TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we have hit our season three finale!

In this bonkers treat for 4 out of 5 senses, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is left in the dark at a recording studio where she's narrating her novel for audiotape. When the lights come on again, who's dead in his office but the douchebag business owner (Patrick Wayne), whom no one really seems to like or trust.

Naturally, we assume it's anyone we spotted before the blackout—and as usual, the list is legion: his cranky partner (Michael Callan), the mealticket wife (Constance Towers), the comeback musician (Charlie Daniels) who wants out of his contract, his ditzy, ambitious niece (Jonna Lee), and the disenchanted technicians (Frederic Lehne and Michael Cole).

Of course, to spice things up—and to get Jessica further invested—the skin rash of a detective (G.W. Bailey) is sure that the killer is one of her pals: the books-for-the-blind producers; the Daltons, Nancy (Wendy Phillips), and her visually impaired husband Greg (William Atherton). His theory? Who better to kill in the dark than a blind man, particularly one who's just been let go?

Jessica must contend with the blowhard cop, nail polish spills, steak knives in dryers, and the sound of her voice—the latter of which may be the final piece to the puzzle. After all, MURDER, SHE SPOKE.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, Petra Fried and Viktor Devonne are with Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) as she investigates the innocence of a man convicted of murder more than 30 years ago, and whose life has been summarily torn asunder. Who's to blame? What really happened? Why is this all in black and white?

In one of the most ambitious and bonkers decisions of season 3, THE DAYS DWINDLE DOWN features intercut and re-edited footage from the nearly forgotten STRANGE BARGAIN, a 1949 noir by Will Price starring Jeffrey Lynn as well-meaning but totally screwed Sam Wilson, and his faithful and extremely patient wife Georgia (Martha Scott) traversing the lead-up and aftermath of the boss's death. Said boss, Jarvis (Richard Gaines, also not alive to actually be in this episode) has been found dead at his estate and no one believes Sam that it was a suicide made to look like murder! You see, $10,000 was his payment from Jarvis to help further the belief of homicide amongst the inheriting family and police... Well, Sam messed up and now everyone really does think it's murder, and Sam heads to prison accordingly. Now out, he remains a shell of a man, and Georgia is desperate to get him back to his old (young?) self in their elderly years.

A happenstance meeting between Georgia and Jessica leads to our Cabot Cove murder solver on the road to the truth--which now includes the adult son of Mr. Jarvis, Sydney (Richard Beymer of TWIN PEAKS); the Wilsons' own adult son, Rod, now an officer (Art Hindle); the retired cop who put it all together years ago, Webb (Harry Morgan of DRAGNET), and Dorothy (Susan Strasberg of the Starsbergs), the granddaughter of Jarvis' partner who may know more about the plot than she thinks. It's all a lot of backstory via flashback, bad decision after bad decision, and fantastic bows from "Baby" June Havoc (of GYPSY lore), and Gloria Stuart (TITANIC!), who may be the real monsters of this story after all!

A memorable penultimate effort of season 3, we are seated for the reveals and twists, which would take us completely by surprise if this weren't our fifteenth time or so watching it.

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Viktor and Petra explore the political animals behind the scenes of small-town Idaho!

It's more vicious than it sounds. Not only is someone already dead under mysterious circumstances, but the sheriff and his boy wonder seem in on it, and the investigating family still has a target on them.

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) meets a new sparring partner with a badge (Ed Laurier), who is involved in a gambling enterprise full of conspiracy, manslaughter, and patio furniture. Mama Boss is Kate Gunnerson (Marie Windsor), a pit bull in a denim skirt, who runs the syndicate with a manicured hand.

Jessica must decide who she can trust: the widowed wife (Ellen Bry), the charismatic upstart in office (Bruce Davison), the campaign manager who just buried his client (Joseph Campanella), the secretary with her ear to the door (Charlene Tilton), and the Police Captain (Mitchell Ryan), who could also be on the take.

When another body ends up on the side of the road, and Jessica herself is driven off the road by the scariest truck since Jeepers Creepers, she has to live long enough to find justice in a rural community, manipulated by THE CEMETERY VOTE.

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, there's NO ACCOUNTING FOR MURDER... and we hope you're doing okay after tax day last week.

Alas, our protagonist Grady Fletcher (Michael Horton) is not. Hapless and lovelorn, Grady is visited by his famous aunt Jessica (Angela Lansbury) in the midst of him being inundated with paperwork, suspicion of embezzlement, persistent horniness for the fabulous secretary (Kate Vernon), potential ghosts in the walls, and now a dead body!

Naturally, when one of his bosses (James Noble, Michael Tolan) turns up skewered, we must debate whether this is manmade madness or a piece of the supernatural, as things have been disappearing and sightings of a phantom have been reported in the halls. Jessica is less convinced of the otherworldly explanation, so she takes it upon herself to explore the dark catacombs on her own, despite the blood-red warnings on the wall.

Aided by an amiable Irish--very Irish--policeman (Barney Martin), this fairly simple urban murder mystery is further amplified by ambititous camera choices, a fantastic feminine ensemble including screen legend Dorothy L'Amour and suspicious widow Patty McCormack, and spooky moments offset by banter, including Jessica contending with IRS agent Geoffrey Lewis and corrupt appliance salesman Ron Masak (future Sheriff Metzger!).

