Murder, She Wrote: The Bottom Line is Murder

March 9, 2015 11:43 PM - Season 3, Episode 15

Jessica visits Denver for a TV book review program at KBLR, where her friend Dr. Jayne's husband Steve Honig produces The Bottom Line, featuring the arrogant, truth-bending consumer advocate, Kenneth Chambers. Janitor Bert Tanaka finds a non-responsive Chambers in his chair one night, shot twice in the back. DPD Lieutenant Lou Flannigan, who was Chambers's unofficial police consultant, believes that Steve is the killer, after the murder weapon is found in his car. Can Jessica sort the blind ambition from the true killer instincts?

You aren't imagining things: Adrienne Barbeau was previously in MSW in season 2, episode 9, the episode titled Jessica Behind Bars, where she was Kathryn, an inmate with a plan. Speaking of re-appearing characters, this is the first of three MSW appearances for Judith Chapman, who played Dr. Jayne Honig. She also appeared twice as two different characters in Magnum, P.I. Sadly, this is the only appearance in MSW for George Takei, who played the janitor, Bert Tanaka.

posted by filthy light thief (3 comments total)

That janitor's characterization made me uncomfortable. I would've thought Takei had enough clout to avoid that stuff.
posted by Monochrome at 8:36 PM on March 11, 2015

I know, I felt pretty awkward with that Weird Foreign Asian Man portrayal by Takei, especially considering he had a good filmography to this point, so it wasn't like he needed to take whatever came his way.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:44 AM on March 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

I am catching up and just popped in to say WTF Takei.

I'm amused that Adrienne Barbeau's character found it perfectly OK to wardrobe a young woman newscaster in what appeared to be a glorified Dallas Cowboys cheerleader cocktail dress, complete with rhinestone fringe.
posted by mochapickle at 8:24 AM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]