Unfinished Business

It's always pleasant to see which favorite actresses/actors from the past enliven this series with their guest appearances. Here, Don DeFore, much underrated generally, maybe because he's played so many likeable guys, turns in his usual good job.

This episode has the ingredients of a very good program, and it starts out well - a retired police detective, Barney Kale, sets out to show that his former coworker, Detective Dixon, did not have a natural drowning accidental death ten years ago, but was murdered.

There's the Maine setting, always a plus, assorted characters without much of an alibi, Jessica looking trim and efficient, lovable Seth. We find out about the backgrounds of a doctor, a businesswoman, a young opportunist and his wife, but practically nothing about the victim until the very end, so it's anybody's guess why poor Dixon was knocked off, if he didn't accidentally drown. Jessica, Amos and the Juniper Lake sheriff (wonderfully played in low-key style by J. D. Cannon) don't seem to exert themselves much to learn a thing about Dixon or any enemies he might have made.

The end is a big anti-climax. Don't want to give it away, but really, ask yourself, if you were Lt. Det. Barney Kale, would you have trekked to Juniper Lake to finish the "unfinished business"? HOW stupid is Kale? '

Unfin Police lieutenant, Barney Kale, finally announces that he will soon retire, after one final case. He soon travels to Juniper Lake, near Cabot Cove, to solve the one murder that has yet to be resolved - that of a close friend who was drowned ten years ago. Upon visiting the cabins where the murder took place, Kale invites several people who were connected to the investigation, including Jessica's friend Seth, to meet with him at the lakes. Concerned, Jessica accompanies her friend, and no sooner do the pair arrive when a guest at the cabins is found dead, having been killed with a shotgun. Jessica finds herself investigating alongside Amos to find out whether the current murder is linked to the one Kale is seeking to resolve.

Not a lot of mystery here, though Hingle's tussling with Amos Tupper is fun. It's just ok, nothing standout: I found it just average, yet watchable due to characters. There are few things that don't make sense.

A lot of Jessica Fletcher's cases take place in various exotic locales and just as many are close to home in Cabot Cove. This one was not too far from her home town. It also ties in to a murder 10 years earlier of a vacationing police detective.

In fact the detective on that case is in this area again and Pat Hingle and there's another murder of a recently released convict Erich Anderson with a shotgun. That's the thing about shotguns, there's no forensics with them.

There's a nice little stew of suspects that in the eyes of the local law also includes Dr. Seth Hazlitt who's also on the scene. The local law is Sheriff J.D. Cannon and on Angela Lansbury's list he's on it as well.

I was fooled on this one, but on reflecting the sequence of events no other outcome was possible.

Cabot Cove episodes average five per season in this series, and, on occasion, the action transports into the interior of Maine.

The primary setting of "Unfinished Business" lies beyond Cabot Cove County and, therefore, the jurisdiction of its Sheriff, yielding the way for other law enforcement officers to interrogate suspects.

It all begins ten years earlier than the present day at the backwoods Juniper Lake, a once-promising resort, at which a group of investors is swindled in a Real Estate scheme, leading to the demise of Dectective Lowel Dixon.

And now, on the night of his third retirement banquet, Lieutenant Detective Barney Kale (Pat Hingle) vows justice for the murder of his former partner, with a vow to return to Juniper Lake for one final investigation.

News of Barney Kale's announcement makes headlines across the state. Dr. Terence Mayhew (Lloyd Bochner), while skeet shooting, reads this report, thus causing him to cancel his forthcoming flight to Tokyo.

Entrepreneur Cynthia Tate (Hayley Mills), former secretary to the investment group, receives a call from Detective Kale at her unlisted number, alerting her of his plans to renew the investigation.

Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) clips the newspaper article to slide into his desk drawer, as Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) visits his office. He then explains about his losses to the failed investment scheme after the passing of Ruth.

Juniper Lake Resort proprietor Jake Sanford (Don DeFore) rents a cabin to a young couple, Maggie Roberts (Erin Moran) and Gary Roberts (Erich Anderson), before he welcomes Cynthia Tate, who enters upon their exiting. "Do you mean that you haven't heard, Jake?" she asks, then filling him in on Barney Kale's plans to reopen the case of Lowell Dixon.

Later that evening, Jessica receives a call from Cabot Cove Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley), who inquires to the whereabouts of Seth. "Amos, can you drive over here right away? I'll explain everything along the way," she tells him.

Upon their arrival at Juniper Lake Resort, Jessica and Amos encounter a screaming Maggie Roberts, who has just discovered a body in a cabin. (Tom Bosley and Erin Moran had played father and daughter on the series "Happy Days" for many years, but here they have no familiarity with each other, as their scenes are carefully framed to guide viewers beyond their famous co-starring roles.)

When Sheriff McCoy (J.D. Cannon) arrives the next morning with First Deputy (Phillip Clark) and Second Deputy (James Bartz), they escort a handcuffed Seth Hazlitt from their vehicle, as a prime suspect to murder.

Under his jurisdiction, Sheriff McCoy examines evidence of Dr. Terence Mayhew's missing rifle, a page containing Cynthia Tate's unlisted telephone number, and Seth's roaming the woods, while Jessica conducts a more clever investigation of her own.

I give a lot of this episode 10 out of 10 stars. But the ending is so lame, I have to take off two stars. But the character actors are all wonderful, especially the guy playing the Sheriff. As usual, the technical elements are all very great. Great costumes, as always, fine photography, great Musical cues, wonderful sets and settings. Editing is sort of standard for television shows of that era. It was just as digital editing was coming in so there weren't a lot of abilities to do fancy edits easily and quickly as needed for a weekly TV program. I am now watching all of the episodes from DVDs I borrowed from the local library. It's a very big pleasure to not have the advertisements interrupting the flow of the story. And by the way, what fine acting by Angela Lansbury, as always. I was so glad to have seen her on stage in Sweeney Todd. But she was great right from the beginning, with Gaslight.