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21- Murder She Wrote...The Follow Up
22 Plays14 days ago
Our follow up to the Murder She Wrote episode begins with a mystery in the library that we can’t solve, but Jessica Fletcher surely could. Molly Cohn joins us again to debrief about our homework—Patti made herself a MSW bingo board, and Charlotte and Molly played the MSW drinking game.
We run the gamut of topics in this episode, from Jessica’s sweaters and Angela Lansbury’s delicious pettiness, to existential themes and the way JB Fletcher invites people to join her in the present moment, counteracting the oft weaponized tool of nostalgia.
We talk about the possibility of a MSW reboot (Hollywood, we’ve got suggestions), and who could possibly fill Angela Lansbury’s shoes. We hear about the creepiest VRBO Charlotte’s ever been to. Then we talk accessibility and what’s it’s like to look back on the show now, in 2025.
There are spoilers for the following episodes of Murder She Wrote:
Death Stalks the Big Top
Snow White, Blood Red
Murder Among Friends
Magnum on Ice
Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
BlueSky: @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social
Instagram: @canweinterestyouin
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com
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Transcript
Introduction to Listener Obsessions
00:00:00
Speaker
You know that thing you love that your friends and family don't want to hear about anymore? Tell it to us, Patty and Charlotte. We want to learn all about your weird and wild obsessions or your perfectly normal hobbies that you've taken just a little too far.
00:00:15
Speaker
We want to dabble in your curious interests. Can we interest you in today's episode?
Guest Introduction and Show Discussion
00:00:35
Speaker
Hey, Charlotte. Hey, Patty. And me, Molly. Hi, everyone. Hi. Molly is back with us to talk about the lovely, cozy follow-up to Murder, She Wrote.
00:00:50
Speaker
Yay. And we are getting cozy right now with our microphone because Molly and I are sharing a mic. Yeah, it's a dream come true for me. been waiting for years.
00:01:03
Speaker
That microphone didn't go missing from the library. Molly was there yesterday and stole it. She's like the Rodolfo Corky Gonzalez Library, you say. Okay. It's like, I'll be there. i've never been there before. Not yesterday, certainly. Hopefully no troubleshooting will need to be done.
00:01:20
Speaker
oh well, actually, you're right. no so it is. You're down one. headset and one microphone. Well, yeah. Times are hard. It's not the microphone. it's it's It's some unknown thing. there it's i don't know if it's the cord. It might be the the doc. It could be anything. I know. If only someone with a keen sense of observation and deductive reasoning were here start to solve this mystery.
Podcast Mystery Theme Jokes
00:01:48
Speaker
Maybe that's it. Maybe that's the podcast. Yeah. Like maybe we just drop clues for listeners and then they solve the mystery. Well, we did have the the guy who works at the library who was talking down a little bit sometimes.
00:02:05
Speaker
Actually, he's he's very nice. Was he the one that you were watching the other day when you wore your t-shirt? Oh, no. That was another person. He's the one who appeared in my dream one time.
00:02:17
Speaker
Yeah. I think you almost told him. I would never tell him he would not take that well. He does not seem, based on my 30 second interaction, that doesn't seem like something he'd be super receptive. No, no.
00:02:29
Speaker
He also forgets who I am every single time I've come, even though it's been like 15 times. Oh, yeah no there was one time he was like, you've been here before, right? Yeah. but not wow So you're going to be in his wedding is what you're saying.
00:02:43
Speaker
As his bride. You'll be the you'll be the sound engineer. So should we jump ah straight into homework?
00:02:54
Speaker
Yes. I'm so excited to hear how it all went.
Murder, She Wrote Viewing and Games
00:02:59
Speaker
So Molly gave us the wonderful homework last time to watch one, two, three, four, five, six different episodes, suggestions, and also gave us a great drinking game, which I made mine into a bingo card.
00:03:15
Speaker
Oh, it's very big. love that. Nice. Well, yeah. There are lot of things on there. Yeah. So, yes, and it it is 25 squares with one free spot.
00:03:26
Speaker
Yeah, it is pretty big. But, yeah, you had to write – I had to write things in. So – and you guys watched together? We did. It was really fun. Yeah, Molly came over, and we had some pumpkin beer because – cozy. Yeah, it's very cozy. fall And then i had tried to make a bingo card and or print out the list, but I couldn't. So I wrote them up on the white on a whiteboard. And I will you have a post a picture of that. Yeah, that's the only way I could keep track of my life is a whiteboard.
00:04:01
Speaker
So we did that. We had it up. Adam was there for he was planning on just like letting us watch and then i think he got sucked in yeah as thanks my just yeah yeah yeah because which episode did you sorry which episode did you start with we did the the colorado one like like the snow the snowstorm one and then we finished with buds who and then we like switched to the roku channel just to have on as we were like finishing up. So then I think it was like the end of the episode where like this woman talks to a horse.
00:04:37
Speaker
Yeah. She can communicate with a horse and that's what solves the mystery. Well, Jessica obviously solves the mystery, but the horse is the eyewitness. Yeah. Does the horse communicate by like doing the stomping Ed?
00:04:51
Speaker
The nodding. Yeah, I don't think they had the budget for stomping. um but Just some had the back head nods. that the The fact that they had a budget for real horses and then in the big top one...
00:05:06
Speaker
Like you said, so many animals. I mean, there were like at least four elephants and that little ape. And oh, my gosh. So Adam got sucked in. We are not surprised, especially if it was skiing. It was the mountains. It's like you're in your element there. Yeah.
