove Daniel placed the call, only that someone used his line to do so. Alas, modern technology has since laid waste to the plausible deniability of landline phone calls. However, back in 1984, this cast suspicion on the four people who had easy access to Daniel’s landline: Katie, Tony, Leslie, and Daniel himself.

The Red and Gray Van

She may have seemed perfectly innocent at the picnic. Or, perhaps she was just very easy to miss. However, after Jessica’s wild ride, the link between the remote controlled station wagon and the red and gray van is undeniable.

I’m a little baffled that neither Jessica nor Ethan seem to make the connection after the car chase. They both understand the station wagon is being controlled remotely. Out at the lighthouse, the van is the only other vehicle present, so the van’s driver, or possibly a passenger, must be responsible for controlling the station wagon. Right?

Daniel’s Files

Files identical to Daniel’s designs for a remote controlled car are found in the station wagon. This is such weak evidence even Amos is dubious, but it’s not Murder, She Wrote unless an innocent person gets arrested before the denouement.

Leslie’s Unsolicited advice

I think I once read somewhere that unsolicited advice is always self-serving. There’s room in my worldview for the occasional altruist, but that’s not the case here. Leslie’s suggestion that Daniel may need psychiatric help is another subtle clue.

WAMCO’s Financials

Katie spills the tea about the WAMCO boys. They’re low on cash, and now that Dean Merrill is gone, Charles Woodley owns 100% of the business.

Daniel’s Estate

Tony is Daniel’s only living relative. He stands to inherit Daniel’s (modest) estate, with the exception of Daniel’s patents, which would to go the University of Maine.

$7.08 and a Rental Agreement

This could have been a terrific final piece to the puzzle, but instead it’s an unforced error that really spoils this episode for me. When Tony stops for gas, the total comes to $7.08.

Dear readers, it’s time for some math. I promise to keep it short and sweet. In 1984, the U.S. national average price for a gallon of gas was $1.13. So, Tony’s $7.08 would have bought about 6.27 gallons. The fuel economy for a Ford convertible would have been around 20 miles per gallon. Assuming that the driver (Leslie) always filled up the tank, that implies that the car had been driven about 125 miles since the last fuel stop.

Wait, how far away were all those Portland appointments, again?

Right, 100 miles round-trip, thanks Tony.

So, on its face, the $7.08 fill-up is totally plausible. And that’s assuming Leslie never got gas in Portland before heading back to Cabot Cove. Well, never mind. What’s important is that the pitstop inspires Jessica to snoop in the glove compartment for the car rental agreement.

Ok, great!

Let’s all take a look-see at this important clue.

If you’re disappointed that we didn’t get to see that odometer, chin up! The writers have one more clue for us. It’s intentionally ambiguous, but it’s full of thematic appeal.

The Arcade Game

While playing Spy Hunter, Jessica realizes…. well, something about driving too fast? Or maybe driving too slow? The audience doesn’t get to find out exactly what Jessica’s epiphany was until after she confronts the killer.

Ok, they also use this scene to explicitly state that the station wagon was operated from the red and gray van, but, like, duh.

J’accuse!

The Reenactment

Following her aha moment, Jessica and Sheriff Tupper arrange for a reenactment of Charles Woodley’s encounter with the station wagon on the softball field. In classic MSW style, Jessica is able to trick the killers into revealing themselves, and triumphantly confronts them with proof of their guilt.

Fair Play?

We’re back on the softball field, but are the writers playing ball?
At this point in the episode, we already know that Jessica believes Daniel is innocent, but we don’t have all the facts. Specifically:

  • What was the convertible’s odometer reading? The $7.08 worth of gas is inconclusive on its own.
  • What was Jessica’s big revelation during the arcade game? She’s enlightened, but the audience is still in the dark.

Can we conclusively identify the guilty without this information?

  • Katie was forthcoming with potentially incriminating information about WAMCO. Further, she has no motive to either kill off the WAMCO boys or frame Daniel, so she can reasonably be cleared of suspicion.
  • If we’ve been paying close attention, there are enough clues to implicate Charles Woodley, but he must have had an accomplice who controlled the station wagon.
  • Woodley’s accomplice could be Tony or Leslie. Until the reenactment, we don’t have enough information to determine which one it is. It might even be both of them.

Guilty!

So, no, this is not a fair play episode. Fair play is a style choice, and does not necessarily determine the quality of the storytelling. A high quality mystery can be engaging, precise, novel, comedic, you name it, without using fair play.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, that’s not the case here. At MSWSW, we’re sticklers for plausibility and precision. The characters’ choices must make sense. The clues must be relevant. The explanation of the puzzle must be complete.

This episode’s shortcomings are all in evidence at the reenactment:

First, how did law enforcement find the red and gray van? And in finding it, certainly its location, registration, plates, VIN, etc. would be important, and possibly conclusive, evidence as to who killed Dean Merrill. So important and conclusive, the whole reenactment might not even have been necessary. While we’re on the subject, those same identifying features (registration, plates, VIN) for the station wagon would also probably be edifying. And if not, we the audience should be told why not.

Jessica confronts Leslie with Tony’s gasoline tab. Not only is this a meaningless figure, as we’ve already established, but how TF would Leslie know what Jessica’s even talking about? She wasn’t at the gas station.

Yeah, maybe you did, Jessica, but we didn’t. Why force fuzzy math about gasoline on us, when you could just show us the odometer and do some nice, simple math about those 100-mile trips back and forth to Portland?

I’m with you, Amos.

Episode Rating

For me, the most appealing aspect of this episode is its location. Like most MSW enthusiasts, I have a soft spot for Cabot Cove and her denizens. Otherwise, I found this episode to be pretty mediocre.

Even though this episode was only ok, I hope you won’t let that stop you from going on a joyride with me in Part 4: Bonus Features!

Part 4: Bonus Features

Hit, Run and Homicide: The Timeline

Hello, welcome to MSWSW’s detailed episode timeline for “Hit, Run and Homicide.”

