The Scent of Murder

"The Scent of Murder" is an episode set in Georgia. Seth and Jessica have traveled to Seth's cousin's home...a Georgia plantation where the cousin is developing some rare tree that can be used to make exotic perfumes. A company wants to buy it from him, but the cousin decides NOT to sell it....and soon after he's suffocated. Seth and the dead man's girlfriend then inherit the estate...though they have no idea where this valuable tree is hidden. What's next?

This is a decent episode even though the presence of another relative of Seth's does contradict an earlier episode. Nothing great here, but enjoyable and worth seeing.

All of the outdoors exterior scenes of this episode: "Murder, She Wrote," "The Scent of Murder" (Season 11, Episode 12, that aired January 9, 1995), were filmed on the 127-acre grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, CA.

The productions crew used the waterfall at the base of Tallac Knoll, the Old Fashioned Rose Garden, the Celebration Garden, the Herb Garden & the Tropical Greenhouse.

What wasn't used in this episode is the Lagoon and the landmark Queen Anne Cottage (originally built in 1885), which was used in the November 1989 episode, "Night of the Tarantula" with guests Hurd Hatfield, Ji-Tu Cumbuka, John Rhys-Davies & Shani Wallis. The Lagoon & Cottage are best known for their extensive use as Mr. Rourke's (Ricardo Montalban)home on "Fantasy Island" - Rourke's diminutive right-hand man, Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize)filmed his now-iconic, "de plane, de plane!" from the Cottage's bell tower.

Arcadia is just east of Pasadena in the San Gabriel Valley, approx. 20 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. The Arboretum is directly across the street (Baldwin Ave.) from on of horse racing's finest tracks, Santa Anita.

It should be noted that filming began at the Arboretum in the early 30s when the Lagoon was used for the Johnny Weissmuller-Maureen O'Sullivan "Tarzan" adventures, including "Tarzan Escapes" in 1936.

As it happens, I did public relations/publicity & promotion at the Arboretum in the mid-80s.

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.

"The Scent of Murder" may not be a great, or classic, episode and is somewhere in the middle when it comes to ranking Season 11 episodes, "Murder By Twos" being the best episode of the season up to this point. It is though a step up from the previous two episodes "An Egg to Die For" and particularly "Murder of the Month Club", and is in its own right an above average effort.

Do have to agree that the premature obviousness of the killer's identity brings it down a little and takes away from the mystery, if the character and their story had been introduced and written with more subtlety this could have been avoided. Some of the dialogue is a touch stale, though generally at least there is more light-hearted cosiness here than in the previous two episodes that took themselves too seriously.

Some of the story is on the silly side, with a couple of subplots treading familiar soapy ground. Am in two minds what to think regarding Seth revealed to have more relatives out of the blue and found it a missed opportunity providing the character with more depth that he was not treated as a suspect despite his motive being one of the stronger ones.

Angela Lansbury on the other hand is terrific as always, as is William Windom who brings a lot of charm and great comic timing. Although going slightly overboard at times, Sally Kirkland is very compelling as is radiant Melanie Smith. Dakin Matthews makes it easy for us to see why the suspects list is long without over-doing it.

When it comes to the mystery, it is lively in pace throughout, easy to get into and stay with, even with occasional silliness and the final solution not being a surprise as one would like.

Production values are slick and stylish and the episode is, especially at the start, one of the most visually striking episodes of the latter seasons (perhaps the most of Season 11). 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. Script is thought-provoking and amiable.

Overall, above average. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Jessica accompanies Seth to visit his cousin Buford. Buford has been developing a potent fragrance from a magnolia tree, a tree that perfumer Nina Larson is keen to get hold of. It isn't long before Jessica's on the hunt for a killer.

Forever Scarlet, good name for a perfume.

Good episode, I quite enjoyed it, I though it had a strong Agatha Christie vibe about it, if I didn't know any better, I would have said it felt a little bit like Mysterious Affair at Styles.

One gripe, Seth wasn't particularly upset was he, it was just business as usual for him, he didn't bat an eyelid.

Melanie Smith as Nina Larsson, all I can say is wow, they certainly chose to focus on her incredible figure on several occasions, what a stunner. Cory Davies on the other hand, was like a character out of a spoof, or parody, he's just too much.

Does Jessica describe a TARDIS Greenhouse?

Solid episode.

7/10.

