And now for a word from our sponsor…

Fletcherfans! You know what time it is.

 

Have the loveliest of Christmases. Thank you all for riding along on this crazy trip.

S11E21 – Game, Set, Murder

Back in the Big Apple and spying on a therapy session this week Fletcherfans. Pro tennis player and former Cabot Cove resident Louise Henderson is trying to unlock her memory so she can remember who killed her mother when she was a child. Unfortunately, she’s no closer to solving the mystery and her doctor sends her off to train for the US Open. (Plot point – he puts a recording of the session in his Wall of Cassettes)

JB is summoned by entertainment lawyer Portia Dekker – JB’s publisher is trying to put together a charity tournament and they need a top-seeded female player and since JB knows Louise Henderson… Apparently, Louise is keen to participate but her coach Wendy Maitlin doesn’t want a bar of it.

Louise is back at the hotel flicking through a magazine with her face on it when 90s Dreamboat Guy, whose name is apparently Jamie Carlson, suggests Thai for lunch or going to see a reggae band that night. Louise’s father Lane steps in, orders Louise to change into something appropriate before she meets JB and tells Jamie to keep walking, Louise has a tournament to win.

It was a time for ponytails.

Jessica explains to Portia that she and Wendy did not really gel when they met some years early, and Wendy promptly appears to grovel forgiveness from Jessica – at the time she’d just discovered she had to retire from tennis and she didn’t take it well. Wendy is mega apologetic but Louise needs to stay focused on the US Open and can’t compete in the tournament. Lane appears and orders Louise to memorise the responses he’s prepared for her interview and sends her off to practice. JB notices a cassette tape in his briefcase but thinks nothing of it.

Spoiler alert: Lane Henderson is a douchebag.

Jamie calls Louise in her hotel room to make sure she’s okay. One of Louise’s rivals, Francesca Garcia overhears the conversation and wants to know why Jamie never said such nice things to her when they were on in Paris the previous year. Jamie declines, he knows she’s got a thing going with Andrew Bascombe but she says that’s just business, not pleasure. Jamie suggests she focus on the business side as Andrew wanders over to take Francesca to lunch.

Lane’s next target is John McCarver, who works for a sporting goods company or something. Lane is angling to take over management of Francesca Garcia so that no matter who wins the US Open he will make a boatload with sponsorship from John’s company. John doesn’t want anything to do with it, so Lane tells him all about how he found out about John’s shady business practices. TL: DR he blackmails him.

You know what the trouble with this episode is? There is no Bryan Cranston in it.

Louise goes to training and is completely distracted, much like how I am currently googling when this weather will end (seriously, it’s like being in Thailand except it’s expensive and cocktails cost more). Wendy decides to call off training for the day but Lane magically appears and announces a) this is what happens when you hang out at all hours with boys and b) Louise’s court time will be doubled before the open.  Wendy tells him it’s no wonder Louise is in therapy which comes as news to Lane. He decides to fire Wendy like the douchecanoe that he is.

That night JB is packing for her imminent trip to London when she gets a call from Louise and she sounds miserable. Before JB can find out what’s wrong, Lane has taken the phone off Louise, told Jess she’ll get back to her and hangs up. He wants to talk about therapy but Louise wants to talk about getting Wendy back. Lane announces practice is at 10am and storms out. Louise tries to call her therapist but there’s no answer. Downstairs Lane bumps into Francesca and wants to know if she’s cut ties with Andrew Bascombe yet but she’s hesitant – he’s been good to her. Lane tells her there’s a 2 million dollar deal in it when she wins the Open. Francesca says if she wins, and Lane tells her she’s a sure thing, Wendy is out of the picture. They make out and wander off, while John McCarver ponders what this means.

Later that night, Louise dreams about the murder of her mother but doesn’t see the killers face while across town her therapist opens his door and asks “Can I help you?”

Apparently, the answer was no because the next morning when Louise pops round for an emergency sesh, she finds her doctor dead on the floor.  Lieutenant Estelle Garr is on the case and quickly rules it a robbery gone bad. She gently tells Louise to go home, she can sign her statement later.

