Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) Ever After (1992) User Reviews

Not so happily ever after

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 25 October 2017]

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

Despite having reservations about the episode and not considering it one of the best of Season 8, personally do rate it quite a bit higher than the previous reviewer and don't consider it one of the worst 'Murder She Wrote' episodes. To me, it's somewhere in the high middle. Do agree that most of the characters are soap-operatic stereotypes, and pretty over-familiar and unsubtle ones (the talentless wannabe type of character is hardly a novel idea), and that the episode does go overboard with them.

Most of the supporting cast have too little to do with their characters and sometimes over-heated dialogue and don't really register. Will admit to finding the truth about a couple of plot strands (particularly the crazy ex one) not that surprising, Agatha Christie used the same or similar trope at least once.

On the other hand, Angela Lansbury is as ever without complaint, and some of the supporting cast are good. Kate Mulgrew particularly, she is classy perfection and brings a mysteriousness to her. Kevin McCarthy has fun in a way that's in keeping with the light-hearted tone and Tony Roberts does crazy in a creepy and not too overdone way.

The mystery is diverting enough and "Ever After" does do a very nice job with how it explores and takes jabs in an amiable and sometimes witty at the concept and setting. Along with Mulgrew and Lansbury, one of "Ever After's" highlights is the denouement, especially with the how it was committed aspect it is one of the season's cleverest (and one of the show's best acted) and there was more to the who than expected (though that was not as much a surprise for the reason stated above). The killer is also pretty chilling.

Production values are slick and stylish as ever. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Writing is tight, thought-provoking and typically amiable and the characters and chemistry are good fun.

Overall, there's much better from Season 8 and the show but an above average episode for Lansbury, Mulgrew and the denouement. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Deliciously overboard and far from boring

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 22 May 2022]

Sleuthing scribe Jessica Fletcher investigates when the husband of her new neighbour, a daytime soap star, is found shot dead.

The usual murder and detecting is peppered with some over the top comic shenanigans. This amusing entry sends up soap operas; the two actors, Kate Mulgrew and Tony Roberts, perform over the top histrionics with Roberts, her ex-flame, trying to get her back, and Mulgrew complaining about him. She, of course, marries Kevin McCarthy's character who gets bumped off. I found this episode quite fun, comic and it's not to be taken too seriously.

A mixed bag, maybe a little too jovial.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 11 October 2023]

Jessica's new neighbour, actress Joanna Rollins meets and falls for a very wealthy man, Walter Bowman, when he is found dead, Joanna's former lover is the prime suspect.

It isn't the best episode, it's alright, but I'd suggest that this is the weakest episode from the excellent eight series.

Vibes of Agatha Christie's Death on The Nile about this one, but where as that is regarded as a classic mystery, this one wasn't, everything was just too obvious and too telegraphed.

The first half of this episode honestly feels like a spoof, it's too silly, it's too over the top, The Police are back to being dummies, and Kevin McCarthy spends all his time chewing the scenery as Walter, I thought he was shocking. I kept on seeing Dick Emery in one of his sketch shows.

Kate Mulgrew has appeared in some fine episodes, but this is perhaps the weakest of them.

I'd love to know what that beautiful convertible is, that's the real start of the show.

There's a pretty good storyline here, but it's a little too silly at times.

6/10.

Soap Suds Foam All Over

[WeatherViolet · 4/10 · 19 April 2010]

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.

This show was a sore sight for eyes!

[imdb-25288 · 5/10 · 23 December 2021]

Mauve. Plum. Dark raspberry. Taupe. Greige. Grey. Dark green. Brown. Coffee. Dark caramel. Jade. Jade scarf with plum and caramel dotted lines. I'm exhausted! The hideous colors everyone is wearing in every (and all!) episode(s) are tpo distracting to even force oneself to care about these characters or what happens to them. Let's just say right now that Jessica Fletcher is the killer and, like OJ's reversed vinyl recording, she "killed them all, she killed them all"!

When are they rebooting this? The old lady (forgot her name) is still alive. She can play the Arsenic and Old Lace vengeful granny who goads her grand-daughter to murder everyone, like she did in the 80s and never got found out.

There's Columbo's wife in a Marge Simpson's beehive. Sorta. With long hair down. She looks so evil, I bet she's the real killer. Anyway, who cares? Why did this piece of bore ever last so long? Now she's wearing camel. I hate camel. And camels. The hideous jade scarf actually has caramel leopards running around with plum spots. I think plum and jade are the most hideous colors. No, that would be grey and camel. Well, you get the picture. I remember when the old lady (Jessica actress, what's her name?) said she was painted like a Rembrandt. Well, she is. It looks good. But gawd, is this show boring or what?! What do I rate it? Dunno, I'll close my eyes and throw a dark.

The DP must have been high. The cinematography is dull, like the color camel with plum spots. I was right about the killer. It's almost over. Why didn't Kate Mulgrew ever star in her own series? She did. Mrs Columbo. Didn't last long though. And the bag guy turning good at the end? Please! Cheapo red herring. Now Jessica is wearing even worse: dull orange. It's bright .How can it be bright and dull at the same time? No idea, but it is.

There you have it. The boring shows get a gazillion seasons, the fun stuff is canceled before it finishes s1. What else is new!?

For a while, I wasn't sure if the bad acting and stupid behaviors were intentional.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 15 February 2023]

"Ever After" is a really, really difficult episode to understand. Now I am not saying the plot was confusing...but I couldn't understand how some excellent actors did such a terrible job in the episode. Considering Kate Mulgrew and Anthony Roberts are EXCELLENT actors, I can only chalk up their dreadful performances to the writing and direction.

Early in the episode, a couple soap opera actors (Mulgrew and Robert) meet Jessica and put on a real over-the-top fight in front of her. It was NOT convincing. Later, the pair have some more fights....and again they seemed fake. In fact, nearly all their behaviors seemed staged and were overdone...so much so that it was 100% obvious the pair were in cahoots and had planned something. So, when a murder occurs, there is no suspense whatsoever and even the method they used was obvious. It begs you to question how such a bad script could be written AND approved for broadcast. A truly bad episode..one of the worst. So it just goes to show you that an excellent show can have its bad weeks...and this one was monumentally bad.