User Reviews

Season Twelve now begins with a CBS scheduling change during the original series run. After eleven years in its early Sunday evening prime time position, the network relocates the program into a Thursday evening time slot, thus damaging its ratings. Several Season Twelve episodes would later be juggled to fit into either evening's programming line-up, while many fans would lose track of its very existence.

"Antoinette on Fifth," a chic Manhattan beauty salon, sets the stage for glamor, corruption, two-timing, burglary and murder, with an arrest-happy police detective out to exceed his quota, in this episode penned by Donald Ross, who has written scripts for 16 "MSW" episodes, and has also served as story editor for 21 additional episodes throughout the series.

Antoinette Fishman (Leslie Easterbrook) operates the ten-year-old establishment, with Phoebe Campbell (Rosalind Chao) as receptionist, Diane (Kathy Trageser) as manicurist, and Diane's fiancé, Jimmy Neiman (Wayne Pére) as star hair stylist, whom celebrities from Hollywood to Washington, D.C. patronize on a weekly basis, by flying into New York City for his special treatment.

Kathy Stafford (Daphne Ashbrook) frequents "Antoinette on Fifth," Kathy, the great-great granddaughter of the founder of a grain company, from whom she has inherited a rare 1804 silver dollar, now valued at approximately $400,000.

Kathy's husband, Ralph Stafford (John O'Hurley), gets his hands upon the antique silver dollar to consult Allie (Eddie Zammit) to duplicate in order to use the imitation for collateral against his $400,000 loan from Nancy Rayburn (Denise Gentile), whom he romances and promises to marry behind the back of Kathy, who's also Nancy's old college friend.

"The Nancy Rayburn Show," a talk/interview program, is broadcast from NYC with host Nancy Rayburn and Madelyn Sweetzer (Carol Kiernan) as its producer. Nancy interviews Jimmy Neiman, asking if rumors are true that he plans to leave "Antoinette on Fifth" in favor of his new line of salons (if the secret deal goes through with Ralph Stafford).

Steve Burke (Sean O'Bryan) takes on a custodial position at "Antoinette on Fifth" in order to research the beauty parlour as a backdrop for his first Mystery manuscript, which has been accepted by Hartley Publishing Company, under the blessing of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), who also patronizes the salon while in NYC.

Lieutenant Sam Kriley (Vic Polizos) enters while Jessica is completing her beauty treatment, to report the condition of her friend Agnes Frazier (unseen character), who has surprised a cat burglar in her apartment and thereby received lacerations from a knife attack in the process.

Jessica considers a link between "Antoinette on Fifth" and "Café Metropol," whose host, Billy Blake (Michael Woods), conducts additional unscrupulous business dealings with Ralph Stafford, such as double blackmail, which is overheard by Madelyn Sweetzer, who also discovers that "The Nancy Rayburn Show" will soon be cancelled. A series of telephone calls seems to link "Café Metropol" with "Antoinette on Fifth," at which the last four burglary victims maintain beauty appointments.

When Steve is asked to return a pair of eyeglasses to Nancy's apartment one evening, he enters, but only to be knocked unconscious by the cat burglar, causing Lieutenant Sam Kriley to arrest Steve for the series of crimes.

While Jimmy tries to make up his mind about whether to stay on with Antoinette or to sign Ralph's contract, Antoinette reminds him that Ralph has tried to buy into her salon ten years ago, but she doesn't trust him any more today than back then.

At a party to celebrate Jimmy's decision, someone receives a note from him to meet him back at "Antoinette on Fifth" at 1:00 AM that night. But when Jimmy arrives, he stumbles across a body in his stylist's chair, leaning onto the counter with a pair of scissors embedded in the victim's back, leaving Antoinette to discover the body the next morning, and causing Lieutenant Sam Kriley to suspect Jimmy for the murder.

Jessica maintains the innocence of both Steve and Jimmy, and also her old friend Antoinette Fishman, once she is arrested because only her fingerprints are found upon the scissors. (How police labs immediately identify fingerprints from suspects with no criminal record continues to remain a mystery, but this is standard procedure here.)

After three additional arrests for various crimes regarding the burglary culprits, Jessica receives her sudden realization of who committed the murder, by observing a chart in the office of Lieutenant Sam Kriley. Will additional suspects be "Nailed?"

This episode represents the first television acting role for Michael Haddad, who appears as Party guest, as well as the second of two "MSW" guest roles for Denise Gentile and Michael Woods, the third of three each for Daphne Ashbrook and Sean O'Bryan, and the fourth of four "MSW's" for Leslie Easterbrook.

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

Season 12, along with Seasons 9 and 11 one of the weaker and more variable ones of 'Murder She Wrote', starts off with one of its better episodes in "Nailed". "Nailed" may not be a great episode but it's a decent one, thanks to a mystery that's both intriguing, with plenty going on to keep one guessing, and entertaining. The entertainment value is also high, and not in an unintentionally camp way thankfully.

Angela Lansbury is terrific as always in one of her most justifiably best remembered roles. John O'Hurley gives the best performance of the guest stars.

Production values are slick and stylish with great use of the setting. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is amiable and thought-provoking on the most part, though there are moments of overripe-ness.

"Nailed" would have been a better episode with more consistent writing and if it did a little bit less. The denouement was quite clever but it was not a surprising or ingenious one.

Of the supporting cast, only O'Hurley is inspired or memorable. The younger members in particular don't show much spark.

In conclusion, decent start and one of the season's better episodes. 7/10 Bethany Cox

"Nailed" is set at a super-fashionable beauty salon. One of the stylists has made a name for himself and is now the stylist to the stars. Because of this, he's soon to open up a new salon of his own....in partnership with an unsavory man who soon ends up dead...with the stylist's scissors embedded in him! Although at first the police think the stylist did it, soon it becomes apparent someone or some ones were responsible...thanks to Jessica's investigations.

This is a good episode. The only complaint is that like too many other episodes, the killer was uncovered after Jessica lied and set a trap...an overused plot device. Still, enjoyable and worth your time.

Jessica weaves through the makeup and hairspray concealing the murderer of a financier at a beauty salon, and what you get is a decent mystery with the victim being a nasty person.

Businessman and financier Ralph Stafford is killed at a beauty salon, a salon frequented by Jessica, who's talented stylist Billy Blake has been given a lucrative offer to leave.

I'm watching the final series for the first ever time, I never really wanted it to, somehow I didn't want it to come to an end, but all good things must end. I know scheduling changes sealed the show's fate, but judging by this series opener, it was clear that some of the magic had gone out of the show.

It was fairly easy to spot the killer, the big clue was very obvious, very easy to pick up on.

Of course it's watchable, but it's just a little slow moving.

A few points if interest, it features the very talented Daphne Ashbrook, who puts in a competent performance, and Billy's neck tattoo, they're two a penny these days, but back in 1995, you just didn't see them, he looks very modern.

7/10.