Across town presumably later that day there is a cocktail party for some reason or another. John McCarver wants a word with Andrew while Portia finds Jessica pondering the possibilities.

Death caused by an MVP to the back of the head.

Portia is busy looking for new clients and Jess is saved by a phone call from Louise who wants to talk in person. JB says she’ll be home in 30 and bolts out of the party. John tells Andrew what he saw re: Francesca and how Lane’s moving in on Andrew’s turf, and also how he’s being blackmailed so he can’t help. Andrew thinks he probably should have a chat to Francesca.

Back at the hotel, Jamie is looking for Louise but she’s not answering. Lane wanders past and tells Jamie to stay out of Louise’s life but Jamie says he got a worrying phone call from her after the death of her therapist. Lane says she’ll be fine, now stay away or he’ll go to the tennis association about how Jamie bribed his way out of a drugs charge in Rome the previous year.

At JB’s Louise tells Jessica she was shaken up by the death of her therapist, but she will be fine and she will absolutely be playing in the charity tournament and Wendy will be her coach. She heads off to practice, and Wendy asks Jess what’s wrong. Jess isn’t sure, but she thinks Louise should be far more upset about the death of her coach than she is. In other news, Andrew confronts Francesca and it doesn’t go well – she tells him it’s over, Lane is taking over managing her career and it’s worth more than anything Andrew can put together. She leaves, and Andrew calls Lane with a mysterious business proposition that apparently will earn three times as much.

The charity tournament happens and naturally, Louise wins her first match. Jamie comes out to congratulate her and she tells him to win his match. She’s so wrapped up in the victory that she grabs his bag instead of hers. That night Jessica comes home to a disturbing message from Louise and rushes over to the hotel, where Lane is having a beverage with Andrew. Andrew excuses himself to take a phone call from Paris just as Jessica arrives on the floor. She hears gunshots quickly followed by the figure of a woman limping quickly down the hall to the stairs. Thinking it’s Wendy, Jess calls out but the woman bolts. JB enters the room the woman came out of and sees Lane dead on the floor. She frankly saunters over to the fire escape and hears the killer heading down the stairs. Meanwhile, Andrew has reappeared and confirms that Lane is dead.

Lieutenant Garr is on this case too and tells JB to cancel her trip to London for now. Andrew explains he was on the phone at the time of the murder. Louise was apparently with Jamie at the time of the murder. Wendy tells Jess she will take Louise home, and asks her to tell Portia Louise is out of the tournament but Louise tells her she will absolutely be competing and limps out of the room. After they leave, Garr asks JB if Louise has always been so cold and JB says no.

The next day Louise smashes her training session while Andrew and John toast their freedom from Lane’s tyranny whilst simultaneously protesting their innocence. Wendy limps after Louise and Jamie down to her car, when Garr rolls up asking Wendy to pop downtown for a chat. Later, Garr takes Jessica’s statement around to be signed and assures JB that Wendy isn’t under arrest – yet. JB is stunned that she’s not interviewing Andrew Bascombe, but the phone records and the person in Paris don’t lie – Andrew was on the phone at the time of the shooting. Jessica bids Garr farewell, and suddenly notices her cassette tape of notes for her research trip to London.

Jess goes to see Louise who is confused at the idea that her father knew about the therapy before he claims he did, but won’t go into why she called Jessica. Lieutenant Garr wanders past escorting Jamie to a police car – apparently, his prints were on one of the unfired bullets of the murder weapon so that seems as good a reason as any to charge him. He says he lied about being with Louise and she lied to protect him. Louise is distraught but Jamie tells her he’ll be back, they have some things right but not all of them. As they depart Louise swears he’s innocent and JB says she believes that, but they aren’t done talking.

