Mourning Among the Wisterias

Lord have mercy! Bless their hearts! As any real southerner knows, bless your heart is southern for ....a not very nice word followed by "you". I've lived in the South my entire life and this episode was appalling.

The fake southern accents were atrocious, especially Linda Purl's. The stereotypes were off the charts! And gracious me, these Savannah residents don't even have air conditioning in the 1980s!

Seriously, if Hollywood insists on setting episodes in the South then for gosh sakes hire a dialect coach or cast real southerners!

And how about a better editor or producer? Mountains are visible behind the house and there are NO mountains in Savannah or ANY coastal area on the East coast!

In this MSW story JB Fletcher is the guest of iconoclastic writer Barry Nelson a a straight Tennessee Williams wannabe. Whether he actually got that far I doubt it. But he's successful enough.

His closest surving relative is nephew Matt McCoy newly wed to social climbing Linda Purl. Nelson is in declining health so his estate disposition is a matter of big concern to friends and relatives gathered.

But it's former business manager Elliott Reid who winds up shot to death and Savannah homicide captain Rene Auberjonois is knee deep in suspects.

Angela Lansbury and Nelson indulge in a little dramatics of their own to flush out the killer.

The identity was obvious at least to me. The how was interesting though.

Eugene McClenden calls on Jessica for help, and asks her a very big question.

It's a good episode, the writing in this series has been very good on the whole, and of a consistent standard. As you watch, you're convinced you know who the intended victim is, once again, it's a less likely victim, it makes the story and outcome very interesting.

If one hand was in the cookie jar, the other was definitely on the Just for men, you have to chuckle, the men either had wigs, or either had abysmally dyed hair.

I recently watched The Police Academy films, a few familiar faces appear here.

That house is so incredibly tasteful, it's going all the way back to 1988, some of the fashions may be a little bit hideous, but the decor is really smart.

I enjoyed this one a lot, 8/10.

An excellent cast is largely wasted here as all except Rene Auberjonis and Beah Richards talk as though being Southern requires a mouth filled with mud. Auberjonis, however, suffers the indignity of playing a police detective who wears a Colonel Sanders white suit and black string tie. What police officers would dress in white suits? The playwright is a womanizing Tennessee Williams knock off - there's a concept - right down to his hypochondria and roman a clefs. The great Frank Gorshin is underutilized as a theatrical producer, while Lois Nettleton chews every piece of scenery within reach as an aging actress seeking her comeback role. (Why is she invited to the house when the playwright is adamantly opposed to casting her?) Why does the show insist on making Southerner characters drawl while Maine-based Jessica Fletcher has no trace of a New England brogue? Guess it's easier to mock Southerners.

This episode marks one of the last performances of Barry Nelson, a film and television star for fifty years.

Renown Playwright Eugene McClenden (Barry Nelson) invites fellow author Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to Thorn Creek Manor, in Savannah, Georgia, without revealing his purpose other than to read unto her his latest Play. He soon reveals a decline in his health, admonishing Jessica to maintain that his play isn't compromised.

Eugene and Jessica share common ground as successful writers, plus each rearing a nephew whose parents lost their lives in a vehicular accident. In Eugene's case, the nephew would be the carefree Todd Wendle (Matt McCoy), whom he put through school to emerge as an attorney, and now a newlywed to the social-climbing Crystal Wendle (Linda Purl).

Todd has also recently gained employment in the legal office of Attorney Jonathan Keeler (Elliott Reid), who also serves as his Uncle Eugene's business manager. (Jonathan isn't given a last name in the credits although one line of dialogue reveals this as "Keeler.")

Theatre Producer Arnold Goldman (Frank Gorshin) arrives for a visit to discuss Eugene's latest play, along with veteran actress Deidre French (Lois Nettleton), whom Eugene esteems as too mature for the role of Margarite although Deidre disagrees and schemes with Arnold to rework the script. "Somber Twighlight," by Eugene McClenden, had served them well several years back, but neither has experienced a hit in its aftermath.

Grace Banfield (Penny Fuller) soon returns to Savannah from a trip to Atlanta, at which she attempts to rekindle a flame with Eugene in spite of his mounting attention to Jessica. Grace, Arnold and Eugene are some of the clients who have encountered losses from Jonathan's corrupt business dealings.

Maid Ola Mae (Beah Richards) rounds out the cast of those present at Thorn Creek on the night during which gunshots are heard and a body is discovered at Thorn Creek.

Homicide Captain Walker Thorn (Rene Auberjonois) heads the investigation, revealing to Jessica that his family was also swindled by Jonathan, to lose Thorn Creek, their once opulent estate, thus welcoming her to aid in the search for clues.

Jessica also must reach a decision regarding Eugene's sudden proposal amid much "Mourning Among the Wisterias."