The death of a hoarder shut-in brings the burden of executing her will to Jessica. How does the legend that Benedict Arnold once lived in the woman’s house and a possible treasure fit into the puzzle?
Season 4, Episode 18: Benedict Arnold Slipped Here (March 13, 1988)
What happens?
History, heirlooms, and homicide collide in Cabot Cove when a dead woman’s estate becomes the target of greedy relatives and a very particular British historian.
Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley and William Windom?
Julie Adams as Eve Simpson, Cabot Cove’s resident real estate maven. Genre-wise, horror fans know Adams best as Kay Lawrence in the classic creature feature Creature from the Black Lagoon and its sequel Revenge of the Creature.
Brian Bedford as Alastair Andrews. Bedford was a celebrated classical stage actor and the voice of Disney’s Robin Hood.
Barbara Cason as Emily Goshen (Tillie’s cleaning lady). Cason appeared in various TV comedies and cult favorites like The Thing with Two Heads.
David Clennon as Wilton Tibbles. Clennon is a cult film staple, best known for John Carpenter’s The Thing as Palmer, as well as roles in Missing and The Right Stuff.
Shea Farrell as Kevin Tibbles. Known for his television work, including a recurring role on Hotel.
Dick O’Neill as Benny Tibbles. O’Neill was a prolific character actor, memorable as Inspector McNamera in Prizzi’s Honor and Officer Pete Lacey in Cagney & Lacey.
Smaller roles are played by Lois Foraker as Liza Adams, Katherine Moffat as Lauren Hastings, Charles Cirillo as a priest and Monty O’Grady as Mr. Wetherway.
What happens?
When eccentric local shut-in Tilly Adams passes away of natural causes, she names Jessica Fletcher as the executor of her cluttered estate. The contents of the ramshackle house are left to local pawnbroker Benny Tibbles, drawing a feeding frenzy of greedy relatives, antique dealers and local real estate agent Eve Simpson. Adding to the chaos is Alastair Andrews, a visiting British historian convinced the property holds a hidden historical treasure: a secret document proving that Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold wasn’t a traitor at all, but acted under direct orders from George Washington.
When Benny Tibbles is found murdered in front of the fireplace, bludgeoned with a fireplace poker, Jessica must parse through family greed, hidden compartments and historical obsessions to catch the killer.
Who did it?
Alastair Andrews. He murdered Benny Tibbles after Benny caught him red-handed breaking into the house to search for the supposed historical exoneration letter. Jessica trips him up with a clever clue: Andrews casually turns on the light in a dark room without assistance, claiming he had never been inside before, which betrays his prior break-in. In a brilliant comedic twist, the treasure Andrews killed for turns out to be a letter detailing Benedict Arnold’s affair with a maid, effectively making him look worse.
Who made it?
Directed by Seymour Robbie and written by Wendy Graf and Lisa Stotsky.
Does Jessica dress up and act stupid? Does she get some?
No and no. Jessica is strictly business here, wearing her sensible tweed and playing master executor and historian rather than playing the fool. As for romance? Zero action—unless you count her deep, platonic affection for a Victorian chess set she buys for Dr. Seth Hazlitt!
Was it any good?
It is a delightful, cozy Cabot Cove comfort watch. While it lacks some of the globe-trotting glamour of Jessica’s city adventures, the local flavor shines. Saying goodbye to Tom Bosley’s Sheriff Amos Tupper adds an extra layer of emotional weight for longtime fans.
Any trivia?
That’s right. This episode marks the final appearance of Tom Bosley as Sheriff Amos Tupper. Bosley left the series to star as the title character in Father Dowling Mysteries.
The character of Eve Simpson, played by Julie Adams, appeared in 10 episodes across Seasons 4 through 9 as Cabot Cove’s resident real estate agent.
Give me a reasonable quote:
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: Well, now what did you get for her?
Jessica Fletcher: Oh, I got her mostly fruit and a little makeup to boost her morale.
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: If you ask me, the outside of Tillie’s house could use a coat of paint, too.
Jessica Fletcher: Oh, it’ll take more than one coat.
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: Might hold the house together.
What’s next?
Jessica is delighted to return to New York City with the announcement of her nephew Grady’s impending engagement. But when a restaurant employee is killed, the engagement is threatened. Here’s hoping Grady gets shot in the face.
