User Reviews

To surprise Carrie Palmer (Kate McNeil) for the occasion of their upcoming third wedding anniversary, Leonard Palmer (Dean Jones) invites Carrie's dear Aunt Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to Astro Physics Institute, Cooperville, Connecticut.

When Leonard seems surprised to discover that Jessica has arrived ten days early, Jessica corrects him as to the date of his wedding, but now his surprise may not turn out well after all because Leonard believes that Carrie has been visiting her ailing Aunt Edna, in Ithica, New York.

Jessica senses trouble in the Palmer marriage because She has just visited with Edna, with no sign of Carrie on hand, and Leonard has overly devoted himself to track the approaching of a comet through the telescope of the Astro Physics Institute Observatory, with his dedicated assistant, Fay Hewitt (Karen Grassle).

To Leonard's disapproval, his supervisor, Russell Armstrong (Jeffrey Tambor) has rehired Doctor Thor Lundquist (Robin Gammell), with connections to the U.S. Defense Department, to combine Institute findings with political maneuvers.

With Jessica on hand, Leonard exchanges words with Armstrong and Ludnquist at an outdoor reception, as the Institute hosts visitors from Washington, DC, including lobbyist Madeline DeHaven (Marcia Rodd) and her assistant, Drake Eaton (Steven Ford), who shares a past with (Jessica's niece) Carrie.

Later that evening, the telescope seems to spin from its programmed course, to focus into the window of Russell Armstrong's vacation residence, some 33 miles from Cooperville. Security Guard (Armand Asselin) observes Leonard's scurrying down the steps, and exiting the observatory at 12:35 AM.

But after sunrise, when Jessica accompanies Fay and Russell into the observatory to search for Leonard, they discover through telescope the body of a victim of murder.

Sergeant Kettler (George DiCenzo) and Forensic Man (Kirk Thornton) arrive at the scene of the vacation house before Jessica and Russell, to search for clues. While Sergeant Kettler links suspects to the murder, Jessica attempts to disprove his theories even after two suspects confess to the crime to protect each other.

Jessica finds an inside track into police reports, by volunteering to help the unseen Mrs. Kettler to write a book based upon police investigations.

Along the path to separating false alibis from the true, Jessica ponders a theory about how the telescope came to point to the vacation house when it was programmed to observe the comet, as a "Harbinger of Death."

Jessica is invited to celebrate the anniversary of her niece and husband, and of course gets involved in a murder.

It's an enjoyable, solid murder mystery. It flows well, has a solid storyline, good set of characters, and a twist at the end.

It's packed full of red herrings, there are more clues offered up than you would quite often expect, but most of them don't lead anywhere, you think you've worked it out.

It does amuse me that there's yet another niece in this episode, why didn't we see her myriad of brothers and sisters? They must each have had very active lives....

The killer wasn't the one I was expecting, I was taken in by the false clues. Overall, I'd say this is a good episode, nicely acted as always.

7/10.

Author Jessica Fletcher is invited by astronomer Dr Leonard Palmer to witness the reappearance of a comet not seen for over a century. But she soon finds herself involved with bodies other than heavenly ones, and murder to boot.

Dean Jones plays an obsessed astronomer who is soon accused of murder, so is his wife - the latter is Jessica's niece. By season 4, Jessica has helped plenty of nieces and nephews, and she does the same here, and though it's not the most remarkable entry, the Harbinger of Death ticks all the boxes in what makes an enjoyable viewing. There's red herring galore, some memorable suspects.

I have a question to ask, besides Michael Horton who appeared in several Murder She Wrote episodes just how many relatives did Jessica Fletcher have? It seems like every other episode she was helping out a niece or nephew in some kind of problem.

In this one it's Kate McNeil whom Angela Lansbury comes to visit, but only finds husband Dean Jones, an iconoclastic astronomer around. Later on McNeil shows up and we do learn they've been having marital problems.

One night looking for an errant comet Jones's telescope points toward a distant house where we find the body of an old boyfriend of McNeil's, Steven Ford. Turns out that McNeil had been staying there while separated from Jones. Both kind of look good for this homicide to Detective George DiCenzo.

Who is a cop with literary ambitions which Lansbury has to play into to find out about the facts of the case.

I will say this in terms of the rest of the cast you will be glad to see that the actual murderer is the one you're were hoping was it.

One day we'll get the Fletcher family tree sorted out.

"Harbinger of Death" is a frustrating episode. It seems that whenever Jessica talks to her niece or nephew-in-law, they lie. Oddly, despite CONSTANTLY lying, she believes in their innocence when a man is found dead...and the local police suspect them.

The fact that a family member of Jessica Fletcher is accused of murder certainly doesn't come as any surprise to anyone who watched this show. But it was odd how the script called for the pair to constantly lie. If you can look past it, the show is enjoyable. Not a great episode due to all the lying AND a confession at the end that comes without much evidence.

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.

While still a pretty decent episode, "Harbinger of Death" is a lesser episode of Season 4 ("It Runs in the Family" being the weakest of the season). It doesn't have the most consistently compelling of stories, with a few dull stretches and being a victim of too much tell and not enough show, where it's said whether anybody's good, bad or powerful but not being able to see it for ourselves, which doesn't let us get to know the characters properly.

The supporting cast are a mixed bag. Kate McNeil and Dean Jones are good as characters we're not sure who to trust (something that was done well in the episode), while Jeffrey Tambor and Robin Gammell make the most of theirs. Karen Grassle, Marcia Rodd and particularly Steven Ford however are wasted, as is Kirk Thornton in a nothing part.

Angela Lansbury as usual is terrific in one of her justifiably best-remembered roles, no complaints here.

Production values 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 enough of the story is intriguing with a good denouement.

In conclusion, pretty decent but not Season 4 or 'Murder She Wrote' at its best. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This episode has Jessica visiting her niece and nephew-in-law, Carrie and Leonard Palmer, for their anniversary. Only when she arrives...Leonard is a week off on the calendar and kind of a mad scientist hard at work with his charts and programmable telescope at work. He is delighted to see Jessica however.

When a defense contractor ends up dead and Jessica's niece's lies come out, it's game on for Jessica who teams up with the local detective that not only has literary aspirations, but cinematic ones.

It was great to see Love Bug alumni, Dean Jones as the lovable scientist, but my favorite characters were the detective played by George diCenzo and Leonard's boss who is played by Jeffrey Tambor.

This episode takes place outside of Cabot Cove and they murder mystery is pretty convoluted which isn't helped by the lying.

This has to be one of the weakest episodes of the series. When watching, it is assumed one will empathize with the main characters, especially when they are relatives of J. B. Fletcher (even if by marriage).

One of the major problems is the hero is an unlikeable, self centered and self righteous fool. He forgets his own anniversary and cares little for the institution that pays his salary. He is certainly not likeable. Indeed, I found him annoying.

I was really hoping he would be the guilty party!

Oh well, there is so much to like about the "Murder She Wrote" series that it is only to be expected that there will be an occaisional clunker, which ths was!