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.
Of a wildly hit and miss season, one of the weakest ones for 'Murder She Wrote', "Lone Witness" is up there in the better half, if missing out on being one of the top 5 best. There is not much wrong at all with "Lone Witness". The only huge problem is that Sheila MacRae and her character are incredibly annoying and like they accidentally wandered out of a Woody Allen film (nothing against Woody Allen films, far from it, but the approach to the character and acting felt at odds with everything else here).
There are parts of the story too that veer on the slightly too complicated. A vast majority of the mystery however is hugely entertaining and absorbing, also really liked how unusually twisty it was for Season 9 and the criminal identity and the twist involving it was a very neat one.
Angela Lansbury shows once again why Jessica is one of her most famous roles. Neil Patrick Harris is a highly likable main suspect while there are classy turns from Beth Howland, Laurence Luckinbill and John Bennett Perry and an intense one from Joe Maruzzo.
Production values are slick and stylish. 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 amiable and thought-provoking.
In summation, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox