Jessica’s niece, Victoria Brandon (Genie Francis), learns that her fiancé Howard Griffin (Jeff Conaway) is performing in drag and may be the killer of the owner of his club, Al Drake (Martin Landau). Does everyone in Jessica’s family have issues with the people they marry?

Season 1, Episode 2: Birds of a Feather (October 14, 1984)

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote…

Jessica’s niece doesn’t know much about the man she’s in love with.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Ladsbury and were they in any exploitation movies?

Bart Braverman plays Bill Patterson. He was in 20 Million Miles to Earth, The Great Texas Dynamite Case, Alligator and Hollywood Hot Tubs 2: Educating Crystal.

Genie Francis, Jessica’s niece, has played Laura Spencer on General Hospital since 1977. Her soon-to-be groom is played by Jeff Conaway, who was in Taxi and several erotic thrillers like In a Moment of Passion, Mirror Images, The Banker and Sunset Strip. They would both return as the same characters in season 3, episode 5, “Corned Beef and Cabbage.” Howard is in season 6, episode 15, “The Fixer-Upper,” but Dean Butler is in the role.

Mike Dupont is played by Dick Gautier, the voice of Hot Rod on The Transformers, Serpentor in G.I. Joe and Hymie on Get Smart. He’s in one other episode of this show.

Lt. Floyd Novack is Harry Guardino, who played Bressler in Dirty Harry and The Enforcer, one of many police officer roles.

Comedian Freddy York is Gabe Kaplan, who everyone knows best from Welcome Back, Kotter.

The evil club owner? That’s Martin Landau, who became a big star again after Ed Wood but also made movies like Sliver, Alone In the Dark, The Being, Without Warning and Shadows In an Empty Room. His wife, Candice, is Carol Lawrence. She sang “I Feel Pretty” and appeared in three other Murder, She Wrote episodes.

Barbara Stevenson is played by Barbara Rhodes, who was No Balls Hadley in The Choirboys.

In the minor roles, we have Robin Bach (the first of five appearances on the show), John O’Leary, William Phipps (the voice of Cinderella‘s Prince Charming), Brian Avery, Gary Pagett, Herndon Jackson, Tony Ballen, Nick Savage, Ken Clayton, Bret Dunsford, Shirley Lang, Ethelreda Leopold (whose career stretched back to 1931) and he husband Joe Pine, Lemuel Perry and early parts for George Clooney and Andy Garcia.

What happens?

Mike Dupont and Al Drake get into an argument — just after he shuts down another man named Howard, telling him that he has to be at the club tonight — just to make us wonder who they are. As we get the idea that one of them wants to murder the other, we meet Jessica’s niece, Victoria, who has wedding fever. She also wants her aunt to love her future partner, who always works. He’s Howard, the guy we saw mistreated by Al Drake a few minutes ago.

Howard has blown her off for the last five evenings and keeps coming home smelling of perfume, with lipstick all over him. Jessica tries to gently suggest that perhaps they should investigate what’s happening, leading them to find matchbooks from a nightclub. And when they go to that nightclub, not only do they see some lousy comedy from Freddy, but they also see a drag act. Just as he starts his act, someone yells, and it turns out that Al has been shot and killed. Howard, who runs out of the room, is blamed as the murderer, which means that Jessica goes from trying to find out if he’s a cheat to defending him against the police.  And oh yeah, Howard is also in drag.

Jessica figures out that the murder happened sooner than it appears. Meanwhile, Mrs. Drake — who was having an affair with the other male in drag, Mike — fires Barbara, who was possibly having an affair with her husband. Jessica gets the scoop on this dirt just in time for Freddy to almost get killed by falling lights.

Then, Jessica turns on the charm by heading to Novak’s apartment and playing with his cat, just as the tough guy reveals that he’s a soft touch. He’s also concerned that she’s been targeted because she knows too much. Then, as she tries to nap, a pillow reminds her of the clue she missed.

Who did it?

Freddy York, who used a pillow as a silencer. Jessica pulls off an incredible guess here, as his office has a window, and he has the only sunbaked pillow.

Who made it?

John Llewellyn Moxey directed this, the first of eighteen episodes of the show he would direct. His TV movie career is one of the finest you’ll find; he also directed The City of the Dead. He always worked with over a hundred credits, and the best of his directing includes The Night Stalker and Home for the Holidays.

This is the first episode not written by one of the creators. Robert Swanson, who wrote 87 Murder, She Wrote stories, contributed his first one. He spent most of his career writing for TV. Robert Van Scoyk, who had a similar career, is the executive story editor.

Some facts…

Some time has passed between the last episode and this story, as Jessica has six best-selling books.

The only person to kill someone in the Fletcher family was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

Does Jessica get some?

No, but she does charm Lt. Novak’s assistant. When Novak says, “What is it about that woman that makes me nervous?” he says, “I think she’s kind of cute.” Somehow, she gets some of the evidence thanks to this guy. That said, she does go to Novak’s apartment.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

No.

Was it any good?

This is the first episode in which Jessica is more nosy than a detective, but it’s not bad. This episode sets up the way the show will be for most episodes, but like a warm cup of tea, you always know what it will taste like, yet it relaxes you when you need it.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Jessica Fletcher: I’ve got the name of a very good lawyer. Is there anything else you need?

Howard Griffin: How about a pair of pants?

Got a TV Guide ad?

No.

What’s next?

Jessica has one of her books turned into a slasher in an episode filled with some of my favorite actors!