In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, a distant cousin of Jessica is falsely accused of murder.

Season 2, Episode 21: The Perfect Foil (April 13, 1986)

Jessica goes to New Orleans to see her distant cousin Cal during Mardi Gras. Upon arriving at his rooming house, she finds a party in full swing, a guest murdered and Cal being the prime suspect.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Rosaline Gardner is played by Barbara Babcock, who was Dorothy on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and June Petrie in Salem’s Lot.

Cousin Cal is played by Peter Bonerz, who has the best name and was also Dr. Jerry Robinson on The Bob Newhart Show. He also directed tons of TV, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, and the pilot for The Elvira Show.

Lt. Edmund Cavette? That’s Cesare Donova from Tentacles, The Astral Factor and the Mayor in Animal House.

The character Johnny Blaze is not Ghost Rider. He is played by George DiCenzo, the voice of Hordak!

Gilbert Gaston is played by Robert Forster. I hope I don’t have to tell you who he is.

Same as Lisa Langlois. I mean, beyond being married to Robert Urich, she was a Canuxploitation scream queen.

Mitch Payne is played by David Hedison, who you may know as the original Felix Leiter! Oh wow! He was The Fly!

Aunt Mildred, the one who wants Jessica to check in on Cal, is Penny Singleton, the voice of Jane Jetson and Blondie in the movies.

Congressman Brad Gardner? That’s Granville Van Dusen.

In smaller roles, Morgan Jones is Sergeant Baxter, Joe Ross is a desk clerk, and Hank Rolike (Apollo Creed’s cornerman) is a taxi driver. Sherry McFarland is a receptionist, Raf Mauro is Napoleon, Wendy Oates is Madame Dracula, Guerin Barry is Sir Walter, and Raleigh Brose is a headsman.

What happens?

In a New Orleans saloon, Congressman Brad Gardner, attorney Mitch Payne, Gilbert Gaston and Calhoun Fletcher are playing poker when Cal is cheated by dealer Johnny Blaze and kicked out of the bar.

What does Cal do for a living? He collects butterflies. And he hasn’t stayed in touch with the family, so JB’s aunt asks her to check on him in New Orleans on the way to Houston. Those cities are 318 miles apart.

All of the poker players are either cheating on each other’s wives or owe each other money. Jessica ends up at a costume party — yes, finally, she dresses up — where all of them are partying. She struggles to find Cal just as Blaze is killed, and Cal’s name is written in blood at the crime scene.

Yes, death is a big part of the Fletcher family, and Jessica feels like she has to defend Cal. Does anyone not realize that death follows her? How about Cal barely recognizes her, and she can barely figure out how they’re related. But they have to be, because outside of JB, the Fletcher family is a bunch of louts who get arrested all the time. He’s very Grady. Here’s an example: why would you let someone run a gambling bar inside your house?

Mostly, this episode is Jessica eating fancy dinners with Lt. Edmund Cavette, solving the crime and realizing that Cal is such a moron that he’s ready to run a house of ill repute next.

Who did it?

Gilbert.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Robert E. Swanson.

Does Jessica get some?

I mean, she went to some pretty nice dinners with that cop. But…

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

Finally, she does dress up, but never acts like a moron.

Was it any good?

It’s a decent episode that proves that the Fletchers are the story engine that keeps the Grim Reaper and Jessica in business.

Any trivia?

Oh man, Johnny Blaze killed Lt. Cavette’s son. Talk about a conflict of interest.

IMDB tried to puzzle Cal and JB’s relation: “Jessica and Cal are described as second cousins, once removed, by marriage. This means that her husband Frank and one of Cal’s parents were second cousins, which further means that one of Frank’s grandparents and one of Cal’s parents’ grandparents were siblings.”

Give me a reasonable quote:

Lt. Edmund Cavette: Cal, what kind of business is that lady in?

Calhoun Fletcher: I don’t know. It’s for out-of-town businessmen. Some sort of escort service, I think. Bye.

Lt. Edmund Cavette: I’ll have a little talk with him.

What’s next?

Jessica spends the holidays with an old friend, Lloyd Marcus, whose daughter was killed with her husband, the prime suspect.

