Murder, She Wrote S4 E3: Witness for the Defense (1987)

Posted on by

Jessica goes to Quebec to testify at the trial of a friend who is accused of killing his wife and burning his house.

Season 4, Episode 3: Witness for the Defense (October 4, 1987)

Jessica Fletcher heads to Quebec to testify in a murder trial, but because this is her show, she ends up doing a better job than the defense attorney. This episode has everything: a burning house, a “suicidal” wife and a courtroom full of people who look like they belong in a Hammer movie.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Patrick McGoohan (Attorney Oliver Quayle): If you have to ask, you’re on the wrong website. McGoohan is the creator and star of the ultimate psychedelic spy-fi cult masterpiece, The Prisoner (“I am not a number, I am a free man!”). He was also the lead in Secret Agent/Danger Man, was in Scanners and played the villainous Longshanks in Braveheart. Here, he brings that trademark intensity that makes you wonder if he’s going to defend his client or trap everyone in an underground bunker.

Juliet Mills (Annette Pirage): Part of the legendary Mills acting dynasty, she’s best known to sitcom fans as the lead in Nanny and the Professor. But for us, she’s a legend for starring in the 1974 Exorcist rip-off/cult classic Beyond the Door, and later, the batshit-insane supernatural soap Passions.

Claire Trevor (Judith Harlan): A Film Noir queen, she won an Oscar for Key Largo and starred in Stagecoach. Seeing her in an 80s TV mystery is like finding a vintage Cadillac in a suburban garage—pure class.

Christopher Allport (Jim Harlan): You likely recognize him as Andrew Campbell from Mad Men, but horror fans know him as the star of the sentient-killer-snowman flick Jack Frost. He also survived The Savage Bees.

Richard Cox (Clay McCloud): Best known for the 1980 Al Pacino leather-bar thriller Cruising. He also popped up in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the horror-adjacent The Vindicator.

Stefan Gierasch (Dr. Cornwall): A premier “That Guy” character actor. He was in Carrie as the principal and played Delue in the western masterpiece Jeremiah Johnson.

Marilyn Hassett (Patricia Harlan): She was the star of the tear-jerker The Other Side of the Mountain. In the cult world, she led the 1979 thriller The Bell Jar and the 1984 slasher-mystery The Nightingales.

Simon Jones (Barnaby Friar): He is, and always will be, Arthur Dent from the original TV and radio versions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He also appeared in 12 Monkeys.

Dianne Kay (Monica Blane): Best known as Nancy Bradford on Eight Is Enough. She also starred in Spielberg’s comedy-war cult classic 1941.

James Staley (Fouchet): A veteran of 80s TV who appeared in The Video Dead.

Charlie Brill (Rudy): One half of the comedy duo “McCall & Brill.” Trekkies know him as Arne Darvin in the classic episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

Sean G. Griffin (Klebber): A reliable TV hand seen in everything from The Abyss to Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Dori Arnold (Secretary): Appeared in the TV movie The Last Convertible.

Ivan Bonar (His Lordship): A veteran of The Waltons and Dynasty.

Smaller roles are played by Charles Cirillo, Selby Dessner, Fritz Ford and Walter Smith.

What happens?

Jessica Fletcher travels to Quebec, where everyone has British accents, to testify as a character witness for her friend and fellow novelist, Jim Harlan. Six months prior, Jessica had been staying at the Harlan estate to help Jim proofread the galleys for his upcoming book. During that visit, a tragic explosion and fire leveled the garden house, killing Jim’s wife, Patricia.

While originally ruled an accident, new evidence has come to light. The authorities now believe Jim deliberately blew up the garden house to rid himself of a wife who was openly unfaithful and only interested in his wealth. Jessica, believing in Jim’s innocence, finds herself caught in a high-stakes legal battle led by the formidable and eccentric defense attorney Oliver Quayle.

As the trial progresses, Jessica begins to realize that her own memory of that night might be the key to the truth. She revisits the events leading up to the fire, seeking the missing pieces the police and the defense have overlooked. She realizes that the dynamics within the Harlan household, specifically the influence of Jim’s overprotective mother, Judith, are far more toxic than they appear.

While Jim and Patricia appeared affectionate, Patricia’s friend Monica Blane was present, and a mysterious interaction occurred between Patricia and the gardener. Patricia stayed behind for a 6:00 PM hair appointment while Jim drove Monica to the airport for a 7:40 PM flight. Jessica was dropped off at the Harlan townhouse at 6:30 PM, and the family gathered for dinner at 8:30 PM, where they received news of the fire.

