Murder in Tempo

If you can believe it, itty bitty Cabot Cove is putting on some sort of musical festival aimed at saving Cabot Woods. Oddly, Seth has mortgaged his house in order to fund this (though mega-rich Jessica apparently passed on this). But there are two problems...the featured band sucks and is really boring (that's my feeling...everyone in the show thought they were great) and someone is trying to kill the lead singer (which, for me, was great...as I hated the singing). In the meantime, some folks are hoping the festival will bomb so they can buy up the woods and develop it. So, when someone dies...guess who's going to solve the crime (hint: It won't be Mort).

I know I'm a grouch here, but I really hated the music. It was LESS edgy than the Carpenters! This and that the lead singer was a terrible person made this one less enjoyable than usual...though it's not bad.

A business tycoon plans to purchase The Cabot Cove Woods for development. Seth puts up a concert fronted by husband and wife, Tommy and Udella, happiness on the outside, but trouble brews behind the scenes. Murder threatens the concert.

It feels like an age since Cabot Cove was the setting for an episode, back to the show's roots, and it works well, there's a nice familiarity about this one, it's great to see both Seth and Mort back.

It's fair to say there have been a multitude of musical episodes, but this one stands out, a nice mystery, shocking death scene and some fine performances.

Always great to see Madlyn Rhue, and the story behind her appearance is a nice one. The final of her five appearances.

Maybe not the most challenging whodunnit of all, the clue is quite obvious.

7/10.

This episode marks the final appearance of Madlyn Rhue, who began her prolific acting career in film and, primarily, on television, circa 1958. Four of her five "MSW" performances are represented by her portraying the role of Cabot Cove Librarian Jean O'Neill.

Cabot Cove residents may seem unpredictable at times when new industries propose to develop their community. While they welcome progressive enterprises to consider employing local citizens, they, naturally, object to disturbing historic landmarks and natural beauty surrounding the community.

In this case, a developer plans to timber Cabot Cove Woods, a notion which disturbs Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), in particular, unless he comes up with a financial plan to rescue Cabot Cove Woods. Hal Palmer (Ernie Lively) plays a pivotal role, by arranging for the concert stage upon his nearby land.

With the blessing and assistance of Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak), Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum), Librarian Jean O'Neill (Madlyn Rhue) and famous resident Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), Seth gathers business owners and youth alike to promote a benefit concert to aid in the campaign--providing that the musicians don't disagree with Seth's eardrums.

Hardware Store owner Dan the Electrician (Sam Anderson) and his daughter, Rachel Weldon (Megan Gallivan), as well as Jim Maddox (Josh Taylor) and his son, Blue Maddox (John Livingston), who likes Rachel, and vice versa, are on board to welcome musicians to perform the fund-raising event. Banker (Lawrence Larsen) also works closely with Seth for the arrangement, which to which Seth contributes as his pet project.

Blue participates with Tommy Vaughn (Keith Coulouris) and his wife, Eudela Vaughn (Amy Hathaway), who join forces with Wylie Trey (John D'Aquino) and Cleve the Musician (Whip Hubley) to practice on the outdoor stage, with speakers and amplifiers, to practice their upcoming performance.

Cabot Cove residents, in this case, continue to prove unpredictable, by seemingly getting along for the common cause even amid a touch of jealousy among the young men over the young women.

But if anything would be considered predictable in Cabot Cove, Maine, then that would have to be the fact that murder can't be very far around the corner, a factor reaching fruition when rifle shots spew across the stage when an amplifier is short-circuited, and a body is found in the aftermath.

Sheriff Metzger and Deputy Andy welcome Jessica's assistance to investigate this "Murder in Tempo," which Seth insists be solved in order to protect the natural inhabitant, as the protective fathers of the "young love" couple grow increasingly at odds with each other's family.

Will Jessica discover the perpetrator of the shotgun break-up in time to patch up differences for the show to go on, to save those trees?

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

"Murder in Tempo" is not one of the best 'Murder She Wrote' episodes, not by a long shot. It is a long way from one of the show's worst however, although a few of the worst came in this final season. Ranking the Season 12 episodes, "Murder in Tempo" is somewhere in the middle.

It is not the best episode in terms of acting from the supporting cast. There are definitely far worse supporting casts in the season and of 'Murder She Wrote' in general, but some of the acting is subpar with the victim for example being pretty over-the-top for a uniformly disliked character.

For all, as ever, Louis Herthum's subtly noble efforts, Andy is still underwritten even in this very late stage, being little more than the fairly blandly stock sheriff's deputy cliché. Perhaps it takes a little too long to get to the murder.

On the other hand, Angela Lansbury is without complaint. Likewise with William Windom and Ron Masak, likeable as ever and the chemistry between the three has charm and tension. Jessica has one of her most believable incentives to get involved with the murder solving instead of happening to be there.

The story is pretty engaging on the whole, with a clever, and for 'Murder She Wrote' unique, murder method and a reveal that thankfully isn't too obvious. The tensions behind the scenes of the concert also is not too hard to engage with.

Production values are slick and stylish. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is fun and thought-provoking, not taking itself seriously.

Altogether, pretty good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

We're back in Cabot Cove for this MSW episode where Dr. Hazlitt has spent time and no little of his own resources to put on a concert to save the woods around Cabot Cove where a shopping mall is planned.

The main attraction is a Jackson Browne singer and social activist Keith Coulouris who parties as rock stars do. When you party like one, you get the health issues associated with same and you make a few enemies, jealous types. Not to mention financial forces that want that mall.

So when Keith Coulouris is killed there are a lot of suspects, more than usual and for varying reasons than the usual MSW story. There's also a complex development of Coulouris's character more than usual also.

One of the commonest motives of all is the reason for our victim's demise and you'll have to watch the episode to learn the how, what, and why.