SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 47:00 Min.
First broadcast by CBS-TV on February 7, 1988, Walter Grauman directed this episode off Chris Manheim’s script.
While in Washington, D.C., Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury) and Dr. Seth Hazlitt (Windom) accept an invitation to a polo match and then a cocktail party hosted by a Maryland power couple (Bradford & Windsor). As it turns out, the husband is Seth’s long-estranged brother, Richard.
At the party, fellow guest Vikram Singh (Bedi) makes ominous allusions to reclaiming the infamous Danaav ruby that Richard had purchased for his wife, Alice. Specifically, ownership of the priceless ruby allegedly leads to imminent death for those who aren’t pure of heart. For instance, Alice survives a very close call that same evening. Having essentially reconciled, brothers Richard and Seth share a private drink before bedtime.
Yet, Richard’s corpse is later found inside his locked study. Skeptical of the missing ruby’s supernatural powers, Jessica must look to Richard’s belligerent adult children (Badler & Barr), his far younger widow, and her fellow guests, Singh and Richard’s father-in-law (Revill), among them, for a potential culprit.
The question becomes: who is willing to kill to acquire the ruby by seemingly any means necessary?
Jessica Fletcher: Angela Lansbury
Dr. Seth Hazlitt: William Windom
Richard Hazlitt: Richard Bradford
Alice Davies Hazlitt: Jane Windsor
Police Lt. Steven Ames: Larry Linville
Carolyn Hazlitt: Jane Badler
Mark Hazlitt: Doug Barr
Vikram Singh: Kabir Bedi
Bert Davies: Clive Revill
Cops: Kres Mersky & Michael McNab
Explorer (Flashback): Michael Blue
Party Guests: Larry Carr, Robert Buckingham, Cindy Cavallero, Ken Clayton, & Dotty Ertel
Miscellaneous Party Guests: Uncredited
REVIEW:
Deliberately exuding an Agatha Christie-style vibe, this episode is readily watchable. Supporting Lansbury and Windom is a game assortment of guest stars, who pitch the plot’s formulaic twists well enough.
The one significant weakness is that the culprit’s identity is practically telegraphed throughout the episode. There isn’t any single element revealing this tip-off, but the killer unmasked in the mystery’s climatic ‘big reveal’ shouldn’t surprise anyone.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
