The Corpse Flew First Class

The setting of a plane, train or ship is often great for a mystery story, because it provides a good number of suspects, and it makes it a puzzle problem: the viewer knows that someone among this group did the crime, so who is it?

And like a good mystery story, this script presents some neat twists and turns. The cast is sterling, as usual. Kate Mulgrew is especially fine. This should rank as one of the best of all the episodes.

JB Fletcher solves two crime at 30,000 feet! She's off to London on a well deserved vacation, and is flying first class, and her fellow passengers are a varied bunch, which includes Sonny Greer and her tomboy boyfriend who are carrying diamonds. When the tomboy boyfriend is poisoned and the valuable necklace is stolen, Jessica, along with a Scotland Yard detective, try to retrieve the gems and catch the killer.

Among the main characters in this sharp and excellent episode are a famous actress, a taciturn former police officer, and a furtive-looking tourist couple. It's a highly entertaining episode, has a novelty of being set on a plane and the mystery is kept in wraps till the end.

Watch the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movie Terror by Night. It's the same story as this episode, except Jessica is flying while Sherlock was traveling by train. The same trick by the thief used to get the gem off the train/plane. The same odd pair of suspects who turn out to be a red herring. MSW did add one extra twist on the end as to the identity of the murderer and it's a good episode otherwise, but some deja vu for fans of the old Sherlock Holmes movies.

Jessica Fletcher is on a first class flight to London. She sits next to a Hollywood producer who is looking for a script for his next big hit and find investors for it.

Also on the flight is celebrity and actress Sonny Greer (Kate Mulgrew) who boards the flight with an expensive necklace and she has with her, bodyguard and secret lover Leon Bigard. He is nervous as he dislikes flying.

Jessica also befriends Errol Pogson (David Hemmings) a detective from Scotland Yard who was in America on holiday.

During the flight Leon dies and the necklace is missing.

Errol and Jessica investigate over the Atlantic just who the killer can be and who stole the necklace.

It could be any one of the passengers or the flight crew.

There is certainly a whodunit element and more in this story. It certainly is inspired by the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie and a few others were a valuable jewellery is likely to be stolen in transit.

The murder reveal felt weak to me and looked tagged on. The jewellery part was more enjoyable. I liked how Jessica twigged on how the jewellery could evade a customs check.

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.

"The Corpse Flew First Class" is actually one of my favourite episodes of Season 3 and of 'Murder She Wrote' in general, refreshingly following up one of the season's lesser episodes "Night of the Headless Horseman". It has one of the show's most diverting, cleverest and at times suspenseful mysteries, where nothing feels over complicated or simplistic and nothing is as it seems. How everything is explained is ingenious, one of Season 3's best endings where everything about how and why the crimes were committed and who are very plausible.

Even with a confined and simple setting (a plane), the episode is slickly and stylishly shot and the fashions and hairstyles are fun to watch, not many hilariously bad ones here. 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 script is thoughtful and suitably amiable and as said there is nothing to fault the story.

Angela Lansbury is great as always and she is matched by a perfectly cast and note-perfect Kate Mulgrew. David Hemmings is a strong, sturdy presence and Pat Harrington is a hoot.

Overall, wonderful and one of my favourites actually. 10/10 Bethany Cox