There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 includes the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • This is Part 2, a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode.
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

The Timeline

Not a lot of time or attention is given to establishing a precise timeline this episode. The plot doesn’t rely on time-specific details, so it’s not devastating, just more of a missed opportunity, imho. Here’s my take on this episode’s sequence of events:

The Days of the Week

Since a town celebration takes place on Day 1, it’s most likely either a Saturday or a Sunday. On the following day, Leslie the Saleslady says she has business appointments in Portland, and for that to be most plausible, Day 2 is probably a weekday, making Day 1 most likely a Sunday and Day 2 a Monday.

Sunday: Picnic

The denizens of Cabot Cove gather to celebrate their founders.

Charles Woodley outruns a driverless station wagon, ends up in Cabot Cove hospital, and gives his statement to Sheriff Tupper.

I’m going to differ with the captions here. I think the name of the company is meant to be WAMCO (or WAM Co.) Electronics, the WAM being short for Woodley And Merrill.

Monday: Murder

Morning

Jessica drops by Daniel’s house with a pie for his guest, Katie. We meet Daniel’s nephew, Tony, and Leslie, his extremely new fiancée. Jessica tells Daniel about Woodley’s story, specifically, that he is visiting Cabot Cove at Daniel’s invitation.

This is just one of a collection of really interesting statement necklaces we’ll see on Katie. They must have been from June Allyson’s personal collection. I liked them so much I made a gallery.
Tony is young, attractive, and has a good job in the city. This episode failed to sell me on the idea that he is so naive and/or desperate that he would be an easy target for someone like Leslie.

Woodley’s business partner, Dean Merrill, arrives in Cabot Cove via a chartered boat. After getting directions from Ethan, Dean is done in by a certain sinister station wagon on his walk to the hospital.

Afternoon

Ethan visits Jessica and tells her about Dean Merrill’s death, and convinces her that Sheriff Tupper needs her help.

They eat cookies.

Dear reader, the cookies struck a chord. I feel deeply nostalgic about these cookies, which I believe to be Keebler Pecan Sandies. They still make them, so you can feed your inner child, or your inner Jessica, or even your inner Ethan.

After they agree to collaborate for what feels like the very first time, Jessica and Amos visit Charles Woodley at the hospital. Did Daniel invite him to town or not?

Evening

Jessica joins Daniel, Katie, and Tony for a remarkably uneventful cookout. Daniel acknowledges his driverless car design and again refutes Woodley’s claim that he invited the WAMCO boys to town, but no new information is forthcoming.

Tuesday: Investigation

Morning

Jessica gets Daniel’s phone records from Letitia. She has a chat with Katie about Daniel’s past relationship with WAMCO.

Daniel and Tony join them to showcase a new invention that flops on multiple levels.

Afternoon

Off camera, Ethan and Tony participate in the Sheriff’s town wide search for the mysterious and murderous station wagon.

Evening

More on this party’s sartorial choices in Part 4

Ethan, Tony, and Leslie have dinner at Jessica’s house. Over coffee in the parlor, Jessica shares her theory that the station wagon is hidden in a stretch of woods east of the old Gentry farm, and promises to call the Sheriff in the morning.

Wednesday: Full Speed Car Chase

Morning

With Amos’ consent, but not his support, Jessica searches the woods near the Gentry farm, finds the mysterious station wagon, investigates, and gets taken for a ride.

Ethan and his pick up truck come to the rescue in this episode’s only full speed car chase. When it comes to an end at the cliffs by the lighthouse, the red and gray van is also on the scene, but no one can quite figure out what it means, it’s all just so mysterious!

Afternoon

The end result of the morning’s chase is that the police now have possession of the station wagon. It contains files implicating Daniel, and so Amos reluctantly takes him into custody.

Evening

Back at their digs at the old Hansen place, Leslie gently suggests to Tony that his uncle may need to be evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Katie go for what appears to be an aimless (and grainy) twilight walk through the brush. They discuss the partnership arrangement and financial situation at WAMCO.

Thursday: In the Clink

Morning

Jessica visits Daniel in lock up. She gets a ride home from Tony in Leslie’s rented convertible. On the way, they stop at a gas station and discuss Daniel’s estate plan. Tony spends $7.08 on gas.

Evening

Daniel’s front yard Wednesday features Jessica, sad Katie, convertible
Daniel’s front yard Thursday also features Jessica, sad Katie, convertible

If it feels like we’ve been here already, yes. In a scene framed almost identically to the previous evening (sans panda), Tony takes Daniel away for psychological evaluation.

Friday: Epiphany at McIntyre’s

If you’re here for nostalgia, you’ve hit the jackpot at Cabot Cove’s local grocery.

McIntyre’s: Come for the apple decor…
Jessica ends up getting more than just typing paper and tomatoes.
…. stay for the baloney.
What price this transcendent, blissful epiphany? A quarter.

After a turn at the arcade classic Spy Hunter, Jessica figures it all out.

Saturday: Reenactment

Back at the softball field, Charles Woodley survives a second encounter with the mysterious and deadly station wagon, and Jessica’s plan to expose Dean Merrill’s murderer is a success.

The end.

Part 3: Analysis

Hit, Run and Homicide

Fair Warning

Hello, and welcome back to Cabot Cove for another cozy murder mystery. Before reading further, please watch the episode, there will be spoilers! If you’ve got a beach nearby, this episode pairs nicely with a New England Clambake.

There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • This is Part 1, an introduction including the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode.
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

A Crash Course in Road Safety

Welcome back to Cabot Cove for Jessica’s second collaboration with Sheriff Tupper. Or is it? Either way, there’s an absolute fleet of autos that make this episode go. Even the famously non-driving Jessica gets her turn behind the wheel.

Putting Cabot Cove on the Map

This episode gives us enough clues to conclude the MSWSW search for Cabot Cove. We’ll also get our first lesson about the Cove’s history and culture.

When Are We?

The Original Airdate

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the first guiding principal I use in my work on the MSWSW canon timeline is to place an episode’s events before, but as close as possible to, the initial airdate. This episode first aired on Sunday, November 25, 1984.

