Jessica agrees to help clear a former research assistant of killing her new employer, despite the fact that the woman is a pathological liar.Jessica agrees to help clear a former research assistant of killing her new employer, despite the fact that the woman is a pathological liar.Jessica agrees to help clear a former research assistant of killing her new employer, despite the fact that the woman is a pathological liar.
Photos
- Vincent Polaski
- (as Stephen T. Kay)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFinal acting role of Evelyn Keyes; she would however live until 2008.
- GoofsThe message that Dana records and the message Ethan hears are different.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Wanda Polaski: Jessica, did I tell you my Vinnie was brilliant or what? He solves the case, he gets the girl... I mean, with a little help from you.
Vincent Polaski: Wanda, would you zip it, please?
Wanda Polaski: Oh, just think what he'd be if he'd only get a haircut, look like a regular person. But, no, no, he's gotta be different.
[laughing]
Wanda Polaski: I don't know where he gets it from.
Jessica Fletcher: I don't know either, Wanda, but I wouldn't change a thing.
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
"Dead to Rights" may not be one of the best Season 9 episodes, as far as previous episodes go it's not as good as "A Christmas Secret", "The Petrified Florist", "Threshold of Fear", "Final Curtain" and "The Wind Around the Tower". It's not one of the season's worst episodes either, being much better than "Sugar & Spice, Malice & Vice", "Dead Eye", "Double Jeopardy", "The Dead File", "Murder in Milan" and especially "The Mole". To me, it's one of those somewhere in the middle episodes.
The main idea of "Dead to Rights", involving Dana being worth her position primarily down to lust, is not the easiest to swallow. It is also not always easy to root for a pathological liar who tells so many big lies and the outcome of her predicament is very easy to figure out.
Angela Lansbury can't be faulted and neither can the charming support of Molly Hagen, Sam Anderson, Evelyn Keyes and Jeffrey Nordling. The mystery is pretty good, if perhaps taking slightly too long to get to, and the ending is not an obvious one thankfully in a season with denouements that are not that surprising well executed, how it's solved is more satisfying than a lot of latter season episodes.
Production values are slick and stylish. 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 amiable and thought-provoking.
On the whole, pretty good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 6, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Astoria - Mugler Bridge, Astoria, Oregon, USA(Bridge pictured as being in Portland, ME)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro