Murder, She Wrote Season 2, Episode 20
"Menace, Anyone?"
Original Airdate: April 6, 1986
Writer: Robert B. Sherman
Director: Seymour Robbie
Cast: Angela Lansbury, Dennis Cole, Bryan Cranston, Karlene Crockett, Linda Hamilton, Van Johnson, Kelli Maroney, Doug McKeon, Barry Primus, Betsy Russell, David Spielberg, Kerry Sherman, Harold Ayer, Laurence Haddon
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote, Jessica lends her name to a charity tennis tournament that ends with two men dead, one family reunited, and another destroyed.
It all starts with a tense romantic rivalry, but Challengers this is not. Though Doug McKeon's sniveling John McEnroe stand-in lays the groundwork for the eventual "Rat Boy Summer," the episode fails to make the most of the sexy setup. While it's not especially stylish, thematically this is more of a light giallo, mired as it is in a wildly convoluted gaslighting subplot.
No Fault in Our (Guest) Stars
We've got three top tier guest stars this week, including a returning Van Johnson (seen previously in "Hit, Run and Homicide"). Van's playing a new character here, tennis club owner Elliot Robinson. He even returns some volleys (at least in the close-ups) of the opening exposition match.
You may also recognize his opponent, Linda Hamilton, fresh off sci-fi thriller Black Moon Rising. Believe it or not, this one-off guest spot is two years removed from The Terminator. She'll close out 1986 with King Kong Lives. Here, she's tournament organizer Carol McDermot, a former student of Jessica's.
After Jessica declares the tournament open, Carol whisks her off to introduce her to her fiance, a hunky player named Brian East. Talk about working actors — that's 30-year-old Bryan Cranston! This is the first of three guest spots on this series, among his many gigs on the way to household recognition with Malcolm in the Middle. This is the same year he did an episode of Airwolf.
Unfortunately, Brian's got to break some bad news to Carol. Temperamental Cissy Barnes (Kelli Maroney of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Chopping Mall) is threatening to pull out of the tournament over a contract dispute. Cissy is a headliner and she knows it. She briefly feigns a torn muscle, but Elliot's seen these tactics before. He hardly puts up a fight before offering her an additional $5,000 to remain in the event. Neither Carol nor Elliot's daughter, Doris (Betsy Russell of Private School and nearly half of the Saw films), particularly approve of this measure. That's maybe all these two agree on these days. Doris has been eyeing Carol's job for a while. She also dated Brian before he got involved with Carol.
I mentioned former child actor Doug McKeon's character earlier. That's Donny Harrigan, a young hotshot angrily contesting the line judge's calls in a match with Brian. Carol talks him down, drawing ire from his sleazy manager, Mitch Mercer (Cole), for harshing on his client's bad boy image. Jessica is unimpressed.
That night, Cissy again threatens to back out of her contract, spoiling a festive party at the tennis club. Carol realizes the files with said contract are at her house. Ever doting, Brian offers to drive there to pick them up. He borrows the keys to her car and heads out. When he turns on the ignition, the vehicle explodes, killing him instantly. Startled by the sound, everyone rushes out to investigate. Carol cries out, collapsing into Jessica's arms.
My Sister's Keeper
Jessica graciously steps in after Detectives Travis (Spielburg) and Berger (Primus) start their inquiry from the assumption that Brian was the intended target. She points out it would make far more sense to look for someone out to get Carol. It was her car that exploded after all. We get to see Mitch Mercer's ace managerial skills on display here. If it weren't for Jessica's intervention, he was well on his way to getting himself and his client convicted out of spite.
Jessica accompanies a near-catatonic Carol home. She answers a phone call, but whoever it is hangs up when they realize she's not Carol.
The mystery only deepens when Jessica realizes that the fate of Carol's little sister, Barbara, is very much in doubt. While Carol insists Barbara is too busy with her own life to see her through the grieving process, Elliot and the cops insist the young woman died three years ago in a plane crash. Eager to get right back to work, Carol maintains her sister is alive but isn't forthcoming with an explanation. Jessica regroups with the detectives who send her to the cemetery where Barbara's remains supposedly rest. She meets a nihilistic caretaker who helps her locate the unassuming headstone, palming him some cash to decorate the forgotten grave with fresh flowers.
Later, Sgt. Travis is fatally stabbed in Carol's house, further traumatizing the young woman.
Jessica refuses to believe his partner's assertion that Carol is working up an insanity plea. Berger is really going through it here, completely adrift in the wake of Travis' demise. It makes sense, but his plight feels novel. Typical Mruder, She Wrote inspectors merely serve as foils for Jessica, but I have to wonder if this guy's going to be okay after this caper wraps.
Jessica has an interesting conversation with Doris, who claims she never met Barbara, but overheard a shouting match between the two sisters from outside Carol's house. Not three years ago or more, but quite recently. She paints a vivid picture of the scene, implying the whole ordeal could've been Carol playing both roles, Norman Bates style.
Jessica visits the mental health facility where Barbara supposedly stayed before her death. A young woman there is more than happy to assist in her search for records, introducing herself as a fellow author. Around the time she casually alludes to her origins in outer space, Jessica gets the nod from a passing nurse that her new friend is, in fact, a patient of the facility. She does help us with some intel though. There's no record here for Barbara, but there is one for Carol.
Uh oh.
To add to the confusion, a very apologetic Barbara herself turns up. She's played by Karlene Crockett (Dallas) in the first of two guest spots on this show. Would you believe the sisters had a falling out and a hitchhiker stole Barbara's identity only to die in her place on that plane? It's apparently true. Barbara took the opportunity to live off grid, hoping to spare her sister after a lifetime of bad choices. Having put her life back together, she recently reached out to Carol, who wasn't sure how to cope with the news.
And, unfortunately, somebody seized on that trauma.
Bring Your Daughter to Murder Day
When Carol goes missing from her psych hold at the hospital and dynamite turns up at her now-ransacked home, Jessica hurries to the tennis club. She confronts Elliot in his office with the inescapable truth.
Doris killed Brian and when Elliot realized his only daughter was attempting to frame Carol and paint her as a raving lunatic, he joined in the conspiracy. They find Carol in an adjoining office, near death from an overdose of pills.
Donny calls for paramedics, who arrive just in time. For expediency's sake, they're able to take care of it right there at the scene as Elliot spills his guts. As for Doris, she's under sedation at home. Sounds like it's Daddy who'll be exploring an insanity plea for his darling girl. And after luring Carol to the club and forcing pills down her throat, the only thing this old tennis pro will be serving is time.
Jessica comforts Carol. The young woman has a whole life to rebuild. Here's hoping Barbara really did turn hers around so they can face it together.
Next week, what say we mix it up with a little cat burglary?