Jessica attends a tennis tournament as the guest of honor. She struggles to protect her former student, Carol, when her boyfriend is blown up in her car, and she is the only suspect.

Season 2, Episode 20: Menace, Anyone? – Died on Sunday (April 6, 1986)

Jessica can’t even go to a tennis game without someone dying.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Mitch Mercer is played by Dennis Cole.

Brian East? It’s a young Bryan Cranston!

Barbara McDermott is played by Karlene Crockett, and Muriel Gillis is from Dallas.

Carol McDermott is Linda Hamilton! This cast is star-studded.

Don’t believe me? There’s Van Johnson, once second only to Sinatra as a male star.

Cissy Barnes? Kelli Maroney! I mean, who else could be in this? 

Doug McKeon (On Golden Pond) is Donny Harrigan.

Det. Sgt. Len Berger is played by Barry Primus. The other law officer, Det. Lt. Tad Travis is David Spielberg.

Betsey Russell is in everything from the Saw movies to Private School. Oh! And Avenging Angel and Tomboy. She’s Doris Robinson.

Kerry Sherman from Eyes of Fire is Rosie.

In minor roles, Harold Ayer plays Sexton, Laurence Haddon is a judge, Gus Corrado is a paramedic, and Rod Porter, Helen Baron, Richard Jacobson, Larry Carr, and Ivonne Perez Montijo all have background parts.

What happens?

No Terminators for Linda Hamilton. She is a former student of Jessica, which is like telling death you’re ready. She’s married to Bryan Cranston, a tennis player, which seems like a conflict of interest for someone running a tennis tournament, much less one she’s named after JB, and as you’d expect, Cranston’s character soon dies in a car bomb explosion.

Yes, if a tennis event is named for Jessica, not just one person will die. A detective will, too. And his body is left in Carol’s (Hamilton) house, making her scream as if she were the target of a giallo killer. She even gets overdosed on pills by the killer and her dad to keep her quiet, but she escapes death thanks to a friend of the devil, JB.

There’s also a fantastic moment where Jessica goes to the mental hospital to see how Carol is doing, meets a doctor, talks to her, and realizes she’s talking to a crazy person. What no one wants to discuss is that Carol still thinks her sister, Barbara, is alive and talks about her as if she were. That’s fine, and we’re going to get over that.

Who did it?

Doris. She’s insane!

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, who also made Hercules In New York. It was written by story editor Robert B. Sherman.

Does Jessica get some?

No. Come on, our girl is going to be a virgin again!

Was it any good?

It’s good. Not the best or worst episode.

Any trivia?

Betsy Russell was married to real-life tennis pro Vincent Van Patten.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Carol McDermott: I’d like to see her.

Jessica Fletcher: Oh, I think you two are going to see a great deal of each other for a long, long time to come.

What’s next?

In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, a distant cousin of Jessica is falsely accused of murder. And Robert Forster is in it!

Jessica must find out the truth when the ruthless owner of a periodical is murdered.

Season 2, Episode 19: Christopher Bundy – Died on Sunday (March 30, 1986)

Jessica writes a short story for a magazine, which is soon bought out and turned into a dirty magazine. JB in a porn rag? Maybe!

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Christopher Bundy, the owner of the magazine, is played by Bert Convy, who, in addition to being a game show host, was also in The Cannonball Run, Jennifer, and “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar,” one of my favorite episodes of Night Gallery.

Det. Lt. Greco in this episode is Robert Costanzo, who has more than 300 roles on IMDb.

Antonio D’Argento is played by Bobby Di Cicco, who was in everything from I Wanna Hold Your Hand to Maniac Cop 3.

Everett Charles Jensen is played by Robert Hooks, Mr. T from Trouble Man.

Grady is back. Have I ever told you how much I hate Jessica’s nephew Grady? Well, I do. And he’s, as always, played by Michael Horton.

Rachel D’Argento is played by Carol Lawrence.

Millicent Moore is played by Katherine Moffat.

Vanessa D’Argento is played by Michelle Nicastro.

Hey! That’s Alex Rocco playing Bert Yardley! And Robert Stack as Chester Harrison!

Pete Morgan is played by Eric Server.

