Nan's Ghost: Part 2

Some rather disparate elements from the first part are brought together in this second and concluding chapter of our mystery which involves Jessica Fletcher vacationing in Fionnula Flanagan's Irish castle and getting two murders from the previous part to solve.

Add to that a third murder this time of treasure hunter Christopher Neame who has been prodding and poking into all kinds of places and making a general pest of himself in a quest for Oliver Cromwell's booty rumored to in the general vicinity around Flanagan's castle.

The eventual murderer when revealed is quite logical and explains how all the murders fit into the disparate elements of the first part.

No real surprise, but a nice ensemble effort from the whole cast.

Having been imprisoned, Jessica faces a desperate fight to escape her confinement, she must rely on her ingenuity to escape.

I wish I could see what the other reviewers here have clearly seen in this two part story. I'd suggest this second part is better than the first, but that it still has more negatives than positives.

If they'd just toned it down a little bit, it may have worked better, for me it's over produced, and that hides what is actually a half decent story.

It's very slow in parts, at times it really does drag along, as I've said before, this could easily have been a single 45 minute episode, it would have worked better.

Some of the acting is unforgivable, Lansbury as always shines through, but some of the performances, and some of those accents, they made it hard to take it seriously.

5.5/10.

Eileen O'Bannon (Fionnula Flanagan) and Inspector Rory Lanahan (Rod Taylor), with the assistance of her son, Ian O'Bannon (Ross Kettle), and their domestic assistant Moira (Felicia Lansbury), begin a search of Ballynook Castle grounds, upon which Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is believed to be held captive once they are unable to track down her whereabouts throughout County Cork, Ireland.

Andrea Nader (Leslie Bevis) and her Real Estate Attorney, Paul Lafferty (James Warwick), continue to study the arrangement between the Nadars and Eileen O'Bannon for the Nadar's bid to purchase Ballynook Castle.

Peter Franklin (Raphael Sbarge) remains in jail, to face a hearing for murder charges, when Andrea pays him a visit to dump her young admirer for her attorney, in the fashion of ditching Peter to play with Paul.

Doctor John Sullivan (Christopher Neame) visits Jack Conroy's (John Saint Ryan) curio shoppe to search through Nan's possessions for clues which she may have uncovered toward the whereabouts of Cromwell's treasure, but Jack evicts John for tampering through Jack's late daughter's belongings, so John returns after hours with the intent of burglary.

Deirdre O'Bannon (Edita Brychta) experiences a change of heart toward Officer Matthew Ryan's (Mark Lindsay Chapman) proposal once Matthew convinces Dierdre that local midwives don't know how to save the unborn baby which his sister Kitty (unseen character) carries because its umbilical cord wraps around the baby's neck. (See "Goofs.") Dierdre then realizes that Matthew cares about the important aspects of life and volunteers to oversee Kitty's 20-hour delivery.

Castle servant Leonard (Thomas Kopache) continues his unscrupulous spying for bribery payments, this time aiming Rory Lanahan as his target, while Rory is busy with Eileen, in trying to rescue Jessica, who now believes that Nan has been murdered.

After Zulika Brown (Wendy Schaal) disappears from Ballynook Castle, as has Vincent Nader (Peter Jason), Andrea Nader returns with Paul Lafferty, and Superintendent Arthur Joyce (John Karlen) also returns on the heels of a third murder.

Jessica, now freed from captivity, scouts the woods with Rory, when they discover the body, which has been stabbed with a pitchfork, the victim uttering answers to Jessica's questions, before perishing.

This time around, Superintendent Joyce arrests Ian O'Bannon because his fingerprints are found upon the pitchfork (and instantly identified?), as well as Ian's fingerprints upon the recovered pistol, which has been registered to Ian's late father, Patrick, and conveniently placed beneath a very-easy-to-located shrub.

And so, Peter Franklin is released from custody, but Jessica believes in both Peter and Ian's innocence, as Ian has clearly been framed, as well.

But when Jessica, again, questions Peter, he provides her with a clue which catalyzes her realization as to how the three murders must tie together.

Moira provides Jessica with additional clues, by translating Nan's poetry from the Celtic language, for Jessica to arrive at her conclusion.

And when Jessica and Rory return to the secret crypt, Rory is overcome by blunt instrument during an altercation, after discovering yet another body in the forest although still alive at this point, the victim of a stabbing by the perpetrator of "Nan's Ghost."

This episode represents the most recent appearance to date by Felicia Lansbury, as well as the second of two "MSW" guest appearances each for Peter Jason, Thomas Kopache, John Saint Ryan, Wendy Schaal and James Warwick, the third of three each for Leslie Bevis, Edita Brychta, Ross Kettle, Christopher Neame, Raphael Sbarge and Rod Taylor, the fourth of four each for Fionnula Flanagan and John Karlen, and the fifth of five "MSW's" each for Felicia Lansbury and Mark Lindsay Chapman.

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.

As corny as the review title sounds, both parts of "Nan's Ghost" deserve the corker distinction. To me they are by far the best episodes of a very inconsistent season and easily the best of the Irish episodes. Would even go as far to say that they are among the best episodes of the latter seasons and in the top half ranking the 'Murder She Wrote' overall.

It is easy to criticise the accents, personally they did not bother me that much and they were far worse in the other Irish episodes (especially the "Killing in Cork" ones). It is perhaps also easy to criticise the recycling of actors in a relatively short space of time from their last appearance, that was not a problem either being neither lazy or confusing.

My only real complaint of both parts of "Nan's Ghost" is the acting of some of the minor actors, which is less than great. One of the biggest offenders being Felicia Lansbury who is pretty bland.

Criticising Angela Lansbury however in one of her most celebrated and most fondly remembered roles, for good reason, is impossible, she is delightful. Ross Kettle, Mark Lindsay Chapman and Fionnula Flanagan give committed support.

"Nan's Ghost" benefits from a terrific mystery, it's tight, charming, elegantly absorbing and at times very creepy. Nothing obvious or convoluted, while having plenty of twists and turns to keep one on their toes guessing. There is a real sense of danger and suspense, and the story not just benefits from being split in two parts but, considering the amount that goes on, the story actually needed two parts to work and uses that to full advantage. The script is thought-provoking and amiable, taking things seriously without over-doing it that it becomes dreary. The ending is one of the season's most legitimately surprising.

Production values are slick and stylish with great use of the setting, the best-looking of the Irish episodes by quite some distance. 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.

On the whole, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

"Nan's Ghost" is most unusual, as it's a two-part episode...something I don't think they'd ever done before. Because of this, it felt a bit overlong and drug out, but not obviously so and the overall story is quite intriguing.

The episode picks up with Jessica, still trapped in a hidden portion of an old castle. She cannot apparently escape and no one, other than a killer, knows she's there. Fortunately, she does escape (this is hardly a spoiler) and then investigates not only the original death but several more recent murders!

If you like an episode with lots of killing, then "Nan's Ghost" one and two are perfect for you! I enjoyed the nice locale (even though the actual acting was done back here in the States) and the story was fresh...which is great considering it's season 12!