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Yeehaw, folks! TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we're heading to the ro-DE-o!  SHOWDOWN IN SASKATCHEWAN has our heroine Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) visiting her miserable niece Jill (Kristy McNichol) in Canada; Jill is struggling with her hot but noncommittal horse-rider boyfriend (Patrick Houser) in this unconventional workplace drama.  Indeed, everyone is having issues; the boss (Joe Dorsey) is a skeeve, his mistreated wife (Rosanna DeSot) keeps a stiff upper lip and shawl ready at all times, one rider (Larry Wilcox) is getting aged out of play, and something's awfully curious about that broken-legged manager (Paul Le Mat).  The only one who seems at all happy is the rodeo clown (Terry Kiser), but does greasepaint cover the tears? When a trailer fire takes someone out, Jessica is nearby to suss out who had the most to gain, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Roger McCabe (Lance LeGault) gives her a chance to solve the mystery alongside him.  Those Canadians are never giving up the gracious allegations.  We learn the dysfunction runs deep in the rodeo company, with emerging evidence of assumed identities, mismanaged medical records, and secret wives and children — all set to the memorable score of 90s meat propaganda. Viktor and Petra are here to keep things straight in this topsy-turvy episode that makes us all a bit hungry.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, you will never look at frozen seafood the same way again.  Touted as JUST ANOTHER FISH STORY, the episode features marine life as weaponry, stolen goods unaccounted for, investor subterfuge, journalistic conflict of interest, and Mr. Sonny Bono! Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is back in New York, learning her nephew Grady (Michael Horton) has gone the urban cowboy route, accounting for the latest in trendy country western chic dining house, Alice's Farm.  Oh, and he's engaged! We meet the sweet and nervous Donna (Debbie Zipp), who seems to have an awful lot on her mind.  The restaurant seems to have plenty going on as well, with the staff unable to keep up with the clientele; some of the caviar and lobster tails have gone missing, and Alice (Valerie Landsburg) and her brother Doug (James Carroll Jordan) aren't happy about it.  Likely responsible is the maître d' in leather (Dick Gautier), who ends up dead early enough during Jessica's visit to ensure her involvement in the case. None too thrilled to have her poking her nose into things is detective-of-the-week Norman Fell, who makes things difficult for Jess and the happy young couple who just want to leave. The cop declares an accounting emergency, forcing them to stay and further learn about how the other handles stress (see: not well, frankly).  Also in for the ride is the divine Brenda Vaccaro, who chews the scenery up like a pro as an opportunistic columnist, Mimi Harcourt, more interested in the murder than the munchies.  A rival restaurateur (Sonny Bono) further spoils the broth as Jessica explores the cutthroat (so to speak) industry of high-end, contemporary New York City cuisine.  Might we suggest a wine?

BENEDICT ARNOLD MAY HAVE SLIPPED HERE, but you almost definitely kept looking for the light switch, sought the perfect chessboard, burnt the beans, and made up stories about whose brooch belongs to whom.  Because that's all gonna happen, TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE! Petra and Viktor are back in Cabot Cove for the final ride of Tom Bosley's Sheriff Tupper!  As Mr. Bosley's chapter comes to a close, he is incensed by an Englishman (Brian Bedford) coming to town to explore a house's connection to (in)famed American traitor Benedict Arnold.  The visit coincides with the death of the elderly homeowner, for whose will Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is thrust into executing, while the opportunist local antique store owner (Dick O'Neill), the cranky housekeeper (Barbara Cason), the hippie heir (Lois Foraker), and the slutty realtor (Julie Adams) fuss and squabble.   It becomes increasingly curious what in the house is valuable, and it might all have to do with the ugly artwork on the wall. Grab a mirror, because clues are comin' fast... and backward.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) has her chance to meddle with an Italian family.  The elderly Gambini patriarch (Eli Wallach) is worried about his legacy, as his son (John Saxon) and his wife (Bibi Besch) can't inspire their children to give much a damn about the family business: wine and lots of it!  When a murder attempt is presumably made against one of the youths (Billy Zane!), the family further worries it’s a hostile takeover. Jessica, along for the ride, is quick to investigate alongside cop of the week (Arlen Dean Snyder) to determine who's next! Meanwhile, the Italians Italian, the wine flows, and the sexually liberated daughter (Kristian Alfonso) further complicates matters with a stranger (Grant Goodeve) who does all but impress Jessica with his literary knowledge.  It's A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR MURDER, and Petra and Viktor are ready to, “Saluti!”

