We Need To Talk About This Creepy Episode of Murder, She Wrote

Enter David Tolliver, a potentially stalker AND murderer.
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[@writeralbertlanier3434]

"I'm nosy" The most honest thing Jessica ever said in the series.

[@nixhixx]

The phrase 'meet me at the warehouse by the docks' has never ever ended well.

[@bruceinchicago]

What a creepy arc that they never did anything with. Some say he’s still out there, seducing older women and staring into the middle distance.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

That was 40 years ago. The older women are now in their late 90s.

[@LunaTheLoon]

@@Sam_on_KZbin easier prey, I guess.

[@mikesilva3868]

Agreed but it's not as disturbing as the movie cannibal holocaust 😊

[@rgs8970]

Still wearing sweaters inspired by couch cushions

[@ArtingFromScratch]

Omg my bf is DYING TO SEE HIM AGAIN

[@SeymourDisapproves]

Oh my god, when my mom and I watched this episode we were absolutely convinced that this weird guy would come back as a Moriarty-esque foil for Jessica. We "wrote" a whole movie where he comes back and unleashed an elaborate plot where he tries to destroy her, but her relatives and family friends from all the past episodes form a heist/protection squad to ensure their beloved Jessica's safety lol

[@mrthegooch]

I would read this fanfic.

[@mycupoverflows7811]

😂😂❤❤

[@iriskherington8832]

I would read the hell out of that.

[@IvyCoveredAngel]

Maybe he’s the one behind all of Grady’s failed jobs.. I mean Grady’s can only be terrible at so many things

[@TheDeonJackson]

Omg can you imagine

[@pushinguproses]

I don't know why I said hearts of ham and not hearts of palm. It just sounded better.

[@GeekEire]

Hearts of ham sounds like a murder she wrote burger

[@Thursdayschildfar2go]

That was a REALLY expensive salad for the 80s, BTW. Minimum wage was 3.85, for reference.

[@bsadewitz]

It's closer to alliteration than 'hearts of palm", and therefore inherently superior. Also could be an early-mid 80s ballad.

[@mathieuleader8601]

great iliteration

[@rgs8970]

A commentary on the acting choices?

[@CRandyGamble]

David is absolutely guilty. If MSW was a modern show, he would have been the recurring villain, killed off at the end of the fourth season with a copycat for a short arc in season seven. But TV was different in the 80s. Another amazing episode, Roses! Love how you threw your adorable self into the montage!

[@slipknotboy555]

It does seem like it, huh? You wanna give people the benefit of the doubt, but his multiple lies, combined with some of his actions - yeah, it doesn't look great, haha. And agreed!

[@philtkaswahl2124]

And then turns out he wasn't dead after all and comes back for the finale out of nowhere as the true mastermind of the final season's arc despite zero foreshadowing.

[@Nocturnalux]

In a way, I like it better than they didn’t go down that road. That David is still at large at the end, and that he will be conning women again- if not worse- adds an element of uncertainty that is much more disturbing than all the many gruesome killings we had already seen and would see in the series.

[@Eyecyou64]

I love that you're probably not trying to describe Hannibal nbc but...

[@CRandyGamble]

@@Eyecyou64 I'm not! LOL!!

[@hannahblespecter5325]

On a side note: I absolutely love whenever someone expresses attraction to Jess they didn't write her demure or self-deprecating or anything. She never dismisses the idea of anyone of any age being attracted to her. And its so refreshing tbh.

[@queenmarshmallow8013]

Someone has a crush on Jessica The writers: she can't be written how it's usually done that is Angela Lansbury

[@Nocturnalux]

This is one of the things that drives me insane about shoujo, where the heroine is invariable beautiful but reacts like this way too often.

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

I think maybe Edmond, her friend in this episode who is more her age, likes her in that way too. Part of the reveal is that another woman who is in love with him is jealous of her. I agree with how Jessica usually reacts to someone being interested in her - she enjoyed it even if she didn't want to settle down. However, in the case of David, she does seem disturbed by it and I thought that was partly because he was younger, and therefore she couldn't quite believe in it?

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

There was a book version written of this episode that fleshes it out - lets us get to know the characters a bit more - and I think it turns out that David kind of manipulated this other, known criminal into a situation where that guy would have to kill Allison. But David did not kill Lila (either in the book or here.)

