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 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.
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 PicnicA 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.
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:
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.
What follows is a deep dive into a somewhat notorious episode of Murder, She Wrote, “It’s a Dog’s Life.” You know, the one where the dog did it. Sort of. There are more spoilers to come, so I recommend watching the entire episode first, ideally after a proper breakfast.
Ladies and Gentlemen, to Horse!
MSW’s very picturesque foxhunt
Welcome to rural Virginia and the world of traditional foxhunts. This American subculture is a romance of horses, hounds, time-honored traditions, and the appearance, if not the reality, of gentility and wealth. This is not a sport I knew much about going into this episode, so it was interesting to learn little bit about foxhunting as I prepared to write this post. Happily, a traditional foxhunt is all about the chase, rather than the killing, of a fox. However, this proletariat can’t help but reflect on the implicit classism, and, in the United States, the legacy of slavery, that made this type of leisure possible for the wealthy few. For this reason, I feel very conflicted about the continued celebration of this tradition. However, I cannot deny the beauty and romance of the extended horseback sequence that opens the episode.
The Players
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, in the order we meet them:
Sawdust
Sawdust is a mild mannered old gray. I think we can safely assume he is not complicit in the unfortunate events that befall him.
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 addition to the actors playing some of the secondary characters already listed above, the following actors play supporting roles this episode, and will reappear in future episodes.
Greenville is small, rural community in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. So small, in fact, that one might wonder if the writers missed it on the map and had actually intended to create a fictional place. On the other hand, the real Greenville is a good fit for the storyline. The Langley estate is set in a rural area of Virginia. Real Greenville is also within a reasonable traveling distance of Washington, D.C., which is mentioned a few times in the episode.
When Are We?
Dear readers, it gives me so much pleasure to share with you my very specific estimated timeframe for this episode’s events:
Original Airdate
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 4th, 1984.
The Oeuvre of J.B. Fletcher
At the beginning of the episode, Jessica is acknowledged as a famous author, so we know these events take place after April 1984. Unfortunately, we are not given any additional information about her oeuvre. We can, however, begin to establish a possible timeframe of April through early November 1984.
Foxhunting in Virginia
The episode opens with a scenic and catastrophic foxhunt. Foxhunting season in Virginia can run, broadly, from September through March. This narrows our timeframe to September through early November 1984.
Foliage in Maine
Jessica tells Abby that the maples are turning in Cabot Cove. Fall foliage season in Maine is late September through late October. This narrows our timeframe further, to the limits of leaf peeping season down east.
A Full Moon
Trish’s murder is on the night of a full(ish) moon. The only full moon to coincide with Cabot Cove’s 1984 fall foliage season is on Tuesday, October 9, 1984. Since to the naked eye a moon can appear full for about three days, the window for Trish’s murder is Monday, October 8 through Wednesday, October 10, 1984.
A bad moon rising over MSW S1 E5: “It’s a Dog’s Life”
The Days of the Week
I’ll break the timeline down further in the next section, but for the purposes of assigning dates to this episode’s events, I do want to cover a few of the details here.
Jessica states that both deaths (Denton, then Trish) happen within a week.
The inquest for Trish’s murder takes place on a Friday. The Friday following the window for Trish’s murder is Friday, October 12th, 1984.
During the inquest, Jessica states that she saw Marcus Boswell’s tire tracks two days ago (Wednesday, October 10th). Jessica had occasion to observe Marcus’ tire tracks the day after Trish’s murder, which must have then taken place on the Tuesday night, or more specifically, during the very early hours of Wednesday morning.
Allowing enough days for Sawdust to be lost and found, Denton’s will to be read, and Teddy to be framed as a ferocious little dog, my best estimate for this episode’s timeframe is Saturday, October 6th through Saturday, October 13th, 1984.
The Timeline
Saturday, October 6th, 1984
Morning
A mysterious figure clad in a black jacket dopes Sawdust the horse.
Denton shows Jessica his valuable collection of paintings, including a close up of a legit (reproduction, I’m sure) painting of American Eclipse by Edward Troye. (Fair warning, I use the inclusion of this very lovely, accurate detail to justify my ire at some of the lazy, but otherwise inane, continuity errors this episode.)
Everyone easts, drinks, and makes merry at a traditional hunt breakfast. In retrospect, Marcus Boswell is conspicuously absent given his close relationship with the Langley family.
Midday
A very scenic foxhunt ends in tragedy when Denton Langley is thrown from his horse, Sawdust, after a risky jump. Cousins Abby and Jess suggest foul play to the sheriff and veterinarian.
