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

Founder’s Day Clambake and Picnic

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