The Oeuvre of J.B. Fletcher

This episode doesn’t include any details about J.B. Fletcher’s writing, although we do get to see the author at work at her typewriter. When Jessica first meets Leslie Andler, the newcomer says she’s read Jessica’s “books” plural, which means the events of this episode took place no earlier than May 1984.

The Clambakes and Cookouts

Founder’s Day Clambake and Picnic
A Cookout with Daniel

The denizens of Cabot Cove are outdoors enjoying warm weather throughout this episode. The town holds a celebratory picnic, Daniel hosts a cookout, and the rose bushes are in bloom. All of this points to a warmer time of year, if not strictly summer, then certainly sometime between May and September.

The Unbroken Ice

With all that lovely warm weather, the ice between Jessica and Sheriff Tupper strikes one as a bit strange. Just a few episodes ago, Amos unhesitatingly called Jessica as soon as there was a whiff of foul play.

Jessica is the first person Amos calls for assistance in S1 E2: “Deadly Lady”.

And yet, here they are, smack dab in the middle of episode 7, acting like they’ve never even thought of cooperating on a case.

Jessica and Amos in S1 E7, making tentative overtures as tepid as that Styrofoam cup of coffee.

It’s my theory that this episode is, in fact, the first time Jessica and Amos work together. Further, the sweeping aerial shots of rugged coastline and the majestic musical score give the opening scenes of this episode a premiere aesthetic. I feel almost certain that this episode was originally intended to air as the series’ first episode after the pilot, or at least as the series’ first episode set in Cabot Cove.

So, in terms of our MSW canon timeline, I’ve decided the events of Hit, Run and Homicide occur before those of Deadly Lady, explaining the differences in Jessica and Amos’ rapport, and placing Hit, Run and Homicide sometime between May and early July 1984.

The Players

In order of appearance, the locals we’ll meet this episode, plus a few from away:

Jessica Fletcher

Jessica, alert cyclist and “Cabot Cove’s one and only celebrity,” gets taken for a ride this episode.

Daniel O’Brien

Daniel, textbook example of the absent-minded professor, may pose a danger to himself and/or others.

Captain Ethan Cragg

Captain Cragg, softball enthusiast, comes to Jessica’s rescue in this episode’s only full speed car chase.

Charles Woodley

Charles Woodley, first electronics entrepreneur and pedestrian extraordinaire, survives two low speed car chases.

Sheriff Amos Tupper

Sheriff Tupper, the lesser half of this episode’s crime fighting duo, is taking names. The rest is up to Mrs. Fletcher.

Katie Simmons

Katie, friend and houseguest of Daniel, is very lovely, and also a bit superfluous to the plot.

Tony

Tony, Daniel’s nephew, is newly engaged to a woman he met a month ago.

Leslie Andler

Leslie Andler, a traveling “saleslady” and Tony’s fiancée, is being shown off “like a new sedan.” Her words. Ick.

Dean Merrill

Dean Merrill, second electronics entrepreneur, is merely a pedestrian ordinaire, and succumbs to his first low speed car chase.

Denizens of Cabot Cove

We continue to build our list of Cabot Cove locals this episode. Special mention goes to Lois Hoey, in her second, and sadly, last appearance as Jessica’s friend and a Cabot Cove lady about town. Other denizens we encounter this episode include Letitia, Nurse Bates, and Cora.

The Automobiles

A veritable fleet of vehicles provides the driving force for this episode. Some of these autos almost have as much personality as the actual characters. In order of appearance:

The Red and Gray Van

Large, looming, and ominous, what is the purpose of this mysterious vehicle, and who is the shadowy figure behind the wheel?

The Driverless Station Wagon

Oh, the dream of the safe, reliable, self-driving car. Forty years later, and we still haven’t figured it out.

Ethan’s Old Pick Up

A vehicle beatified by its service and honest wear, it is a reflection of the man behind the wheel. This must be Ethan’s business-mobile, as it bears the name and crest of Cragg’s Charter Services.

Leslie, the New Sedan

Ick, ick, triple ick upon the writers’ room, for creating a character who voluntarily and needlessly likens herself to a sedan. Girl, if you’re going to objectify yourself, be a Porsche, be a Maserati, be a pink Cadillac. Or, you know, don’t.

The Rental

While a Bostonian like Tony could get by without a car, it’s unusual for a traveling saleslady not to own one.

The Moving Van Heading North on Highway 27

This van is headed towards Augusta, and away from the truth.

The Panda

Cabot Cove’s finest serve and protect in this law enforcement classic.

The Arcade Game

Ethan and Jessica play the 1983 arcade classic Spy Hunter. Jessica’s turn at the wheel inspires this episode’s aha moment.

Part 2: The Timeline

Lovers and Other Killers: Bonus Features

Hello, and welcome to the fourth and final part of my Lovers and Other Killers episode guide. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend starting with Part 1.
There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 is a introduction, including the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode.
  • This is Part 4, a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

Bonus Features

Gender Politics 101

This episode examines conventional gender roles, norms, and double standards, but with a critical eye, or a blind one?

The Bechdel Test

This is a murder mystery in which the sleuth, both murder victims, and the murderer are all women. However, this episode comes very close to failing the Bechdel test, because almost all the conversations between the female characters are about men. Allison Brevard dies without any dialogue. Lila has a single conversation, it’s with Jessica, and it’s about David. Except for a brief exchange about the secretarial job posting, Jessica and Amelia only talk about Edmund and David, until their final conversation about Lila’s murder.

Does it matter? This series is built on the appeal of a strong, intelligent, multifaceted woman who goes everywhere, knows everyone, and is good at just about everything. No one could accuse Murder, She Wrote of representing women in a limited way, right? Right?

Tale as Old as Time

Ok, maybe not tale as old as time, but certainly a trope as old as the workplace. Amelia, the secretary, is in unrequited love with her boss. Likewise, David, the other secretary, is also romantically interested in his boss. Neither of these relationships gets off the ground. However, Lila, the teaching assistant, is allegedly having affairs with at least two of her superiors at the university, with disastrous consequences.