00:05:21
Speaker
And the sweaters and the sweaters. Yeah. the All the ah things. But wait. So then you watched the circus one, two episodes? Yes. i I thank goodness could find the second episode because I was watching these all on Amazon Prime.
00:05:36
Speaker
That's where they're available. And I mean, obviously, yeah i tried Roku channel, but I was like, oh, they go in order. Like, i I love that they go in the order. So I was like, shoot, this one won't be on until a week from now, you know, or whatever in the way that it goes in order. So i Episode two of Deathstalk's the Big Top part one and two was not available on Amazon Prime.
00:06:02
Speaker
Like you had to like pay for it. So I watched it on Tubi, which I had never done a Tubi thing. I downloaded it easy breezy and it was available. So but for like four days, I didn't know who did it.
00:06:17
Speaker
And I was just like, I have to find part two what is good And so like at first I was like, maybe I'll just ask them to retell it to me but during the podcast.
00:06:28
Speaker
What happens? Does Neil slash Carl ever get out of jail? i I do love that. like I feel like 99.9% of the time I'm watching it so passively. Like it's just like aesthetic passing before my eyes. But I love that you had like really active emotional investment.
00:06:48
Speaker
In Murder, She Wrote. like it's i experienced that a couple days ago and I was like, oh this is a – usually it's just like passive coziness, but there was an episode a few days ago and I had tears streaming down my – I was sobbing. like – It was really good. Yeah. What episode?
Character Development and Themes
00:07:08
Speaker
Oh my gosh. It was like a two part season finale. I'll have to look up which season, but like another writer comes to town and tries to basically the episode opens with Seth being like Seth, her bestie being like, Jess, you don't do any of the things you used to love anymore. You're burying yourself in your writing. You don't come fishing with me. You don't like celebrate your life.
00:07:33
Speaker
I know you miss Frank. What are you hiding from? and Jessica was like, um I'm like tearing up thinking about it. She was like, Seth, are you trying to hurt me? and he was like, God, no woman, I'm trying to help you.
00:07:45
Speaker
And that's how the episode starts. So you kick off with a bang and it's a two parter competitive, like a writer that is also a mystery writer at the time comes to town.
00:07:56
Speaker
bringing poisoned apples to Jessica. And then... why And going to do a little bit of a spoiler. Seth accidentally eats one of those apples and is hospitalized. and I won't say anymore.
00:08:10
Speaker
But like we are working with some real... existential themes of like, what does it mean to avoid emotions? At what cost are you avoiding hard feelings? Like, and then when a friend comes to you and is like, girl, like, this is not you. And like, I think you need to take a hard look at yourself.
00:08:29
Speaker
And then that friend eats a poisonous apple. Yeah. It's like, we're doing some real time evaluation of our life and our choices. And it was really cool. Wow. And I feel like so at least in the episodes that I watched, which to be fair is not many considering it's 12 seasons.
00:08:48
Speaker
While we do see parts of her life through her family and her friends and her connections, she doesn't really like go deep. We know she misses Frank, but she doesn't go deep. So that's amazing that they were kind of like, hey, let's focus in on this woman and that you love for a bit. That's.
00:09:06
Speaker
Wow. Yeah, i take back my complaint about the show, which it was before I started watching it again, which was that like the episodes don't have enough character arc for her because that very good character character arc. And i would love to to watch that one. Now I got to know if Seth lives or not. I know. I know. there They are absolutely willing to kill off somebody, i think, who, right?
00:09:33
Speaker
Are they? I think we can feel confident in the fact that we are going to keep Jessica's very best friend in the whole world. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I'm not going to let you walk out of here wondering if Jessica loses, like, the most important man in her life. When I said it, I thought, maybe I'm thinking of monks But they still don't kill off any – but, like, they do kill off one kind of side character at one point.
00:09:58
Speaker
No. Seth is there till the end. And he has the haircuts to prove it.
00:10:07
Speaker
Oh, yeah. In Monk, they got rid of, like, his assistant lady, right? Yeah, but they didn't kill her off. moved away. Yeah. She moved away. It was more like and this annoying neighbor. But okay i just thought, like – that's not That's not very nice. This guy just gets killed off. and And he's already like somebody already attempted to kill him before in another episode. Oh, you know, this poor guy.
00:10:31
Speaker
Yeah. He's very annoying. a little final destination. and It's like how Squidward always gets like a bad shake, like just has the worst luck living next to SpongeBob. feel like living next to Monk too, you're going to get – Well, that's like, you know, with Jessica Fletcher, i can only imagine how she would be maybe just not doing all the things that she used to do and not living her life she like she used to because everywhere she goes, somebody dies or is framed or so she might feel cursed, you know.
00:11:04
Speaker
I would. kidding. feel like if anything – Like a circus. Totally. Literally. if If that happened to me twice, I'd be like, I'm cursed. You know? I had to solve a murder two times. I'd be like, no, something's off here. I'm not.
00:11:20
Speaker
I did think it was really interesting. Well, first off, OK, the theme music was so, so nostalgic. Like as soon as it came on, I just felt like such oh love. And it really is a lovely song. But I thought it was hilarious how the episode Snow White Blood Red starts with Jessica skiing down a mountain. Yeah. Like top speed, huge incline. Perfect form. Zipping along.
00:11:54
Speaker
It was so good. And then it's like, Jessica. And she like turns around and takes off the helmet. And she's like oh, hello. And they make no reference to why she's there, why this guy knows her.
