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.
Not only, from personal opinion, is "Death Goes Double Platinum" one of the worst episodes of Season 12, it is one of the low-points of 'Murder She Wrote' in general. It is not a complete waste, but music-themed 'Murder She Wrote' episodes don't get much worse than this and there is not much to recommend. Apologies for going against the tide here and my opinion is to be taken with a pinch of salt, but "Death Goes Double Platinum" didn't do it for me at all. Good idea, executed poorly.
There are plus points. The production values as always are slick and stylish. Some of the scoring 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.
Angela Lansbury is as always terrific, Jessica Fletcher being one of her best-remembered roles for very good reasons.
On the other hand, she is very ill-served by one of the show's worst supporting casts, and not just from a few members, this is everybody we're talking about. The younger cast members are especially dire and are testament to that 'Murder She Wrote' was very variable when it came to casting younger actors, and "Death Goes Double Platinum" is one of the worst cases.
Writing doesn't flow well and is neither thought-provoking or amiable. The mystery is a weak one, very dull and obvious with one of the biggest examples of "it could only have been one person" murderer identities, therefore it's one of the show's most unsurprising denouements. The mob tactics added nothing to the story, felt out of place and should have been left out entirely. The featured Latin music would have been out of date even in the 90s and on its own doesn't appeal on the ear.
In summation, didn't work. 3/10 Bethany Cox