Murder, She Wrote: Broadway Malady   Rewatch 
September 23, 2014 10:24 PM - Season 1, Episode 13 - Subscribe

Jessica is in New York for meetings with her publisher but her nephew Grady has a new job as the accountant for a new Broadway musical that will star Hollywood legend Rita Bristol and her daughter Patti. After a rehearsal Barry (Rita's son, who put the financing for the show together) and Patti Bristol are walking to the parking garage when a pistol-wielding mugger jumps out from behind a dumpster demanding money. Patti is seriously wounded but Barry, who's been mugged several times, kills the man with his own gun. It doesn't add up for Jessica however and when an attempt is made on Rita's life, Jessica sets a trap.
posted by filthy light thief (3 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
It's that guy! Gregg Henry is so awesome in his final showdown with his mother here. And Jessica has such judging side-eye in the final scenes too.
posted by viggorlijah at 12:37 AM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


I love the cast for this one -- Lorna Luft, Vivian Blaine, Milton Berle! And Robert Morse (which made me shout BERT COOPER!!! really loud, to no one in particular).

I think this is the only episode I've seen so far where there's a murder but no one actually dies.
posted by mochapickle at 6:05 AM on September 24, 2014


Who taught that mugger about timing? Tommy Wiseau? "Your money and your jewels, lady, fast!" And the guy didn't wait for a response before he shot!

Det. Sgt. Moreno was the most casual, biased cop (so far):
Det. Sgt. Moreno: Bristol, you're free to go. If the D. A. wants to file, he knows where to find you. Um, I hope your sister makes it.
Barry Bristol: Thank you, Sergeant.
Det. Sgt. Moreno: No, thank you. I mean, you gave me one less bum to worry about.
But he topped it with his comments on crime statistics:
Det. Sgt. Moreno: You want a reason, huh? All right. I'll give you a reason. Statistics. That's right. Now, yesterday was on the nose.
Eleven people in this town became shooting victims, just like they're supposed to. Four of them will die. So far, Patti Bristol is one of the lucky ones.
The Gods of Crime Statistics have determined the correct number of crimes for each day, and it is simply our duty to make those numbers come true. Don't bother him with your pesky theories about set-ups and masterminds behind street crimes, because he's a busy man. After all, these conclusions won't jump to themselves.

Barry's real crime is that he has terrible taste. His mother said it's bad luck, but the way she describes it, I think the blame is with Barry: "Bad plays, dreadful films, ghastly TV shows."

There's some wonderful terrible writing. Rita Bristol died of barbiturates, alcohol and turning on the gas in her apartment, and someone says of her, "old habits are hard to break." You know, the old habits of trying to kill yourself three ways at once. She was a terrible lush for gas, you know.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:07 AM on October 2, 2014 [1 favorite]


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