In the background roles, Charles Sweigart plays a police officer, and Josh Gordon plays an announcer.

What happens?

Why would JB’s story be in a porn magazine? You know that it’s Grady’s fault. He takes her to Bundy’s mansion — you know, like the one with the grotto — and she soon realizes that his entire family is insane. Well, Jessica, you cause murder everywhere you go, and you haven’t let death claim Brady, who deserves it more than anyone, so let’s not throw stones.

Then Chester Harrison arrives, angry that Bundy stole his magazine. If you’ve watched enough of this show, you can see that they are stacking the deck with potential killers. The next morning, while JB is on her run, Bundy is shot. Luckily, at the time, JB was watching security monitors with a card, so it’s not her. And everyone has an alibi.

Who did it?

Niece Vanessa, so she wasn’t really playing tennis.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Peter Crane and written by Gerald K. Siegel.

Does Jessica get some?

No. Robert Stack would be a great partner for her, but we really need to get JB back into her groove.

Was it any good?

It’s fine — you can see the murder coming as the show starts to get its formula.

Any trivia?

The title of this episode comes from the nursery rhyme “Solomon Grundy.”

Give me a reasonable quote:

Grady Fletcher: Aw, who cares? She wasn’t my type anyway.

Jessica Fletcher: Grady, your love life is a real mess.

What’s next?

Jessica attends a tennis tournament, and one of her former students is there. Her husband is killed by a car bomb, which is pretty much what happens when you have any connection to Jessica Fletcher.

Cabot Cove residents gather for a funeral, only to be shocked by the discovery that the coffin contains the wrong body. The mystery deepens: where is Henry Veron, who is the dead mystery man, and was it murder?

Season 2, Episode 18: If a Body Meet a Body (March 9, 1986)

Jessica is attending the funeral of Henry Vernon when an ex-lover claims he was murdered.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) is back. Is this the time he gets some JBP? Or will Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom)?

Silas Pike is played by Robert Donner, the caddy from Leslie Nielsen’s Stupid Little Golf Video.

Agnes Shipley plays Anne Jeffreys. She was Tess Truehart in the original Dick Tracy.

Audrey Landers, who was Afrton Cooper on Dallas, is Phyllis Walter.

Christy Olson is played by Lori Lethin. She was in Bloody Birthday.

Monte Markham, who directed Neon City, plays Ned Olson.

Rex Smith, TV’s Street Hawk, is Stew Bennett.

Carrie Snodgrass (Murphy’s Law) is Connie Vernon.

Richard Stahl plays Rev. Matthews.

This is the last role of Robert Sterling, who plays Ben Shipley.

Smaller roles are played by Joe Maross as the dead Henry Vernon, Scott Palmer as a deputy, and the townspeople are played by Ellaraino (whose real name is Ella Raino Edwards), Sonia Kara, Timothy Jecko, George Golden, Dorothy Hack and Walter Smith.

What happens?

Henry’s mistress, Phyllis, has come to the funeral and claims that his wife, Connie, killed him. Sheriff Amos tries to settle her down; she shoves him, and the coffin falls, revealing… not Henry. Who can solve this? Amos wants to do it, but we all know JB will handle it. I mean, he should worry more about trying to solve how to finally get her bra off.

Henry’s old partner, Ned, is a mess. Phyliss comes to Jessica’s late at night to ask for help, and Jessica just wants to write her book. But the biggest shock comes when it’s revealed that Henry Vernon is still alive. So who is the John Doe in his coffin?

Maybe Jessica has some problems now that Connie is trying to get Amos to stay over to watch a John Wayne movie, which is a euphemism I’m going to start using for dry rub sex. And then Henry Vernon’s body shows up again.

Connie claims that her husband picked up a hitchhiker who had a heart attack in the backseat and came up with the plan to collect the insurance money. Meanwhile, Ned’s new business is screwed up already, which means an angry mob has gathered. Whew, Cabot Cove is a rough spot.

Who did it?

Sweet, sweet Connie a doin’ her act, as Grand Funk Railroad sang.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Steve Stoliar.

Does Jessica get some?

No. I bet she’s happy Connie went to jail, because she needs two dicks in a glass, Sheriff Lobo and Dr. Seth.

Was it any good?