00:12:07
Speaker
We don't know the relation to her and the shopkeepers. There's none of that. And you just don't care. You're like, oh, yeah, that's okay. I don't need to know details of how these people know each other or relation. And maybe they'll drop some hints along the way that I'll be able to piece it together. But there is no need to make those things clear. That's not the important part. There's no expectation on the viewer, which I appreciate. I feel no pressure to learn anything at all.
00:12:34
Speaker
You're not going to give me exposition. i feel like that's permission to sort of vaguely tune out most of the time. Or just make it up. Yeah, absolutely make it up. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:12:46
Speaker
Gunner. Oh, my God. The guy who dies first. That hair and that face. I was like, whoa, this man is horrible.
00:12:57
Speaker
he Like he's going to You look at him. You're like, he's got to go because we can't look at him for much longer. and also he's not. Is it believable that he is a skier, like a pro skier with a body of like a bodybuilder?
00:13:15
Speaker
With just like ladies on him all the time. Just a ladies man. But yes, like the gym scene was hilarious. why I was like, why don't we still wear those like gym towels around our neck, tucked tucked into our sweater fronts like while working out? I don't, I could use that, you know? Yeah, it it was very interesting
Gender Dynamics and Power
00:13:37
Speaker
to see them working out in the gym as skiers and Yeah, it was very time stamped in that way. we were like in the equipment in the gym too, that computer thing.
00:13:48
Speaker
Oh yeah, whatever that is.
00:13:52
Speaker
That thing that looked like C-3PO type thing from the 80s. The obsolete piece of technology.
00:14:01
Speaker
did you Did you get drunk, Patty, while playing this game? No, so I ended up doing the bingo instead because I was like... Yeah, I'm not a huge solo drinker. And so I was just kind of like, I'll, you know, hit it. But with with that first episode that I watched, The Snow White Blood Red, I did. I hit bingo easily because there was a man talks down to Jessica or or greatly underestimates her for sure.
00:14:27
Speaker
Someone dropped something on the floor when Jessica figures out a clue, when the sleigh bells rung. Like shed she dropped something and then knocked the sleigh bells in the barn. And that's how she figured it out, my free space.
00:14:40
Speaker
And then you say to yourself, hey, it's that one guy slash lady from that one show. The gynecologist kept getting called in. Dr. Lewis is from Spaceballs and so many other things, like such a character actor.
00:14:55
Speaker
And then an obsolete piece of technology, the rotary phone. Like I was immediately like, oh, wow. I mean, there were so many, as you guys mentioned, with the exercise stuff. But then there was also the Jessica breaks into someone's hotel room. She did use a key.
00:15:10
Speaker
But I still figured it was breaking in. that she found. You know what I mean? Exactly. That she probably stole. exactly But then somebody breaks into it while she's in it too. So I think we might have counted that.
00:15:24
Speaker
We counted it as both. Yeah. And then a gloved hand. There was one of those, which is just such a great, I mean, really, in every episode when like the big gloved hand would just come in, it was such a great moment.
00:15:40
Speaker
And of course, the music. I mean, there was spooky music playing to set the scene from the beginning as she's going down that mountain. I'm like, oh boy it's scary like who's gonna come get her going it was so good a crossbow as well what like the drama of all the weapons to use hospital no that's not reliable No.
00:16:04
Speaker
And he had to like break glass to get it out of a case. And I was like, no this is the only way. Crossbow. Even though I'll kill someone with a gun later.
00:16:18
Speaker
It was also very funny. The husband and wife, the cop and wife from New York, their get-ups and their hair. I was like, like the lady's hair. I was like, is she from the saloon back in the wild, wild west? Like, what the heck?
00:16:35
Speaker
And then for it to not really be clear at the end, why were they there? And why was this done? And so clearly was like the wife in on the whole I'm a detective from New York being a lie.
00:16:52
Speaker
i Yeah. Maybe I missed some things, and like but I didn't really care. really Like, does it matter? Because there's another episode waiting at the end of that one for you. You can try and get some answers there.
00:17:05
Speaker
It doesn't continue, but it's fine. and Keep going. We're just here for the sweaters, you know? Oh, my God. There was the one sweater that she was wearing that I i want to find one. With, like, the little colors. Yeah.
00:17:18
Speaker
That was a really good sweater. The men, when they were sitting around while someone was playing their guitar oh for their other fallen friend, those sweaters, I mean, they were so tightly fit and short, and yet they looked ghostly. Yeah. And yet, here we are. They made me want to they wanted made me want to be stuck in a ski lodge with a murderer. And that's good fashion. That's some coziness.
00:17:49
Speaker
hu That's such a good like tagline for a brand. Makes you want to be stuck in a ski lodge with a murderer. Then we watched The Buds. Wait, no, it's not called The Buds.
00:18:03
Speaker
It's called The Buddies? The show was called Buds. Oh, I think it's called Murder Among Friends was that episode. Oh, okay. I didn't get to that one. So please tell me. Tell me. Well, I think one thing that was really delightful is that it opens with um like what – like if you took – you know how they take popular songs and like elevatorify them?
00:18:26
Speaker
So it like – Oh, yeah. like Friends theme adjacent. So similar. Yeah. So similar. You cannot actually believe that they were allowed to do that. I think i know.
00:18:38
Speaker
I know. And the pettiness just kind of kicks off immediately where Jessica is filming like a PBS style show in the studio next door. So like I think she shares a producer with Buds and then like her show get cut off for a second to go deal with some Buds drama. And sure enough, it just was there's a couch and a cafe and six friends and They're all terrible people and everybody on the show is a terrible person.