Power-imbalanced workplace relationships like these are often portrayed as both prevalent and romantic, but they are potentially very destructive, and arguably non-consensual on the part of the subordinate. It’s frustrating to me that neither Professor Lowery nor Dean Gerard seem to fear any professional consequences after pursuing a (murdered) teaching assistant. And yes, while it’s possible for a woman in a position of power to exploit a subordinate in this way, the reverse is much more common.

Men and Women Can’t Be Friends?

The premise of When Harry Met Sally (1989)

This episode seems to be of two minds when it comes to platonic relationships between men and women. Edmund and Jessica are old friends, but now that they are both widowed, shipping them seems almost unavoidable, from Edmund’s playful assertion that Jessica “picked the wrong one” to Amelia’s jealousy of Jessica as a perceived rival. On the other hand, Jack the jealous husband easily dismisses the exceptionally attractive David as simply a friend of his wife, and nothing more.

The Pick Up Artist

The most interesting and memorable dynamic of this episode is the relationship between David and Jessica. David’s interview is basically a pick up routine, and it’s calculated to leverage Jessica’s ideals about gender equality. It’s how he (literally) gets his foot in the door.

The rest of his interview plays out like a conventional pick up. David tricks and charms Jessica into letting down her guard.

And once he’s won her approval, he even has the audacity to neg her writing.

David would like Jessica to believe that all her misgivings about him are rooted in her own gender biases. And it works, for a while, at least. When her confidence in him does begin to flag, it rebounds seemingly as an indignant response to Andrews’ and Edmund’s sexist and ageist aspersions about their relationship.

In the end, David Tolliver is a flawed, but ultimately innocent, character who may sincerely care for Jessica. So, is he a modern young secretary whose genuine interest in a successful older woman upends 1980’s gender norms? Or, is he a creepy pick up artist whose manipulative behavior reinforces conventional narratives?

It’s OK to Say No to a Man. Here’s How.

The gender politics of this episode are pretty muddy. However, in a world where gender inequality and double standards still exist, Jessica demonstrates how to confidently communicate and enforce her personal boundaries with a man who would transgress them. This may not seem revolutionary or heroic, but it is quietly empowering to generations of women inured to accommodating men.

Do crimes.

First Murder!

  • Victim: Allison Brevard
  • Culprit: Anonymous criminal
  • Motive: Burglary (Greed)
  • Weapon: XL String of Pearls (Garrote)
  • Before Our Eyes: Poor Allison is strangled on-screen
  • Crime Scene: A posh townhouse
  • Discovery: 4 minutes, or 8% through

Second Murder!

  • Victim: Lila Schroeder
  • Culprit: Amelia the Secretary
  • Motive: Jealousy (Greed)
  • Weapon: Longshoreman’s Hook (Pointy Object)
  • Done Deed: The fatal blow is struck off-screen
  • Crime Scene: An abandoned warehouse
  • Discovery: 24:30, or 50% through

Other Crimes!

  • Reckless driving: Amelia, for that night at the Lumberjack Inn
  • Assault and battery: Amelia, for pushing Jessica down the stairs
  • Obstruction of justice: David Tolliver, for lying to the police about his whereabouts the night of Allison Brevard’s death, and the nature of his relationship with Lila Schroeder.
  • Trespass: Amelia, Lila Schroeder, and Jessica Fletcher, for their several encounters at an abandoned warehouse. David Tolliver, for inviting himself into Jessica’s hotel suite one too many times. And, while it might not have been trespassing, honorable mention to that time Jessica gained access to the Sequoia University men’s gym.

Psycho Killer

There is a theory that Jessica Fletcher is the most successful serial killer of all time. It’s pretty easy to see how she might have done it this time – instead of Amelia, it was Jessica who stuck a longshoreman’s hook into Lila. Why? I imagine Jessica might have found Lila’s phone etiquette a bit lacking, and she hates people when they’re not polite.

Tropes, Devices, and Other Conventions

Mystery Tropes

Love Triangle Hexagon

If you count Emily Lowery, a great gal who’s hard to fool, there are three men (Jack, Edmund, Todd) and three women (Lila, Amelia, Emily) in this episode’s proverbial love triangle, except that three and three makes six, which adds up to a love hexagon.

Oddly located corpse

Allison Brevard is killed in her own home, which is chillingly realistic, but Lila is murdered in a more unusual place, a spooky abandoned warehouse.

Suspicious Phone Call

It’s suspicious when we overhear only part of a character’s phone call, or we don’t know who’s on the other end. There are plenty of on-screen phone calls this episode, but each time we either know the identity of the other party, or we see both sides of the call.

There is one truly suspicious phone call this episode, the one that results in Jessica heading to Professor Lowery’s office on Wednesday night. It’s a crucial element of the plot, and yet no part of it is depicted on screen. In this way, it’s a doubly suspicious phone call, because it casts suspicion on both the person who allegedly placed the call, and the person who claimed to have received it.

Plot Devices

flashback

There is one brief flashback during the final conversation between Jessica and Amelia, showing Amelia managing Edmund’s bills, specifically the bill for the inflatable raft. I don’t think it’s necessary, especially because it only shows the audience something we’ve already seen, rather than some new detail. The popcorn-worthy flashback we really deserve is Amelia wielding a longshoreman’s hook during her encounter with Lila in the abandoned warehouse.

bookends

Jessica’s presence in this episode begins and ends symmetrically, with her arrival and departure at the Seattle airport, each time holding in her arms an impromptu totes adorbs travel buddy.

Hello, with a baby named Buddy
Goodbye, with a bear we’ll also call Buddy

This was a really masterful, subtle choice by the writers. The episode itself actually opens and closes on two very dark scenes, Allison Brevard’s murder and David Tolliver’s intense stare. Jessica bookends her own presence in the episode by literally carrying in and carrying out the cozy.

MSW Tropes

Door of Truth

An offhand word from David – that a “person” called – is the last clue Jessica needs to solve the mystery.