Evening
Off camera, Sawdust is found and tested for drugs.
Sunday, October 7th, 1984
Abby and Jessica learn that Sawdust’s drug tests were negative. Jessica stops packing and offers to stay with grief-stricken Abby a little longer, until after the will is read.
Monday, October 8th, 1984
Morning
The Langley family enjoys breakfast beverages. Boswell is four minutes late to the will reading.
The assembled party enjoys the “latest in will technology.” Denton gets the last word, and his estate goes to the dog.
Later
Off camera, the remains of Monday provide the window of time Spencer Langley would need to meet with Asa Potts and plot their ruse for the next day.
Digression
I feel the need to acknowledge that Monday, October 8th, 1984 was Columbus Day, a holiday that is federally recognized in the United States, but on which most markets and businesses remain open. (Indigenous Peoples’ Day did not gain widespread recognition in the U.S. until the 1990’s.) I feel comfortable in my assumption that both the Langley family and Marcus Boswell would choose to continue with the business at hand on this day, quasi-holiday or not.
Tuesday, October 9th, 1984
Morning
Jessica phones Ethan to explain that she will further extend her time in Virginia, since Abby is still suspicious about Denton’s death. (I can just picture Ethan, a bit downcast, watering Jessica’s houseplants, waiting for her to come home.)
Jessica had originally planned to leave after the will was read, I suppose because Abby had expected to be immediately dismissed by the heir(s).
Instead, Abby decides to stick it out a little longer in the service of her new employer, Teddy. Everyone decides the best thing to do would be to go riding and hurl insults and threats at one another.
Teddy is then caught in a very compromising position in the stable, and after the vet and sheriff return to the Langley estate, he gets sent to the dog house.
Afternoon
Boswell calls Abby with the good news that Teddy has been released on his own recognizance.
After retrieving the poor little pup, Jessica and Abby visit Boswell to discuss their concerns about trumped-up lawsuits against Teddy. Morgana Cramer and her big city lawyer pass by on their way out, and then it’s down to business.
They are briefly interrupted when Boswell takes a suspicious phone call.
Wednesday, October 10th, 1984
2:00 A.M.
The aforementioned full moon illuminates the night sky. “Just like clockwork” Teddy visits Barnes in the Langley security room.
Trish’s car approaches the front gates, which are closed. The driver stumbles out of the car to use the intercom, and after Barnes presses the gate button, falls between the opening gates. Barnes leaves Teddy in the security room while he goes to assist the driver, whom he believes to be Trish, “drunk again.”
Before Barnes reaches the gates, they close, and Trish meets a gruesome end.
clockWORK
There’s a clock in the security room that reads 10:50 just before Trish’s murder, but it’s easy to miss.
However, the same clock, reading 11:45, is definitely an intentional part of the frame in this scene after the murder.
Well, I guess we’ll let Jessica have the last word about the time of the murder.
before dawn
The authorities arrive to investigate Trish’s death. The remaining members of the household gather in the main house, and are soon joined by Boswell and Tom Cassidy. Numerous clues fuel competing theories about the identity of the murderer.
After sunrise
It rains.
The distinctive shield shape on this sign indicates it is for U.S. Route 202 South, which runs from Maine to Delaware, and does not pass through Virginia.
Abby and Teddy commiserate in lock up.
Jessica and Boswell try, unsuccessfully, to convince the Sheriff of Abby’s innocence.
Digression
Initially, I thought this episode made a case against the practice of electing sheriffs, since Jessica had some choice words about this one. However, after rewatching, it’s my opinion that the Greenville Sheriff was making an honest job of it. If an animal was trained to assist with a murder, Abby is the most likely suspect. And, he’s right, Abby did have a thing for Denton, and Jessica was kin.
Later Wednesday Morning
Boswell drives Jessica back to the Langley estate, and she asks to be dropped off about 1/2 mile from the gates.
She seeks two crucial pieces of evidence; one she finds immediately, and the other she only finds after some help from that cutie-patootie, Deputy Roxie, and one of those fancy new metal detectors.
Wednesday Afternoon
Off camera, I imagine this is the time Jessica, possibly with the assistance and support of Deputy Roxie, makes her case to the coroner and becomes a friend of the court.
Thursday, October 11th, 1984
A wardrobe change indicates a new day. Echo and Jessica wish each other good morning. Jessica goes to “see a man about a dog bite.”
Jessica interrupts Pott’s morning of mountain man multitasking (chew, chainsaw, moonshine, repeat…) when she attempts to abscond with his fake bandage. Don’t worry, there will be no repercussions for any of this – guns, fraud, trespassing, who cares.