00:19:07
Speaker
and there's a murder. But not for a long time. It's a – Okay. it's a purdue It's like a writer and like head. Yeah. Like the head of the show. The head of the show. This lady with big glasses and very – I assume like very Hollywood. Yeah.
00:19:27
Speaker
But we're Hollywood and New York. Yes. And just like the worst person in the world. Like remorseless and kind of cold and like power hungry and which is really interesting because.
00:19:43
Speaker
I don't know. they they They drew out how terrible everyone was for a really long time before they committed, like before they did the murder. And like on one hand, it's put you're like making a lot of suspects that way. Like you're creating a lot of suspects for us to guess. But it's also like, I don't know. Are you just dragging this out because you're mad at friends?
00:20:04
Speaker
Yeah, you want to drag them. Yeah. um But it was good. I mean, it was so 90s. And it felt like because it was so close to Friends, it was like almost off-brand. You know when you get like off-brand brands, like off-brand peanut butter or like off-brand GIF where the label is just close enough, but you're like, that's not GIF. Or like Otter Pops, like off-brand Otter Pops, off-brand like Crayola Kranz.
00:20:29
Speaker
And you're like... It's like the rose art of Krantz. like went Yeah, when I was in Taiwan and I bought an Adidas skirt instead of Adidas.
00:20:41
Speaker
Oh, yeah, it's exactly. yeah that's That's what the show felt like. it was And this, again, was because basically she was annoyed. She and probably many on her team of the show were annoyed that Friends was like,
00:20:59
Speaker
on and competing with them. Yeah. And they bumped her time slot time. Okay. Which had been hers for so long. And she was like, what the, the queen of that time slot. And that was a great one back, back then.
00:21:11
Speaker
mean, then still now Sunday evenings is like when you put on your game of Thrones, right? and Yeah. Yes, exactly. And I, one thing I think I have been thinking about a little bit too, is like,
00:21:23
Speaker
Again, similar to that two-part episode I was talking about where I was absolutely bawling my eyes out, I feel like you don't really get to see anything less than perfect, Jessica,
Adapting with the Times
00:21:35
Speaker
right? And I think that's like, you know, the nature of the show, the episodic nature and just what they were doing. But I feel like Bud's was kind of like a meta crack like view into like, no, that's a human being and human beings can be petty too.
00:21:51
Speaker
you're not really seeing Jessica Fletcher be petty in it. Like she's kind of the moral compass at all times to see her kind of. And also like, sorry to see her kind of. Oh, just to see her, like just see like little cracks in the veneer is kind of nice.
00:22:10
Speaker
Yeah. And, and also that it's her. Almost allowing people to see that she is no longer the queen of that time. You know, oh this happened to me. And so that could maybe feel embarrassing for somebody. You're like, oh, is am i do I no longer have it? But it's like, well, this is how I'm going to react, you know, and respond to Not only that, but I am going to solve that murder on that show. And then the show is going to end and The show ends with them making Jessica an honorary bud.
00:22:41
Speaker
Like that's the end of the show. that yeah think the part of it could be like pettiness, but also fun. Maybe it makes her or all of them feel better to be like, okay, we're going to take this situation and also totally kind of profit off of it and make it fun and make it Campy. Campy. Yeah, exactly.
00:23:02
Speaker
Yeah. It's kind of like what you were saying, Charlotte, about protest, wanting to put more of the humor into protest. It's like, OK, yeah, we're going to point out that you're horrible.
00:23:14
Speaker
in a fun way let's bring the humor exactly I did think was there any so kind of like abusive relationship sexual assaults stuff in that one because I was shocked at both the skiing one and well all all three all four that I watched the skiing the death stalks the big top and the magnum on ice that there were like abusive relationship components and like women very much being assaulted, kind of just like, you know, right there. and Nothing that was gratuitous or graphic, but definitely a theme that I was like, okay, this is intentional. Yeah. I mean, I feel like there's so many of those episodes where like the power differential in those relationships is sort of, it becomes glaring at times, particularly if the man is abusive or if that man's about to get murdered.
00:24:09
Speaker
too. Yeah. And then in the the Buds one, the woman who is killed is, i think she's sleeping with one of the people on the show and then she's kind of jerking him around in terms of like making him do what she wants him to do. And then she's, she's cheating on her husband and she's completely remorseless about that. And so she's, she's doing a lot of those types of power, um you know, abusive power stuff too.
00:24:41
Speaker
yeah So yeah, that's a good point. So even if they're not, showing some of those, not like an SVU type situation, that right but they're alluding to yeah these types of things. Again, like nothing necessarily like salacious or i do think that ends up being, like it does, I think, speak to the time too and and the frequency of crimes that have to take place. Like I think that dynamic is leading to crimes and leading to murder.
00:25:12
Speaker
You know, I don't think it's I don't have the statistics in front of me, but. Right. It's not usually just a one time thing. Yeah, exactly. Thank you for trying to capture what I'm trying to. I thought it was just funny in the in that episode of the ah skiing episode, because she's, you know, getting her.
00:25:29
Speaker
jacket for her nephew who's going to be arriving from the store and then there's like an all-out fight physical fight between the husband and wife and she's like um so i'll just i'll just take this to my room like jessica was i know you wait until someone's dead but no that's so funny because we noticed that too where jessica just like creeps out and we're like that's an interesting choice for her it's like awkward Yeah. Yeah. Like it's just a regular fight.
00:25:56
Speaker
Yeah. Which I think, like you said, does comment on the time where it's like, this is a private matter, but by they're putting it on a show for a reason, yeah you know? So you're bringing it to light, even if you're not like, and then this is how you do vigilante justice, you know? It's like.
