User Reviews

Jessica visits an old friend at a convent, but ends up solving a murder.

The title makes me laugh, you can imagine someone created it whilst chuckling. Despite serious setting, there are some comical aspects, the trio of nuns for example.

The standout is Eileen Brennan, a wonderful actress who always had a twinkle in the eye, for me a wonderful comedy actress, I kept waiting for her to deliver an amusing line, but she played it straight. The choir are sublime.

Keen observers will spot clues. It's a very good murder mystery.

This episode marks the most recent appearance to date for Audrey Totter, who has been acting in film and on television since 1945, and also the recent appearance thus far for Cindy Fisher, who began her acting career in 1974. This presents one of the last appearances by Evelyn Keyes, who has since passed. Robert Prosky has also since passed.

Reverend Mother Claire (Jane Powell) invites her childhood friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to a dedication service for a new office at the historic Immaculate Heart Convent and girls' orphanage school, in Bergen Falls, Louisiana, which would be situated in the southeastern section of the state, as the Reverend Mother Superior notes its position "east of the Mississippi" River.

Jessica meets several of the staff members at Immaculate Heart Convent, as elderly Sister Emily (Evelyn Keyes), whose physical ailments require the use of prescription Methylidene, and young Sister Sarah Martino (Sherri Stoner), who is torn between taking her final vows and her interest in former fiancé Mike Phelps (Mark Keyloun), who delivers orders from Lakeside Pharmacy to the convent school.

Bishop Patrick Shea (Robert Prosky) oversees the diocese at which Immaculate Heart Convent is situated, and visits to prepare for its office dedication. Marian Simpson (Eileen Brennan), wife of the ever-campaigning Mayor Albert Simpson (Ed Nelson), an alumni of the orphanage school, also serves on the dedication planning committee.

As Jessica and Marian await Mother Claire's meeting with the Bishop to conclude, Private Investigator Ray Carter (Clu Gulager) arrives from Florida to follow a lead regarding the long-lost daughter of a dying client, who seeks reconciliation with his child, who may have attended the convent school fifteen years prior. He is sent to Sister Emily's classroom, to leave a photograph.

Nancy Bates (Cindy Fisher), a former Immaculate Heart ward, who had been sent off to a Shreveport prison to pay for a crime reported by the nuns, is turned away at the door, but manages to sneak into the hidden corridors of this historic institution, which had once shielded runaway slaves in the years before the U.S. Civil War of the 1860's.

Doctor Marshall (Scott Paulin), also pays a call to the convent, to deliver a prescription, and to explain his purpose for substituting for the regular physician on call at the convent.

But after a body is discovered that night, resulting from a seeming suicide, various theories begin to unfold as to possible causes of death, apparently not murder leading the polls, which is rare in this series, until, of course, it is proved as murder.

Reverend Mother Claire, Bishop Patrick Shea and an unseen Sheriff eventually come around to Jessica's way of thinking, to rally to her cause of sorting through a roster of suspects to figure a way to expose the perpetrator, as "Old Habits Die Hard."

The cast is rounded out by Amy (Wendy Brainard), a frightened orphan, and Immaculate Heart staff members Sister Mary-Margaret (Fay DeWitt), Sister Margaret-Mary (M'el Dowd), Sister Margaret-Marie (Carol Swarbrick), Sister Anne (Hunter Mackenzie Austin), Sister Paul (Audrey Totter) and Nun (Linda Harmon).

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.

"Old Habits Die Hard" is another one of the gems of Season 4 (to me one of the better and more consistent seasons of 'Murder She Wrote') and perhaps one of the best overall episodes too. One of those episodes that one cannot get enough of no matter how many times it's been seen, with something new to admire each time. The mystery itself is colourful and clever, without being convoluted or obvious with everything being tied up neatly but not in a too pat way at the end.

It's the cast that make "Old Habits Die Hard" the gem that it is. Angela Lansbury is dependably terrific, while it is impossible not to be charmed and entertained by the star power of one of the show's best guest star casts. Standing out are Eileen Brennan, who plays a busybody to classy and suitably annoying but fun perfection, Clu Gallagher who charms in her flirtatiousness, Robert Prosky who plays the most crusty in demeanour monsignor you'll ever see and Jane Powell bringing a lot of spirit.

Production values, however, are slick and stylish as ever with 'Murder She Wrote'. 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.

Writing is thought-provoking, light-hearted and amiable and the story has some well executed twists and turns and is never dull.

To conclude, one of my favourites of Season 4. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A nun "committing suicide", though it is considered a mortal sin in the religion is very interesting! My first watch, I was guessing so many different outcomes! But in my second watch, I was able to identify micromovements and small hints as to who the murderer was. I absolutely enjoyed this episode start to finish, even with all of the red herrings! This is definitely one of my favorite episodes of Murder She Wrote, mainly because of the ending. The confession at the end when the murderer details exactly how they did it and their thought process was kind of cringy to watch, but the build up to it was pure anxiety and adrenaline! Definitely give this episode a watch!

Some old Hollywood names are in the cast of this Murder She Wrote as nuns as Jessica Fletcher visits a convent presided over by Jane Powell. Some of the other nuns include Evelyn Keyes and Audrey Totter. Keyes is the keeper of the records at the convent and it is she who winds up being murdered.

Since it was after dark and the convent locked up suspicion falls on the nuns, a possibility abhorred by Powell and by Bishop Robert Prosky. Of course you know Angela Lansbury solves the who and the why of the murder of this gentle soul.

There are some subplots that could have been the reason for the killing. The perpetrator was one determined individual who nearly kills Jessica Fletcher.

Always nice to see some old familiar faces from bygone Hollywood, a special treat many times provided by Murder She Wrote.

Joining forces with her old friend, Jessica sets out to solve the murder of a nun who harboured a 15-year-old secret. A fine murder mystery which is engaging enough and has a tinge of menace - there's a lethal injection used as a murder tool, a hidden passageway and plenty of small secrets ready to come out in the open. A gem.

Jessica Fletcher just happens to be visiting a convent when lo and behold, someone dies! But in this case it's most unusual because the dead person is a nun....and it appears that it is a suicide! Considering that the Church considers that a mortal sin, it does seem unlikely. Jessica thinks this as well...though the dopey Bishop just wants the case swept under the rug. So what's REALLY going on here?

Like most episodes, this one has some old Hollywood faces, such as Jane Powell, Evelyn Keyes and Audrey Totter among the nuns. As for the story, it's decent and the only major deficits are the Bishop's odd behaviors as well as the confession at the end...a plot device that's a bit overused on the show. Still, it is enjoyable and worth seeing.