"So, Bye-Bye, South Carolinian Pride; Drove from Cabot Cove into the Grove Where Magnolias Hide; And Good Old Boys Are Clutching Pillows and Ties, Fearing This Will Be the Night Someone Dies."

This, the only "Murder, She Wrote" episode set in South Carolina, opens with beautiful panoramic views of the rural countryside of fields and farmland and forests containing Spanish moss, and then finds plenty of action around "Hazlitt Plantation, Riverton Gardens," harboring the only Scarlet Magnolia tree known to exist, and so it is well-concealed somewhere upon the premises.

Buford Hazlitt (Dakin Matthews) and Botonist Kendall Ames (Robert Hooks) have developed the Scarlet Magnolia, a source of intense fragrance and prized for its natural essence.

Evelyn Colby (Sally Kirkland) resides at the Hazlitt estate and possibly plans an engagement should Buford decide to propose marriage. While Buford has been widowed, Evelyn has already dumped Buford's cousin, Rob Hazlitt (Craig Richard Nelson), who has relocated to Charleston, and she has also dumped Riverton Police Sergeant John Lindley (Tom Mason), who continues to pursue Evelyn two year afterward.

Kendall Ames, also a widower, urges his teenage son, Billy Ames (Patrick Malone), to continue his high school studies, to enter college, to study Botony, to realize the scientific career which Kendall has, but Billy expresses his interest for dropping out of school, to find a job, to help with expenses.

Cory Davis (James Staszkiel) lurks around Hazlitt Plantation by night, to search for the secret location of the Scarlet Magnolia tree although he will not reveal the identity of his contractor when he is questioned; nor will his contractor, Nina Larson (Melanie Smith), avow any information regarding any knowledge of Cory Davis or his espionage actions.

Edward Delaney (Greg Callahan), a New York City-based perfume company manager, questions his assertive employee, Nina Larson, about the $400,000 debt which she has amassed in pursuit of the Scarlet Magnolia to control the one specimen, for which she has already obtained a contract with Buford as solitaire purchaser of its essence for a fragrance ingredient.

Buford, in turn, insists that the contract reads that the perfume company may not use artificial additives to the Scarlet Magnolia perfume, and so he retains Attorney Dan Wilkes (David Byron) to deal with Nina Larson, who arrives in Riverton, to deal with Dan Wilkes her own way, through bribery and seduction.

Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) chauffeurs Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) from Cabot Cove en route to Orlando, Florida, and stops in Riverton, South Carolina, along the way, to visit his cousin Buford. After taking several wrong turns, as he has visited but twice during the past twenty years, Seth and Jessica arrive at the Hazlitt Plantation.

(Note: in episode #4.14, when Jessica accompanies Seth into Maryland, Seth tells her that his brother, Richard Hazlitt, nephew, Mark Hazlitt, and niece, Carolyn Hazlitt, are his only living relatives. But now he has two cousins, Buford Hazlitt and Rob Hazlitt. Later, in #12.22, Seth gets another niece, Amy Walters, who arrives in Cabot Cove for her engagement party.)

But will there be an engagement party here? Or will murder interrupt another wedding? Evelyn Colby welcomes family and friends to a reception at Hazlitt Plantation, which Seth and Jessica attend, along with Doctor Travis (Walt Beaver), who's planning to retire, causing Buford to suggest for Seth to return to Riverton to set his medical practice here.

Rob Hazlitt arrives from Charleston to confront Seth with shadows of his unhappy childhood, while Margaret Barkley (Ann Cusack), the step-daughter of Buford, arrives from New York City as a struggling Broadway Playwright, to request a loan from Buford, for which he will not listen, but invites her to stay for as long as she pleases.

Late that evening, a perpetrator enters a bedroom at the mansion, to suffocate a victim with a pillow. Jessica hears a noise at 2:45 AM and observes (through her window) someone's hastily exiting the residence.

The next morning, when the body is discovered, Sergeant John Lindley investigates with Jessica and Seth at his side to determine that the victim has been murdered. Deputy Tom Ardmore (G. Eric Miles) joins in the investigation to collect evidence and to perform additional responsibilities.

Jessica conducts an investigation of her own because she maintains the innocence of the suspect whom Sergeant Lindley arrests, and so she searches for the Scarlet Magnolia tree to set a trap with "The Scent of Murder."

This episode represents the most recent appearance to date by Walt Beaver, as well as the first of two "MSW" appearances each for Melanie Smith and Craig Richard Nelson, the second of two for Robert Hooks, and the third of three "MSW" guest roles for Dakin Matthews.