00:26:14
Speaker
Yeah, it is interesting. Cause I, to watch it in 2025 and to kind of have these critiques on it versus like when they're writing and acting and and where the line of this is normal versus us watching it and being like, girl, what are you doing backing out of that room right now? you should probably ask if everyone's okay. you know um i This is a sidebar, but I'm reading – you might have to cut this, but I'm reading this book called Jesus and John Wayne, which is like the history of the rise of evangelicalism in the United States, and particularly evangelicals' involvement in politics.
00:26:55
Speaker
Like, how did we get here, where the two are so closely aligned? And it's so interesting because of when they passed whatever act that made domestic violence against children and women illegal, evangelical, the majority...
00:27:13
Speaker
who were trying to reinstate patriarchy and like the masculine kind of John Wayne figure as like the the main figure, like railed against it. They were like, this is such an abuse of legal power too.
00:27:27
Speaker
And like such an invasive like use of the law to like infringe on our rights as fathers and husbands. Mm-hmm.
00:27:39
Speaker
Really interesting. And so that too, you know, makes me think about, again, the context of some of these episodes where it's like how that rhetoric affects people's sense of intervention in some of those domestic matters of like, this is an absolute violation of our privacy to come in and interrupt violence.
00:28:03
Speaker
And how that rhetoric maybe be just like subconsciously enters into people's brains when they're seeing issues of domestic disputes um like in public. so Absolutely. Like, oh, that's a that's a personal matter, not a community matter, not a government matter.
00:28:21
Speaker
And that makes me think I just heard the other day on NPR that certain states, Kentucky being one of them, has a default 50-50 custody split because they want to make sure that fathers have rights to their children. So it's a default 50-50 and that they've seen a decrease in the divorce rate because women will say, well, I don't want my children with my abusive husband alone And so therefore I will stay in an abusive relationship to prevent my children from being alone with this abusive person. wow And so it's like, and of course there are ways around the 50 50, but it's not straightforward. It's not without time, money, resources. sure So yeah. Court, court battles.
00:29:13
Speaker
hu Yeah. That's so interesting too, because right. it kind of, you know, parallels sort of our steps backwards into some of that same rhetoric and those narratives and that false nostalgia for something that truly never existed, like ah an idealism that never existed. And yet people's path back to that is like restore restore that idealism or like that kind of patriarchal power structure.
00:29:47
Speaker
And then we'll keep families together, but at what cost, you know? Right. And then... Right. and And who benefits from that? Who benefits from that? And then where does power then get
Social Issues and Nostalgia
00:30:01
Speaker
concentrated? Because it's no longer in the community, right? It's no longer in like the resources outside of the nuclear family meant to kind of create healthier situations. It's all concentrated within...
00:30:15
Speaker
like that family unit. And it's interesting also because you hear people um that will say, like in my neighborhood, for example, they'll say, well, and in our day when we were kids, you know, all the parents would watch over us and tell us if we weren't doing something right and blah, blah, blah. And it's like, you know, we need to all be Watching out for each other's kids and things like that. And I'm like, but then this kind of goes counter to that where it's like, no, no. no
00:30:47
Speaker
This is our this is our private matter. This is our business. You know, you stay out of it. So it's like I think there's ah thought that that's what it was. And maybe it was like, hey, don't throw your ball into our window.
00:31:00
Speaker
But if there was your father's going to give you a whooping, hey, that's how you handle it. Yep. Your mom got beat up last night. That's how you guys handle it. Yeah, you know exactly. It's like that weird we want our like cake and we want to eat it too. I always get that phrase wrong. But that idea of like, yeah, we – want those old values back. And it's like, I don't know that those ever existed. Right. I don't know that you ever like, I think the veneer was there. i think the things that we didn't talk about
00:31:33
Speaker
were there, but I think like the same products of patriarchy and the same products of like power differential and colonialism like have been there the whole time. We just, you know, have had more conversations about them.
00:31:48
Speaker
Right. Like, do we just want to go back to pretending they don't exist? Is that what everybody's wanting?
Societal Relevance and Change
00:31:54
Speaker
and I mean, even though it people will say like, oh, it seems like there's more stuff going on these days. There's more like violence, more whatever.
00:32:02
Speaker
and We're just hearing about more of it through the internet and also because people are more able to speak out about it. and And also like it's – we've made it – we have – like uncovered, we've given it language, right? Like it it is not the normal state of breathing it or being. It is not like taking a breath. It is not, you know, our heart beating, which I feel like at one point when those things aren't given language or talked about, they're assumed to be as natural as taking a breath that like a man would hit his kids or his wife to discipline them. And then when we can like say them, all of a sudden they become
00:32:40
Speaker
not neutral. What's like charged, right? One way or another. and I feel like because they're more charged or more talked about that it feel people then feel like, oh Like this is happening more and more. And if we just restore order and it's like, no, that shit's been there the whole time. We're just like giving it language.
00:32:59
Speaker
Right. It's happening less. Right. Well, I think it is. Definitely. Anyway, a bit of a tangent, but. No. this See, but that's what she allows us to do. Thanks, Jess. Thanks, girl.
00:33:14
Speaker
Sometimes I'm just amazed at what she was doing in the time that she was in. and I know we talked a little bit about like how like, oh yeah, her being a widow made it made it okay. But some of the some of this stuff was, as I believe, ahead of its time, you know, for an older woman to be carrying her own show.
00:33:35
Speaker
For sure. And I mentioned this last time, I'm sure. But I think one thing I enjoy about her where I feel like so many folks of that generation and like whatever, every generation has things that can be critiqued, but it is that back in my day or like, you know, and I understand that like the world moves really, really fast.