[@haileybalmer9722]

I love that, in Season 1, Jessica's overarching plot is that absolutely everyone with a pulse wants to get down with this plucky little widow.

[@slaverstrike]

I love Jessica just going "I'm nosy!" Like yeah! it's what I am, it's what I do! I'll get to the bottom of any dang murder I can get my hands on!

[@hew2356]

I love how self-confident and determined Jessica can be,

[@rigelb9025]

Murder just has a way of following her around everywhere she goes, doesn't it.

[@hew2356]

@@rigelb9025 One episode has her admit that people call her "the Typhoid Mary of murder", so yes, it does.

[@TheWretchedOwl]

Now I want him to have his own spin off series. He’s grown older, and is now a crime solving author himself, all the while leaving the audience wondering if he’s so good at solving/writing crimes because he’s just creative… or because he’s really a killer? Dun dun duuuuuuun!

[@vedwalker3974]

Sounds like Dexter or Hannibal, but with more nuance and intrigue.

[@alliekingsley7919]

Murder He Likes

[@monoduck]

When you're do good at solving murders because you're actually a killer: >:]

[@celebrityrog]

So basically Murder, he wrote?

[@LP-bi4vc]

Potential twist of him "solving" murders he actually committed himself.

[@ccnekocat]

One of the noteworthy things about this episode is that Jess believed David wasn't capable of murder, and for as much as I've watched the series, its the only time where Jess comes to truly doubt her own viewpoint. She's had murderer's where she's HOPED she was wrong because she liked them, like in the Murder of Sherlock Holmes, but so far as I've watched the series, when Jess declares someone couldn't be a murderer, she's never come to truly doubt that assessment. David is the first time where Jess questions her own read of a person. And by the end, she doesn't know if she's wrong or not, which would have made David fascinating because he's one of the few who seemed to truly capable of fooling Jess.

[@Goddessvenom]

"Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?" Took me out 🤣😂

[@alexandrakiefer1417]

Just remembered something funny about the series. I'm German and in German the series is called "Mord ist ihr Hobby" so "Murder is her hobby". When I was little, I wasn't allowed to watch TV when the show was on. But one time I saw the opening credits and the title - so then I thought for a long time, that Jess is some fiction writer who kills people to write stories about that 😁 Just wanted to share that story with you 😜 you and your videos are awesome 👍

[@cpkgrownup9496]

That made me laugh😂😂😂

[@Khenfu_Cake]

In Denmark the show was called: "Hun Så Et Mord" (She Saw a Murder). It's hilarious how the translations vary so much; giving completely different impressions of what the show is about 😄

[@screamingalgae9380]

It is a popular joke that Jessica Fletcher is a serial killer who brainwashes other people into thinking they did it.

[@christianvanhalan7982]

In Finland it was called "Murhasta tuli totta" that means The murder became reality. That name also hints that Jessica wrote the murders and then executed them. 😮

[@gregoryvn3]

I love all of this. 😊

[@bree9272]

If you thought Andrew Stevens was creepy in this episode, you need to see him in full on insane stalker mode in the movie The Seduction, another piece of 80's goodness. Also, there's an ongoing series of Murder She Wrote novels, so David could always make a return there!

[@burntoutcar]

We got to see how David would’ve gone full-out psycho in Columbo S9E06 Murder In Malibu.

[@DahVoozel]

Do you think the lack of return of this story line is due to tone incongruity? It seems much darker than most Murder She Wrote I can remember.

[@shelbyherring92]

As someone who binges reruns of MSW at work, to me it feels that way. The show did touch on some darker themes such as suicide, mental health, child abductions, racism, and obviously murder, yet the tone of the show still feels playful and campy. A stalker/serial killer type over-arching plotline would have probably would feel out of place. That said, if there was just one or two more episodes with this character, it probably would have been fine given there'd still be a ton of other episodes of cozy mystery stories.

[@pusheenqueen519]

I notice as the seasons go on, even the ending freeze frames are almost exclusively chipper and silly by the end of the series. Like no matter how much of a downer the endings are, the last scene will always be a humorous or heartwarming last minute conversation between Jessica and another character. The early seasons are jarringly serious and dark sometimes in comparison.