Of course. As you may know, I’m obsessed with how JB is surrounded constantly by friends who die.

Any trivia?

The needlepoint being worked on by Connie is the same one featured in the Columbo episode “The Conspirators” by Jeanette Nolan.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Dr. Seth Hazlitt: Amos, someday you’re gonna break an ankle jumping to a conclusion.

What’s next?

Jessica must find out the truth when the ruthless owner of a periodical is murdered.

Jessica finds herself in a tough spot when one of the auctioneers of a diary is murdered, and she has to rely on Harry McGraw to help her out.

Season 2, Episode 17: One Good Bid Deserves a Murder (February 23, 1986)

At the request of Richard Bennett, a friend and a popular actor, Jessica Fletcher goes to an auction to bid for the diary of a dead woman whose journal was stolen on the night of her death.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Dr. Sylvia Dunn is Karen Black, which makes this my favorite episode of the show.

Lt. Casey is played by Ray Girardin.

Sheila Saxon is Nancy Lee Grahn, who has been on General Hospital and Santa Barbara.

Albert Cromwell is played by Robert Gray.

Hurd Hatfield, who was Dorian Gray in the 1945 movie, is William Readford.

Edward Mulhare from Knight Rider! He’s Richard Bennett.

Harry McGraw is back and he’s always Jerry Orbach.

Robert Rhine plays Cotter Smith.

Sal Domino is played by Vic Tayback! Yes!

Background roles are played by Alan Craig, Lyle Howry, Paul King, George Sasaki, Nico Stevens, Leland Sun, Manny Weltman, Marvin Newman, Jean Vander Pul (the voice of Wilma Flintstone!), Howard Murohy, Allysia Sneed, Sterling Swanson, David Ankrum and Rebecca Street.

What happens?

Sorry to all the Edward Mulhare fans, but he’s soon killed because of the diary of Evangeline, the Marilyn Monroe of JB Fletcher’s universe. Who else wanted the diary? Everyone. Producer Sheila Saxon and director Saul Domino, who want to make a sleazy movie I would totally watch. Doctor Sylvia Dunn, Evangeline’s psychiatrist, must have some secrets. Or is it Robert Rhine, a lawyer trying to keep the diary quiet for his client?

Harry McGraw keeps Jessica out of jail, seeing as how her client just fell dead out of a wardrobe. Harry also has a black eye from allergies. She takes him back to her hotel to put the medicine on for him, which we all know is just a story, so that I have a section to fill out about Harry McGraw Dogging Jessica later. But no, someone has broken in and torn the room up more than Harry wants to rip up that Cabot Cove Caboose, but luckily, she has hidden the diary in a chess set she bought for dick in glass Seth back home.

When Jessica goes back to the auction house, the owner is dead, and she gets caught standing over the body. She asks the cops why they think she would want to kill the man, and he answers as any law enforcement should: “Beats me, Mrs Fletcher, but every time I find a dead body, you seem to be in the neighborhood.”

Anyways, between Harry dating the producer, him sneaking out with the diary and multiple suspects, this episode is filled with many a twist, many a turn.

Who did it?

Albert Cromwell, who was Evangeline’s first boyfriend.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by J. Miyoko Hensley and Steven Hensley, who wrote Can You Feel Me Dancing? together.

Does Jessica get some?

No. I’d like to think that she and Harry have some September/September coupling, followed by a dinner at a diner, then maybe a furtive handjob in his parked car while she thinks about her dead husband. I’m a romantic.

Was it any good?

It has a scene where Karen Black goes nuts. It’s great.

Any trivia?

Angela Lansbury and Hurd Hatfield were co-stars in The Picture of Dorian Gray and became lifelong friends. She introduced him to Ireland and Hatfield lived in County Cork from the early 1970s.

Jessica spent $300 on that chess set, which is like $900 today. She must want Seth more than we know.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Harry McGraw: I must be nuts.

Jessica Fletcher: Harry, I know that was very difficult for you. But now that you’ve put that diary to rest, honestly, don’t you feel better?

Harry McGraw: Honestly? Jessica, you must be nuts.

What’s next?

Cabot Cove residents gather for a funeral and discover the coffin contains the wrong body.