00:33:54
Speaker
And I understand people kind of feel attached to like when they felt of the moment. And I appreciate that her character is constantly like, no, we grow with the times. The only way forward is forward. Like we can't just keep living in like the era of the typewriter or the era of Like whatever it is, like she's constantly inviting, like she's very palatable and at the same time inviting people into the present moment and to join her fearlessly.
00:34:25
Speaker
And I think those two things in combination are rare and also awesome because it's like, yeah, like you can trust me. I'm Angela Lansbury. I'm Jessica Fletcher. My hair quaffs perfectly at the back and I love lobster and I have cute sweaters.
00:34:38
Speaker
Come join me with the computers. you know let's Let's do virtual reality. Let's let's be like have wonderful relationships with young people because she has so many relationships with young people like You know, like they're constantly asking Aunt Jess to talk to their mother or their father or their grandpa or whatever and advocate for them. And I feel like she offers a really good model for how people can step into that without abandoning their identity, which I appreciate.
00:35:12
Speaker
I also really like that she doesn't seem to do the whole self-deprecation, which I love self-deprecation. I do it all the time. But I like that she doesn't do a lot of that self-deprecating to make people okay with her. You know, like she's never talking about like, well, I'm you know just an old lady. You know, she's like, nope, there is none. She only does that so she can get somebody on her side or trick someone into telling them the truth. Yeah, it's always on purpose, I think, when she does it. And it's just like, oh, but you know, you know, because this is your job, his sheriff or whatever. I'm just a fuddy-duddy. you're like, no, you're not Jess, but he doesn't know that.
00:35:50
Speaker
You're up to something. It's just so that he will be like, well, why don't you just why don't you tag along? I know. Sometimes my favorite, too, is when she, like, goes undercover as, like, drunk. There's a couple episodes.
00:36:02
Speaker
There's one on a boat where she, like, pretends to be drunk to catch the killer. And it's... That is hilarious. And the big top too. Doesn't she go undercover? Well, I was just going to say at one point she comes back to the circus because they won't talk to her as this outsider when she's looking for Neil slash Carl.
00:36:22
Speaker
And so she shows up the next day and we will put this on our socials because I had to record it. She comes back in this huge hat and really wild outfit, which at first, yes, and big heart sunglasses.
00:36:39
Speaker
And she, I was like, oh, that's such a cute outfit on her. And then She starts with the Southern accent. And I was like, oh, she's undercover. So to the point that she gets out of this big, like, pickup truck, she's like, thank you. Like, hits the foot of the car, walks over, and this little ape comes, like, going towards her. And she she's like, well, hello there. Who are you? She picks it up, carries it, talks to it, and then, like, lets it go. Okay.
00:37:09
Speaker
All so that she can get Lin to divulge some information to her. it was, oh my God, it was so brilliant. The range. yeah Yeah.
00:37:22
Speaker
It's such Jessica Undercover is one of my favorites because it's like Angela Lansbury is a wonderful actor.
Potential Reboot and Casting Debate
00:37:31
Speaker
Jessica Fletcher is a bad actor. And to like piece that all together of like watching Jessica Fletcher go undercover badly, but like be an incredible actor as angela lansbury it's very good okay i got a question for you all i read somewhere that there is a possibility i don't know how strong this possibility is that uh jamie lee curtis is going to star in a reboot of murder i don't want to see it oh my god that's so funny i want to see it so bad
00:38:11
Speaker
i don't I don't want Jamie Lee Curtis to pretend. i she's She's fine. She's not. She's not. She's not Jessica. No. they could It could be murder she wrote and then she's a different character. you know i was going to say, I don't think they could ever.
00:38:28
Speaker
i feel like it had to be that time and place. Like they can't make a Jessica because that Jessica was a lady of the 80s. You know what I mean? i think Jamie Lee Curtis would have to be a totally different character.
00:38:42
Speaker
Maybe she could be like a huge fan of J.B. Fletcher's books or something and then start writing. And she's an older lady and she's like just lost her husband. She's like, you know what?
00:38:54
Speaker
I'm going to my life's not over. yeah I'm going to call Hollywood and see if they want this idea. I mean to make it like related and have same the same elements but not she can't be Jessica Fletcher but you know how like poker face is like Columbo I haven't watched it yet but I know that you love it I poker face not Columbo Columbo actually is not for me as a person no offense I love what he does he just like isn't for me, but Natasha Lyonne, very much for for me. But she like, there's so many elements that are similar, like some of the speaking and some of of the mannerisms, but like, obviously Natasha Lyonne can't be like a drunk middle-aged man from the eighties. Right. And so with a glass eye, exactly. exactly but But, so maybe it would be something like that where like Jamie Lee Curtis would be Jamie Lee
00:39:49
Speaker
Curtis or however she would portray a character like that with some of those, um like callback elements that still kind of create the lineage to the original, but could be.
00:40:01
Speaker
But yeah, I don't know that like the aesthetic and the coziness and the sweaters even could be captured in a reboot. But I'll watch Jamie Lee Curtis do anything.
00:40:12
Speaker
Yeah. I watched Freaky Friday too. I'm not scared to admit it here. don't want to go see Freaky Earth Friday. Did you see That's the one I'm talking about. Yeah, I did see that. Yeah. um And i I do watch The Bear. And, of course, she shows up in most seasons of The Bear at least once or twice. yeah Jamie Lee Curtis. She's his mom or their you know their family's mom.