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Petra and Viktor head to a house of spies with Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). Jessica hears the confession of a dying assassin. Naturally, she makes it her business to investigate, much to the chagrin of the local authorities (Laurence Luckinbill) and the covert special agency that houses a high-risk informant.  Inundated with deception, denial, and efforts to thwart her discovery, she is soon snatched by Internal Affairs (Cliff de Young masquerading as a priest, no less) to go on assignment for them.  It all seems like a PR nightmare. MURDER THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS gives us intrigue, fabulous belts, and lipstick that isn't actually lipstick.  Mark Shera, Robert Reed, Karen Valentine, and Gregory Sierra all commit to the bit, giving Jessica considerable headaches trying to keep up with their shenanigans, all centered around a tastefully decorated estate.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Petra and Viktor explore the Southern Gothic charm of MOURNING AMONG THE WISTERIAS.  Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is visiting her ailing playwright friend Eugene McClenden (Barry Nelson), who seems to be getting progressively sicker as his next drama drones on in production.  He is surrounded by family (his heir and nephew, Matt McCoy, and his wife, Linda Purl), and business associates (solicitor Elliott Reed, producer Frank Gorshin, and frequent leading lady Lois Nettleton). When one of them ends up dead, Eugene is the prime suspect. After all, he is holding the smoking gun.  Homicide Captain Rene Auberjonois is on the case to determine who did it, if not Eugene, as it turns out: that wasn't the gun that committed the murder!  The air is hazy, the sweet tea is poured, and the ant poison is just in reach. Come sit a spell!

If you've ever said to yourself, "This northeastern family drama does not have enough cursed gemstone jewelry," this episode is for you.  TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) and pal Seth (William Windom) are in Maryland to visit his estranged brother Richard (Richard Bradford), newly married to sweet but milquetoast Alice (Jane Windsor), approximately thirty years his junior.  The family, particularly Richard's moneygrubbing kids (Douglas Barr and Jane Badler), are less than enchanted by the arrangement and are prime suspects when an attempt is made on Alice's life.  It may be as simple as familial ire. Still, a precious ruby—purported to cause misfortune to all who wear it—is thrown in the mix, casting mystical aspersions and sideways glances to the only nonwhite person in town, Mr. Singh (Kabir Bedi, playing it to the hilt).  When someone is indeed finally murdered for real this time, Jessica is on the case with puppy-eyed detective of the week Larry Lincoln, who is convinced Jessica is a secret agent.  There's a lot going on in this relatively simple story of sibling discord, jinxed corundums, exotic cigarettes, and well-timed car exhaust, and Petra and Viktor are here for it. It's THE CURSE OF DANAAV, and it's got its own theme music and everything.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, JB Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) enters SPACE... well, at least exploration via optical instruments on Earth.  It's HARBINGER OF DEATH, and the stars are aligned for the murder of sexy male secretary Drake Eaton (Steve Ford), potentially tangled up in observatory politics as per his employer: the lamé enthusiast and financially sought-after Madeline DeHaven (Marcia Rodd).  JB's niece Carrie and her comet-obsessed husband (Kate McNeil and Dean Jones) are implicated when a carelessly discarded scarf places at least one of them at the scene, and a bedroom dalliance may have been at the root of it.  Throw in a lovelorn assistant behind the eyepiece (Karen Grassle), a cranky boss (Jeffrey Tambor), and yet another skeptical but up-for-it cop (George DiCenzo), and JB has her hands full and her eye on the telescope as things start to shift into focus.