Upstairs, Louise confesses – she recovered the memory of the night her mother was murdered and SURPRISE HER FATHER KILLED HER. Jess calls Lieutenant Garr with the news and she pops round to take statements. It turns out that the gun used to kill the doctor was in amongst Lane’s things. MOAR SURPRISE. Lieutenant Garr tells JB that fun fact, Lane’s gunshot wound wasn’t fatal but the whack he took to the back of the head was. They are scouring the hotel for the murder weapon as they speak, but Jessica already knows what it is. A quiet word to Louise reveals the second half of the truth and then Jess gets to work setting a trap.

So, here’s the thing:

Not surprise

Louise was the one who shot her father – she got Jamie to buy the gun, and she grabbed his bag instead of hers at the tennis match because his bag had the gun in it.

But of course, the bullet wasn’t fatal. But the MVP trophy to the back of the head was.

Because of course.

And that, dear Fletcherfans, wraps up Season 11 of Murder, She Blogged.

For now, the blog is going on a teeny tiny break, but will be back on maybe the 6th of January. But! On Saturday the 5th of January I will live-tweet the one remaining Murder She Wrote telemovie that I 100% had not forgotten about – Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man, so stay tuned to Twitter for that.

Only 24 episodes left! *starts belting out The Final Countdown*

S11E20 – Another Killing in Cork

Tonight on Murder She Wrote is back! I don’t know why it left! Also, this episode was really dumb and I decided to have a shot everytime someone was drinking in this episode because my work Christmas party is tonight and I thought it would be a good idea.

In any case, JB is back in Ireland to catch up with old mate Tom Dempsey and his wife Kate, who are the new owners of a fishing lodge in Cork. Tom’s a bit stressed out fighting a mining company that wants to set up in the valley and after a meeting with mine employee Walter Ickes and Councilman Harold Early Tom tells them both to shove their offers to subsidise the lodge. Lodge employee Dennis McSorley is taking the side of the mine, telling Tom that it’s the future of Ireland which is nonsense because this is the future of Ireland:

Not even kidding I was in a glitter coma for a week after the 2011 Eurovision final it was glorious. Don’t hate, celebrate.

Anyway, Walter’s not happy with the discussion and thinks Tom needs to be dealt with, which worries Harold because he’s heard stories of a politician standing up to the mine in Colorado being killed/maimed/somethinged, but Walter tells him it was an accident don’t worry about it.

Tom goes to pick Jess up from the train station and fills her in on all the mine news. Apparently, the fishing lodge is under a bit of pressure which isn’t helping. They nearly hit a passing hobo strolling down the road, and I call shenanigans.

That’s a mask, I’m calling it now.

Back at the lodge, Dennis hits on one of the kitchen staff whose name I think might be Bridget while bignoteing how involved he is with the mine. Jessica gets settled into the lodge while Tom chats with someone called Seamus about the random hobo they saw strolling along the road – Tom is convinced he’s a mine spy.

Cut to dinner that night in the lodge dining room, and if you’re playing at home, take a drink (I’ve got Sailor Jerry’s and ginger ale, it’s officially summer now). There’s some talk about what fly is best to catch salmon and I immediately started watching Eurovision videos again because URGH.

(If you are unfamiliar with The Drinking Song by Jason Webley you should get acquainted)

The main instigator of this fish talk is Cyril Ruddy, while his wife Nellie just sits back and drinks (fair). There’s also Freddie Layton and his girlfriend Laura Maples. Freddy gets a phone call and wanders off leaving JB to chat with Edward Pryce who is in town not to fish but to look for a poinciana. Everyone staying at this lodge is boring, they are clearly struggling for guests.

Whatever Freddie’s phone call is about it’s not good news for him because there’s something in the USA Today about him. Meanwhile, Bridget’s friend Shana tells her off for not telling Dennis she’s pregnant. Back in the dining room, Edward decides to pop into town and Nellie decides to get a lift with him. JB spots the book Edward is holding and begs to borrow it after he’s done. Edward acts very oddly but promises to lend it to her after tomorrow.