Confess Thyself

In typical MSW fashion, Jessica confronts the killer alone and persuades her to confess.

Bait of Falsehood

Jessica lies to Amelia to trick her into confessing to Lila’s murder. Jessica tells Amelia that Edmund is about to be arrested for Lila’s murder, which is false. She also says Edmund doesn’t have an alibi, which is a teeny tiny plot hole, since the audience doesn’t know if that is true or false.

I Play the Villain

Often MSW will give us a character who I think of as The Jerk Who Isn’t The Murderer. I think that the writers intended Jack for this role; however, in my opinion, Edmund is the biggest AH this episode. He’s callously indifferent to Amelia’s feelings for him. Jessica tells him that Amelia is in love with him early on, so his final claim that he “had no idea” is BS. Worse, he takes advantage of a vulnerable subordinate, Lila, and after she’s dead, coldly dismisses the relationship as disposable, saying he “could have handled it.”

Smile and Smile

In order to finish on an up note, there’s almost always a cheesy freezeframe of Jessica laughing or otherwise mugging in response to the last, generally pretty lame, joke of the episode. By contrast, this episode is memorable for it’s unsettling final image of David Tolliver’s menacing stare after Jessica.

What She Wore

How to Wear a Scarf

We get one scarf from Jessica this episode, as part of her travel attire.

Jessica’s Best Look

I didn’t find many noteworthy looks from Jessica this episode. My favorite is this navy blue sweater with a crisp collar and a classic trench- clean, timeless, and practical.

Jessica’s Least Best Look

Dear Lord, lead us not into sweater vests.

Best Look Overall

This sweater, I guess. It really says 1984 and does a nice job of bringing out the blue of his eyes.

Least Best Look Overall

This sweater, again, because even though I kind of like it, I also really hate it.

The Rest of the Story

David Tolliver seems like a perfect character to reencounter in the MSW universe, but we never see him again. Here’s what happens instead.

Like any pick up artist, David doesn’t enjoy losing a quarry, but after Jessica gets on that plane back to Boston, he’s ready to move on, both figuratively and literally. As a person of interest in two recent murders, David finds Seattle a bit stifling, and decides to relocate. His taste for older, wealthy women takes him to Lake Tahoe and then to Las Vegas. He enjoys a life of romantic conquests, luxury, and leisure, until he becomes intimately involved with the wrong man’s mother. David disappears. He’s found decades later, when a severe drought causes the Lake Mead water level to drop dramatically.

Extra Credit

Similar works to this episode are difficult come by.

Lovers and Other Killers: Analysis

Hello, and welcome to Part 3 of my Lovers and Other Killers episode guide. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend starting with Part 1.
There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 is a introduction, including the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • This is Part 3, my analysis of the episode.
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features

Episode Analysis

Show Your Work

This episode differs from a typical MSW story arc because the vast majority of screen time is invested in characters and events that are ultimately unrelated to the central murder. We often think of these elements as red herrings, added simply to distract the audience or obfuscate the real plot. In this case, though, the time invested in developing ancillary characters and presenting plot points that are ultimately left unresolved is time well spent. It very effectively builds a dark and pervading sense of unease that elevates this episode, even though the central murder plotline turns out to be pretty unremarkable.

Fair Play Pause Point

The moment Jessica solves the mystery is what I like to call the fair play pause point. At this point in the narrative, if the writers have played fair, we the audience should have all the clues we need to solve the mystery. There are two murders this episode, but Lila’s murder is the central mystery, and the one that Jessica solves. Her aha moment is the realization that the suspicious phone call summoning her to Professor Lowery’s office was placed by a “person” of unknown gender, rather than a man. At this point, does the audience have enough information to conclusively determine who killed Lila?

Clues!

Caller ID

I’m going to take Jessica’s “person” reasoning one step further. All of the characters this episode are cis-gender men and women. So, if the fact that the caller was not necessarily a man is revelatory, we can conclude that the possibility of the caller being a woman is significant. There are only two female characters left alive at this point in the narrative, Jessica and Amelia. Therefore, the possibility that Amelia is the caller, and therefore the person responsible for pushing Jessica down the stairs, is important.

A DArk Colored Car

During their open air and cold coffee brunch, Edmund tells Jessica that on the night of Allison Brevard’s murder, he and Lila were harassed by the driver of a dark colored car. After brunch, Jessica returns to campus and gleans from Todd that he shares a yellow station wagon with his wife. This tells us both that Jessica thinks the identity of the driver of the dark car is important, and that it isn’t Todd Lowery. Earlier in the episode, we were shown David’s red sports car, so we can also eliminate him as the driver of the dark colored car. That leaves two possible people who may have harassed Lila and Edmund that night: Jack and Amelia.

An Inflatable Raft

Early in the episode, we learn that Amelia manages Edmund’s bills, and therefore knows about his personal purchases, like inflatable rafts, and, presumably, charges from the Lumberjack Inn. This reinforces the possibility that Amelia knows about Edmund and Lila’s affair, but it does not eliminate Jack as the harassing driver, or as his wife’s murderer.

Suspects

To revisit an observation from Part 1, this episode has a small cast, and therefore, a short list of potential suspects. So, who among them had motive, means, and opportunity to murder Lila?

Motive

Five characters potentially have motives for Lila’s murder. Edmund Gerard and Todd Lowery were both allegedly involved in potentially compromising affairs with her. Jack was jealous and possessive of his estranged wife. Amelia may have been jealous of Lila if she knew about Edmund’s affair. David may have wished to silence Lila in order to create an illusion of an alibi for himself for the night of Allison Brevard’s murder.

Means and Opportunity

In this case, means and opportunity are inseparable, because Lila was killed with a weapon available at the scene. The only suspect we know had an alibi for the time of Lila’s death was David, who was under police surveillance at the time. The remaining four characters, Edmund, Todd, Jack, and Amelia, do not have alibis for Lila’s murder.

That DArk Colored Car Again?

