Jessica Fletcher is back in Cabot Cove trying to get the plumbing and the wiring in her house fixed. Unfortunately, the contractor she hired is spread thin — particularly due to a very demanding new Cabot Cove resident. Rumors abound that the man is a vampire — and when he is found dead with a wooden stake driven through his heart, Jessica helps with the investigation.
Just the facts:
Click on the text below to reveal spoilers.
Click to reveal the victim
It was Lawrence Baker, the mysterious new man in town!Click to reveal the killer
It was Charles Weatherly, the local handyman/contractor!Click to reveal the weapon
It was a wooden stake driven through his hear!Click to reveal the location
It was inside the Borbey House!Click to reveal the motive
The killer wanted to hide the fact that he had killed his fiancee and hid her body inside a wall at the Borbey House when he was renovating it 18 months ago!Click to reveal the major clue
It was the quotes submitted as bids for the Borbey House renovation contracts that were definitive proof that the suspected killer had something at stake!Cast of characters (in order of appearance):
- Susan Christy (now Susan T. Collins) as a Teenage Girl named “Carla Thompson” who gets spooked at the cemetery.
- Donnie Jeffcoat as a Teenage Boy named “Billy” who also gets spooked at the cemetery.
- Roy Dotrice as Dr. Howard Sorenson, a scholar who is in Cabot Cove researching supernatural phenomena and the Borbey family (including examining their burial plots). This is Dotrice’s second of three appearances on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Great Twain Robbery“.
- Richard Gilliland as “Charlie” Charles Weatherly, a local contractor who is wearing himself thin by doing repairs on Jessica’s house, renovating the new Sheriff’s Office, and renovating the Borbey House. He mentions that he was engaged to be married to a woman who disappeared from town a year ago. This is Gilliland’s second and final appearance on MSW; he previously appeared in “Thursday’s Child“.
- William Windom as Dr. Seth Hazlitt.
- Judith Jones as Molly Holt, a young woman working for her father’s home decorating shop. This is Jones’s second and final appearance on MSW; she previously appeared in “Double Jeopardy“.
- Christopher Neame as Peter Jatich, the mysterious Mr. Baker’s butler. This is Neame’s first of two appearances on MSW.
- David Birney as “Larry” Lawrence Baker, a mysterious new Cabot Cove resident who has bought an old Victorian house (a.k.a. the Borbey House). This is Birney’s fourth and final appearance on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Monte Carlo Murders“, “The Great Twain Robbery“, and “Prediction: Murder”.
- Lawrence Pressman as Philip Holt, Molly’s father and owner of a home decorating shop (selling wallpaper and carpet). This is Pressman’s third and final appearance on MSW; he previously appeared in “The Way to Dusty Death“.
- Richard Jamison as the Delivery Man who brings Jessica her new bathtub.
- Madlyn Rhue as Jean O’Neill, the Cabot Cove librarian. This is Rhue’s second of five appearance’s on MSW and her first appearance as this character. She previously appeared in “Seal of the Confessional“.
- Gary Hershberger as Dave Perrin, a local car mechanic who is also Molly’s boyfriend and the brother of the young woman who disappeared a year ago. This is Hershberger’s first of three appearances on MSW.
- Ron Masak as Sheriff Mort Metzger.
- Barbara Townsend as Mrs. Higgins, a resident who visited the Sheriff’s Office to report that someone was snooping at the church cemetery. This is Townsend’s second and final appearance on MSW; she previously appeared in “Something Borrowed, Someone Blue“.
- Louis Herthum as Deputy Andy Broom.
- Steve Jackson as Jim Milio, the file clerk at the Sheriff’s Office.
In flashbacks, we also see Dave Perrin’s sister Lauren, played by an uncredited actress.
Final thoughts and other trivia:
This being the first episode of the season, it features a few new additions/changes to Cabot Cove. First, we are introduced to a new Cabot Cove librarian, who will become a recurring character for the next couple of seasons. And second, we learn that the Sheriff’s office is moving to a new building!
Another thing worth mentioning is that this is one of a few episodes that was arguably shot specifically for the Halloween season. The episode first aired on October 3rd, and not only does it feature vampires, it also name-drops “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” as part of the name of the boat in which Lauren Perrin disappeared.
Which brings me to a few other details that have a bearing on some of the other facts presented in the show:
- Since Lauren Perrin disappeared (and as we later learn, died) 18 months prior to the events of this episode, we must conclude that the number of Cabot Cove deaths that occurred during the timeline of Season 8 should go up by 1 more.
- At one point we hear Eve Simpson’s name being mentioned as the source of the rumor that Lawrence Baker paid cash for the Borbey House. This suggests that she may still be living in Cabot Cove — which goes against the theory I proposed at the end of my summary for “The Big Kill” that she had moved away to live with Mr Right. Still, it’s possible that she had in fact moved away and just knows of this rumor because she still keeps in touch with people from Cabot Cove (including the other real estate agents).
- And finally, at the end of the episode, it’s mentioned that Jessica has stuck around for the party celebrating the new Sheriff’s Office even though she was meant to be on her way back to New York. This foreshadows the fact that the next episode takes place in NYC.
Murder, She Watched 