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.
Although having a wonderful pilot episode in "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes", Season 1, as is the case with a lot of shows, took time to settle, though up to this point none of the episodes were bad. That is not to say that the season didn't have any gems, it certainly did. From the period of episodes from "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes" to this, the previous episode "Lovers and Other Killers" was a gem and this episode "Hit, Run and Homicide" is another.
My only complaint actually of "Hit, Run and Homicide" is the rather over-complicated motive for the murder, have seen this episode a few times now and already the identity of who's involved and how they did it makes sense the motive always confused me and was a bit difficult to swallow.
However, as always, "Hit, Run and Homicide" looks good. Actually with the scenic shots at the beginning, taking advantage of all that beautiful scenery, and the striking and clever helicopter shots during the attempted murder of Jessica, it's one of the best shot and best-looking episodes of the first season. The location is beautiful, and seeing all the fashions then gives a sense of nostalgia, even for anybody not born in the 80s or yet alive.
On top of that, the music has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, particularly loved it at the start, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.
Writing is charmingly light-hearted, gently amiable and down to earth but provokes thought too. The story is absorbing, with an otherwise clever final solution and a season highlight in the attempted murder of Jessica. Oh and the murder method has to be the most unique one on 'Murder She Wrote' and one of the cleverest.
Jessica is more than just your standard female detective, and Amos, despite making mistakes and jumping to conclusions, is more than the bumbling sheriff cliché. Love that Cabot Cove is like a close community, that has always been one of the charms of the episodes set in Cabot Cove.
Angela Lansbury is terrific in one of her best remembered roles (one of the roles that is most closely associated with me at any rate). Tom Bosley supports her well, and yes the episode is worth watching to see Van Johnson and June Allyson on screen.
In summary, great episode and a season high-point apart from the over-complicated motive. 9/10 Bethany Cox