Down at the pub – #DRINK – Walter and Harold conspire over darts, and not even kidding I just had to go look their names up again. Bridget and Shana, who have apparently knocked off work, wander in for a drink. Seamus and Dennis are there too, and Seamus wants to talk about how Dennis is all tied in with the mining crew but Seamus just blathers on about the future of Ireland again (see previous thoughts on this, which are still true). Edward and Nellie make plans to meet by the riverbank the next morning, while Freddie drinks quietly in the corner.

The next morning Jessica demolishes a breakfast while Cyril Ruddy heads off to fly fish with Tom’s prized fly which is apparently called the Black Mariah I’m not even kidding I’m boring myself writing this. Jess comes across Edward fiddling with a painting and he outs himself as a compulsive picture straightener. Sure, buddy. Tom takes Jess down to the legally-required-to-appear-and-naturally-haunted ruins, where they throw pennies in the well and make wishes.

In other news…

The distinct lack of people is a significant selling point. And it has its own waterfall!

Down by the river, Freddie decides he needs to make a phone call and bails on the fishing. Seamus tries to help Cyril catch a fish but Cyril knows exactly what he’s doing and isn’t taking orders from anyone, while the mystery hobo loiters behind a tree.

Further along the riverbank, Edward is setting up for his picnic with Nellie when he gets clobbered over the head with a rock. This fact appears to go unnoticed for a while, as later that night Tom orders a toast to celebrate Cyril catching the first big fish in a few weeks. (#DRINK). Kate finally asks where Edward and Freddie are, and Laura says Freddie had an errand in Cork and borrowed the car, and then Bridget pops up to say that Edward left a note on the kitchen noticeboard not to expect him for dinner. Jess says when she saw him heading off for his walk that morning he had a picnic enough for an army. This causes Cyril and Nellie to give each other a Look. And then I discovered Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 posted the baby monkey on the pig video and I kind of wandered off for a while.

Festivities concluded, Cyril and Nellie wander off. Cyril wants to know how the picnic went but Nellie tells him Edward never showed. They spot Jessica and Laura perusing the bookshelves and quickly walk off. Jessica asks Laura if she’s found anything good to read, and Laura says she’s not sure, it’s a treatise on the effects of something something on demasculinised female salmon.

“Well I thought that was a major operation,” says Jessica. “Do you suppose they sew a wee Irish vest and pants for the wee fishy?”

THAT IS AN ACTUAL QUOTE.

BACK THE TRUCK UP WALLY. What the hell even is this? Jessica is literally smarter than everyone she comes into contact with, why is she making weird jokes about transgender salmon? The writers are literally phoning it in at this point.

Anyway, back down the pub that night (#DRINK) the hobo has a quiet pint of Guinness while Walter and Harold bribe Dennis to spy on Tom. He takes the envelope full of cash and bolts. Walter nods in the hobo’s direction, who nods back.

Speaking of Tom, on his way home he has car trouble and ends up going into a ditch. He swears the car has only just been fixed, and it’s a blatant attempt on his life. Sergeant Terence Boyle (previously seen in A Killing In Cork), says he’ll look into it but that Tom needs to lay off slandering Harold all over the place.

Morning rolls around and Jess decides to take some snaps down at the ruin, which I swear to Beyonce looks like the ruin from The Wind Around The Tower episode. She runs into Laura who is a bit sad, she thought they’d come to Ireland so Freddie could propose. Jess suggests making a wish so Laura chucks a penny down the well.

Back at the lodge, Tom confronts Dennis about being caught up in the whole mine thing with Walter and Harold and Dennis storms off. Kate announces Edward still hasn’t turned up and has enlisted Sergeant Boyle to help locate him. Meanwhile, Laura shows JB her photos and Jess spots one from the day before where Edward is setting up for his picnic and the hobo is lurking in the trees.

A search of the riverbank finds the discarded picnic set and a bloodied rock, but no sign of Edward. It’s not till later that night, when Boyle is having a coffee and Shana is vaguely flirting with him, that JB has a thought.

I MEAN COME ON.

Ding ding ding. I’ve got nothing.