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra solve the mystery of all mysteries: WHO THREW THE BARBITALS IN MRS. FLETCHER'S CHOWDER?  Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) is surprised by his sister, Winnie (Anne Meara), after an altercation with her brutish husband, Elmo (Guy Stockwell).  He soon passes her on to Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to deal with, much to her chagrin as she's got a deadline, and soon Winnie is set up with Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) for an evening out.   When the family comes a-calling to bring her home, she is resolute in her decision to leave the abusive, pill-popping alcoholic, and so ensues a memorable dinner party—baked clams to the lobsters, tall drinks and short glasses; right down to the controlled substance in Jessica's fishy amuse bouche... that leaves someone dead.  One of the most beloved MURDER SHE WROTE episodes is indeed a trip with farce, familial dysfunction, and two side stories featuring Tupper's new deputy: the formidable Colleen Camp as Marigold Feeney; and a suspicious man in the bushes (Donnell Rhodes) who seems to be tracking Winnie.  Henry Gibson, Geoffrey Lewis, and Barbara Rhoades round out the guest stars, as Elmo's frustrating family; and indeed, we will find out, among other things, who mixed up the coriander with the depressants.

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra join mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her nephew Grady (Michael Horton) as they visit a very deluxe New York City hotel, filled with brandied chocolates, Freudian nonsense, and vases with vermouth. The Montaigne is run with an iron floral blouse by Janet Leigh's Cornelia, who never met a ruffle she didn't love.  Her recent marriage to young, unscrupulous boytoy Garrett (John Callahan), who went to school with Grady and the former cheerleader-turned-shrewd businesswoman Sandra Clemens (Jennifer Holmes), and their reunion are tested by matriarchal tension and interrupted by murder. Jessica is on the case to determine who did what to whom, why, and how to get the police inspector (Monte Markham) to actually do his job.  Grady is soon the prime suspect, and makes a series of terrible choices to further his likelihood of going to prison. Naturally, we can't let that happen.  But maybe it would teach him a few things. Charlotte Rae, as Garrett's mother, is chewing all of the scenery, as Robert Desiderio and Macon McCalman further assist and obfuscate the truth behind the murder.  We're ready for turndown service, with DOOM WITH A VIEW.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we address uncomfortable race relations in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine.  When a war bonnet'd First Nations man on horseback throws a spear at the Mayor (Richard Paul), the townspeople are irked. It turns out the theatrical equestrian is Algonquin George Longbow (Bernard White, who, uh, isn't), and he has a claim on the town, which further instigates worry, rage, and indignation. It's all a particularly complex episode, INDIAN GIVER, which features domestic violence, hate crimes, and our intrepid mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) trying to stand between the slur-spewing yahoos and an early primetime discussion of reparations.   The cast includes Theodore Bikel, Gary Lockwood, Charles Siebert, and Tom Bosley, and a lot of very very white New Englanders.  Don't hold your breath for a whole lot of "oh this aged well," but Petra and Viktor steer the way as best they can as this civil unrest leads to a particularly bold murder scene, and an awkward happy ending.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, there's TROUBLE IN EDEN—Eden naturally being a charming hotel in idyllic suburban Oregon that also happens to serve gentlemen with the companionship of ladies for a short while. Yes, this cozy mystery enters the brothel life where the lingerie is questionable, the rooms are quaintly tacky, and the floorboards contain the blackmailed secrets of powerful men!  Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is undercover as friend Mary Rose (Joan Canfield) to discover the true circumstances of the madam's sudden death and subsequent coverup.  Oh, and Mary Rose is the madam's sister and the new inheritor.  Allied with a cutie lawyer (Tom Fitzsimmons), a nervous housekeeper (Betty Garrett), and the local sheriff (Roy Thinnes) who doesn't know who she really is yet, Jessica gets immediate attention from some dangerous townspeople.  