[@cloudmon]

I always thought that, since this was only episode 7, the writers were still figuring out what they wanted out of the secondary guest stars. Jerry Orbach’s Harry McGraw wasn’t introduced until the next season, for instance.

[@MadameChristie]

@@shelbyherring92 It reminds me of when I watched one of the MSW TV movies and was initially thrown off the by the civil war south setting. Like, there's a character that literally drops the n-word like nothing. This is Murder She Wrote and it wasn't shy about either the racism of the period or it's opinion on civil war revisionists.

[@pushinguproses]

I have noticed that seasons 1-3 tend to be a little on the darker and more serious side, then when you get to season 5 it’s a little more corny. I am wondering if the creators just wanted it to go the more light hearted route over time.

[@jamesa.romano8500]

I remember watching that ending as a kid and finding it absolutely bone chilling then and even moreso now. Talk about dodging a bullet... (that he doesn't figure into a wider arc never bothered me, considering that we as the viewer establish a protective feeling towards Jess throughout and he comes off as creepy enough for us to never want to see him darken her door again, although the idea of his being out and free to stalk, charm and potentially kill more malleable or naïve rich women doesn't feel much better).

[@christianesser7931]

Fun Fact: There is actually a Mission Impossible (TV series) reunion in this episode. Peter Graves (professor) and Greg Morris (cop) both make an appearance here.

[@rogermorris9696]

Now a Mission Impossible/Murder She Wrote crossover is something I would have loved to have seen,

[@DeaconTaylor]

ah, i thought that was him.

[@jrpipik]

Yeah, the "That's Peter Graves from Airplane" line was a clunker. Who thinks of him first as from anywhere but IM? (Well, anyone under 50, I guess.)

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

@@jrpipik I honestly always think of him as the narrator of Biography on A & E

[@HighStrangeDrifter]

Fun fact Greg Morris is the real life dad of the best lawyer on Seinfeld, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris).

[@renatocorvaro6924]

Look I know this episode is creepy and all but I will never get over the fact that Jessica Fletcher can just get it. The woman is an icon.

[@aliencafe]

I’ve been reading the (delightful) murder she wrote books and SO many people are very into Jess. Love it.

[@euansmith3699]

With both Peter Graves and Greg Morris turning up in supporting roles, this is practically a "Murder, She Wrote"/"Mission Impossible" crossover. "Harmless and Horny; the title of my autobiography" 😄😄😄

[@montyr2083]

Half-expected David to pull off his latex mask and reveal Martin Landau...

[@nooctip]

@@montyr2083 Close. Amelia is wearing the disguise. After she is hauled away by the "police" She reveals herself as Barbra Bain.

[@douglasmontgomery2063]

Just so long as Steven Hill doesn't show up...

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

THANK YOU!! I remembered Graves straight off, but couldn't remember where I'd seen Morris before.

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

​@@montyr2083 Or Leonard Nimoy 🖖

[@Seldarius]

I’d argue that the ambiguous ending is exactly what makes this episode so special. Bringing Tolliver back would’ve destroyed some of his mystery. 🤷‍♀️

[@Hiiiiiiiiieeee]

I almost thought David was a young Rob Lowe. Got a jawline for days. Also, I was sitting here wracking my brain to figure out where I knew Amelia from. She played Dorothy’s friend, Jean, who falls in love with Rose after visiting the girls. And that was all without googles help, you can tell I’ve seen every episode of the Golden girls far too many times.

[@ChristyAbbey]

Or you're... ONE OF US!!! (Happy Pride!) (Teasing. You know us queerses love us some Golden Girls)

[@pusheenqueen519]

Omg that's right! I loved that episode I can't believe I never noticed they're the same actress 😂

[@Hiiiiiiiiieeee]

@@ChristyAbbey happy pride! 😊🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🩷

[@becca1189]

No such thing as watching The Golden Girls too many times!!! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@Jude300c]

Happy Pride but Welcome to the Golden Girls Crew!!

[@stratuvarious8547]

That final freeze frame with Roses, absolutely beautiful and brilliant ending to a unforgettable episode of Murder, She Wrote.

[@Ravenite456]

This does slightly remind me of another episode where it seems to follow the standard Murder She Wrote plot until the end where it turns out the guy who was arrested at the end of the first act, played by Robert Goulet IIRC, and who Jessica spends most of the episode trying to prove the innocence of turns out to be the killer after all. I thought it was an interesting play on the usual formula.