Friday, October 12th, 1984
Are you tired? I’m tired. Friday is the inquest, and Jessica, with the help of an amenable coroner, a baby-faced deputy, and Teddy’s estimable training, exposes Trish’s murderer.
At the courthouse, the flag of the State of Ohio flies?Sons of Confederate Veterans vow one day to riseA portrait of Stonewall Jackson by Currier and IvesTeddy’s clever tricks reveal a murderer in disguise
Saturday, October 13th, 1984
Cousin Abby, happy to once again be a free woman, packs it in and heads home to Kent. Still-wealthy Teddy gets his dream job, lol.
The End.
Show Your Work
Fair Play Pause Point
In the early morning hours after Trish’s murder, we get to watch Jessica piece it all together. However, she does not feel she has conclusive proof of the murderer’s identity until later that day, after Boswell drops her a short distance from the Langley estate.
This episode gives us more than fair play, we the audience have all the information that Jessica does, plus one more important clue. It’s more than enough to solve the puzzle at the same point as Jessica, even if the murderer seems to have made some confounding choices.
Denton’s Murder
The opening scene gives us a piece of information that only the audience knows; Denton’s horse was drugged before the hunt, by a person wearing a black jacket.
The hunt party is formally dressed; all the men are wearing red jackets and all the women are wearing black ones, except Jessica, that gauche yankee.
We know that the family all hoped to benefit from Denton’s will, but we can eliminate Spencer as a suspect, because he is wearing red. Also, even though she is wearing black, we can eliminate Abby, because she has no motive to kill Denton. That leaves three possible suspects in Denton’s murder: Trish, Echo, and Morgana.
Trish’s Murder
After Trish’s murder, a number of clues are presented, including a couple of red herrings.
Teddy’s Pawprint
The forensics team lifts a pawprint from the gate button in the security room, indicating that Teddy was the last, erm, individual to use it.
Trish’s Coat
Jessica and Deputy Will Roxie discover that the lining of Trish’s new coat has been torn, indicating that it was donned in haste.
I’m going to posit that the wearer was also larger than Trish for the lining to tear like that. It’s a high quality coat, after all.
NightBird’s Call
Both Morgana and Barnes heard bird calls at the time of the murder.
Boswell’s Trousers
Boswell has a distinctive grease mark on his trousers. His explanation is a little bit fishy.
BoSwell’s Flat
When Jessica notices the stain on Boswell’s trousers, he says he had a flat tire on the way to the estate, and had stopped to change it about 1/2 a mile from the gate, for about 20 minutes.
Abby and Boswell agree that this means that the murderer could not have left the Langley estate without being seen by him, and therefore must be a member of the household.
Maybe it’s because it’s the middle of the night and everyone is shocked and exhausted, but this is completely illogical and/or incriminating on its face. It implies that there could have been no time between the 2 a.m. murder and Boswell’s drive to the Langley estate. But there must have been, because Boswell would have received notification of the accident via a 1984 landline telephone from Barnes, the police, or the family at least several minutes afterwards. Alternatively, he could have also been listening to his CB radio all night, like Tom Cassidy, but again, time enough at least for Barnes to alert the police would have elapsed. Further, the police were already onsite and investigating when Boswell arrived, making whatever he claimed to see or not see while changing his tire moot.
Morgana’s Vision
After learning about the pawprint on the gate button, the torn coat, and the bird call at the time of the murder, Jessica can provide a logical explanation for what Morgana saw from her window.
Abby’s Whistle
The police find Abby’s dog whistle near the gate. We never find out if this was an intentional misdirection from the murderer, or just a unfortunate coincidence. Probably the latter, since we later learn the murderer was trying to implicate Spencer, not Abby.
Boswell’s Treads
We’ve got some dirt on Boswell now. His tire treads seem to be evenly worn, indicating that his spare tire story is, well, flat.
The Bicycle Clip
At the inquest, Jessica confirms that a bicycle clip was found about 1/2 mile from the gates. Her theory is that the murderer fled the scene on foot and retrieved a bicycle hidden about 1/2 mile down the road, misplacing a bicycle clip at that point.
But why there? Jessica knows Boswell’s story about a flat tire is bogus, but believes the 1/2 mile distance holds some significance. Why? Perhaps, because Boswell’s flat tire story was off the cuff, it might contain some half truths? Unfortunately, her reason for linking the location of the fake flat to the location of the bicycle clip is never explained, and it’s a weak point.
J’accuse!
