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MURDER, SHE WROTE: MENACE, ANYONE? (TV)

Summary

One in this murder mystery series about an unassuming Maine mystery writer turned sleuth named Jessica B. Fletcher who uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases. In this episode, Jessica acts as the honorary chairperson at a tennis match, then chatting with former student Carol McDermott and meeting her fiancé, star player Brian West. Brian tells her that Sissy Barnes intends to drop out of the tournament because of an injury, though Carol quickly learns that she is fleecing their boss, Elliot, for yet another raise. Carol tries to put a stop to it, but Elliot caves and offers her more money, and her daughter Doris notes that she is trouble, saying she is not jealous of losing Brian to her but instead wants her job. On the court, Brian beats the irascible Donny Harrigan, and Donny's manager Mitch scolds Carol for intervening in his argument with the judge. Carol informs Jessica that Mitch was also Brian's manager until he was caught stealing. At a party that night, Jessica observes a picture of Elliot with his family, with Carol and her sister Barbara in the background. Sissy declares that she is leaving the team and Carol angrily reminds her of her contract, which Brian offers to go fetch. He takes Carol's car and is killed in an explosion when he starts it, much to Carol's distress. Detective Travis questions Donny and Mitch, though Jessica points out that Brian was clearly not the intended target. She takes a traumatized Carol home and offers to call her sister to stay with her, but Carol declines, though adding that Barbara has recently "come back."

Elliot dedicates the remaining games to Brian and Carol returns to work, and Jessica learns that Doris and Brian were "almost engaged" before Carol's arrival. She is then stunned to hear from Elliot that Barbara was involved with drugs and was killed in a plane crash a few years previously. Carol denies it, and Jessica gets the details from Travis, then traveling to the cemetery and viewing her unmarked grave. Travis then goes to Carol's home alone and is stabbed by someone, and when Jessica arrives, she finds Carol in a state of panic, stating that Barbara killed him. She is taken to the hospital and sedated, and Sergeant Berger laments Travis' actions, wondering why he went to Carol's home alone. At the tennis court, Donny takes Brian's place and Doris fills in for Carol, telling Jessica about how she recently overheard a fight between Carol and Barbara, though she only saw Barbara from behind, and noting the similarity in their voices. Elliot rearranges a trophy case and explains that Carol cared for the "very sick" Barbara, frequently visiting her when she was sent to a psychiatric hospital. When Jessica investigates, however, she learns that Carol, not Barbara, was the patient. She is then further surprised when Berger introduces Barbara, who is alive and well and explains that she was robbed by a hitchhiker, who then died in the crash while carrying her ID and allowed her to "start over." She says that she is "straightening out" and tried to reconnect with Carol, but Carol seemed unreceptive. They then learn that Barbara has escaped the hospital and find her home trashed, and Berger guesses that she has finally "snapped."

Jessica is suspicious when dynamite is found unhidden in the home, and she goes to find Elliot, stating that Doris lied about meeting Barbara, as evidenced by the photograph. She guesses that Doris lied about overhearing the "fight," trying to make Jessica think that Carol was arguing with her Barbara "persona," and that Elliot himself planted the dynamite and other evidence to help Doris by convincing everyone that Carol was insane. She finds a drugged Carol in the office and calls for an ambulance, and Elliot finally confesses that Doris attempted to kill Carol in a jealous rage over Brian and then stabbed Travis when he arrived at her home to prevent his unearthing the truth, then trying to pin all of the blame on Carol, who mistook Doris for Barbara in a panic. Jessica visits Carol and comforts her, telling her that her sister is interested in repairing their relationship for good. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: April 6, 1986 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:33888
  • GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1984-1996
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Promos - "CBS Morning News"
    • TV - Promos - "Nobody's Child"

CREDITS

  • Peter S. Fischer … Executive Producer, Created by
  • Robert F. O'Neill … Producer
  • Richard Levinson … Created by
  • William Link … Created by
  • Arthur Allan Seidelman … Director
  • Robert B. Sherman … Writer
  • David Bell … Music by
  • John Addison … Theme Music by
  • Angela Lansbury … Cast, Jessica Fletcher
  • Dennis Cole … Cast, Mitch Mercer
  • Bryan Cranston … Cast, Brian East
  • Karlene Crockett … Cast, Barbara McDermott
  • Linda Hamilton … Cast, Carol McDermott
  • Van Johnson … Cast, Elliot Robinson
  • Kelli Maroney … Cast, Cissy Barnes
  • Doug McKeon … Cast, Donny Harrigan
  • Barry Primus … Cast, Det. Sgt. Len Berger
  • Betsy Russell … Cast, Doris Robinson
  • David Spielberg … Cast, Det. Lt. Tad Travis
  • Kerry Sherman … Cast, Rosie
  • Harold Ayer … Cast, Sexton
  • Laurence Haddon … Cast, Judge
  • Gus Corrado … Cast, Paramedic
  • Rod Porter … Cast, Reporter #2
  • Helen Baron … Cast, Reporter #1
  • Richard Jacobson … Cast, Patrolman