But in any rate, Edward’s body is down the well. They hoist him out as Jess explains there were three dings when she made her wish with Tom, but only two when she made her wish with Laura. Boyle takes charge and interviews everyone – Freddie asks him not to contact his company if he can avoid it. Harold turns up and he and Tom accuse each other of basically everything before Boyle tells them both to calm down.

Boyle runs into Jessica as he departs and asks her what she knows. Jess says Edward claimed to be an English teacher and an amateur botanist but he incorrectly attributed a famous Hamlet speech to Polonius and was on the hunt for a poinciana, a tree native to the tropics.

Down the pub (#DRINK) Nellie delivers some actual relationship advice to Laura and departs so that she and Freddie can have it out. Freddie admits that the reason he’s been so secretive is that someone has embezzled money from his company and he is being accused of it because he left the country. Laura doesn’t mind that, they’ll go back to America and sort it out. GOD THIS EPISODE IS BORING.

Laura and Freddie come home a bit pissed but soon sober up when they see Boyle. He has a few questions for Freddie down the police station, but he’s not under arrest. Word on the street is that a private investigator hired by the mining company hasn’t been heard of for a couple of days – possibly Freddie thought the PI was after him? After he leaves with the police, Jessica looks at Laura’s photos again and decides there’s something odd going on. Meanwhile, Dennis and Bridget are on a boat (because of course they are) – Bridget tells Dennis she’s pregnant and Dennis tells her about his side hustle with the mining company which Bridget very much doesn’t approve of.

Oh! This rum is finally starting to kick in! I think it’s too late for me to not be thunderously irritated by this episode though.

The next morning Jessica stumbles across Kate straightening a picture and has a Brainwave. Sure enough, Edward’s missing book is stashed behind the painting – it turns out to be an expense ledger of his movements since he left Colorado. Jess asks Tom to pass the ledger along to Boyle, it will help to clear Freddie.

Down the pub that night (#DRINK) Dennis decides to chuck Harold and Walter’s offer in their faces literally. He’s for Ireland, but not at the price they’re asking. SUCK IT MINING GUYS.

Jessica puts a call into a friend in London, regarding the Shropshire theatre company. Whatever he tells her is what she wants to hear, and she joins everyone in the dining room, but not before taking Edwards notice off the board. The Ruddy’s are about to depart, but they’ve time to chat about the murder. Tom announces Jess doesn’t think Freddie did it, but Jessica says she doesn’t know who it was. She thinks the evidence will be found at the ruins though. Behind a door, Seamus calls Walter down the pub (#DRINK) who tells him to do whatever he has to.

That night, Tom finds JB down at the ruins looking for something. She explains Edward had a fishing fly on him when he was found, she thinks it was transferred from the killer.

Sure enough…

Told you it was a woman in that mask. I’ve not watched Scooby Doo for nothing.

But of course, it wasn’t just Nellie.

But of course.

Edward, it turns out, was an Interpol agent on the hunt for the two assassins who killed the politician who went against the mine in Colorado, which should interest me way more than it does. Anyway, Seamus was calling the police, not Walter. Presumably, it was Nellie or Cyril (real name Edward Montgomery) who called Walter.

You know what, I don’t even care. This episode is done, JB is almighty, thank you next. (Topical reference FTW)

Cheers Fletcherfans!

S11E19 – School For Murder

We’ve officially said goodbye to ‘Tonight on Murder She Wrote’ which is all very well and good but I’m still a bit sad about it.

Anyway, welcome to St Crispins School For White Kids, where a couple of kids called Mike Seresino and Sarah Tyler are stealing a bust of William Shakespeare because of course they are.

Ethan Embry is adorable, and now I need to watch Empire Records again.

While Sarah seemingly gets away, Mike gets busted by a teacher nicknamed The Creeper and dragged off to the office.

After the credits, we stumble into a meeting of the Prometheus Society, which is apparently a secret society run by more rich white kids, lead by a guy who is clearly a douche. I’ve watched this part about a dozen times because one of the extras looks like she’s going to continue chanting but closes her mouth when everyone else stops.