[@fizzplease6742]

I don't know if this is very weird, but I never watched Murder She Wrote, and probably won't ever, but I get tons of enjoyment out of your recaps and get some appreciation for the show--both vicarious, through your audible delight, and actual appreciation for the wonderful Angela Lansbury.

[@lovipoekimo176]

The actor who played David reappeared in a later episode when Jessica was in Boston. The jealous secretary, Emilia, is played by Lois Nettleton, who played the lesbian who had a crush on Rose in Golden Girls and Daggair in Babylon 5 (she also reappears in Murder She Wrote as other characters)

[@divitiae]

I knew I recognized her! Forgot it was Golden Girls. Thanks!

[@Mokkari77]

On SEINFELD she played the mother of a woman George is dating and she sees him eat an eclair out of the trash in her kitchen.

[@DrWhoHarvey]

Lois Nettleton had an interesting career. She appeared in an episode of the Twilight zone. She also starred in a series called All that glitters about a society in which their is role reversal with the women running society and the men weak and submissive. It was produced by Norman Lear of All in the Family fame.

[@lovipoekimo176]

I just knew her best from Babylon 5 and Golden Girls (and Murder She Wrote, of course) since I love these shows

[@eamonndeane587]

Nettleton was also the voice of Malificent in House of Mouse.

[@silmarian]

I love that they actually filmed parts of this in Seattle and not just a back lot dressed up to look the part. Those signs at the airport didn't change for probably decades. They were still very much like that in the 90s when I started flying through there for family stuff.

[@MisterOdinson]

Great ep! Although the freeze frame montage was just missing the incredible one where Jess gets drenched with the fire hose.

[@ashraelzola4439]

When I watched this the first time, I was so ready for him to return. Either for Jess to get him out of a mess and prove him to just be a weirdo or to nail him for something, he's vehemently denying/lying about. Even so, I love how this episode establishes more of Jess as a character and for being such an early episode, agree that it's an excellent one. Also awesome job on the editing, Roses - absolutely here for the snark and enthusiasm!

[@kanvaros4451]

Thabk you roses for introducing me back to Murder she wrote my mom and nana grew up watching this show and it had brought us together dven more ! Im hoping someday you do the pilot love the sherlock holmes evidence !

[@KayandPComics]

Sounds like some prime material for a Murder She Wrote fanfic series.

[@thepanhandlepack1921]

If anyone writes this PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I would read the crap out of it

[@adrianaheiler9794]

Your freeze-frame smile and 'Brad Pitt' made me laugh an ungodly amount. Thanks for that!

[@patrickoneill8707]

Andrew Stevens is the young man in question who is courting Jessica. He was a star in The Fury, which is a movie you must see if you haven't, and he currently runs his own entertainment group.

[@fan-done1856]

R.I.P Angela

[@MiniMackeroni]

I just thought of "Hey everyone, PushingUpRoses here with another episode of Murder, She Wrote" literally as I was opening the subscriptions page. Bam, new episode. Most enjoyable.

[@contextwithjohnmalone]

Andrew Stevens (dollar store Eric Roberts) seemed to play the creepiest characters in the 80’s and 90’s. It seems only fitting that he would be cast in a episode about unrequited love with Jessica. Also, I love the name of your biography 🤣

[@MrOmnisun]

I just looked him up and he sure loved those creepy stories. His last credit on Wikipedia was only last year.

[@contextwithjohnmalone]

@@MrOmnisun it’s hard to tell if he got pigeon holed into those roles or if he specifically requested those types of roles. Either way. He certainly is a strange person.

[@lazyhomebody1356]

@@contextwithjohnmalone Maybe he's an angel who just enjoys playing creepy characters

[@PassTheMarmalade1957]

You should honestly use that 'Written by PushingUpRoses' freeze frame at the end of every TTOMSW video. It's interesting that David never came back. It's not like MSW didn't have recurring characters outside Cabot Cove. My favourite has got to be Michael Hagarty, the Irish MI6 agent who's desperate to make Jess his Bond girl.

[@sophiaandre139]

"... the same haircut, which is just a crime of the 80's." 😂

[@FaustoFonseca]

Love it that there's 2 actors from the old Mission Impossible series in this episode :D The policeman and the dean.

