Murder in F Sharp

Dennis Stanton is called in to investigate a huge insurance claim, after world renowned pianist Vaclav Maryska, damages his hands in a house fire.

Very fine episode once again, in this series, they really did manage to perfect The Jessica free episodes, it's yet another accomplished performance from stand in Keith Michell, I no longer dread this format of episode.

A story that perfectly suits Dennis, at no point does he feel shoehorned in, it's a story that's very much written around him, his presence was great, as was that of his team, very enjoyable.

It may not have been the most imaginative story, and it wasn't hard to solve, but it was well done, and the character play was great.

Ricardo Montalban is really good here as Vaclav Maryska, it's a part that he could have very easily gone over the top with, but he manages to keep it together, he's very believable as a famous musician.

7/10.

This MSW episode is another featuring tireless insurance investigator Dennis Stanton once again saving his employer quite a bundle. The insured here is world renown classical pianist Ricardo Montalban who burned his hands in a house fire. Those hands are insured for mega millions.

But it turns into a murder case when Montalban's wife Patricia Neal is found shot to death. Suspicion falls on son Stephen Caffrey but Keith Michell has other ideas. Of course they differ San Francisco PD homicide's Ken Swofford, but they always do.

With Melinda Culea as Montalban's protege and sometimes mistress rounding out the cast, this was an enjoyable episode. Sad that Keith Michell's Dennis Stanton character never got his own series.

Dennis Stanton's (Keith Michell), a jewel thief turned insurance investigator, latest assignment is to investigate the suspicious events surrounding a fire that destroyed the hands of famous concert pianist Vaclav Maryska (Ricardo Montalban). The intrigue reaches a crescendo when Maryska's wife Milena (Patricia Neal) is murdered, with a veritable orchestra of suspects at Stanton's disposal. As usual, Stanton is more or less assisted by ditzy Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) and by flustered Lt. Catalano (Ken Swofford).

The story is interesting and there's a fine performance by Ricardo Montalban who plays a famous pianist whose hands are burnt in an accident, however it's a bit flat in places, and though Stanton is an ok character, I think it's lacking Jessica to add some punch.

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.

Personally like the character of Dennis Stanton, if more with Jessica than on his own and mostly because his chemistry with Jessica is so great and the episodes are much better. He is a fun and compelling lead character, love how distinguished, sophisticated and suave he is, it is easy to be as charmed by me as Jessica is in her too few collaborations. Plus it is hard to not like a character who dresses dapper, drives a cool car and loves classical music and opera, sounds shallow but couldn't resist.

Can definitely understand why fans malign his solo bookend episodes, a few of them are good, others not so good to put it lightly. To me, despite misgivings, "Murder in F Sharp" is one of his better episodes and one of the better bookend episodes overall, if not one of the very best 'Murder She Wrote' episodes.

Not sure what the general consensus of "Murder in F Sharp" is among fans, but if there are those that dislike it it is understandable. The biggest problem is that it is a mystery with far too few suspects and it is obvious straightaway who the killer is and why, it's the how for obvious reasons needing to be proved.

This time Rhonda is not the annoying one, actually she contributes to the plot here, has charming chemistry with Dennis and Hallie Todd is the most likable by far of all her appearances playing her. The annoying character here is Ben Devlin, this is his third of three episodes and neither of the episodes gave any reasons for the viewer to invest anything in him and his pushiness just grates. Joe Dorsey is not much better in the acting stakes either, and quite a lot of the supporting cast while never amateurish don't register that much.

On the other hand, Keith Michell is terrific as Dennis, he oozes charm and charisma, really love his distinguished and suave air that he does better than any other bookend lead character. Ken Swofford is great fun and Stephen Caffrey is an appealingly sweet presence.

In support, there are two standouts. One is a delicious Patricia Neal. The other, and particularly so, is a superbly conniving Ricardo Montalban, giving not just the single best guest supporting performance in a 'Murder She Wrote' bookend episode but one of the best guest supporting performances of the show. Todd as said is surprisingly good. While nobody else stands out, the only bad performance here is by Dorsey.

Apart from having too few suspects and a too obvious murderer, the mystery is still very diverting and cleverly plotted, even if heavier in tone to usual which for some fans may be a strike against it. Of the episode, the doctor profession impersonation between Dennis and Rhonda (by far the best Dennis/Rhonda moment ever) is a standout, as is the character of Charlie the doorman, and it is hard to forget the scalded hands image.

'Murder She Wrote' has always been good in the production values and gets better with each season. Here they're slick and stylish with nostalgia-inducing fashions. 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 thoughtful and amiable, with some levity amongst the heaviness of the mystery.

Overall, not one of the best episodes of the show but one of the better Dennis Stanton episodes and one of the better bookends in general. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Ricardo Montalban plays a man named Václav Maryska, and Václav is a Czech name. Having the Mexican-American playing a Czech is ridiculous...though once, Montalban played a Japanese man on "Hawaii Five-O"!! You need to look past this goofy casting decision when you watch "Murder in F Sharp".

Early in the show, Václav (Montalban) stops playing the piano in the middle of a concert...declaring he cannot play an instrument that is out of tune. Soon after, there's an apparent accident and the man's hands are badly burned...and it turns out the pianist had an insurance policy for $10,000,000 if his hands were injured. Not surprisingly, Dennis Stanton (Keith Mitchell) investigates the case to see if it really was an accident. Surprisingly, very shortly after, Maryska's wife is murdered...and there's policy on her as well. Can Stanton figure all this out and save his company a fortune?

This episode has two things against it. First, like many weak episodes, Angela Lansbury is only there to introduce the show. Second, while I love the Stanton character, the plot is weak...and the solution to all this VERY obvious. Still, despite these problems, it is enjoyable...as would any session with Stanton.