It’s soon established that the fire was arson, caused by a disconnected gas line and a stove burner left open. There’s more evidence against J.B.’s friend, who testified he heard Jim threaten to kill Patricia after she demanded a divorce. Then, the medical examiner states that Patricia died from a blow to the head before the fire started. And to add to the timeline above, the sleazy owner of the Blue Sky Motel claims that Jim checked in with Monica Blane at 6:53 PM instead of just going to the airport.

In a shocking twist, the Crown calls Jessica to the stand to establish Jim’s whereabouts. However, the most entertaining segment occurs when Jim’s own lawyer, Oliver Quayle, cross-examines his own witness to discredit her. Quayle’s attack is a meta-commentary on the show itself. Just see the quotes below, as he points out that Jessica uses an alias (J.B. Fletcher), was once committed to an institution for the criminally insane (a reference to a book research trip) and highlights that her nieces and nephews — Victoria, Tracy and Grady — have all been arrested for murder.

Despite being dismissed by Quayle, Jessica continues her sleuthing. She learns that Patricia was an ex-convict being blackmailed by Monica. And while Patricia’s body was identified by her wedding ring, a valuable family brooch — an heirloom belonging to Jim’s grandmother — was missing from the scene.

Jessica realizes that a common thief or blackmailer would have taken the five-carat diamond rings, but only someone with sentimental ties would have specifically taken the brooch. Working with the Queen’s Counsel, Jessica sets a trap. They circulate a rumor that the gardener has the brooch. Predictably, the real killer arrives at the gardener’s shack to plant the evidence and frame him.

Who did it?

The shadowy figure is revealed to be Judith, Jim’s mother. Judith’s motive was protection and class-based elitism; she viewed Patricia as a common showgirl and an embezzler who was ruining her son’s life. Judith killed Patricia during a confrontation over her past and then set the fire to cover the crime, keeping the brooch simply because it was a family treasure she couldn’t bear to see destroyed. After Patricia was knocked unconscious (or killed) by the blow to the head, Judith staged a gas leak to cause the explosion, hoping the fire would destroy all evidence of the assault.

Who made it?

This was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by story editor Robert E. Swanson.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid? Does she get some?

No, this is another serious episode, and there’s no time for that. But the famous popcorn GIF? That’s from this episode!

Was it any good?

Yes, it actually shows that these stories take place in a universe and aren’t all one-shots.

Any trivia?

This episode is set in Canada, but no filming actually takes place there.

The crimes referred to in the dialogue between Jessica and Oliver Quayle come from:

Give me a reasonable quote:

Attorney: Mrs. Fletcher, have you ever used the alias J.B. Fletcher?

Jessica: Yes, on my books. They’re my initials.

Attorney: So you admit that you are a writer?

Jessica: Well, I’ve never felt any need to deny it. At least, uh, not so far.

Attorney: And it was in the guise of a writer that you wheedled your way into the confidence of the Harlan family?

Jessica: Wheedled?

Attorney: Do you deny that the plot for your next book was stolen from an unfinished manuscript by James Harlan?

Jessica: I certainly do.

Attorney: That is a matter we will leave for the civil courts to decide. … Mrs. J.B. Fletcher, have you any recollection of being committed to the State of Maine Institute for the Criminally Insane between the months of May and July in the year 1985?

Jessica: I was never committed anywhere. I entered the institution voluntarily.

Attorney: Under the care of Dr. Sidney Bachmann, who is a specialist in the field of criminal psychosis?

Jessica: Yes. I was researching a book.

Attorney: Indeed? What a perfect subterfuge.

Jessica: The book was called Sanitarium of Death. It was dedicated to Dr. Bachmann.

Attorney: Out of gratitude, no doubt, for the excellent care you received. Is it not a fact, Mrs. Fletcher, that a niece of yours, Victoria Griffin, was arrested for murder last year?

Jessica: Yes, but…

Attorney: Is it not a fact that another niece, Tracy McGill, was also arrested for murder?

Jessica: Yes, but I can explain.

Attorney: And that your nephew, Grady Fletcher, was arrested not once but twice, also on the charge of homicide?

Jessica: Yes, I know how that seems.

Attorney: Seems? Madam, it seems that one of New England’s most respected families is a breeding ground for homicidal maniacs!

Jessica: The charges were dropped in every single one of those cases.

Attorney: Dropped? Oh, yes, then indeed, you must also be one of the most powerful families in your country. … I have no further questions.

What’s next?

Jessica visits a convent to see a former sorority sister and winds up searching for a nun’s killer. Clu Gulager is in it!

Leave a comment