[@mossena]

I guess you could call that ending "Tolliver's Twist"?

[@earthiswatching]

TV back then assumed you might miss a few episodes and, since generally your only option to catch up were the summer reruns, shows with an overarching story were a tougher sell.

[@RavynAngelDarck]

The actor who played David, Andrew Stevens, came back as another character later on in the show and it really confused me at first!

[@DasKame]

Also, the actor playey a Playboy who Killed a Woman in Columbo XD

[@lagarde2011]

He was briefly married to Kate Jackson in the '70s.

[@123451248ify]

They always reused the same actors. who played different characters. William Windom played a lawyer in the season one season finale "Funeral at Fifty-Mile," and then two episodes later, he played Dr. Seth Hazlitt. Grant Goodeve did two additional episodes in seasons 3 and 4, and Adrienne Barbeau (Carol from Maude and later Selina Kyle/Catwoman from Batman: The Animated Series) was in both "Jessica Behind Bars" in season 2 and "Deadline For Murder" in season 3. Judith Chapman (Gloria from The Young and the Restless) was in several episodes, and Karen Grassle (Caroline from Little House on the Prairie) was in two episodes.

[@RavynAngelDarck]

@@123451248ify William Windom also was in the first episode of Columbo, a small role but still cool.

[@RM-mb4hc]

I never thought about David being the actual killer, but that makes sense with how brushed off the "robber-killer" ends up being. I agree it is a creepy episode! Love you analysis as always.

[@unclesquirrelstache7431]

Appreciate the shout out to Poker Face. That Joseph Gordon Levitt episode was phenomenal. Speaking of Columbo, I just rewatched it and would love to hear you review an absolutely bonkers episode called Ashes to Ashes. It features some notable guest stars, and an incredibly unhinged musical number (!).

[@piggylady225]

I would loooove her to start a similar series for Colombo! I loved her video on the series as a whole, but the individual episodes can be just as, if not even more, wacky than Murder She Wrote. It’d be so fun to take a closer look at each of the individual murderers, since they get more screentime and development, and there’s such a wide variety of them.

[@unclesquirrelstache7431]

@@piggylady225 One thing I appreciated about it was how they tried to make the episodes have a different feel eventually, despite Columbo himself being pretty readable after a while.

[@mattjohnson1275]

There was an episode of MSW in particular which reminds me of Columbo. It has Ricardo Montalban in it(also a Columbo villain) and doesn't seriously attempt to draw suspicion on any other character.

[@heyspeckle8782]

It's really strange they never brought him back. They did bring back the guy from the pilot for another episode since there were still some unresolved emotions for Jess, and I wish they would've done the same with David

[@eamonndeane587]

'The Return of Preston Giles' is one of the show's best episodes in my opinion.

[@itsphilfromtubesday8677]

Love this ep. I'm surprised you didn't bring it up, or perhaps i've seen Columbo a ton more but my head canon for this character is that he's the same guy as he plays in the later season Columbo ep where he's also a gigolo to an older woman and also super suspect.

[@seaniepop]

My mind went to imagining David as a vampire, did anyone else get a little of those vibes? Once Jessica invited him in, he started to haunt her more and more. But i suppose Murder She Wrote didn't usually enter into the supernatural.

[@DarthTriffid]

Apart from the time there was a real vampire....

[@bsadewitz]

I woke up at 7AM, and this was right at the top of my feed. Naturally, i clicked on it with all possible dispatch, and i was astounded that i *REMEMBERED THE EPISODE* before I'd even put my contacts in. I knew it just from the description, lol. "I still don't think he's a killer". I remember that line! Omg the Leisure Suit Larry music! "Jess LOOMS"! "Can I interest you in a slightly overstuffed bear?" *glour* This is a side of me few people understand.😅

[@whoaitsdanny]

I'm so happy I discovered your channel. Watching Murder, She Wrote when it aired was one of the few things I enjoyed doing with my mother (then-alcoholic, now-deceased, yes it's complicated, but don't worry, I'm fine) and your riffing on the show is just such a joy. Your sense of humor is superb, too

[@jamesporter2542]

I think the actor who played David Tolliver did a way better job in this than he did in Columbo (though he was in a weak Columbo episode)

[@tlomazina]

In my mind, they are the same character a few years apart

[@unchartedbac]

oh what episode was that?

