This episode marks the last appearance of film and television star Janet Margolin.
When Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) injures her wrist, she hires temporary typist Melissa Maddox (Lise Cutter) to assist with her writing. The flighty Melissa feels trapped inside a loveless marriage to demanding lumberyard owner Ralph Maddox (Cliff Potts).
Meanwhile, Bennett J. Devlin (Joe Dorsey), publishers of the Cabot Cove Gazette, fills in for the role of Jessica's confidante in the temporary absence of Seth. Bennett hires student employee Jeff Ogden (David Oliver) to assist with responsibilities around the newspaper.
Melissa Maddox and Jeff Ogden share a common interest in writing, as they enroll in an evening course at the local community college, instructed by Drew Garrison (David McCallum), who experiences distance in his marriage to Rita Garrison (Janet Margolin ).
Ralph Maddox has an eye for waitress Trudy Ludwig (Mary Ann Pascal), whose eye isn't exactly safe around Ralph, nor her employer, Hank Crenshaw (Geoffrey Lewis), who fiercely battles Ralph, even in the presence of Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Deputy Floyd (Will Nye) remains on hand at the Cabot Cove Sheriff Station.
What forms as a result of these series of events would be something resembling an unrequited heptagon, with seven discontented characters considering their possibilities if someone new were to love them back.
But does one of them find the courage to burn evidence of a potential murder plot, another the courage to stand up to a brutal attack, another the courage to douse the lumberyard in gasoline and flame, another to hoist a pair of scissors, another to stand up to Sheriff Metzger amid bold accusations, and another to move the body when promised a kiss even if the coaxer surely appears guilty and the alibi doesn't quite hold water? Then who's cheating whom in this unrequited heptagon? Well, keep in mind that this condensed soap opera plot has turned into a "Deadly Misunderstanding."
When Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) injures her wrist, she hires temporary typist Melissa Maddox (Lise Cutter) to assist with her writing. The flighty Melissa feels trapped inside a loveless marriage to demanding lumberyard owner Ralph Maddox (Cliff Potts).
Meanwhile, Bennett J. Devlin (Joe Dorsey), publishers of the Cabot Cove Gazette, fills in for the role of Jessica's confidante in the temporary absence of Seth. Bennett hires student employee Jeff Ogden (David Oliver) to assist with responsibilities around the newspaper.
Melissa Maddox and Jeff Ogden share a common interest in writing, as they enroll in an evening course at the local community college, instructed by Drew Garrison (David McCallum), who experiences distance in his marriage to Rita Garrison (Janet Margolin ).
Ralph Maddox has an eye for waitress Trudy Ludwig (Mary Ann Pascal), whose eye isn't exactly safe around Ralph, nor her employer, Hank Crenshaw (Geoffrey Lewis), who fiercely battles Ralph, even in the presence of Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Deputy Floyd (Will Nye) remains on hand at the Cabot Cove Sheriff Station.
What forms as a result of these series of events would be something resembling an unrequited heptagon, with seven discontented characters considering their possibilities if someone new were to love them back.
But does one of them find the courage to burn evidence of a potential murder plot, another the courage to stand up to a brutal attack, another the courage to douse the lumberyard in gasoline and flame, another to hoist a pair of scissors, another to stand up to Sheriff Metzger amid bold accusations, and another to move the body when promised a kiss even if the coaxer surely appears guilty and the alibi doesn't quite hold water? Then who's cheating whom in this unrequited heptagon? Well, keep in mind that this condensed soap opera plot has turned into a "Deadly Misunderstanding."