Episode 20: Where Are The Koi Fish?!?

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, nothing can keep Jessica Fletcher from meddling - not even a fractured ankle! JB Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is on the scene in a Texan private hospital where the doctors hate each other, the nurses wear false eyelashes, and the patients are comedy legends. Why, yes, we'd love to spend a weekend. Naturally, someone everyone seems to hate is murdered (Stephen Elliot), and the question is, who wouldn't? The suspect list is surprisingly sparse and is largely made up of the staff (Sam Groom and Martin Kove as battling MDs; Kay Lenz and Susan Oliver as our sisters of mercy). Everyone else is just chewing the scenery for the sake of it and filling in gaps, from the wonderful Martha Raye and Eddie Bracken as negging almost-lovebird rich inmates, to Victoria Carroll in her own southern drama miniseries in her mind, to Lucille Meredith as our pick for Best Supporting Actress as a sort-of witness to the crime and this episode's one-scene wonder. Somewhat useless detective Ray Jenkins (Bo Hopkins) is upfront about his need for help from the temporarily disabled Jessica, even if he fights her most of the way; we get some fun moments of bickering between them that escalate in the final act, for a higher purpose. And finally, there's greasy lawyer Kevin McCarthy, who is all too willing to sue on behalf of everyone if they've got the cash. It's a fairly straightforward mystery with some bonkers additions and non-sequiturs that may or may not pan out. You'll need a strong glass of carrot juice to prepare for the finale, which uses the very latest in technology. We do have one question, though: where are the koi fish?! This is ARMED RESPONSE!