Bite the Big Apple

Season eight of "Murder, She Wrote" saw some big changes in the show. First, Jessica moves to New York City and plans to commute back and forth to Cabot Cove. Additionally, after being gone for some time (as William Windom was working on another series), the Doc returns to the series.

When Jessica announces she's getting an apartment in New York, Doc Hazlitt is worried. After all, it's New York City and the murder rate is very high...though Cabot Cove, Maine STILL remains the per capita murder capital of the world! She promises him everything will be just fine...and soon arrives in New York to find that a murder was committed in her apartment the day before she arrived!! She doesn't call the Doc like she promised...but soon he shows up because he KNOWS she's in trouble somehow. What's next?

This is a good episode, though I am apprehensive to see the show change locations...at least part-time. Much of it is because the Cabot Cove episodes are usually among the most charming. The other is that I live just outside Mendocino, California where much of the Cabot Cove shows were filmed and I enjoy seeing this cute city.

Jessica moves to New York to teach criminology at Manhattan University. She soon has a chance to practise what she preaches when she discovers that the previous tenant of her apartment was found murdered. A fun MSW with Dr Seth Hazlitt visiting her apartment- he's worried about her because of the plethora of crime in New York. The twist at the end adds an extra bite to a good episode.

There is an old Jewish joke in the form of a prayer: "Oh, Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies." NEVER have I seen a better dramatization of this truth than "Bite the Big Apple." Seth Hazlitt, who is ordinarily an excellent foil for Jessica, is here utterly and totally insufferable. He shows up at Jessica's apartment unannounced, moves in to stay for several days (despite Jessica's obvious hints that she wants him GONE), and monitors her every action (if anyone EVER said to me "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" IN MY OWN HOME, those would be their last words in this world). This episode is excellent in every other way; but this is a really unusual, and unpleasant, take on a generally popular character.

Jessica has landed a new job teaching in The Big Apple, she takes an apartment in Manhattan, and soon gets drawn into the murder of the previous tenant of her new home.

Series eight sees the format of the show changed somewhat, Jessica would spend a lot of her time in Manhattan, away from dear Cabot Cove.

This series kicks off with a great episode, it's an intriguing mystery, it features an intriguing crime linked to Jessica's new apartment, and it throws in Seth for some familiarity.

I really enjoyed the music, it feels very well made, with some strong visuals and a refreshing change of scenery.

The ending is a memorable one, it's always great to see Jessica thrown into a dangerous scenario. The humour comes from Seth, who provides several laughs.

A very satisfying episode.

8/10.

Season Eight begins with the introduction of Jessica's leasing a NYC apartment upon accepting a position of Criminology Instructor at Manhattan University, as well as the debut of David Moessinger as series interim Executive Producer for this year's 22 episodes, for which he also writes two scripts, including this one, thus giving him the distinction of becoming the only "MSW" Executive Producer/Screenwriter.

This begins in Cabot Cove, where a dozen or so friends and neighbors, including Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), and Man at Party (David Schall), spring a surprise "bon voyage" celebration for a surprised Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), who reminds them of her plans to average three days per week in NYC, dividing the remainder of her time with Cabot Cove and her book tour travels.

As painters prepare apartment 4B at Penfield House for Jessica's arrival, sinister activity interrupts their work, as the former tenant, involved in an international diamond smuggling operation, is murdered by firearms in the basement parking garage.

NYPD Law Enforcement Officers, Lieutenant Jack Boyle (Eugene Roche) and Sergeant Nick Acosta (Jay Acovone) arrive on the scene before does Jessica, to search every corner of the apartment, as 4C neighbor, Rose Tessler (Liz Sheridan), scrutinizes activity through the open door of her residence, across the hallway.

Ahmed Shankar (Andrew Brye) debuts in his recurring role as Penfield House Doorman and also witnesses events of the day, which links the crime to Freelander and Freelander Import/Export business, operated by Harry Freelander (John Considine) and Mike Freelander (Alan Feinstein).

Estelle Freelander (Rosemary Forsyth) visits 4B in disturbed fashion and is surprised to find Jessica, to whom she confides that her husband (Mike) has been living with his secretary, Sharon Kingsley (Rebeccah Bush).

Scott Freelander (Scott McGinnis), meanwhile, bitterly opposes his father's (Harry) direction for the business, as both he and Sharon maintain that the operation does not include jewelry exporting, or at least until Sharon gives notice and vacates her position.

But Ahmed has seen Sharon's running across the street into Caravan Book Store immediately before the body was discovered in the garage, while a detective was spying on Sharon and Mike from a parked automobile. Sharon explains to Jessica that she slipped through the rear of the Book Store to signal a taxicab from the alley.

To her surprise, Seth arrives at Jessica's to protect her from assault, as Rose watches on, especially the next morning, when Seth is stranded inside the hallway, wearing his pajamas. When Rose discovers that Seth is a medical doctor, she raises her opinion of him and confides her account of the day of the murder.

Jessica's curiosity to solve the case takes her to Freelander and Freelander, in the presence of Lieutenant Boyle and Sergeant Acosta, as she presents a set of invoices, which she discovers in the shower rod, before Seth discovers a large diamond in the drain pipe, as he fiddles with her kitchen plumbing.

But when Jessica returns to Freelander and Freelander, to discover it closed, but with activity within, she sneaks into the delivery entrance, to witness another murder, as the perpetrator knocks her to the side upon fleeing into the alley.

Once she connects the clues provided by nearly every survivor involved with the case, Jessica then sets a plan into motion to trap the killer in the double homicide, which more than threatens to "Bite the Big Apple."

The cast is rounded out by Claire Paradis as Waitress, Alexander Folk as Painter, Darrell Harris as Detective, and Michael Scott Martin as (Voice of Dispatcher).

This episode represents the first acting credit by Andrew Brye, the only acting credit to date by Michael Scott Martin, and the most recent acting credit to date by Claire Paradis.

This also marks the second of two "MSW" guest roles each for Rosemary Forsyth and Alan Feinstein, the second of three for Jay Acovone, the third of three for John Considine, the first of four for Andrew Brye, in his role as valet Ahmed Shankar, the fourth of four for Eugene Roche, the sixth of seven for Alexander Folk, and the sixth of ten for Julie Adams in her role as Eve Simpson.

Eugene Roche, acting in film and on television since 1961, David Schall, acting since 1987, have unfortunately since passed, David at the young age of 52.