No one walks around in greasy trousers in front of Jessica and gets away with it. It was Boswell, because concocting this Rube-Goldberg-meets-Dr. Doolittle scheme was the only way to keep charging legal fees to the Langley estate.
Thanks, I hate it.
The writers chose a patently absurd premise – what if the dog did it? – and instead of making it perform clever tricks to delight us, just let it chew the upholstery and make a mess on the carpet.
There were so many simpler, equally effective ways to bump off that notorious drinker, Trish. A few stiff drinks and a blow to the head would have been perfectly sufficient to suggest a drunken accident. There was no need to gild the lily by elaborately beheading her in front of poor Barnes.
Our in-episode subject matter expert, Abby, says “endless repetition” is required to train a dog to perform tricks like pushing a specific button, or scratching at a specific door at 2 a.m. every night. This would have meant that Boswell spent hours and hours alone with Teddy at the Langley estate, long before either murder, without raising suspicions. Jessica simply says Boswell “had access” to Teddy, and that’s supposed to be a satisfactory explanation.
Framing Teddy to incriminate Spencer is an utterly unnecessary ploy to keep the legal fees flowing. As we saw during the episode’s rising action, Boswell could have relied on Spencer’s shady attempts on Teddy and Morgana’s more civilized lawsuits to provide continual reasons to draw money from the estate. Adding a murder on top would only invite unwanted scrutiny.
This could have been a very diverting episode, if the writers had given us a solution in which it was truly required, or, at least, convenient, for the murderer to use a trained dog. Instead, we are asked to believe that a seemingly intelligent, reasonable man decided that the best course of action was to commit a murder that was unnecessarily complicated, required a literally incredible amount of preparation, and was, at best, tangential to his interests.
Episode Rating
I give “It’s a Dog’s Life” two stars. A very strong cast is unfortunately let down by a weak story.
Bonus Features
Do Crimes.
If this kind of thing interests you, check out my MSW statistical analysis. Also, fun note, this episode, Trish Langley becomes the first character of the series to become both a murderer and a murder victim. Congrats, Trish!
What if Cousin Jess is really a serial killer? Pretty easy this time. She borrowed a black jacket from any one of the ladies at the hunt to dope Sawdust incognito. Jessica was also the mysterious figure at the gate the night Trish was murdered. She pinned it on Boswell by planting a bicycle clip. He really did have a flat that night, and his spare really did have a very worn tread, just like he claimed at the inquest. As for no one passing by for the 20 minutes he spent changing his tire, the police arrived before him, and Killer Jessica never left the estate.
Tropes, Devices, and Other Conventions
Mystery Tropes
Costume
My standard for this trope is that one or more costumes are used to obfuscate the identity of the murderer and/or the victim. So, this episode does technically use the costume trope when Boswell disguises himself with Trish’s coat. However, it just doesn’t have the same delightful bouquet of foreshadowing that a costume party or a stage performance would.
Despicable Victim
As I stated earlier, Denton Langley is the gold standard traditional wealthy patriarch cozy murder victim. However, some patriarchs are more sympathetic than others. Denton is tough to warm to; he seems to revel in being thought of as an old lech, and his last words to his children are just piss and vinegar.
Oddly located corpse
Both bodies conform to this cozy mystery trope; as intended, the novelty of the murder methods keeps the mood light.
Suspicious Phone Call
There are three on-screen phone calls this episode, but only one is suspicious. Why? What makes a murder mystery phone call suspicious? What makes one innocent?
Phone Call 1: Jessica and Ethan
Jessica calls Ethan to explain why she will be delaying her return home. This phone call is innocent because it’s intended to be expository, and because we know and trust the character on the other end of the line, even if we can’t see or hear him.
Phone Call 2: Abby and Boswell
Abby and Boswell discuss Teddy over the phone. This call is innocent because nothing is hidden; we see and hear both sides of the conversation. Also, note the open body language presented by both characters.
Phone Call 3: Boswell and Jim Boy
Boswell’s phone call with his broker is suspicious because we hear only his side of the conversation. Boswell seems to own up to an uncomfortable truth: financial losses from a bad investment. However, his side eye and closed body language indicate that he’s hiding something.
Plot Devices
flashback
We get a wavy flashback scene that explains Morgana’s perspective on Trish’s murder. It’s a little special because it waves out on Jessica and waves back in on Morgana.
MSW Tropes
Infinite Jest
One of the most endearing qualities of MSW is that, quite often, something laughably absurd happens as a plot device. When it succeeds, it adds levity that keeps the murder mystery from getting too dark. When it fails, as it unfortunately does this episode, it undermines the logic that’s needed to provide a satisfying solution.
