Jessica Behind Bars

When I saw this was a 'women in prison' episode of "Murder, She Wrote", I assumed (wrongly) that it would be filled with 1001 stereotypes and would be predictable. Instead, it was intelligently written and different.

Jessica is filling in for a teacher at the women's prison. However, the timing sucks! This is because in the middle of her class, a riot takes place...and a murder! Jessica is worried the prisoners will run amok and go on a killing spree, so she tries hard to solve the crime AND keep the prisoners from letting their emotions get the best of them.

The story has a lot of neat twists. It also avoids many of the stereotypes you see in women in prison films...and for the good. Overall, an interesting show with a most unusual murder!

Another stellar cast of actors could not help the overacting in this episode of MSW. With Adrienne Barbeau, Yvonne de Carlo, Linda Kelsey, Vera Miles, Susan Oliver, Eve Plumb, and many other familiar faces among the cast, I thought this is gonna be a good one. Once again, I was laughing out loud at the stereotypical tropes of this supposed women behind bars drama.

Like most MSW episodes viewers are asked to suspend reality and belief that a regular person can walk into a crime scene and outwit trained law enforcement officers based solely on the fact that said person is a writer of mystery novels.

Every episode I check my brain at the door and watch to see how much Jessica can get away with without anyone ever challenging her. This particular truncated episode was even more bizarre than most with Jessica filling in as a substitute guest lecturer at a women's prison.

Even if this was a minimum-security penal institution, the lack of security was laughable.

For some reason, the local station that airs this program thought it was okay to cut away in the middle of the prison revolt and began airing a completely different program. I was a little upset that I never got to see how this episode ended but since all the shows are formulaic, it ended just as I would have expected.

Jessica agrees to substitute when a teacher for a class in a women's prison takes an unexpected trip to the hospital. However, she finds her time more occupied with investigation than instruction when the prison locks down and the staff doctor turns up dead in her office. Jessica finds herself the middleman between the desperate inmates and the law, and struggles to find the truth before the already uneasy situation disintegrates into mayhem.

Brilliant episode that features some fine acting performances, especially by Adrienne Barbeau as a loose cannon of a prisoner, some tension and very baffling mystery. Obviously an innocent person gets accused - well, it's a prisoner. The twist in the finale stings real effectively. In between the mayhem, subjects such as prisoner treatment is touched upon.

I don't care that its not realistic, this episode is so tense and dramatic and the acting is so good. Its heartfelt, with Mary's struggle, and I just kept guessing with this one on first watch and the best part is that its highly rewatchable.

Jessica Fletcher does end up behind bars. Only as a substitute teacher for the women in prison to teach them a creative writing course.

Only for the prison doctor to die with inmate Mary standing over the body. So Mary instantly comes under suspicion.

Now the other inmates led by Kathryn (Adrienne Barbeau) to lead a prison riot.

It is up to Jessica to work out how Dr Irene Matthews died.

She uncovers some underhanded dealings regarding prison conditions. This puts the Warden on the frame who also has political ambitions.

Given the setting these has a starry female cast including Vera Miles as the prison warden. Some of the acting does get hammy as the women try to act tough. It is a decent enough mystery but you do wonder where the prison officers were as security was so lax.