you guys i'm sorry. i was gonna try laying off the
MURDER, SHE REVIEWS but then- starting last night and finishing this morning- I watched the SEASON THREE episode
CROSSED UP- aka "
the one where Jessica overhears the murder plot on the phone during a hurricane."
I tell you what, this is one tidy little 40-something minutes of television- one of the sharpest and best-written episodes of the series- with the sole problematic element being,
HOLY S**** AMOS TUPPER IS ESPECIALLY STUPID on numerous occasions in the episode, he ends up endangering JESSICA to a HEAD-SCRATCHING DEGREE more than once, but in an especially galling instance towards the end...
nonetheless, it's a really strong episode, and was interestingly enough directed by
DAVID HEMMINGS who had guested on the previous episode
THE CORPSE FLEW FIRST CLASS: he has a REAL KNACK for DRAMA and VISUALS**, as well as comic timing- there is a lot more ELABORATE CAMERA MOVEMENT and SET-UPS than in any other episode of MsW (I almost wonder if this caused any problems taking time and money to set up, hence he wasn't tasked with more directing assignments)
**there is a terrific shot during the climax where we see THE KILLER eerily reflected in a fish-eye mirror while going upstairs to get JESSICA
I know I go on quite a bit about the sillier aspects of MsW, but honestly, this is one solid episode of TV- I am very surprised it's not in the IMDB TOP TEN EPISODES of the show.
A BONUS FOR
CLUE FANS: COLLEEN CAMP has a fun role and THE EXTERIOR ENTRY TERRACE OF THE MANSION is the same one used in the film (and the same one that stood in for STATELY WAYNE MANOR)- you get a rare chance to check out the interior of the home which has since been destroyed.