Unknown to Jessica at the time, but shown to the audience, a dark car drove away from abandoned warehouse 33 moments before Jessica discovered a dying Lila. Therefore, in addition to David, we can eliminate Todd Lowery and his yellow station wagon. This leaves Edmund, Amelia, and Jack as the remaining suspects. If we assume the dark car at the warehouse is the same dark car that harassed Lila and Edmund near the Lumberjack Inn, we can let Edmund out. But, as Amelia says, lots of people drive dark colored cars.

J’accuse!

This episode fails to make a clear cut case against any single suspect. Instead, a lot of time is spent debating David’s guilt or innocence, when he’s literally the only suspect to have an alibi.

The clues only indirectly implicate Amelia. She is one of two suspects who could have harassed Edmund and Lila near the Lumberjack Inn. She is the only non-man “person” who could have lured Jessica to Lowery’s office. However, that doesn’t mean she is the only person who could have murdered Lila.

Unsolved Mysteries

In fact, this episode transgresses (or transcends?) the norms of the genre by leaving a lot of mysteries unsolved.

Jessica’s Briefcase

Did David rifle through Jessica’s briefcase? If so, why?

Jack’s Alibis

We never learn if Jack, who should have been the lead suspect in his wife’s murder, had an alibi for that night. Yet both Lt. Andrews and Jessica are inexplicably uninterested in him. In my opinion, this is an oversight that weakens the story.
Another weak point is the solution to Allison Brevard’s murder, which is wrapped up in a way that feels abrupt and half hearted. I think the writers missed an opportunity: What if Jack was the burglar who killed Allison Brevard? By making Jack the culprit, this element of the plot would have been more fully incorporated into the main storyline. Further, Jack would then have been conclusively eliminated as the dark car driver at the Lumberjack Inn, making the case against Amelia stronger as well.

Lila’s Other Man

Who was the other man of whom Jack was so jealous? We know it wasn’t David, and Jessica suspected it was Professor Todd Lowery.
Jessica confronted Lowery in her Wednesday lecture in such a brash and public way that David heard gossip about it shortly afterward. Amelia must also have heard, because she decided to capitalize on her suspicions of Lowery in order to lure Jessica into a trap.
My theory is that Edmund also heard about the dramatic exchange, and then decided to exaggerate Lowery’s alleged affair with Lila. Was Lowery really as subtle and dangerous as Edmund would have had Jessica believe? I think about that yellow station wagon, and his wife, Emily, a great gal who’s tough to fool, and it seems to me that his relationship with Lila likely wasn’t much more than a misguided flirtation.
On the other hand, we know for certain that Edmund had repeated sexual encounters with Lila. When Jack won’t answer Jessica’s questions about other men, I think it’s because he sees Edmund, and not Todd, as the real threat to his marriage.

David’s Other Woman

What was the nature of the relationship between Allison Brevard and David? Even though he was innocent of her murder, we can’t quite trust David’s story. And, since we’re stuck in the dark about Allison, we’ll also never have insight into David’s true intentions towards Jessica.

Episode Rating

Four out of four stars – this is one of my favorite episodes!

I love this episode. It’s menacing, and ambiguous, and untidy, and we can’t quite get a hold on the whole truth. We never fully understand Jack, or Todd, or Edmund, or especially, and most memorably, David.

What kind of person is David Tolliver, and why is he interested in Jessica? One popular take is that David’s combination of youthful good looks, pervading creepiness, and preoccupation with older women is inspired by Norman Bates. We know the MSW writers are fans of Psycho and Alfred Hitchcock. The comparison is apt, and probably correctly attributed. However, David Tolliver gives me the creeps in a different kind of way, which I humbly submit in Part 4: Bonus Features.

Norman Bates, Psycho (1960)
David Tolliver, Murder She Wrote (1984)
Mystery, circa 2007

Part 4: Bonus Features

Lovers and Other Killers: The Timeline

Hello, and welcome to Part 2 of my Lovers and Other Killers episode guide. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend starting with Part 1.
There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • Part 1 is a introduction, including the setting, characters, and context of the episode.
  • This is Part 2, a detailed timeline of the episode’s events.
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode.
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features.

The Timeline

With the exception of the opening and closing scenes, the events of this episode take place over a five day period.

One Fateful Night a Week or So Beforehand

Allison Brevard, a woman of wealth and maturity, is strangled by a masked intruder in her Seattle townhouse. This opening scene sets an unusually dark and menacing tone for the episode. The scenario is more realistic, and therefore scarier, than a typical MSW murder, although the acting puts it a little over the top.

Meanwhile, and not shown, Edmund and Lila spend the evening together at the Lumberjack Inn. Shortly before midnight, on their way back to town, they encounter a dark colored car driving erratically.

Day 1 – Sunday

Sunday Morning

This call is about an Airplane!

Instead of her editor, Marilyn Dean, Jessica arrives with the most adorable baby (and two nearly as adorable nuns). Jessica’s just one of those people you’d immediately trust with a baby, I guess.

After old friend and Dean of Students Edmund Gerard begins to worry, Jessica deplanes from Boston flight 507.

Fortunately, Jessica’s conversational Mandarin is up to snuff.
Fun Fact 1

Elizabeth Taylor exists in the MSW universe.

Fun Fact 2

Angela Lansbury and Elizabeth Taylor were lifelong friends, beginning with National Velvet (1944).

Sunday Afternoon

It’s a lively Sunday afternoon on campus. Amelia must have come in specially to give Jessica the VIP treatment.

The sun is still shining on Drumheller Fountain later that afternoon, when Jessica turns down Edmund’s offer to stay at his place. They reminisce about Saturday nights at Kappa Gamma Chi with Frank Fletcher, before Jessica and Frank were married.

Sunday EVening

David Tolliver uses his charm and skills in a very calculated way to persuade Jessica to hire him as her secretary, something I discuss further in Part 3.

In this scene with David, Jessica is in her hotel room, wearing a robe, which conveys vulnerability and intimacy.

I invite you to compare it with another scene in a hotel room with a robe and a younger man, from S1 E4: Hooray for Hollywood, in which Angela uses a robe to convey a sense of intimacy, but also one of ease, rather than vulnerability.

