Production Information[]
| Production Number: | |
| Aired: December 1st, 1985 | |
| Written By: Carleton Eastlake | |
| Directed By: John Llewellyn Moxley | |
| INSERT EPISODE SCREENSHOT HERE | |
| Created By: Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link | |
| Executive Producers: Peter S. Fischer | |
| Producer: Robert F. O'Neill | |
Summary[]
Doing public service, Jessica becomes a hostage in a prison riot caused by anger in the handling of the doctor's murder.
Trivia[]
Only contained an all-female cast. The only men are police officers seen at the very end.
The suicide note, which is shown only briefly, states: "I have been thinking about killing myself for the time. I will all my worldly possessions to all the lesbian inmates in this prison."
This is the first episode to feature a suicide as well as a murder.
Victims: Dr. Irene Matthews and Ms. Mims
Killers: Dr. Irene Matthews (of herself) and Deputy Warden Amanda Debs (of Mrs. Mims, conspired with Kathryn Lundgreen)
Cause of death: Lethal overdose of morphine; Stabbed with a knife
Motive: Had been selling off the medical supplies and was going to be exposed; Was embezzling funds from the prison and killed Mrs. Mims to frame Elizabeth Gates for the murders.
Goofs[]
Jessica had stated the cook was selling the kitchen supplies because the truck had arrived empty and Jessica had seen the prisoners unloaded it to use the kitchen stuff as a barricade. At the end, the guards are seen reloading the truck instead of returning the items to the kitchen dock behind them as the warden and Jessica walk by.
During the riot, the prisoners (particularly hotheaded Kathryn) like to "rack rounds," chambering shells into the firing chambers of their pump shotguns - some do it three or four times over the course of the hour. But if a shell is already IN the chamber, it would fly out to make room for the next one. The weapons are obviously empty.
Starring[]
Regular Cast[]
Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher
Guest Stars[]
Margaret Avery as Dixie
Adrienne Barbeau as Kathryn Lundgreen
Barbara Baxley as Amanda Debs
Yvonne DeCarlo as Ms. Springer
Linda Kelsey as Mary Stam
Janet MacLachlan as Dr. Irene Matthews
Vera Miles as Warden Elizabeth Gates
Susan Oliver as Louise Marcus
Eve Plumb as Nicole Tug
Darlene Conley as Ms. Mims
Mary Woronov as Deputy