Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.
"A Nest of Vipers" is a very watchable and not bad start to Season 11, which to me is among the weaker seasons of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a long way from a gem though, and only just scrapes average. The mystery is fun and intriguing enough and it goes at a good pace, there are also not that many surprises and thematically and in terms of story direction a lot of it treads familiar ground.
The dialogue is a little contrived in places and a few of the conflicts somewhat soapy. The less than experienced actors (generally the younger actors and those who have not been in more than one episode) are a bit dull.
On the other hand Angela Lansbury is terrific (when has she ever not been in this role), and she is aided by worthy support from Glenn Taranto, Susan Blakely, Jerry Hardin, Taylor Nichols, John Dye and Corinne Bohrer. While it is not a great mystery, the story engages and interests enough and the ending is not an obvious one or a ridiculous one (not always the case with episodes from Season 9 onward or so).
Production values as always are slick, stylish and suitably cosy. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is thought-provoking and does generally a good if never exceptional job with the lightness and cosiness of the show. The setting is used to good advantage and the murder is a clever one.
In conclusion, very watchable if scraping average. 6/10 Bethany Cox