Day 2 – Monday

Monday Morning

Not shown: David returns to Jessica’s hotel suite to begin his work as her secretary, presumably at the agreed upon 10 am.

Monday Afternoon

Jessica’s series of guest lectures begins with a bang. We learn that Professor Lowery’s wife, Emily, is very tough to fool. Edmund has to bail on his dinner plans with Jessica to attend a faculty meeting.

Monday Evening

At nearly 7 pm, David persuades Jessica to join him for a fancy schmancy Chateaubriand dinner. Afterwards, Lt. Andrews requests David accompany him to Seattle PD HQ for some “routine” questioning about the murder of Allison Brevard.

Monday Night

After two hours’ questioning at PD HQ in the historic and picturesque Yesler Building, David is finally able to return Jessica to her hotel in his shiny red 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider Convertible. Jessica notices they are being tailed by an unmarked car.

Incidentally, the Sacred Circle Gallery is still a going concern, although it’s no longer located in Pioneer Square.

Day 3 – Tuesday

Tuesday Morning

Early the next day, Jessica returns to Pioneer Square ISO Lt. Andrews. We get a brief glimpse of his humanity (Bagel! Coffee! Sports Page!).

Jessica volunteers some pert observations and Andrews offers some unsolicited advice. Jessica says she’s been in town for two days, which tracks. Neither party enjoys the exchange, but both seem to agree that David doesn’t seem like a killer.

Jessica cabs back to her hotel, where she is unpleasantly surprised to find David availing himself of the amenities.

Did he rifle through her briefcase, and then leave it unlatched and colorfully askew? We’ll never know for sure, but it’s definitely time for Jessica to set some important boundaries.

Tuesday Afternoon

Back on campus for her afternoon lecture, Jessica’s attitude about David seems to do a 180 in the face of Edmund’s suspicions and admonitions. Maybe she realizes she’s rushing to judgement just like Edmund, or maybe she’s piqued that for the second time that day, another man is misconstruing her relationship with David. Whatever the reason, she decides to continue to employ him as her secretary, despite his murky connections to a murdered woman.

Tuesday Evening

At a very dated stock footage dive bar, Lila uses the payphone to plan a meetup with Jessica, and we get to see how much of a jerk her estranged husband is. Jack is jealous of another man, but he doesn’t say who.

Incidentally, this is Jessica’s second trip to the west coast for which she packed multiple robes. She wears the same travel outfit coming and going (see Plot Devices: Bookends in Part 4). So, the necessity of travel wardrobe economies is not unknown to her. She just prioritizes loungewear. And this robe seems to be a favorite, since she also wears it in S1 E4: Hooray for Homicide.

Tuesday NIght

At 10 pm, down by the docks, Jessica warily enters abandoned warehouse 33. In a world before cell phones, she has the sense to ask the cab driver to wait. A dark car drives off, and poor Lila dies before she can tell Jessica anything.

Alas, poor Lila, we knew her not.
Jessica, aghast and agape.

After learning the reason for Jessica and Lila’s assignation, Lt. Andrews immediately suspects David of Lila’s murder. However, David was under police surveillance all night, and he’s in the clear. Back at PD HQ, David claims that he was with Lila the night Allison Brevard was killed, and that jealous husband Jack must have killed Lila.

Bell Street Pier 66 (the actual location of the fictitious “Warehouse 33”) was reconstructed in the 1990’s and is now a glam tourist spot and cruise ship depot.

Day 4 – Wednesday

Wednesday Morning

Not shown: After yet another long night at PD HQ, David resumes his work as Jessica’s secretary, presumably at the previously agreed upon 10 am.

Wednesday Afternoon

Back on campus for another lecture, Jessica first stops by Dean Gerard’s office, and has a cringey heart to heart with Amelia about Edmund. They also talk about David, and crucially, that Jessica still thinks he’s innocent.

Jessica’s next stop is what appears to be the Sequoia University men’s gym. Whatever Jack felt for Lila while she lived, he’s not exactly prostrate with grief the day after her murder. Instead of asking Jack about his alibi for the previous night, Jessica is more interested in finding out who Lila was seeing. According to Jack, David was just a friend. And Todd Lowery? Jessica seems to just be fishing at this point, and Jack declines to answer.

Is this conspicuous deshabille simply gratuitous, or does it show us a man who literally (and, therefore, figuratively) can not be hiding anything?

Jessica’s interview with Jack makes her late for class. Her lecture devolves into a combative, intense and utterly unprofessional repartee with Professor Lowery. It takes poor Todd a hot minute to realize that Jessica suspects him in Lila’s murder. The audience might also need that time to catch up. Until this point, the only indication that there was anything between Todd and Lila was a very friendly wave and the suggestion that they left Jessica’s lecture on Monday arm in arm.

Wednesday Night

Jessica returns to her hotel to find a note from David. Professor Lowery wants to meet her at his office at 9 pm. Mysterious nighttime assignations are irresistible to our lady. What could go wrong?

Of course, in a scene worthy of the opening credits, as she ascends to the dimly lit third floor of the Sequoia University English building, Jessica is pushed down a flight of stairs by a shadowy figure. Fortunately, and suspiciously, David is on the spot to help Jessica get medical attention.

In a hospital room scene worthy of the frothiest soap opera, Edmund confronts David over Jessica’s sick bed. It was Edmund, and not David, who spent the night of Allison Brevard’s murder with the ravishing and unfortunate Lila.

Day 5 – Thursday

Thursday Morning

In the shadow of the Space Needle‘s midcentury optimism, we learn that David has confessed to asking Lila to lie to Jessica and provide him an alibi for the night of Allison’s murder. It is implied that he remains in police custody, although we don’t know if he is formally arrested.

Jessica and Edmund confer over an open air brunch. Although Jessica does her best to telegraph a quiet disdain for the cold coffee, I mean, the vulgar details, Edmund insists on telling her about his relationship with Lila.