[@tlomazina]

@@unchartedbac Murder in Malibu, season 9 I think

[@jamesporter2542]

@@unchartedbac Murder In Malibu

[@Scatscar1985]

​@@jamesporter2542 Amother instance of Andrew Stevens making out with an older woman (Brenda Vaaccaro) onscreen.

[@ameliadavidson360]

OMG YES! I was hoping you'd cover this episode!!! This one REALLY creeped me out. Maybe it's because I had a stalker in my past, but just David was too creepy. But it was so well-written. Definitely a memorable one from the show.

[@MsZeeZed]

Are we sure David is not being hunted by the original Mission Impossible team in this episode. I’m pretty sure Martin Landau & Barbara Bain were stuck on the moon at this time, but isn’t that Greg Morris as well as Peter Graves?

[@ddclaud1116]

Oh my! I thought I was the only one who remembered Martin and his real wife Barbara had that sci fi show, Space 1999 way back in the 70’s.

[@purpleslog]

Bad show with a great theme song!

[@TeeTee123-u4i]

That character actor was always a bad guy. Old GenXer here. I was in labor with my son while watching a Murder She Wrote, flipping to a 60 Minutes about the little girls switched at birth, all the while the news was interrupting with the story of a lady, dressed as a nurse, stealing a baby in a Rhode Island maternity ward. 😂 Completely true story. I actually loved Murder She Wrote. There used to be murder mysteries including McCloud, McMillian and Wife, a few others, and my very personal favorite,Colombo. Murder She Wrote was on Sunday night. I believe CBS. The murder mysteries were on Friday night in my area, I believe. Enjoyed your work! Thank you. New Subscriber

[@briar_the.discoyt]

Yes!! Thank you so much for covering this episode! The first time i watched MSW i was convinced David would come back and he didnt! This is also one of the few epsiodes where Jess doesn't solve the original murder. Usually i find if there's a murduer that takes place before the episode (sometimes years) she solves that one in addition to the one in the episode. I guess the idea here is that the random guy confessed to killing Alyson but it was probably David?

[@CatswoldCottage]

1) They really should have had creepy David as a recurring creep. 2) I love these commentaries and summaries. This channel is the reason why I fell in love with the show and got the DVD series. Up to Season 7 now. I hope you cover Season 6's fillers-- aka That time when Jessica was hardly in most of the episodes of Murder She Wrote. xD

[@jrpipik]

If you want to know why a certain character or plot doesn't return, first thing to do is check the ratings for the episode.

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

or the actor's credits, see if he got a series, or something else which would prevent him from reappearing

[@orionwesley]

Knowing that, it might've spooked audiences at the time?

[@jrpipik]

@@orionwesleyThe only other thing I saw this actor in was a Columbo. He played a similar character, also dating older women. And he sure spooked me!

[@orionwesley]

No, I meant if people didn't watch this one due to it's sinister ending (i.e. low ratings) maybe TPTB nixed an eventual return of Tollister.

[@earldouglas3631]

Actually YES, that was Angela Lansbury. This is the only episode in the entire series where she did her own stunts. She retched her back while filming this scene and from then on used a stunt double.

[@adam-l74]

I love “cozy” shows that have an unexplained or unexpected “creepy” episode. I’m not sure if you’re a fan but cozy family drama The Waltons had a full on poltergeist episode, like an in cannon haunting that’s never referenced again if I recall correctly lol.

[@sandrafaith]

This episode. Has. EVERYTHING! Peter Graves! Grant Goodeve from _Eight is Enough_ ! 😂 In all seriousness, I needed this today. You're the best.

[@Mr_Top_Hat_Jones]

Damn, I was holding out hope for a Peter Graves ‘Biography’ joke, a la MST3K. I was going to try to make one myself, but it’s 5:30 in the morning and I’m way too tired. Great video, as always!

[@AspasiaB]

SAME! I actually want to go watch Parts: The Clonus Horror now.

[@Mr_Top_Hat_Jones]

@@AspasiaB It’s on KZbin. I watched it a few months ago. 😁

[@jessicasaccone7608]

I'm still making my way through the series. Is this the only episode where a murder isn't solved/the killer gets away? I think you're right, Roses, that the tone of this particular episode didn't fit what they were going for overall for the series. But, man, is this episode memorable because of it. David is so creepy and would have made an excellent stalker/serial killer.