As discussed earlier, a premise that is patently ridiculous, like “the dog did it!” requires a clear, concise case for why it was the best choice, or at least one among equally reasonable choices, for the murderer. Otherwise, the solution is just silly, and a big let down for the audience.
Nay, Tarry
Jessica extends her visit with Abby twice in order to unravel this episode’s strange events. Our lady is typically waylaid by a wrongful arrest; in an unusual sequence of events, Abby is not wrongfully arrested until after Jessica decides to remain longer in Greenville.
Smile and Smile
In the wake of two violent deaths, the surviving characters manage to have a final laugh about Teddy’s future prospects.
Le Mot Juste
This episode, Cousin Abby gets the best line: “Around here, some of the real beasts walk on two legs.”
What She Wore
This episode wasn’t a sartorial standout for me, but there were a couple of scarf variations to add to the collection, and I enjoyed the formal riding attire.
Best look goes to Morgana at the inquest. I love the beret.
Honorable mention goes to the well-coiffed Echo. As Jackie Kennedy said, “Pearls are always appropriate.”
Least Best Look
It’s a tie! Pun intended!
Interior Motives
Speaking of ties, Abby and Boswell are neck and neck in a competition to see who can collect the most house plants:
The Rest of the Story
After the inquest, the remaining members of the Langley family depart Greenville. Spencer resumes his work as a D.C. lobbyist. Morgana and Echo return to London, where Professor Cramer, husband to Morgana and father to Echo, recently accepted a prestigious fellowship in classic Greek literature.
Hm, what’s that? You had assumed that Morgana was divorced, widowed, or otherwise unhappily separated from her husband? Me, too. It turns out, the mild mannered Professor was just far too gentle a soul to endure much time in the company of his overbearing in-laws, so he stayed behind when Morgana and Echo traveled stateside for Denton’s birthday.
Once the Cramer family is happily reunited, Morgana, an accomplished neolithic anthropologist, returns to her work researching standing stones. Being able to throw herself back into work that is both intrinsically rewarding and closely aligned with her spiritual beliefs helps Morgana through her grieving process.
Like her mother, Echo feels unmoored and grief stricken after the Langley family tragedies. She rejoins the London music scene, and spends the next several months reflecting on her experiences and working on her music. During this period she also reconnects with an old flame, and unknowingly inspires his band’s next hit.
Extra Credit
Book Recommendation
For a more deftly handled “the dog did it” premise, I recommend Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie.
Film Reference
There is an in-episode reference to a Stephen King movie about a possessed dog. That movie is 1983’s Cujo, and it is a movie that exists and can be watched. Personally, I think there are better Stephen King movies out there. If Cujo you must have, read the 1981 novel instead.
The MSWSW It’s a Dog’s Life Playlist
For music lovers, this episode inspired the following playlist:
“King of the Road” by Roger Miller
“Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways
“Georgy Girl” by The Seekers
“Bring on the Dancing Horses” by Echo and the Bunnymen
Hello, and welcome to this installment of MSWSW. What follows is a detailed, somewhat meandering look at “Hooray for Homicide.” There will be spoilers. I recommend watching the entire episode first, possibly with a light beverage and nosh, before proceeding.
Hooray?
This episode appears to have everything one could want in a great episode of MSW: a glamorous locale, plenty of camp, the oeuvre of J.B. Fletcher… and yet, perhaps much like Tinseltown itself, the allure quickly fades.
Well, we’re here, so let’s do this thing.
Lights, Camera….
Oh no! The Corpse Danced at Midnight is being turned into a cheap horror flick with pearl-clutching amounts of sex and gore! Jessica flies to LA, determined to defend the integrity of her work.
This is another episode that seems to be completely free of clues as to what time of year it is, especially since it’s warm and sunny year-round in southern California. However, we know the events of this episode take place after Jessica’s “Birds of a Feather” trip to San Francisco, because at that time, the Corpse movie deal was still intact. The initial air date of this episode was October 28, 1984, so I place these events in late October 1984.
Ethan makes a brief, but notable, appearance in the opening scene, set in Cabot Cove. He is the first gentleman, but not the last, to try to tackle Jessica’s plumbing. Freud did say “Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.” But that’s not the case here, friends.
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, one supporting character, Marty Strindberg, is played by an actor who we’ll see again in a future MSW, Lyle Waggoner.
The Timeline
Day 0
At home in Cabot Cove, Jessica sees a television interview with Jerry Lydecker about the slasher film he’s producing, J.B. Fletcher’s The Corpse Danced at Midnight. Oh, the horror!
