Jessica’s exploits have sent many people to prison, but after yet another run-in with MI6 agent Michael Hagarty, Jessica finds herself incarcerated for identity theft and a murder she didn’t commit.
Season 5, Episode 1: The Body Politic (October 23, 1988)
Yes, you heard that right. A chance encounter with her old friend Michael Hagarty — maybe not so good after this — leaves Jessica the one accused of murder. And not just all the serial murders, but specifically killing a diplomat.
Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?
Here is the guest cast breakdown formatted just like the reviews on B&S About Movies:
Maureen Arthur plays Veronica. Arthur gained lasting recognition as Hedy LaRue in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, alongside guest spots on classic TV favorites like The Love Boat, Sanford and Son, Laverne & Shirley, and Perry Mason. Her cult and genre appearances include the Don Knotts comedy satire The Love God? and episodes of Get Smart and Night Gallery.
Sam Behrens plays Kevin Styles. He also played Gregory Sumner on Sunset Beach, Danny Waleska on Knots Landing, and Jake Meyer on General Hospital. His genre and drama credits include the crime thriller Murder by Numbers and the harrowing Andes survival drama Alive.
Michael Callan is Sgt. Nash. He originated the role of Riff in the original 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story before transitioning to film opposite Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou and starring in Occasional Wife.
Len Cariou plays Michael Hagarty. Acclaimed for originating the title role of Sweeney Todd on Broadway (winning a Tony Award) and starring as Cardinal Bernard Law in Spotlight, I know him best from Lady In White.
Maxwell Caulfield plays Roger Travis. Yes, Michael Carrington in Grease 2, washed-up pop idol Rex Manning in Empire Records and Miles Colby on The Colbys and Dynasty. His filmography includes Penelope Spheeris’s The Boys Next Door, Waxwork 2: Lost in Time, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat and Oblivion 2: Backlash.
John Rhys-Davies plays Lancaster. He’s internationally famous for playing Gimli the Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise and Professor Maximilian Arturo on Sliders.
Leslie Easterbrook plays Glenda Morrison. You knew I’d say that she’s Sgt./Capt. Debbie Callahan across six Police Academy films. She cemented her status as a modern horror icon by replacing Karen Black as Mother Firefly in Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects and appearing in his Halloween remake, as well as indie shockers like House of the Witchdoctor.
Michael Horton plays Grady Fletcher, best known to television audiences as Jessica’s notoriously ill-fated nephew across 12 episodes of Murder, She Wrote and as Tactical Officer Lt. Daniels in Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection.
Ron O’Neal plays Sgt. Joe Santiago, a legendary blaxploitation icon remembered forever as Youngblood Priest in Super Fly and Super Fly T.N.T. His action and cult film credits include playing Cuban officer Col. Bella in the original Red Dawn, The Final Countdown, the Chuck Norris martial arts favorite A Force of One and Mercenary Fighters.
Debbie Zipp plays Donna Mayberry, remembered for playing Grady’s eventual wife on Murder, She Wrote (a role mirroring her real-life marriage to co-star Michael Horton) as well as guest appearances on Paper Chase, One Day at a Time and L.A. Law.
Joseph Ruskin plays Ivanov. He’s a legendary character actor who holds the rare distinction of appearing in all five live-action Star Trek television franchises, including playing Sybok.
John Harnagel plays a clerk and Stephen Macht plays a man.
Gregory J. Barnett plays an officer (credited as Greg Barnett). He’s a powerhouse Hollywood stunt coordinator and second-unit director who also logged on-screen acting work in Baywatch and To Live and Die in L.A.
What happens?
Jessica meets her old friend, MI6 agent Michael Hagarty, after a chance encounter at the airport. This immediately plunges her into international intrigue: a Bulgarian contact is shot dead in an alley, and Jessica is found standing over the body, resulting in her arrest under an alias (“Jane Doe”).
Meanwhile, Hagarty hunts a mysterious political assassin known as “The Cobra,” who plans to eliminate an African opposition leader named Leonard Matoso. As shady spies, State Department reps, and freelance reporters circle Grady and the investigation, Jessica uses her downtime in a jail cell to inspect a Zane Grey paperback left by the victim. Spotting a clue in an uncancelled stamp on a postcard inside the book, she exposes the assassin’s true identity just in time to save Grady and end the plot.
Who did it?
Kevin Styles, the special attorney with the State Department, who is actually “The Cobra.” His motive was carrying out a high-stakes political assassination for hire while ruthlessly eliminating loose ends along the way.
Who made it?
Anthony Pullen Shaw, Angela Lansbury’s son, directed this episode, marking his first show after a summer hiatus. Shaw had previously been given two directorial projects as part of his mother’s contract deal and would direct four episodes this season. Crew members Hub Braden and Donald J. Remacle famously had “I Know Anthony Shaw Personally” printed on T-shirts worn on the last day of location filming in San Pedro. You can also see Shaw’s name on a blackboard.
Chris Manheim wrote it.
Does Jessica dress up and act stupid? Does she get some?
Jessica doesn’t wear any disguises this week—she spends the majority of the episode locked behind actual jail bars instead! She certainly doesn’t act stupid, methodically unraveling the conspiracy with postal cancellation clues while everyone else runs around confused. As for getting some? Not a chance; she’s too busy dealing with international espionage and refusing Michael Hagarty’s charmingly disastrous car rides.
Was it any good?
It’s a weird, lopsided way to kick off the fifth season. The first half does a solid job building a tense, atmospheric spy thriller with plenty of suspects and high-stakes intrigue. Unfortunately, the second half and final reveal fumble the landing, leaving a trail of unexplained character beats and loose plot threads. Still, seeing Len Cariou bounce off Angela Lansbury always brings a fun dynamic to the screen.
Any trivia?
The filming schedule allowed Angela Lansbury’s scenes to be shot last, with her jail sequences staged on a Universal Studios lot stage.
Give me a reasonable quote:
Michael Hagarty: My car’s downstairs. You’ve plenty of time to catch your plane.
Jessica Fletcher: Oh, you’re very sweet, but I hate to put you to all this trouble.
Michael Hagarty: Trouble? Not a bit of it. But there is one thing. I promised my chief I’d do him a favor, pick up some microfilm from one of our undercover agents in Chinatown. It won’t take a minute. It’s on our way.
Jessica Fletcher: Grady…
Grady Fletcher: Call a cab.
What’s next?
After her publisher announces his impending retirement, Jessica heads to NYC, where she is simultaneously wooed by potential new publishers and a smooth-talking jewel thief. It’s Keith Michell’s first time as the recurring character Dennis Stanton.
