MURDER, SHE WROTE: SNOW WHITE, BLOOD RED (TV)
Summary
One in this murder mystery series about an unassuming Maine mystery writer turned sleuth named Jessica B. Fletcher who uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases. In this episode, at a ski resort, Jessica chats with her friend Johnny, a member of the World Cup skiing team. In the ski supply store, Mike, another member of the team, works on inventory with his wife Ann, and Jessica notes a bow and arrow on the wall as the couple argues over a phone call from Gunnar, another professional skier. Gunnar meets with Pamela to discuss his business contract to promote ski equipment, which is contingent upon his competing and winning, but he suggests that he is no longer interested in the sport, preferring to find himself a "wealthy widow." In the gym, Gunnar's coach Karl confronts him angrily about his disinterest in competing, and Gunnar ends up shoving him, observed by the other patrons. Pamela next meets with team member Larry, seeking to possibly replace Gunnar. At dinner, Jessica meets Ed, a former New York cop, and his wife Sylvia, and they chat about their careers and possible retirement. The bandleader introduces the ski team and everyone applauds, though Mike looks angry. Early the next day, as a heavy snowstorm rages, Gunnar goes skiing and is shot and killed by an arrow.
The lodge's guests are upset to find themselves trapped by the storm, and Ann attempts to accommodate everyone. When they hear of Gunnar's murder, they wonder who could have stolen the bow and arrow from the shop. Ann begs Jessica to help, and she reluctantly agrees, recruiting Ed and a Dr. Lewis for assistance. As they attempt to find out who may have had a motive against Gunnar, Jessica finds a key for room 301 in his jacket and discovers a phone message from someone named Vicki. When she calls for her, she receives Vicki's angry husband instead. She then searches room 301 and finds Mike there, searching for Ann's lighter. When Jessica presses him, he admits that Ann spent the night with Gunnar, but swears that she could not have killed him. Larry becomes upset when the others jokingly eulogize Gunnar, and Ed and Jessica search for the bow and arrow, concluding that the killer must still be in their midst, prevented from leaving by the storm. Pamela bitterly tells Jessica about Gunnar's womanizing ways, mentioning that he was involved with a mobster's wife, and Jessica wonders if it was the unknown Vicki. Pamela talks to Larry about signing Gunnar's former contract, and a drunken Karl accuses her of murdering Gunnar to benefit her business. She rebuffs him, but when she enters the women's locker room, she finds Larry there, dead. Jessica attempts to comfort her as an anxious Dr. Lewis determines that he too was killed with an arrow. When the phones go out, Jessica calls the local sheriff on a CB radio from a truck, but the police say that they cannot get into the area because of the snow.
Jessica theorizes that someone is trying to kill off the ski team, and her theory is supported when Johnny turns up having been stabbed, though not fatally, with an arrow. In reenacting the crime, however, Jessica reconsiders and tells Ed that the killer may have only been after Gunnar, going after the other two as a "smokescreen." Late at night, Sylvia calls Jessica looking for Ed, saying he went out after receiving a strange phone call, and when she finds him outside the ski store, they both narrowly avoid being hit by an arrow shot from a snowmobile. Ed quickly shoots the driver, who turns out to be Karl. In the morning, the phone lines are restored and he explains that he witnessed Karl and Gunnar fighting, leading to Karl's killing spree, but after Dr. Lewis' autopsy, Jessica comes to another conclusion and reveals that Karl was set up, having already been shot dead by Sylvia in the barn before being placed on the snowmobile. She adds that Ed is not actually a real cop, but a hit man hired by Vicki's mobster husband to kill his wife's lover. Ed and Sylvia challenge her to prove it, but she reveals that the police are soon to arrive, making their way through the snow at last. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 13, 1988 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:33895
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Skiing; Archery; Murder
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1984-1996
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Promos - "Where The Hell's That Gold?!!?" motion picture
CREDITS
- Peter S. Fischer … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Robert F. O'Neill … Supervising Producer
- Robert Van Scoyk … Producer
- Anthony J. Magro … Associate Producer
- Richard Levinson … Created by
- William Link … Created by
- Vincent McEveety … Director
- Richard Markowitz … Music by
- John Addison … Theme Music by
- Angela Lansbury … Cast, Jessica Fletcher
- Ronnie Claire Edwards … Cast, Sylvia McMasters
- Eric Allan Kramer … Cast, Gunnar Tilstrom
- John Laughlin … Cast, Mike Lowery
- Barry Newman … Cast, Ex-NYPD Lt. Ed McMasters
- Tony O'Dell … Cast, Larry McIver
- Cyril O'Reilly … Cast, John Dowd
- Jamie Rose … Cast, Anne Lowery
- Emma Samms … Cast, Pamela Leeds
- Bo Svenson … Cast, Karl Anderson
- George Wyner … Cast, Dr. Lewis
- Kenny Davis … Cast, Lead Performer
- Craig Branham … Cast, Skier
- John Ardnt … Cast, Parker