Jessica and Ethan, astonished and agape.
Day 1
Morning
Jessica flies out to Hollywood and meets with her attorney, Marty Strindberg. He can’t, or won’t, intervene in the Corpse project, and instead suggests that Jessica should go:
Visit Disneyland!
See Farmers’ Market!
Take a Hollywood Tour!
Jump in La Brea Tar Pits! (I jest.)
But she’s a woman on a mission, so Jessica crashes the studio gates with the aid of the film’s costume designer, the glamorous Marta Quintessa.
Meanwhile, in her trailer, Eve is confronted by Jerry about his suspicions that there’s another man.
On the way to the set, Jerry and Allan argue about financial matters. Marta, Allan, and Jessica all lament the quality of the screenplay. Jerry and Marta discuss costume challenges.
Ross, Eve, and Scott meet on set to shoot the “nude scene.” Jessica is discomposed.
Eve and Scott in the first bathrobes of the episode.
Just after Lunch
Jerry and Jessica face off. Jerry stands his ground, and our lady says, “Just because the Almighty gave people a taste for lobsters doesn’t mean that He gave lobsters a taste for being boiled alive.” I think this line is a little too over the top to include in my Le Mot Juste, but it recalls David Foster Wallace’s excellent essay Consider the Lobster, which I highly recommend.
Made-for-TV artwork is usually a little underwhelming, but I love this fake movie poster.
Later that Afternoon
Norman, a junior attorney from Carr, Strindberg and Roth, brings the Corpse contract to Jessica’s hotel suite. Legal eagle-eyed Jessica discovers that she is in the wrong and resolves to see Jerry to make amends.
Jessica increases this episode’s robe count to three.
Off camera, Jerry views rushes in the screening room, and then goes to the set.
After pressing his secretary, Ms. Finch, Jessica follows Jerry to the set to apologize. Instead, she finds his real body in his fake cemetery. Plus, a gold button! It’s a clue!
After being aided/detained by security, Jessica meets Lieutenant Hernandez. He’s a big fan of J.B. Fletcher, and we learn that the “B” is for Beatrice.
Ross and Marta arrive and voice their weak alibis and some even weaker lines. Jessica is sent to Jerry’s beach house to break the news to Eve.
Cocktail Hour
At the beach house, Eve offers Jessica some scotch and (diet) soda.
Here, the viewer might pause to contemplate the difference between purposeful bad acting and unintentional bad acting, and whether we should evaluate a play within a play by the same standards as the play itself. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
Jessica and Eve decide a cold shower plus a cup of tea is a recipe for sobriety, and then they have an important chat.
The episode’s fourth bathrobe. This one is monogrammed with Jerry’s initials, which is a nice detail.
Night
Jessica returns to her hotel with Lt. Hernandez, who tells her she can’t fly home yet, because she’s a suspect.
Day 2
On the way to the set with Jessica, Allan explains how he, Ross, Marta, et al stand to benefit from Jerry’s death.
On set, we finally get to see Jerry’s vision for the film, and there’s a lot of… choices.
In another tête-à-tête with Jessica, Marta divulges the nature of her past relationship with Jerry, and alludes to a possible allergy or medical condition that Eve has when she drinks alcohol.
Lt. Hernandez halts production to publicly arrest Jessica as prime suspect. Back at the precinct, instead of booking her, he leans on Jessica to solve the case for him.
Day 3
Morning
I deduce it’s morning, as Jessica’s wearing another bathrobe. Does she travel with multiple robes? Is one of them the hotel’s robe? I need to know why there’s more than one. Also, I’ll note that Jessica does all her robe wearing with Norman. However, Jessica and younger men is a subject for a later episode.
Jessica in this episode’s fifth and final robe
Norman agrees to help Jessica solve the murder. This includes researching the other four suspects and calling in a favor at the studio.
Midday
Since she’s been banned from the set, Jessica returns to the studio undercover as a tourist.
Trespassing! Again!
She completes a studio tour of her own design:
View Jerry’s rushes!
Annoy Scott!
Chat with the costume mistress!
Search Eve’s trailer!
Egads, it’s Ross! And he has the gold button! It’s a clue!
Due to an irksome plot hole, Hernandez is immediately, inexplicably on the spot to arrest Ross. As they watch the paddy wagon pull away, Norman provides Jessica with the final clues to the mystery:
Ross is financially embarrassed.
Allan is struggling to stay sober.
Eve takes oral medication for diabetes mellitus.
Marta once threatened to turn Jerry into shish kebob for cheating on her.