The men in town (among them: Mills Watson, Stuart Whitman, Thom Christopher, Macdonald Carey) are quick to weigh their options when it appears Mary Rose may become the new de facto extortioner.  Add in the fabulous Tricia O'Neill as Lila Benson, the front desk clerk and bawd in absentia, and you know Viktor and Petra are, appropriately, hooked.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we return to the magical backstage world of network television and all of the terrible people who make it! JB Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is famous enough to get ripped off; she learns from an intrepid novice telewriter, Gayle (Kim Miyori), that her latest novel will be used nearly plot point for plot point in an upcoming medical soap.  Instead of seeking a lawyer, or even flinching at the notion of plagiarism, she offers to help Gayle write a new plotline instead, and when that isn't good enough for the head writer of the show (Bradford Dillman), only then does she decide to make it to the set to argue her position.  When appealing to the network exec (Gail Strickland), she learns the true villain behind the schemes is Sid Sharkey (Ken Swofford), who everyone seems to detest. Unsurprisingly, the worst person we've met meets an untimely end: an indelicate bomb blast via a package in "feminine pink" wrapping paper.  Jessica and Gayle are high on the list of suspects, but so is the head writer, the exec, and the equally douchey show director (Vincent Baggetta), and even some of the cast (an exhausting Doug McClure and a delightful Lenore Kasdorf) might be in on it.  When she finds an enthusiastic ally in Sharkey's resilient secretary Freida (the fantastic Fionnula Flanagan), and a reluctant one via the police department (Yaphet Kotto!), she may finally be able to press into the true matter that led to the big boss' death. STEAL ME A STORY is a somewhat overfilled dance card of plot lines in a live-in world, so stick with Petra and Viktor as they keep up with all of these similarly profiled white men and glamorous ladies for an amusingly meta yet cynical view on the era of the late 80s primetime murder mystery drama series.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra celebrate getting to the beloved episode IF IT'S THURSDAY, IT MUST BE BEVERLY! Sex lives of the small-town Maine women over 50 are exposed when a shocking murder startles the beauty salon. It all comes down to the swingin' log of Deputy Jonathan Martin (Jonathan Lenz), who has been laying pipe all over town:  The realtor, Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), the travel agent Phyllis Grant (Gloria DeHaven), the divorcee housewife Ideal Malloy (Kathryn Grayson), the doctor's secretary Beverly (Dody Goodman), and... well, possibly more. They're all in for a shock at Loretta's (Ruth Roman) parlor when the gossip hits the fan.  Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), Sheriff Tupper (Tom Bosley), and Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) are shocked to unravel the clues to the murder of a Cabot Cove citizen, with wit, humor, drama, and some of the best supporting performances of the show thus far.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra are enjoying our jolly holiday this week in England for the first (only?) episode of the series where Jessica Fletcher doesn't appear.  Perhaps you'll be able to satiate yourself with a serving of cousin Emma MacGill (Angela Lansbury) as she explores the family dynamics of her former flame, now a lord (Richard Johnson). Everyone sucks: his sister (Rosemary Murphy) and brother (John Standing), his sister-in-law (Carolyn Seymour), and the nephews (John David Bland; Mark Lindsay Chapman). They all look down on Emma, who's here to confirm Geoffrey's suspicions that someone wants him dead.  When Geoffrey appears to be quite correct, Emma looks to the inspector (Anthony Newley) and friendly solicitor (Christopher Hewett-- Mr. Belvedere!), but must settle the score herself, as she's the suspect du jour.  Plus, Jane Leeves (FRASIER; HOT IN CLEVELAND) is nearby to give us all considerable (if common) charm.   Dirty parlor songs, curious picnic fare, and the worst place to keep your recently fired shotgun and muddy boots provide IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY a series of quaint events that, while they somewhat feel like an entirely different series, provide the cozy mystery trope to the hilt.