All right, after my first ruminations on Murder She Wrote,  Brad challenged me to pick my top 5 episodes.  It was hard, and maybe not completely accurate because I’ve only finished 7.5 of 12 seasons, but here we go!

1. “If It’s Thursday, It Must Be Beverly:”  wherein the Sheriff’s deputy services a different Cabot Cove female everyday of the week, and records it in the log book.
2. “Sticks & Stones:”  including the talents of John Astin (as in Gomez Addams) as the new town Sheriff, and a bunch of gossipy letters.
3. “Who Killed J.B. Fletcher:”  wherein a bunch of looney Fletcher Fan’s goad and gaggle Jessica through solving a case.
4. “The Sins of Castle Cove:” which is also awesome because it exposes the Cabot Cove residents as oversexed and underhanded yet somehow adorable persons.  (see “If It’s Thursday….”)
5. “Mr. Penroy’s Vacation:” which I liked immediately because of the plot and character references to Arsenic and Old Lace.

Another episode I liked for it’s familiar plot line was “Jessica Behind Bars” in which she has to solve a murder in a locked-down women’s prison before riot and police enforcement collided.  Though it didn’t so much harken back to something else I’d seen so much as establish that Jessica did it first.

Also a runner up was “Trouble in Eden” because of the shock and hilarity of sending Jessica as the hereditary replacement of the madame of a brothel.   See, if I have runners up, I still only picked a top five!

A couple worst of the worst:

1. “Sing a Song of Murder:”  because no, no Jessica!  a red headed identical twin Irish cousin!?!
2. “No Laughing Matter:”  aptly named.  Oh, Buddy Hackett…why?