Cocktail Hour
It’s a party at Jerry’s beach house and Jessica, Marta, Allan, Scott, and Eve are there. Norman is not in attendance; I imagine he’s having a long overdue dinner at his uncle’s house.
The champagne and diet soda flow. After Jessica’s toast to the wrongfully accused Ross, each party goer takes their leave, until only the murderer remains.
Show Your Work
Fair Play Pause Point
Once Norman gives Jessica his report on all the other suspects, she has enough information to know who the killer is, and so do we.
Suspects
All the main characters should be considered as potential suspects, the one exception being Ethan, who only makes a brief appearance in the opening scene set in Cabot Cove. The rest, in order of appearance:
Jessica Fletcher
Jerry Lydecker
Marta Quintessa
Eve Crystal
Allan Gebhart
Ross Haley
Scott Bennet
Norman Lester
Lt. Mike Hernandez
Motive
Five suspects have motives to kill Jerry:
Jessica despised his adaptation of her novel
Marta was a bitter and jealous ex
Eve was seeing another man
Allan was shortchanged on his screenplay
Ross wanted credit as the producer to revive his career
As for the rest of the main characters:
Jerry was not suicidal, nor could he have self-inflicted the lethal blow
Scott didn’t like Jerry, but as far as he knew, did not stand to gain by Jerry’s death
Norman and Lt. Hernandez have no motive because they had no relationship with Jerry
I’m on the fence about whether Scott had a motive. Neither Jessica nor Lt. Hernandez consider him a serious suspect, but he didn’t like Jerry and was interested in Eve, which seems to me very nearly as much motive as Marta had.
Means and Opportunity
In this case, means and opportunity are inseparable. All five main suspects had access to the set where Jerry was killed, and the weapon was a prop urn on that set. None of the suspects have a particularly strong alibi for the time of the murder. Eve was alone, as was Jessica. Ross and Marta left separately from the costume department during the time of the murder, so they were alone, as well. No alibi is given for Allan. Or Scott, if you care to include him.
Clues!
Solving the murder comes down to a couple of clues that are presented to us during the scene in which Ross is arrested.
The Gold Button
The gold button, first glimpsed beside Jerry’s body when Jessica discovers the murder, is missing for most of the episode. When the button is found in Ross’s possession, Jessica suggests to Lt. Hernandez that it belonged to a costume. The only costume of import throughout the episode is Eve’s original majorette costume. Eve didn’t like it, and Jerry wanted Marta to redesign it. It’s also missing from the costume department.
The gold button beside the body indicates that the majorette costume was present at the time of the murder. Of the five suspects with motives, only Marta, the costume designer, Eve, the costume wearer, and Ross, the director, would have had reason to interact with Jerry in the vicinity of the majorette costume. Neither Allan nor Jessica (nor Scott) were concerned with the majorette costume. Additionally, that Ross is found in possession of the gold button means that he was at the murder scene before the police arrived, and that he understood the significance of the button as evidence.
Eve’s Medication
At Jessica’s request, Norman confirms that Eve takes oral medication for diabetes. If you’re fuzzy or even completely ignorant about the different kinds of medication available for diabetes, don’t worry, so am I. We can still sort this out, because we know Jessica would not have asked Norman for this information unless it potentially pertained to the murder.
We can tie it back to Marta’s remark about Eve’s reaction to vodka, which, in addition to the scotch and diet soda at the beach house, really should have been plenty for us to question Eve’s “I’m drunk” alibi for the murder.
J’accuse!
This was another fair play episode, there was plenty of evidence that Eve was lying about her alibi. The gold button was relevant, but also injected just enough chaos and uncertainty to keep the plot moving.
This was another early episode where the final scene felt a little clunky. All the remaining suspects are called together, but instead of a Hercule Poiret-style dramatic denouement including the entire group, each character leaves one at a time, and just like a party breaking up, the final scene loses all its steam. You can kind of see how the later episodes fell into the classic MSW end scene where Jessica confronts the killer alone, often at the risk of some sort of threat or violence. It becomes a cliché, but at least it’s a reliable way of sustaining tension and energy until the conclusion.
Episode Rating
I give this episode two stars. It had potential, and I loved the campy b-movie premise, but the cast was undermined by too many terrible lines, and the ending did not work for me.
Bonus Features
Do crimes.
Murder!
Culprit: Eve Crystal
Motive: Fear, to protect Scott’s career
Weapon: Blunt object (urn)
Before Our Eyes: Murder portrayed on screen in flashback
Crime Scene: Real body in a fake cemetery
Discovery: 15:38, about 32% through
Other Crimes!
