Ever After (8 Mar. 1992)

An actress neighbor involves Jessica in her husband's murder.

Director:

Anthony Pullen Shaw

Writers:

Peter S. Fischer (creator), Richard Levinson (creator),

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, Marcia Cross, Nada Despotovich

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Angela Lansbury	...	Jessica Fletcher
Marcia Cross	...	Marci Bowman
Nada Despotovich	...	Dep. Ginger Billis
John DiSanti	...	Sheriff Beals
Marj Dusay	...	Miriam Bowman
Kevin McCarthy	...	Walter Bowman
Michael McGrady	...	Bo Wilder
Kate Mulgrew	...	Joanna Rollins
Tony Roberts	...	Devon 'Sonny' Lane
Mitchell Whitfield	...	Teddy Cardozo
Andrew Brye	...	Ahmed Shankar
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Dorothy Fremont
Robert Alan Browne	...	Ofc. Bronsky
Richardson Morse	...	City Clerk
Maurice Hill	...	Irwin Fisk

Storyline

Shortly after his high-profile second marriage with Jessica's neighbor, soap star Marci, Walter Bowman fires his personal trainer Bo Wilder and is shot dead at home. Unlike sheriff Beals's department, Jessica soon suspects a set-up. Suspects include her jealous ex, acting colleague Devon 'Sonny' Lane, who tried to object at the wedding and agent Teddy Cardozo.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | gym | hospital gown | ritual

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 1992 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Fremont Mansion - 56 Fremont Place, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Soap Suds Foam All Over

Devon "Sonny" Lane (Tony Roberts) lies comatose with Joanna Rollins (Kate Mulgrew)'s urging him to regain consciousness from the side of his hospital bed. And so, he instantly does, causing her to proclaim the miracle, before Sheri Finestock (Elaine Welton Hill) announces, "Cut!"

Sonny and Joanna complete this scene for the NYC-based daytime television serial "Happily Ever After," as Director Sheri Finestock tells Sonny, who emerges from his coma, that his character recovers fully, but off-camera, in Philadelphia, as he is now written off from the program.

Sonny blames Joanna for his dismissal, which leads to a series of altercations between these characters, who have been portraying mediocre performers on a cut-rate "show within a show."

"MSW" often take a light-hearted jab at the daytime television drama genre, as many a prime time series of its era would often parody its "inferior" aspects, but the direction of this episode doesn't stop there. Nearly every character here is presented as an untalented soap opera wannabe away from the "Happily Ever After" set, from the victim to the suspects to the law enforcement officers entangled with a brutal murder.

Even highly-regarded distinguished stars as Marj Dusay and Kevin McCarthy are handed bromide characters, highly unworthy of their talents and captivating persona's, while others display very little promise in the way of entertainment.

For reasons as these, "Ever After" may slip into your "MSW's" bin of "Bottom of the Barrel Week, Worst Episode #5 or so" although, of course, some may rate this otherwise. Angela Lansbury manages to salvage this episode with her character's resolve to remedy a fierce domestic dispute, to interrogate suspects, and to determine how the crime has been committed.

At any rate, the action picks up at Penfield House Apartments, on West 61st Street, in New York City, at which Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) rents apartment 4B. Doorman Ahmed Shankar (Andrew Brye) hands Jessica her mail in the lobby, where Joanna Rollins awaits Jessica near the elevator, to hand her an envelope of Jessica's which has been placed into Joanna's mail.

Devon "Sonny" Lane lurks around a fourth-floor corridor to confront Joanna at her door, across from Jessica's. An altercation erupts, causing Joanna to seek refuge at Jessica's.

Meanwhile, at a lavish estate in Dell Harbor, Long Island, Walter Bowman (Kevin McCarthy) pedals his exercise bicycle in his gymnasium, with personal trainer Bo Wilder (Michael McGrady) at his side, while Walter watches Joanna on "Happily Ever After," Walter saying that he's going to marry her.

Daughter Marci Bowman (Marcia Cross) enters the gymnasium with her beau, Teddy Cardozo (Mitchell Whitfield), who turns off the television set to present to Walter his proposal to invest in constructing roller coasters in every major city.

Walter hastily evicts Teddy from his presence and threatens him for turning off the television when Joanna is performing. This, however, doesn't stop Teddy and Marci from discussing plans to construct roller coasters.

Miriam Bowman (Marj Dusay) then enters to confront Walter over his plans to marry Joanna, and over Miriam's fling with Bo Wilder, whom he fires on the spot.

When a priceless painting is slashed at Joanna's apartment, Officer Bronsky (Robert Alan Browne) is summoned to investigate, as he attempts to interrogate a Painter (Justin DiPego), who carries a ladder back and forth through Penfield House lobby for no apparent purpose.

Art Appraiser Irwin Fisk (Maurice Hill) briefly appears to determine the value of the loss. It would be nice to have seen Maurice Hill's role expanded here.

City Clerk (Richardson Morse) performs the sudden marriage of Joanna and Walter amid a horde of reporters and photographers for live television broadcast, as Sonny disrupts the ceremony to threaten the couple, who marry anyhow.

Soon, Joanna somehow moves her wardrobe to the Long Island estate, while she maintains her apartment in proximity to the television studio and dines with Jessica, when news breaks that a body has been discovered in Long Island.

Dell Harbor authorities Sheriff Beals (John DiSanti) and Deputy Ginger Billis (Nada Despotovich) investigate, to discover a recently-fired rifle beneath a bed, which Jessica questions upon her arrival.

Casting agent Dorothy Fremont (Eda Reiss Merin) confirms Sonny's account of a confrontation in Dorothy's office at the time of the murder. While in Dorothy's office, Jessica experiences her sudden realization as to how the murder has been committed, amid everyone's plans for "Ever After."

This episode represents the the second of two "MSW" appearances each for Marj Dusay, Robert Alan Browne and John DiSanti, the third of three for Kevin McCarthy, the third of four for Kate Mulgrew, the fourth of four for Michael McGrady, also the fourth of four for Andrew Brye (each in his role as Doorman Ahmed Shankar), and the second of six "MSW's" for Richardson Morse.

Eda Reiss Merin, acting in film and on television since 1947, Elaine Welton Hill, acting since 1980, and Maurice Hill, acting since 1948, have unfortunately since passed.