Murder, She Wrote 5.13 “Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble”

Cabot Cove locals can’t believe their eyes when it looks like Patience Terhune, a suspected witch who was burned at the stake 300 years ago, may be back in town. But could her ghost be responsible for the latest murder?

Just the facts ma’am:

Spoilers are in white font, so highlight the text below to reveal the answers.

• The victim was… an actress pretending to be the witch’s descendant, Irene Terhune!
• killed by… her “sister’s” fiance!
• in… the ancestral home but moved to a barn!
• with… blunt force trauma to the head with a hammer!
• because… she could have claimed her “sister’s” inheritance!
• vital clues: blue paint.

Cast of characters:

As this is a Cabot Cove episode, we have:

• William Windom as Dr. Setch Hazlitt
• Ron Masak as Sheriff Mort Metzger
• Will Nye as Deputy Floyd

The mystery revolves around Patience Terhune:

• Dee Wallace Stone plays Mildred Terhune, Patience Terhune’s descendant
• Christopher Stone plays Adam Frobisher, Mildred’s fiance
• Juli Donald plays Irene Terhune, Mildred’s younger sister

• Roddy McDowall plays Gordon Fairchild, who is publishing a book about Patience Terhune
• Bill Maher plays Rick Rivers, Gordon’s media consultant

Cabot Cove locals include:

• John J. York as Jonas Holt, a young cab driver smitten with Irene Terhune
• Russel Nype as Rev. Henry Fordyce
• Patience Cleveland as Harriet, organizer of the local bring-your-own-casserole party
• Colin Campbell as Simon, owner of a barn that burned down with the “witch” inside
• Pat Crawford Brown as Woman
• John Bryant as Man
• Sally Hughes is credited as “Dora”, but I’m not sure what character she’s supposed to be

Outsiders include:

• Brad Dourif plays Dr. Warren Overman, an exorcist called in by Rev. Fordyce
• Bruce Gray as R. L. Pierson, an attorney from Boston who arrived to deliver Mildred’s inheritance from her uncle
• Howard Schechter as Charlie, a Boston reporter
• Jane Marla Robbins as TV Reporter

Final thoughts

The set that stands in for the Terhune family home has been reused multiple times throughout the show.