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!

Birds of a Feather

Fair Warning

What follows is a detailed discussion of Murder She Wrote S1 E3, “Birds of a Feather.” The plot will be spoiled, and the tea will be spilled. I recommend you watch the episode before reading further, and maybe make it dinner theater.

A Feathery Farce

MSW S1 E3 “Birds of a Feather” was inspired by the 1978 film La Cage aux Folles, which was also released as Birds of a Feather. Like the film, this episode concerns a drag club, although no one in 1984 San Francisco seems to know the colloquial term for “female impersonation.” More on that later. MSW’s “Birds” combines romantic farce and murder mystery. Will it lay an egg?

Deadly Lady

A stormy Shakespearean tragedy blows through Cabot Cove.

Fair Warning

This episode guide is a deep dive into the details of Murder She Wrote S1 E2, “Deadly Lady.” There will be spoilers. There will be what passes for comparative literature here at MSWSW. I recommend you grab a bite and watch the episode before continuing.

“Rage, Blow, You Cataracts and Hurricanoes”

Welcome to the first Cabot Cove episode of MSW! It opens dramatically, on a dark and stormy night. The MSW writers are still fresh and full of ambition. After taking on Sir Conan Doyle in the series premiere, they move right on to Shakespeare in the second episode. “Deadly Lady” doesn’t quite merit being called a modern retelling of King Lear; it’s a very standard MSW episode with a heaping measure of Lear flavor in the mix. The very first notable Lear element is the hurricane, which Ethan calls a “deadly lady.”