Episode 81: The Ugliest Council Room Ever

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we address uncomfortable race relations in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine. When a war bonnet'd First Nations man on horseback throws a spear at the Mayor (Richard Paul), the townspeople are irked. It turns out the theatrical equestrian is Algonquin George Longbow (Bernard White, who, uh, isn't), and he has a claim on the town, which further instigates worry, rage, and indignation.It's all a particularly complex episode, INDIAN GIVER, which features domestic violence, hate crimes, and our intrepid mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) trying to stand between the slur-spewing yahoos and an early primetime discussion of reparations.  The cast includes Theodore Bikel, Gary Lockwood, Charles Siebert, and Tom Bosley, and a lot of very very white New Englanders. Don't hold your breath for a whole lot of "oh this aged well," but Petra and Viktor steer the way as best they can as this civil unrest leads to a particularly bold murder scene, and an awkward happy ending.