Jessica discovers a letter from George Washington that leads to a hero's disgrace and a director's murder.Jessica discovers a letter from George Washington that leads to a hero's disgrace and a director's murder.Jessica discovers a letter from George Washington that leads to a hero's disgrace and a director's murder.
Photos
- Sheriff Mort Metzger
- (as Ron Másak)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGuest stars Molly Hagan and Jeffrey Nordling also appeared on S9,E18:"Dead to Rights".
- GoofsThroughout the early seasons of Murder, She Wrote, the existence of Joshua Peabody is treated as a local legend, with Seth Hazlitt serving as chief skeptic. In this episode, Joshua Peabody is treated as a recognized local figure with living descendants and Seth Hazlitt no longer seems to question whether he really existed.
- Quotes
[last lines]
[Seth is dressed up in a Revolutionary War costume]
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: I can't wait to get out of this monkey suit.
Sheriff Mort Metzger: Oh, I wouldn't hurry, Doc. You're a walking, talking photo-op for all the tourists that are pouring into town.
Jessica Fletcher: Sure. And I mean, there's next year's celebration to consider. I mean, once you take that off, you might not be able to get back into it again.
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: Cute. Very cute.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: LONDON, ENGLAND
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
Generally "To Kill a Legend" to me is one of Season 11's better episodes. The mystery is entertaining, interesting and keeps one guessing, though sometimes it is a little silly and not everything is as clear as it could have been. The portrayal of the town founder Joshua Peabody has not always been consistently handled, and an aspect or two (like the one previously mentioned) has generated some fan debate.
Andy is still little more than the bland and underwritten deputy character, Louis Herthum does his best, gives some nice subtlety and the chemistry with the other Cabot Cove regulars is equally nice but the character at this very late stage hasn't yet had much interesting.
On the other hand, Angela Lansbury doesn't seem capable of giving a bad performance as Jessica. William Windom is charmingly curmudgeon and the Mort of Ron Masak is much more than the bumbling or pushover sheriff cliché, having faults but he is good at his job and doesn't act dumb. They have a great chemistry that's both tense and charming. Cabot Cove as always is a welcome sight and will always love the close sense of community.
Solid guest supporting cast, Jeffrey Nordling being a standout. The Revolutionary War elements are fun and intriguing to watch and much of the mystery fares well with the odd silly and vague moment (less so than a lot of Season 11 episodes). The reveal is one of the season's more surprising and convincing ones.
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 thoughtful and amiable as well as having an endearing cosiness.
In summary, worthwhile episode and one of Season 11's better ones. 7/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 24, 2017