The Search for Peter Kerry

This episode marks one of the last appearances of Vanessa Brown, who had acted in films and on television since 1944. Anita Morris, Mason Adams, William Prince, Lane Smith and Sam Bottoms have also since passed.

Mourners attending a memorial service at a church in St. Louis, Missouri, to honor the late Evelyn Kerry, include her late husband's widowed father, Andrew Kerry (William Prince); Andrew's business manager, Roger Philby (Mason Adams); Evelyn's housekeeper of 30 years, Alma Goodrich (Vanessa Brown); the college roommate of Evelyn's son, Peter, Danny Schubert (Michael Beck); and one of Evelyn's lifelong closest friends, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury).

En route to the memorial park, Andrew Kerry speaks to Jessica of the trials which his family has experienced, including the passing of his only son by age 30, the disappearance of his only grandchild, Peter, twenty years ago, and now the loss of his remaining survivor, daughter-in-law, Evelyn. When Roger Philby, on hand in the limousine, insists that he has hired the best detectives in every state to "Search for Peter Kerry," Andrew responds, "Then hire the worst."

Six months later, Danny Schubert finally manages to receive an audience with Jessica, in a lounge in New York City, where he has been co-managing a small fledgling and theatre, which miserably fails to keep up with its debts.

But when a pianist, Edie Lorraine (Lorna Patterson), launches into a rendition to entertain the audience, Danny asserts that Peter had written this specific composition in college, and that no one else could have obtained this unpublished music except through Peter Kerry.

When a cornered Edie insists that Rick wouldn't have stolen it from anyone, Danny and Jessica ask to be introduced to Rick Barton (Marc Singer), whom they meet the next morning at his studio. When Danny secures Rick's forearm to identify a scar, similar to Peter's childhood injury, Rick asks Edie to usher the two from the premises.

And when Danny is met by his ex-wife Leona Schubert (Anita Morris), she demands back alimony, while holding a pistol to his head, which he tosses aside to embrace her with the promises of wealth from a windfall reward.

Rick later apologizes to Jessica for his rude behavior, asking for an audience from her, to explain that he remembers nothing of his life before 1968, at which time he attended the convention in Chicago, and was hitchhiking from there to cross the country, when his driver, an Army deserter, perished in a vehicular accident, leaving Rick to recuperate in a hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, which would burn to the ground in 1973, destroying all medical records.

When Jessica then reports back to Roger Philby that Rick Barton could possibly be Peter Kerry, Roger, behind the scenes, either visits Rick in NYC or sends detectives to investigate. Either way, there are detective reports continuously coming in to Roger regarding Rick, Edie, Leona and Danny.

And now, as the cast is reunited in Calvinburg, Missouri, at the gated Kerry estate, in suburban St. Louis, Andrew Kerry asks Jessica how she knows Alma, whom she greets by name. Jessica explains that she knew Alma because she served as Evelyn's housekeeper for 30 years, and that she had seen her at the services six months prior, before Alma retired to Florida. But later in the episode, Andrew introduces Alma to the police officers as his housekeeper, and she handles domestic responsibilities at his estate. This may be considered a minor plot loophole because Andrew and Evelyn obviously lived in separate residences if Jessica knew Alma as Evelyn's maid, but not Andrew's.

Anyhow, when Roger admonishes Danny for tobacco usage in the militant anti-smoker Andrew's residence, Danny picks a quarrel with Roger in front of Rick, Edie and Leona, with Andrew's entrance with Alma and Jessica, to end it.

A flippant Police Chief Miles Underwood (Lane Smith) and an exacting Sergeant Joe Rice (Sam Bottoms) are notified late that evening when a body is discovered in the Kerry garage. And now, a murder investigation complicates matters during "The Search for Peter Kerry."

This is a good episode. My review is prompted by instantly recognizing both the interior and the exterior of the church where the funeral takes place, which occurs early in the episode. The church in question is the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, which is at the corner of Sixth and Commonwealth Streets. It is a lovely church, and I was often there for services, and in the course of attending high school next door: we had our weekly chapel in the church on Fridays, and there were wonderful Christmas services there, which I often attended, along with other students.

Indeed, we did my high school graduation within the fine old church! Seeing it brought a shout of pleased surprise as I began watching the episode!

Yep, it was right about mid-way through season 5 that the show decided they were going to "address" social issues and stump for the Democratic Party. Why else would they have characters lighting up cigarettes in this episode for no earthly reason other than to give other characters the chance to bash smoking, or mention that 20 years previously two friends went to a Democratic Party rally? Why not a sporting event? Shows always ruin themselves with this kind of propaganda and this one is no exception. Disappointing.

Okay starts off well enough with introduction of old college friend, the song in the bar while Danny attempts a hard sell making it obvious that he's a con man or thinks he is anyway. The non stop smoking provided the writers with their clever solution to the murderer. Yet the entire journey - seeking hospital records, accident details, searching & ultimately locating a relative of the victim who died in the decades old car crash was entirely unnecessary. If DNA tests could identify the smoker, the same DNA test could resolve whether or not "Rick" was or was not the long lost grandson without all the drama. A wasted effort...

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.

While not quite one of my top 5 favourites of Season 5, "The Search for Peter Kerry" is still a winner and one of the best of the season. It does wonders with a not exactly tasteful, pretty cruel come to think of it, premise and manages to make an entertaining and intelligent episode out of it, with a diverting mystery that manages to be a brain-teaser.

Angela Lansbury is terrific as always as Jessica, and William Prince, Lorna Patterson and Mason Adams all give very good supporting turns. The standouts though are a smouldering Marc Singer and Anita Morris and a sly and entertainingly inept Lane Smith.

Production values as ever are slick and stylish. 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 thought-provoking, light-hearted and amiable, while the mystery as said intrigues and the solution is not hard to figure out thankfully.

All in all, a Season 5 winner. 10/10 Bethany Cox