Removing evidence from the scene of a crime: Ross Haley, for playing who’s got the button
Trespass: Jessica, for sneaking back onto the studio after being banned
Felonious assault: Ross again, for knocking down Jessica during a hasty escape
This is an easy one. This is the first time in the series that law enforcement considers Jessica a suspect, and for good reason. I award a gold button star to this episode for how deftly Jessica is framed, and how concisely Lt. Hernandez and Ms. Finch make a case against her. If Jessica’s the killer, it went down just the way they said.
Tropes, Devices, and Other Conventions
Mystery Tropes
Despicable Victim
As often happens, this episode’s victim is so dastardly that almost everyone has a reason to kill him.
Love Triangle
This is the series’ first, but not last, love triangle that includes the murderer and the victim.
Oddly Located Corpse
Jessica finds a real body in a fake cemetery, which is clever. Incidentally, it is the first time in the series that Jessica discovers the body.
Plot Devices
Flashback
We see a flashback during Eve’s confession, and it’s the first time in the series that the murder is portrayed on screen.
Wham.
MSW Tropes
Nay, Tarry
This time, Jessica has to miss her flight home because she’s the prime suspect.
Confess Thyself
Jessica uses her superlative powers of persuasion to convince the killer to confess.
Law Enforcement
Lt. Mike Hernandez is the first law enforcement officer who is an unabashed fan of J.B. Fletcher, but he won’t be the last.
Le Mot Juste
This episode is riddled with terrible lines. So many, I should have called this section Le Mot Injuste. Here are the top three stinkers:
Second runner up, Allan: “Just remember, the picture’s not over until the credits roll.”
First runner up, Ross: “Will the suspects please form a double line?”
Worst line of the episode, Marta: “Should someone tell our star that her star-maker has gone to his maker?” Ugh.
To her credit, my favorite line this episode is also from Marta, regarding the majorette costume: “Darling, if I cut it any higher, there will be nothing left but a belt.”
Family Matters: A Tiny Plot Hole
Since the events of this episode come seemingly on the heels of Vicky and Howard’s wedding and their new start in Hollywood, why didn’t Jessica visit them while she was in LA?
What She Wore
Jessica’s Best Look
My favorite look from Jessica this episode is the blue striped blouse and white straight skirt she’s wearing when she finds the body. It’s so timeless it could be worn today, maybe with an updated belt and shoes. Plus, it could look great on a woman of any age.
Jerry’s not looking too good, but Jessica looks fantastic.
Best Look
My favorite look this episode is Eve’s beach house casual. It’s colorful, but well composed. It looks like it belongs in an 80’s Esprit ad. It also looks super comfy.
At least one of these three women is a murderer.
Least Best Look
This is the second episode in a row I’ve had to come down hard on a jumpsuit.
“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” – Coco Chanel
The Rest of the Story
The world of MSW is one in which Eve Crystal is a very good, perhaps excellent, actor. She was able to deceive Jessica the day of the murder. It follows, then, that she was also able to deceive Jessica when she seemingly confessed all and agreed to turn herself in to the police.
While the facts of the case were undeniable, Eve, with the help of the best criminal defense team her studio could buy, was able to convince judge and jury that she acted in self-defense. Only Ross Haley, the lone eye witness to the murder, knew the truth, and it was in his personal and professional best interest to keep quiet.
In addition to the best legal defense, Eve’s studio also invested in a stellar PR campaign. Consequently, the publicity of her trial and acquittal actually boosted Eve’s career. She went on to become a solid B-list actress, and, for a time in the late 80’s, a household name. Whenever possible, she worked on Ross’s projects, helping him to quietly rebuild his career as a respected director and producer. Though they worked closely together for many years, they never, ever discussed the circumstances of Jerry’s death.
Eve purchased Jerry’s beach house from his estate. She led a solitary life there until her death thirty years later.
Extra Credit
Looking for some more movie magic, plus a little murder? Here are my recommendations:
Thriller: Jerry Lydecker’s film adaptation of The Corpse Danced at Midnight is described as a combination of Halloween, Porky’s, and Flashdance, but it resembles to me nothing so much as a budget derivative of Michael Jackson’s iconic music video.
Hollywood Hotel: This classic film originated the song “Hooray for Hollywood,” the inspiration for the name of this episode.
“Requiem for a Falling Star:” An excellent episode of Columbo that features some of the same Universal Studios sites as this episode, plus a cameo by Edith Head!
The King of Clubs: In the David Suchet adaptation of this Agatha Christie mystery, an actor is suspected of murdering her rapacious film producer.
Murder, She Wrote, She Wrote 