The detective show is always a hit. It is to take the audience’s mind off their problems. And there are many famous detectives and amateur spies who have stolen our hearts. But who is the best? There is Columbo (Peter Falk), Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), Poirot (David Suchet), Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck, Jay Hernandez), and Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke), just to name a few. But in all reality, hands down, Jessica Fletcher (Dame Angela Lansbury) is the best television detective. An icon for the ages (12 seasons to be exact), Jessica travels the world as a best-selling author, solving mysteries in style. From the small town of Cabot Cove, we traveled with her to see many friends and extended family. No one can compete with her skills The murder she wrote universe, and she brings something to the table that isn’t done much on television. An old woman who has a passion for life and a sharp mind, she listens, takes clues together, and is not afraid to speak her mind. She outsmarts the best of criminals and dupes the authorities more than once.
JB Fletcher is an icon for the ages
Jessica Beatrice Fletcher, known by her pen name JB Fletcher, is an unusual woman of the 1980s. She is a widow trying to decide to start a new career in her 60s, something we have never seen on TV before. She became a best-selling mystery author, criminology professor, and police consultant. Usually, the elderly are portrayed as incompetent and judgmental, but she breaks all stereotypes. She is a childless retired school teacher, has a relationship with a murderer, and solves them before anyone else can. Jessica is resourceful and able to solve problems thrown at her, and she does it by looking at every angle. Even if it causes chaos, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty to reveal the truth.
And getting her hands dirty sometimes means she disguises herself and pretends to be someone she doesn’t get information from. She’s anything from rich (“Widow, Weep for Me”) to drunken aunt (“My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean”) to empty squid (“Weave a Tangled Web”) and anything in between. She’s a wealthy patient to expose a doctor who takes advantage of patients (“The Simple Operator”), a theater shop owner in search of a long-lost brother-in-law (“Death Stalks the Big Top”), or even a Lila Lee Lady (“Murder By Appointment Only”) who is looking for a certain lipstick color. It shows how versatile Angela Lansbury is and how much fun she must have playing a natural character unlike Jessica.
It’s no secret that Jessica has a large family and many friends. Many live in Cabot Cove, Maine, and some are all over the world. But let’s talk about Jess’s best friend, Dr. Seth Hazlett (William Windom). He is the doctor of the town and gossip, for that matter. Their virtual friendship is really cute, and his attitude rivals Jessica’s love interest. But they are a perfect pair. They suffer through their lost parts together (“Mr. Penroy’s Vacation”), and she finds him after he’s beaten by the mafia (“Family Doctor”) or he’s lost in the woods after his car breaks down (“The Trouble With Seth”). He likes to play chess or to help Jess outwit an assassin.
Although she is a master of disguise, subterfuge, and deception, she is accepted by almost everyone, either because someone is a fan of her novels or because of her reputation for helping the police. The police say they either love her for helping them or hate her interference; There is no in between. In any case, she has solved the mystery.
Jessica has connections everywhere and uses them to help her
It’s no secret that Jessica has a large family and many friends. Many live in Cabot Cove, Maine, and some are all over the world. But let’s talk about Jess’s best friend, Dr. Seth Hazlett (William Windom). He is the doctor of the town and gossip, for that matter. Their virtual friendship is really cute, and his attitude rivals Jessica’s love interest. But they are a perfect pair. They suffer through the dull part together, she found him after he was captured by the mafia, or he was lost in the forest after his car broke down. He was always playing chess or helping Jess track down the killer.
Grady Fletcher (Michael Horton) is another great side feature. He is Jessica and Frank’s nephew, now an accountant. He jumps into Jessica’s newfound career as a novelist by sending Jess’s manuscript – “The Corpse Danced At Midnight” – to a publisher. He first came to Jessica and Frank as a child after his parents were killed in a car accident. Jessica does not drive out of respect for them but can be seen driving around town on her bike. Grady is a stark contrast to Jessica because he seems to worry about everything, while Jess has learned that life is too short to worry about the little things. However, he is often roped into helping Jess find out who the killer is and often the victim. And after never succeeding in love, Grady finally found his perfect match, an accountant like himself, Donna (Debbie Zipp).
Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) is another great little character with some episodes. He’s what you’d expect from a private investigator with a gray moral compass. He is lazy and lazy, but he is well-intentioned and resourceful. He gets into his vices, like gambling, smoking, and drinking (a classic PI trope), and gets into a lot of situations without thinking ahead. The odd time leads to a fixable case, but more often than not, it leads to a black eye or a bloody mouth. Like most minor characters, his personality contrasts with Jessica’s, which adds a humorous element to the situation. After warming up to her gentle demeanor, he goes so far as to offer Jessica a job at his agency.
Len Cariou Play the character of MI6 super spy Michael Hagerty. He always gets Jessica in trouble and never wants to let her in on the secret he keeps until necessary. To keep her safe, he puts her in jail for a few days (“JB As in Jailbird”) and has Grady pretend he doesn’t know her. Jessica is always suspicious when Michael shows up because she knows there is shady business going on and wants no part. Of course, she always gets sucked into it, even if they have to pretend to be married (“A date in Athens”) as a cover for Michael.
Cabot Cove is a hive of criminal activity
There were two Cabot Cove Sheriffs throughout Murder She Wrote’s 12-season run: Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) and Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). They both pushed to solve the mystery of Jessica in their way. Amos was pretty dark and always went to Jessica when he needed help unless Seth roasted him several times about it. In the end, he always insists that Jess put the price together correctly. While Mort attends a big town party thinking that Cabot Cove is just a sleepy little town (someone didn’t do their research), he gets a rude awakening when a murder occurs. But he usually insists that he doesn’t need Jessica’s help. But, of course, no one can solve the mystery like Jess.
Jessica seems to know everyone, everywhere, but it’s surprising that she gets invited everywhere. No matter where she went, someone was killed. And, of course, her hometown, Cabot Cove, is the murder capital of the world. But she went to explore the world, meet new people, and write mystery novels. What could be better?