00:40:37
Speaker
they' Interesting. Very serious. Serious turn for her. can't. I mean, who better than like Jamie Lee Curtis? Like if you could pick the actor to be a murder, she wrote reboot.
00:40:48
Speaker
Who would you pick? Michelle Williams with wrinkles. um Okay, now let me think harder. You're always aging women up. Don't be part of the problem. I love her.
00:41:07
Speaker
She could just be herself. And then that means we have so many more seasons with her. Just like 40 years. of
00:41:18
Speaker
See, I saw Jamie Lee Curtis last in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when she made a cameo on that. And it wasn't great. And then it's a reality show already, you know, so you don't really have to make a cameo on a reality show. But she, ah it wasn't great. And then also when she was in Scream Queens, is that the show that was on Fox?
00:41:41
Speaker
And I just, I didn't like, you know, the camp. I don't like the way that she does camp. That's fair. But that's just a personal thing. But everything, everywhere, all at once. That's right. Right? She was in that.
00:41:54
Speaker
She was like. Did you see that? No. Well, maybe I just need to see some of like the quality cause some shows like the bear. Because I think not actor not all parts are good parts.
00:42:10
Speaker
and and not Right. and For all people. like Freakier Friday. Not a great part and not a great movie, but everything, everywhere, all at once. Am I remembering the name of that movie right?
00:42:25
Speaker
I thought she was really good in that. Hot dog fingers. Oh, right. Yeah. Oof. Yeah, you should see it. It's a really great movie. Well, they got lots of awards, I remember. Yeah.
00:42:38
Speaker
That season. Yeah, they did. Which always means it's a good movie. Sorry. I also watched The Magnum on Ice, but going into it, I didn't remember that it was called Magnum on Ice. And I was like, okay, Murder on Ice. Great.
00:42:54
Speaker
And then when it was Magnum P.I., yeah I was like, holy, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. And also in that episode, Lucille Bluth, which you had mentioned, Molly, that she was in an episode, but I didn't know it was this one. she's in like wow three episodes. As different people? As different people. Yeah, I just saw her one last night. that. Those do that. As if we're not going to remember Lucille. I guess maybe back then we wouldn't have, but now, of course. Because George Clooney's in a couple, too, I think, as different people. but Wow. Wow.
00:43:25
Speaker
Yeah, Lucille Bluth. I love that. Yeah, she was in a Diamond Heist episode last night. I did see her in a different one, yeah, then but I didn't realize. Yeah. um Yeah, what a treat, though, to just have yeah an MPI surprise.
00:43:39
Speaker
Oh, my gosh. And that he was just kind of like so unimpressed with her until he was. A man who underestimates Jessica. Yeah. ah Exactly.
00:43:51
Speaker
And yet she saved you and then you saved her. Yeah. Him on that window ledge and those tiny shorts. short And also the shoes. i was like, oh my God, you are not going to stay up.
00:44:05
Speaker
But that was one of the fun things is like all of the stunts being done by these people who are like not athletic and there was no like choreography to, you know, and do it.
00:44:15
Speaker
So it was quite enjoyable. Yeah. i want to I don't think I told you guys last time about this time that I went with some friends to like a Verbo place in the mountains somewhere.
00:44:29
Speaker
And it was this house that, this is a side note, but it locked, it had to lock with like these chains. You kind of locked yourself into it because the locks didn't work.
00:44:42
Speaker
So it was already, was like a weird thing. house that we were locked into with these padlocks and chains. But we like opened up the cabinets to see what kind of entertainment situation they had.
00:44:56
Speaker
And they had video upon video, VHS videos of recorded episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Excellent. it was It was like one half of the living room had the Murder, She Wrote episodes. Wait, like that they had recorded at VCR? They had recorded. Yes.
00:45:15
Speaker
Did they stop at and um like commercials or did they go through the commercials? I remember. I think that, oh, I think we couldn't actually get it to play, but there was like a Murder, She Wrote marathon on TV. So instead we just watched that pretended it was the VHS one. And that's when I saw like a Neil Patrick Harris episode.
00:45:35
Speaker
ah Oh, but on the other side of the room was ah videos of diagnosis murder, which I have not watched that. but I have not watched that. either And that's with, um what's his name? The wonderful actor.
00:45:51
Speaker
Van Dyke. Yeah. Dick Van Dyke. Right. He was in Dick Van Dyke. Thank you. Well done. Van. Mary Poppins. Wow. see These are the things of like these slips and times where I miss like a whole cultural thing. We had a VHS tape of Mary Poppins and would watch it constantly. Yeah.
00:46:13
Speaker
Yeah, I had a couple VHS tapes like that, too. Home Alone 2, specifically. evening Lost in New York. Wow. Yeah. Patty loves Home Alone. trump You love Home Alone? I do love Home Alone. Oh, my God, Patty. Home Alone 1. We don't have to talk about that, man. It was 10 seconds.
00:46:30
Speaker
Right. It is sad, though. But I do love that they're like, this is how we should have known. he let a child just go by. like excuse me, can you tell me where the blah, blah, blah is? And like, he didn't. Well.
00:46:42
Speaker
Kevin McCalliser foils everyone, but everyone. Yeah. That sounds like a lovely place. And I want to know who did the devotion, the devotion to record on VHS, a weekly TV show and then keep it.
00:46:59
Speaker
Well, we did get to meet the person because he is this like older man And with his third wife who wanted to meet us before at the beginning of our stay. I don't know.
00:47:17
Speaker
i don't know. What was she going to do if she didn't like the stinky? yo Like not let you stay? it well Well, it was like the the two of them came and I don't I don't know like why he maybe just to give us the key. And maybe because it's like he's old school and like wants to give us the.