[@mjc8248]

I get irrationally excited when you upload these videos. I watched this show with my grandmother when I was a kid. It's probably what let to my lifetime love of murder mysteries.

[@mithramusic5909]

Peter Graves and Jeff Morris, both from Mission: Impossible! Fantastic casting

[@hannahblespecter5325]

holy shit. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, racking my brain trying to figure out which episode to warrant such a video title. I can't believe I've never seen this but this was genuinely unsettling to me. The tonal shift, especially in the music, right before the freeze frame had me. I've got to watch it now.

[@heathermanly7188]

The actor comes back as a different character. They were so close to greatness.

[@lagoonaxjackson]

Im glad you talked about this episode because I was rewatching the series and was like: “where the heck did this amazing tone come from?” So sad he never came back at least once!

[@randy437665]

Oh man, after a long month of bullsh*t this video is really brightening up my day. You are amazing Roses. I really like this episode in the series and you kill it with the commentary!

[@thetux459]

While we are in Season 1, might I say that see you review the opening two-parter would be great.

[@rc6817]

I literally just caught this episode on TV today. I was so surprised by the creepy ending. Definitely agree it would had been neat to see the character again.

[@philurbaniak1811]

👍👍 I never predicted I would feel so profoundly underqualified to comment on this show. Thank you for the report 👍👍!

[@bsadewitz]

Indeed, coming here for a MSW fan is like a CIA agent being read in to a compartmented program.

[@EveryonesACryptid]

It's made me so happy to see that you've covered one of my top 10 fave eps of MSW. It's pretty neat to see that it's from so early in the run! In part, David was deliciously creepy (I'm convinced he did away with the old lady from the beginning of the ep). But I also appreciate that he's attracted (AND obssessed) with Jessica. His directness was a LOT, but I can't quite fault him for that. One of my fave things was seeing that switch in his expression at the end of the episode. Truly chilling.

[@11679MRT]

Your autobiography is a guaranteed best seller with a title like that 😂

[@TirOrah]

Every episode written by PushingUpRoses is the best one!

[@iriskherington8832]

I absolutely LOVE this episode. I'm so glad you did a video about it! He was so so creepy, I was shocked that he wasn't the killer the first time I watched it. You're totally right though, that storyline really could have been an exciting thing to carry through to other episodes, even if it was just one or two. It could have been so psychologically unbalancing for Jess's character, trying to balance between suspicion and a lack of solid evidence and deal with the idea of someone being so... obsessed with her. Does she even want him to get caught if he's guilty? Does she enjoy the attention? She certainly wouldn't want to, but I could see it getting to her, he is a charming bastard. I think it really would have changed the tone of the show whenever it recurred though, the chintzy, cozy aspect gets kinda turned down and it becomes way more psycho-thriller. It's kind of an interesting thought. It's too bad it's so hard to recreate something like this show now. Maybe it could translate into a novel, I'd read that.

[@georgeharrisonlover4300]

When I watched this episode, I kept thinking David had the hots for Jessica, so I kept calling her a cougar. Then, at the end, my suspicions were confirmed. I loved the scene where she was teaching and said something like, "Am I right? Of course I'm right!"

[@endorb]

Honestly, im surprised he didnt recur. The villain who recurs roughly once a season is a staple of the era!

[@DarthTriffid]

It has to be a case of Lansbury not liking him/the character.

[@kaelside]

Great vid! I almost died laughing when you mentioned the Airplane! actor and said "You thought I wasn't going to mention it..."

[@bernadetteP9999]

Hello from Australia. Just love your content and can't wait to strap in for this one!

[@fujitafunk]

When you brought that scene of the swimming pool back up; I almost choked on my tea seeing that older guy on the stationary bike again. Haha What is he doing?!

[@lazyhomebody1356]

He looks like he's dead and his hands and feet are tied to the pedals/handlebars

[@elizabethdouglas3417]

Omg I LOVE this episode. It is so creepy. I’ve been waiting for you to cover this one and you did not disappoint!

[@ZehnWaters]

DUUUDE, my mom and I have thought this episode was one of the creepiest for YEARS.

