Season Ten opens with this entry, set in Hong Kong, four years before its 1997 transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China, an anticipated factor affecting its central storyline.
Emma Soon Dunbar (France Nuyen), a wealthy ceramic artist, welcomes her dear old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to Hong Kong, after vacationing with her in London, and visiting Cabot Cove with Emma's daughter, April Dunbar (Vivian Wu).
Riding with Emma's chauffeur, Chang (Calvin Jung), the old friends visit Hong Kong's business district, to browse the Jade Shoppe, operated by Mr. Li (Raymond Ma).
But when Chang enters to inform Emma that she has received a telephone call outside in the limousine, Chinese Kidnapper (Jen Sung Outerbridge) overtakes Chang and carts Emma away as hostage.
Jessica assists Chang to his feet and asks Mr. Li to notify the police, leading Inspector McLaughlin (David Warner) into the picture.
But when Inspector McLaughlin reports that kidnappings are everyday occurrences in Hong Kong (similar to murders in Cabot Cove), Jessica takes matters into her own hands, by telephoning Emma's husband Brian Dunbar (Barrie Ingham).
Brian Dunbar operates House of Dunbar Fashions, a business which his British family has conducted in Hong Kong for 110 years. Brian's assistants, Louise Walton (Teri Austin) and Mark Tower (James Sutorius) attend conferences and social events at Brian's side.
At the moment, Brian, Louise and Mark meet for a potential merger proposal with Kai Kuan (Soon-Tek Oh) and his son, David Kuan (Dustin Nguyen), who secretly goes with April Dunbar, against their feuding fathers' wishes.
So, Jessica has her hands full during this vacation, what with the kidnapping of her dear old friend, plus young love separated by feuding fathers, plus a murder by lime juice just around the corner.
But when Jessica returns to the elegant Dunbar mansion, Emma appears in her midst, along with Brian, Louise and Mark, as they nonchalantly plan to attend April's singing performance that evening after the rain (although for some reason, it doesn't rain on the hill which houses Dunbar mansion).
Emma, Jessica, Brian, Louise and Mark, indeed, attend April's show, at which April greets Jessica heartedly, and also David, backstage, as Brian walks into her dressing room to evict David from his daughter's life.
After another rainy day downtown, Emma, April, Jessica, Brian, Louise and Mark, as well as Kai and David, plus Inspector McLaughlin, attend the 110th Anniversary banquet of House of Dunbar, where the victim soon collapses at the table, after ingesting 100-year-old egg, topped with almond slivers dipped in lime juice, and laced with Cyanide. (The ones who don't receive the Cyanide somehow survive the menu.)
Jessica must now tie together a series of clues, including one wet windshield while the others are dry, a patch of yellow paint upon a tire which has touched against a curb (how and why workers paint curbs in the rain is anyone's guess), and figure a way for young love to blossom in the aftermath of "A Death in Hong Kong."
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Vivian Wu, the second of two each for Barrie Ingham and David Warner, and the fourth of five "MSW" guest roles for James Sutorius.
Emma Soon Dunbar (France Nuyen), a wealthy ceramic artist, welcomes her dear old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to Hong Kong, after vacationing with her in London, and visiting Cabot Cove with Emma's daughter, April Dunbar (Vivian Wu).
Riding with Emma's chauffeur, Chang (Calvin Jung), the old friends visit Hong Kong's business district, to browse the Jade Shoppe, operated by Mr. Li (Raymond Ma).
But when Chang enters to inform Emma that she has received a telephone call outside in the limousine, Chinese Kidnapper (Jen Sung Outerbridge) overtakes Chang and carts Emma away as hostage.
Jessica assists Chang to his feet and asks Mr. Li to notify the police, leading Inspector McLaughlin (David Warner) into the picture.
But when Inspector McLaughlin reports that kidnappings are everyday occurrences in Hong Kong (similar to murders in Cabot Cove), Jessica takes matters into her own hands, by telephoning Emma's husband Brian Dunbar (Barrie Ingham).
Brian Dunbar operates House of Dunbar Fashions, a business which his British family has conducted in Hong Kong for 110 years. Brian's assistants, Louise Walton (Teri Austin) and Mark Tower (James Sutorius) attend conferences and social events at Brian's side.
At the moment, Brian, Louise and Mark meet for a potential merger proposal with Kai Kuan (Soon-Tek Oh) and his son, David Kuan (Dustin Nguyen), who secretly goes with April Dunbar, against their feuding fathers' wishes.
So, Jessica has her hands full during this vacation, what with the kidnapping of her dear old friend, plus young love separated by feuding fathers, plus a murder by lime juice just around the corner.
But when Jessica returns to the elegant Dunbar mansion, Emma appears in her midst, along with Brian, Louise and Mark, as they nonchalantly plan to attend April's singing performance that evening after the rain (although for some reason, it doesn't rain on the hill which houses Dunbar mansion).
Emma, Jessica, Brian, Louise and Mark, indeed, attend April's show, at which April greets Jessica heartedly, and also David, backstage, as Brian walks into her dressing room to evict David from his daughter's life.
After another rainy day downtown, Emma, April, Jessica, Brian, Louise and Mark, as well as Kai and David, plus Inspector McLaughlin, attend the 110th Anniversary banquet of House of Dunbar, where the victim soon collapses at the table, after ingesting 100-year-old egg, topped with almond slivers dipped in lime juice, and laced with Cyanide. (The ones who don't receive the Cyanide somehow survive the menu.)
Jessica must now tie together a series of clues, including one wet windshield while the others are dry, a patch of yellow paint upon a tire which has touched against a curb (how and why workers paint curbs in the rain is anyone's guess), and figure a way for young love to blossom in the aftermath of "A Death in Hong Kong."
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Vivian Wu, the second of two each for Barrie Ingham and David Warner, and the fourth of five "MSW" guest roles for James Sutorius.