Episode 52: The Stabby Award for Cocaine Chic

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) returns to visit her season 1 niece Victoria and her now-husband Howard (Genie Francis and Jeff Conaway) as they each stand at professional crosswords. While Howard is struggling for recognition as an actor, Victoria is routinely demeaned and harassed at her job at the boys' club advertising agency as she handles the big deal fast food chain contract. When the scumbag boss (Richard Kline) ends up dead, Victoria is a prime suspect--as is the lecherous king of corned beef (Ken Swofford), the pretty lady competition (Susan Anton), and whoever may have delivered the last sandwich he ever saw. CORNED BEEF AND CARNAGE gives Jessica plenty to work with, from investigating suspects and potential witnesses, bothering busy deli workers, and bantering with our cop of the week, James Sloyan, over the likelihood of our righteous bludgeoner. Marcia Wallace, David Ogden Stiers, Warren Berlinger, and William Macy all provide excellent performances in this glimpse of the cutthroat world of marketing in the era of shoulder pads.