Stupid things that make me laugh #4709

Sarah is worried about Mike being busted by The Creeper but the Leader, Colin Forbes, tells her not to worry, the Prometheans protect their own, even those who are just pledging to join.

Cut to the only class I want to be in…

Excuse me while I just go shout “It’s not chowdurrrrr it’s CHOWDA!” at the cat.

Mike arrives at the class late and later tells Sarah and Colin that his disciplinary meeting has been pushed back to the afternoon. JB congratulates him on his essay and asks what’s wrong – he tells her it’s nothing a miracle won’t fix. The English class’s actual teacher, Harry Matthews explains that he’s pledging the Prometheus Club and it’s affecting his grades. It turns out Harry has his own situation, he’s applied for the headmaster position and will present to the board in a day.

While Mike and Sarah worry about the outcome of the meeting, Harry bumps into his ladyfriend Claire Vickers, who tells him someone else has dropped out of the race to be headmaster. Unfortunately, his main competition, Claire’s ex, James Ryerson is still in the race and has a few words to say on the topic.

Later that afternoon music teacher Irv Tripler alerts Harry to some papers he’s found in the printer – somehow James Ryerson has found Harry’s presentation to the board and made it his own, with a few choice additions. Harry thinks the culprit is obvious but Irv tells him he saw the Creeper creeping around, and Jess finds cigar ash in Harry’s drawer. Case closed, it was the Creeper.

Ryerson conducts a lecture on Sun Tzu, which Colin sleeps through. When Ryerson confronts him about it later, Colin tells him to chillax, it won’t matter if it’s Harry or him who is the new headmaster, his grandfather is best mates with school director Dr. Myles Purcell, so none of it matters. Ryerson tells Colin if he fails the next history exam Ryerson will look forward to having a chat with his grandfather all about it.

JB pays a visit on school director Purcel to plead Mike’s case, and bumps into Mort coming out of the office,

Purveyor of wildfire in Game of Thrones, which is suddenly making St Crispins way more interesting

Jess begs him not to expel Mike but his mind is made up. Mort is investigating a series of thefts on campus but Purcel has decided that Mike is the guilty one. He agrees to give Jessica a couple of days to get through to Mike.

Mike finds Sarah after his meeting with good news – he’s on lockdown, but he’s not expelled yet. Colin pops up to congratulate him and ask him to steal the history exam from Ryerson’s office. Mike tells him, no, and Sarah tells him to shove his secret society. Colin watches them walk off, looking pensive.

(That will be Nigel with the brie is one of my favourite lines from 10 Things I Hate About You)

Later, Harry confronts The Creeper about helping Ryerson steal his presentation but Avery denies everything. Mort steps in to calm it all down and is a bit pensive when they both walk away without explaining what the altercation was about.

This is also the face I just made when I discovered that next year 10 Things I Hate About You will be 20 years old Jesus Christ what is time

That night there is a staff and student social, which sounds like the most lit party ever in history. Harry confronts Ryerson about stealing his ideas, and Colin confronts Mike about not stealing the exam – if he doesn’t do it, a stolen laptop is going to appear in Mike’s things with his fingerprints on it. A group of guests convince Irv to play his classic hit from Ye Olde Times, and Jess is loving it until she spots Mike across the room – she wants a word. Sarah’s informed her that Colin is trying to get Mike to run another errand for him but Mike won’t discuss it and walks off. Later, after Colin trips him over Sarah offers to help and he tells her to leave him alone.

Later, Claire begs Ryerson to withdraw from consideration for the headmaster gig, but Ryerson will only agree to it if she starts sleeping with him again. Wouldn’t you know it, Harry walks by just in time to hear Claire agree to his demands.

Awkward.

What does this chick have beer flavoured nipples?

The next day tensions are high in the teacher’s lounge. Harry is refusing to answer his phone when Jess arrives, so she does it for him and lets him know Purcel wants to see him immediately. Ryerson asks if he needs to go to, but it’s just Harry. During class, an announcement over the PA reveals what the meeting was about – Purcel announces that Ryerson is going to be the next headmaster.