00:47:34
Speaker
And then as a completely other side note, we did look him up and for and it may or may not have been him, but there was somebody of the same name who appeared to have gotten in some trouble for stealing some like old artifacts at some point. And so I feel like it might have been him.
00:47:54
Speaker
It could have been. Oh, my God. Was he using episodes of Murder, She Wrote, to figure out how to get away with the crime? Of stealing artifacts. How to make the perfect murder.
00:48:05
Speaker
I mean, perfect theft. He's literally like every move he makes, he's like, would Jessica be able to figure this out? And if the answer is no. And he doesn't do it. Yeah. Yeah. This is amazing.
00:48:16
Speaker
Wow. And maybe that's also why you had to be locked in because you were there with the artifacts. So they don't want anyone to like be able to get to the artifacts by you just being careless and leaving yeah things on the artifacts. were they I can't remember. It was like a New York Times article, something in.
00:48:33
Speaker
New York. and The Declaration of Independence. Was Nicolas Cage your verbo? I don't think he'd be like verboing out his place if he had the Declaration of Independence in his basement.
00:48:46
Speaker
But that's exactly why you wouldn't think so. Exactly. You wouldn't look there. What a good cover. Verbo. I mean, that's weird. but Yeah, I figured he's got to lock us in in case we actually cracked the case and like found the stuff that we couldn't get out. Oh my god, then we're really working with murder, she wrote. Because murder. Yep, because murder.
00:49:08
Speaker
Yeah. Also, should we turn that into a horror movie? Because I think we could. When you call Hollywood later. Yeah, I'll be like, and that's the one for you.
00:49:20
Speaker
This one's for free. It's like cozy horror. Should we talk about accessibility? Accessibility. Oh. Let's do it. but As far as accessibility goes, i would say incredibly accessible.
00:49:34
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, the Roku channel is free, right? Mm-hmm. Yes. To be free. You got to watch some ads, but that's it. They all come with um closed captioning.
00:49:49
Speaker
So that's awesome. Absolutely. Yeah. You don't even have to particularly understand what's happening. i rarely understand what's happening. That's one of the hallmarks of the show for me is that I don't need to.
00:50:03
Speaker
I spend my whole day trying to understand what's happening. It's nice to just engage a little bit. In terms of seeing yourself represented, probably a little less for non-white people.
00:50:19
Speaker
first The diversity level is real low, at least in these early seasons. I think that that was pretty common for television at that time. i think it was probably even high for television at that time would be my guess.
00:50:34
Speaker
Because i feel like... There are some episodes that I've seen where they'll have, you know, not everybody's white. And in some TV shows back then, it would be like literally every person you see is white. There's a couple episodes too, which i hesitate to totally speak to because I would have to go back and watch them. But there are some where she like goes to the South and is in conversations about folks who are racist and like,
00:51:07
Speaker
I think there's even like flashbacks so slavery where, yeah. and okay And then fast forward to like modern day racism in the South and Jessica's kind of, you know, I have to go back and watch because I'm sure there are elements of it that are still absolutely profoundly problematic, but the conversation was being had in a few episodes. Yeah.
00:51:32
Speaker
Okay. So, yeah, I will take that back then because clearly it's not across the board. And the fact that she's at least willing to bring things up and again for the time. Right. Exactly. And like to your point, majority white, straight, cis folk for sure.
00:51:53
Speaker
But man, I love it. Yeah. It really, i mean, this was delightful. What a delightful. Yeah. Interest. It's comforting.
00:52:05
Speaker
Like a sweater. Like a sweater. Yeah. That's a show.
00:52:12
Speaker
As far as like, like, oh, maybe like this is it too. Like maybe it's a rating scale of like um the likelihood of this like integrating into your life. Where does Murder, She Wrote fall, you know?
00:52:28
Speaker
We are going to do some kind of recap at the end of the year where we talk about the different interests and what we maybe have integrated. or But maybe we should do like that sort of yeah likelihood of integration.
00:52:46
Speaker
Likelihood of integration scale. It's very, very fun. The L-O-I-S. The lowest. Yeah.
00:52:58
Speaker
The lowest. um I would say the lowest is really high because I already feel like um my parents listened to the episode that came out and they're like, and then that night while eating dinner, we sat in front of the television and watched the first episode of Murder, She Wrote. And i was like, huh?
00:53:19
Speaker
And so I'm going to be in town for work um all next week. And so I'm like, oh, we're going to be watching some Murder, She Wrote Together, which will just be like super nostalgic because I don't think I ever watched it with them.
00:53:31
Speaker
um And yes, and because it's on the Roku channel all the time, just I think it'll be think it'll be new go to show.
00:53:43
Speaker
What's the lowest for you, Char? uh well also what's the scale i think the scale should be like zero to a hundred oh okay the lowest wow wow just to give a lot of nuance yeah i love that and ah it's a hundred You need the nuance so it can be the highest. Oh, perfect. The nuance for the future.
00:54:09
Speaker
know if i um
00:54:17
Speaker
oh perfect the for the future Well, Molly, thank you so much for coming back and for bringing this interest to us. No, thank you for creating the space.
00:54:30
Speaker
It's been lovely. It has been. Thank you so much. And stay interesting. And stay interested. Bye. bye Thanks for listening to today's episode.
00:54:43
Speaker
Please subscribe, comment, and like the podcast. Follow us on Blue Sky Social at CanWeInterestYouIn. Send us an email at CanWeInterestYouIn at gmail.com. And join us next time.