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, we find ourselves in a closed-off location surrounded by vaudeville comedians! Ahhhh!

Buddy Hackett and Steve Lawrence are bitter adversaries after breaking off their Martin-and-Lewis-esque comedy partnership decades ago, so it's a shock when their kids inexplicably fall in love and want to get married. Everyone meets at a rustic lodge to have it out with each other, and when an attempted murder and an actual murder spice up the weekend, well, it sort of puts that old rivalry into perspective. Oh, and Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is there for some reason.

Suspicions are further raised with agent (George Furth) versus accountant (Arte Johnson) when the comedy duo's video cassette sales seem to be making someone money... but who!?

This is one of the quintessential episodes of Season 3, and Petra Fried and Viktor Devonne sink their teeth promptly into it. From the bottle episode energy, the illustrious guest stars (George Clooney! Sheree North! Large Marge from Pee Wee's Big Adventure!), and the vicious quips back and forth between Hollywood legends, it may be NO LAUGHING MURDER, but it's a classic.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE... SIMON SAYS, COLOR ME DEAD. The story behind that enigmatic half-joke will be revealed!

Lauded painter—and resident of Cabot Cove—Simon Thane (Foster Brooks) is found stabbed with a carving knife after a tense dinner with friends, and purportedly his last piece leads the way to the killer— but it goes missing, too. Immediate suspects are a study in class struggle; as "the girl" Irene Rutdlege (Tess Harper), who the Thanes employ as housekeeper and cook, is spotted late at night, spattered with blood; plus there's always his affluent guests of the evening, who include our liaison between worlds, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury).

Power couple The Selbys (Dick Sargent and Ann Dusenberry), pass-around party bottom art dealer Felix (Leonard Frey), and The Wife (Diane Baker) are all on the list, but Sheriff Tupper (Tom Bosley) is content to let Irene swing for it as long as he gets to adopt Irene's precocious adolescent child (Chris Hebert). Throw in a mysterious stranger who peers from car windows (Steve Inwood), and the plot thickens like oil paints left out overnight.

Viktor and Petra deconstruct the complications of hero worship, maternity fraud, emotional affairs, and Jessica's search for the owner of a lighter that might bring it all together. It's a wowza of a killer's confession, an anthology of women's hairstyles of the era, and a preponderance of handsome Cabot Cove deputies we only see once.

TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE, we are back in Boston watching guys punch each other, between shots of Angela Lansbury slowly putting on her sneakers, preppy strolls in a sweatvest, and rides in cabs with unconvincing city backdrops.

In this ambitious but insecure backdoor pilot for Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) and his private investigations, we surprisingly find ourselves in the world of boxing. Harry is propping up Blaster Boyle (Harold Sylvester), a nearly past his prime fighter who is being compelled to take a dive. A suspiciously motivated journalist (LaVar Burton) and his gal Friday (Lynne Moody) are on the case, and just when they're ready to expose the shenanigans, an Adam West-shaped corpse throws a wrench in the works, and Harry is implicated.

Needing Jessica's help (and her $5,000), Harry calls upon our favorite New Englander busybody to not only clear his name, but bring his boxer to his fighting weight. It makes about as much sense as it sounds, and if it seems like it's not possible to fit it all in 47 minutes, you are right! This extra-sized episode is often truncated to an inscrutable edit that does it no favors.

With appearances from John Amos, Ernest Borgnine, Bradford Dillman, and Caren Kaye, this experimental period in the show's development of season 3 continues with Petra Fried and Viktor Devonne trying to keep up with makeshift flashbacks and missing pieces, knowing it will somehow come out with a sunny walk in a park and the thrilling examination of a dingy sofa cushion.

We’re investigating bulletproof vests, teddy bears, and tainted cheese TONIGHT ON MURDER, SHE WROTE. But can we trust the reported results? Questionable...

Our busybody sleuth and mystery author, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), finds herself in the world of Consumer Reporting television. Lured at the request of her wet-blanket buddy, Jayne (Judith Chapman), who is struggling in her marriage to the show's producer, Steve (Robert F. Lyons), things turn bloody when the charming —at least on camera— yet volatile host, Kenneth Chambers (Rod McCary), is discovered, you guessed it, shot dead. Perhaps he should have worn the bulletproof vest after all?

Naturally, everyone hated the guy, and all are better off without him, but whose motive was strong enough to do him in? Was it the ambitious and cutthroat aspiring producer (the fabulous Adrienne Barbeau) and her naive protégé (a delightful Pat Klous) who are quick to swoop in and fill Chambers’ high-profile shoes; the mobster toy hussler (Joe Santos) who the dead guy was blackmailing; the exhausted Steve who just wants a night off; the elusive executive hunk (Morgan Stevens) who has a lingering fondness for Jessica’s pal; or a begrudged techie (Brian Matthews) who our victim fired hours before biting the bullet?

No surprise, our lieutenant (Barry Corbin) is more interested in a quick arrest and patting himself on the back than in doing actual detective work. Luckily, Jessica can count on custodian and unexpected Watson fill-in, Bert (George Takei), to bait a trap for our killer— and procure some rad celebrity memorabilia along the way.

Coffee stains, bad dental work, and low-cut dresses won’t distract us, but a Gypsy-inspired musical theatre tangent might... Ultimately, THE BOTTOM LINE IS MURDER.