Guys, it’s been a long year, we all just need to survive as best we can.

Claire finds Harry down by his car drinking his feelings after being knocked back for his dream job (relatable). Claire assures him she never slept with Ryerson and that it will be okay, but Harry tells her Purcell voted for Ryerson and there’s not a huge demand for worn out old hasbeens at other schools. He drives away.

(Life lessons from the desk of Kat Stratford)

That night Mort drops around JB’s house to chat about all the stolen things from the school (including a laptop) and asks if JB has spoken to Mike yet, which she hasn’t. She’s been busy listening to a recording of Irv’s song ‘Love Is Like This’ which was a favourite of hers and Franks’s. (Helpful camera zoom on the album cover).

Over at St Crispin’s Sarah tries to talk Mike out of breaking in to steal the exam but he’s on a mission. The mission gets aborted, however, when they break in only to find Ryerson lying dead on the floor. They bolt, and a shadow passes over the body.

The next day Cabot Cove PD are all over it – apparently, Avery was the one who discovered the body. Irv wants to get in to retrieve something for work but that’s not happening until CSI Cove are done. Mort gets a phone call from Jessica – Harry has just turned up at her house. While he sobers up with cups of coffee, he tells Mort that he basically drank himself to sleep at about midnight and at some point grazed his knuckles. It doesn’t look great for old Harry.

Jess and Mort do a spot of investigating at the school and turn up a tiny metal object which Jessica identifies as being from a tiny bicycle, which Mort is perplexed about. Meanwhile, Colin gives the stolen laptop back to Mike, wiped clean of prints. Mike’s confused about this sudden bout of generosity, but apparently, a bunch of Ryerson’s papers went missing and so everyone’s passing history this term.

Sarah is summoned to the Sheriff’s office, where Jessica returns her broken bike charm. She admits to being in the office and says that she was there to steal the exam, but Mike steps in and says no, it was him, he broke in, all this is on him. Mort tells him one of his fingerprints was found but it’s the darndest thing the missing laptop got returned unharmed, Mort’s got bigger fish to fry now.

Back at St Crispin’s, Purcel is apologising to Harry about ever offering the job to Ryerson and hopes that Harry will accept the gig anyway. Harry is delighted to until Mort wanders in to inform them that Ryerson’s missing papers have just turned up, complete with blood smears, in Harry’s locker.

Down at the sheriff’s office, Mort is defending his theory to JB, who has suddenly become interested in police folder colours because apparently, Ryerson was hiding one the other day.  Jessica has another theory, that the killer was still in the room when Mike and Sarah broke in. Mort suddenly remembers that Mike and Sarah told him that Colin claimed to have seen them looking like scared rabbits on the night of the murder, and so orders a search warrant of Colin’s room, which reveals the exam paper and a blue police folder. Colin tells him he went in after seeing Mike and Sarah run away, grabbed the papers but dropped then when he saw the dead body. He took them again when he realised his prints were on them, but stashed most of them in Harry’s locker except the exam paper and a blue police folder…

…which turns out to be on Dr Myles Purcel, who got drunk and ran over a kid many years ago. Ryerson somehow found out about it and blackmailed Purcel into giving him the headmaster job. Mort assures him that the folder will go back into storage where it belongs, and sees him out. Mort is about to head back to the sheriff’s office to continue questioning Colin when JB suddenly has a thought.

(Also she’s worked out who the killer is)

Speaking of…

(Now, I know Shakespeare’s a dead white guy, but he knows his shit, so we can overlook that.)

The real Irv Tripler, it turns out, died sixteen years earlier and this guy has been getting around as him ever since. Ryerson found out (having seen the real one in concert) and blackmailed him into stealing Harry’s presentation. Once he was named headmaster he was going to cut the music department completely so Irv/Joey Mallo killed him with a platinum record.

And so it goes, Fletcherfans.

Later gang!