[@Mr_Craftician]

The Mentalist (2008-2015) starring Simon Baker was another great WhoDunnit series that had self-contained stories as well as a one bigger story that spanned the series (Red John Killer). Regardless, another great video!!!

[@ainilome]

Oh man, as a Seattle native far from home I was probably too excited to see glimpses of 80s Seattle. Pioneer Square! The old Kingdome! A familiar ferry! The Science Center when the fountains actually worked! What a delightful trip

[@bj_programme]

i loved seeing our city from decades past…

[@tanksalotgaming3166]

Thank you, I needed this. I’ve been up all night with a stomach bug and this is a nice distraction.

[@EmilyRitcheson]

The over-analyzing of the cafe receipt is amazing.

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

It is somewhat baffling how many male suitors there were vying for Jessica's hand over the course of the show. Having one of being a potential stalker/murderer just seems par for the course for this series. Oh, and please review "The Szechuan Dragon" next. That episode is just bonkers.

[@bib4eto656]

Was this the one with the ghost trick?

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

@@bib4eto656 It's the one starring Grady Fletcher, his very pregnant wife, a Porcelain dragon statue, a very kick happy Cambodian, Ra's al Ghul and a hell of a lot of wackiness. Jessica even solves the murder mystery while on holiday in England.

[@Nocturnalux]

And racist like wow.

[@DarthTriffid]

​@@DawnOfTheOzzDavid Warner is literally everywhere.

[@cantwelljr]

Girl you almost murdered me today! "Harmless and Horny" had me choking on my coffee!

[@joshuafleck6580]

I’M SO HAPPY YOU COVERED THIS EPISODE!!!

[@kingbeauregard]

You have no idea how much it was bugging me that you didn't call out Peter Graves. Well played!

[@jewels3846]

😂 I just got to this part. Thought your comment meant she didnt at all hahaha

[@sarahakm]

Lois Nettleton (who plays killer Amelia) had quite the career as well. She mostly did stage and TV work. One of her more famous TV appearances was the main character Norma in The Twilight Zone episode "Midnight Sun."

[@BobRobertsMusic]

Ooh, so interesting to see Anthony Oliveira pop up. His mantra of "Be brave enough to be kind" is something that's really become an integral part to who I am and strive to be

[@themusicactor]

Have you ever thought on indulging in the "Monk" series?

[@freddy902]

These videos are always an automatic watch for me.

[@mrsbluesky8415]

I don’t remember many Murder She Wrote episodes but this one is an exception. Andrew Stevens plays a great creepy guy (as usual). He played a similar character on a Columbo. I also waited for him to make a return but he never did. Too bad, it could’ve been great.

[@TheAggroCraig]

It would have been cool to have David be Jessica’s “Moriarity”. I think it’s nice in shows like this for the protagonist to have some kind of main nemesis/recurring villain to pop up now and then, since so many of the other antagonists tend to get easily steamrolled by the sleuth character’s intellect.

[@Raicheru13]

I was so happy to see an video this morning. Hope you're feeling better. Murder She Wrote is such a wild show. I forgot how strange some of the episodes were.

[@crysket]

Roses, that's not Peter Graves from Airplane; that's Peter Graves from Golden Girls. The first thing I think of when I see him, though, is as the host of America's Most Disgusting Crimes in Addams Family Values.

[@SirXer]

That was a pretty good episode, thank you for sharing it with us all! I wish they would've kept his character up for reappearances.

[@eldupont3095]

This one was hilarious. Thank you for the laughs, Roses!

[@Ladyofdeath777Weaversoftheweb]

I'm so glad you covered this episode! I recently revisited it and it really is very creepy. I'm so curious why they didn't include him in other episodes. Since he is so good at convincing other people to lie for him, the guy who confessed to the murder of Alison could very easily have lied.

[@FavouriteScaryMovie]

I have two episodes to suggest! One is called “Test of Wills” from season 6. It starts out similar to “Clue,” but takes some interesting and unexpected twists and ends up being a uniquely satisfying episode. It doesn’t really change the formula, but it comes at it from a different angle, and Jessica is a total BOSS in it! Another fun episode is “Jessica Behind Bars” from season 2. The supporting cast of women in that one is absolutely FULL of cult icons!

[@PhoebeRetriever]

Jessica Behind Bars is so good! I recognized Adrian Barbeu from a lot of horror movies like Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, The Fog, and Creepshow!