And Jessica’s quiet disdain is the very least Edmund deserves. By his own telling, when a teaching assistant appealed to him, the Dean of Students, for help extricating herself from a nonconsensual affair with a faculty member, he instead pursued a sexual relationship with her. Even in 1984, before third wave feminism, this abuse of his authority and the fallout would have been a career ending scandal.

After his morning lecture, Jessica makes amends with Professor Lowery. All’s well that ends well with Todd. He’s patching things up with his wife, who’s a great gal.

On the quad, Lt. Andrews meets Jessica to tell her David has been released from police custody. A burglar has confessed to killing Allison Brevard.

Two characters have been violently murdered, but this is the scariest scene of the episode.

Creepy David has once again invited himself into Jessica’s suite; and this time its definitely trespassing. Jessica is done giving David the benefit of the doubt, except maybe he’s telling the truth about that suspicious phone call.

Thursday Afternoon

Edmund doesn’t have an alibi for the time of Lila’s murder. Jessica baits her longshoreman’s hook accordingly, and catches a killer.

Some Days Later

Jessica departs from the Seattle airport, but not before one last unwanted and intense exchange with David.

Part 3: Analysis

Lovers and Other Killers

Hello, and welcome to one of my favorite episodes of Murder, She Wrote. We’ll dive into all the details and identify the killers, although we won’t solve every mystery this episode presents. I recommend watching the entire episode first, preferably after sating your appetite with some fine food and drink.

There are four parts to this episode guide:

  • This is Part 1, an introduction that includes the setting, characters, and context within the MSW universe
  • Part 2 is a detailed timeline of the episode’s events
  • Part 3 is my analysis of the episode
  • Part 4 is a collection of fun extras that I like to call Bonus Features

Seminar: Murder for Profit

Bestselling author J.B. Fletcher, at the request of an old friend, Edmund Gerard, makes her first appearance as a guest lecturer at a major university. Flattered by the invitation, she nevertheless must balance her enthusiasm for teaching with the demands of her publishing schedule. As always, things quickly turn a bit murder-y.

Port of Seattle Welcomes You

Welcome to Seattle, WA, another beautiful west coast city to add to our MSW atlas. This episode is a great study in the paradox of locational specificity when the setting is a real place (Seattle!) but not too real (Sequoia University?). On one hand, the episode is awash in Seattle landmarks and skyline views. On the other hand, look too closely and you’ll see that the fine details are obscured by a thin, somewhat absurd, veneer of fiction.

We’re in Seattle!

Fantastic skyline views!
Historic Bell Street Pier 66!
The Space Needle!

We’re in… a place that looks like Seattle?

Pioneer Square’s Yesler Building as PD HQ
This is not, I repeat, not UW Smith Hall

Did you say Sequoia University?

Yep. The major university featured in this episode is not the University of Washington. It just bears a striking resemblance to the UW Seattle campus. While there are no direct in-episode references to the name of the university, many of the extras portraying students are wearing Sequoia University apparel.

And just to make sure there’s no mistaking this fictious major university in Seattle for UW, Professor Lowery’s final exam is going to be held in Miller Hall, and not in the previously-pictured Smith Hall.

When Are We?

The Original Airdate

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the first guiding principal I use in my work on the MSWSW canon timeline is to place an episode’s events before, but as close as possible to, the initial airdate. This episode first aired on November 18, 1984.

The Oeuvre of J.B. Fletcher

Our lady has been invited as a guest lecturer specifically because she is a bestselling author. However, the only work that receives mention this episode is The Corpse Danced at Midnight, which was published in April 1984.

David Tolliver reads J.B. Fletcher’s first novel in S1 E6: “Lovers and Other Killers”

The Arts

One of the interior shots taken in Seattle’s Pioneer Square includes posters for two different cultural events.

The top poster is for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which has been held annually in July since 1978. The bottom poster is for a 1984 traveling art exhibition, Architecture in Silver.

These two events suggest a timeframe of late spring or early summer 1984, which fits within the initial post-Corpse pre-airdate timeframe of April – November 1984.

The Final Exam

Let’s return to Professor Lowery’s chalkboard:

He’s just given his class some information about their (upcoming) final exam, as follows:

English Lit. 386 Final
Miller Hall, THURS. Jun 21, 2:00
Type: True/False with choice of two of three essay questions

The handwriting isn’t especially clear – it could be “Jan” instead of “Jun”, but I’m comfortable with “Jun” because it’s in keeping with the other information we have about the time of year. That includes the posters discussed above, of course. Additionally, the flora and foliage in the outdoor scenes, the way the characters are dressed throughout the episode, and Jessica and Edmund’s al fresco breakfast all suggest a warmer time of year.

That “21” could also easily be a “26”, however, it very clearly says “THURS”, and June 21, 1984 was a Thursday.

The Days of the Week

I’ll dive more deeply into the timeline in Part 2 of this episode guide, but for now I will focus on just one detail. The way the days of the week play out this episode, Lowery chalks his board on a Thursday. Since the final exam is still in the future, the latest possible day this scene could have taken place is one week before the scheduled final, or June 14, 1984.

That’s not to say it must be June 14, it could be earlier. Until and unless we get more information, I feel comfortable assigning the events of this episode to a timeframe of May to mid-June 1984.

The Lovers and the Killers

This episode’s cast of characters is remarkably compact; more so because you don’t even notice that it is so small in size, which I think is an indication of some really good writing. There are really only eight players, but I’ve also included Ms. Brevard (an uncredited role if you can believe it) because her murder is important to the episode’s plot, and because it lends symmetry to my little tableau, below.

All the lovers, et cetera, in the order we meet them:

Allison Brevard

The Wealthy Lady

Amelia

The Secretary

Lila Schroeder

The Teaching Assistant

Edmund Gerard

The Dean of Students

David Tolliver

The Other Secretary

C.J. Andrews

The Investigating Officer

J.B. Fletcher

The Guest Lecturer

Todd Lowery

The English Professor

Jack Schroeder

The Jealous Husband

Part 2: The Timeline