The police refuse to believe Jessica when she is mistaken for a government informant and kidnapped by the town's most respected citizen.The police refuse to believe Jessica when she is mistaken for a government informant and kidnapped by the town's most respected citizen.The police refuse to believe Jessica when she is mistaken for a government informant and kidnapped by the town's most respected citizen.
Photos
Herb Edelman
- Lieutenant Artie Gelber
- (as Herbert Edelman)
Siobhan McCafferty
- Liz Foster
- (as Siobhan E. McCafferty)
G.F. Smith
- Assistant Manager
- (as G. F. Smith)
William Karnes
- Sportscaster
- (as William Brick Karnes)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was Herb Edelman's first appearance in the recurring role of Lt. Artie Gelber, Jessica's contact on the NYPD. Interestingly, Gelber was about to retire from the force but he would return for seven more appearances.
- GoofsPaloma is discussing a sensitive investigation, not only in a public restaurant, but while the server is at their table.
- Quotes
Max Hagen: Robert, you're absolutely right to assume that there are few things in this life that cannot be fixed. But killing a prominent novelist is...
Bob Wilman: But...
Max Hagen: Is simply *not* an acceptable option... Not for the moment, at least.
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
Featured review
Jessica and the missing informant
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.
To me however, "The Mole" is not just one of Season 9's worst but also one my least favourite 'Murder She Wrote' episodes in general. Not a bad idea, but an episode that contains missing informants/moles, kidnapping, blackmail and murder should have been much more interesting than what was presented here. That the significance of the episode title being one of the show's shortest is more memorable and interesting than the actual story is worrying.
A few things do compensate. Angela Lansbury continues to excel in one of her best remembered roles and really rises above the material.
Ken Howard is a powerfully formidable presence and Herb Edelman does do his best despite him being much more comfortable in his subsequent Gelber appearances (generally all in much better episodes than this and give him much better material to work with).
Production values are slick and stylish and the music has presence while not being overbearing with the theme tune still being irresistible.
Sadly, "The Mole" just doesn't engage in the story and was pretty hard to get into. It's dull in pace, repetitive and both too simplistic in the identity of the culprit and hard to swallow. Despite Howard doing incredibly well with what he has, just didn't buy the police's indifference in doing anything to bring him to justice and for such a professed powerful figure he sure does let Jessica come for him too easily.
Lansbury, Howard and Edelman aside, generally "The Mole" is one of Season 9's worst acted episodes and to me one of the worst acted of the latter seasons and overall. A big dishonourable mention goes to Joseph Bologna, whose performance is just irritating and his dialogue is so heavy in the clichés to make one groan.
The dialogue generally is unusually limp and dreary for 'Murder She Wrote' up to this point and the characters generally don't interest apart from Howard's (and much of it is to do with Howard himself), Bologna again being the worst example of both.
In conclusion, weak. 3/10 Bethany Cox
To me however, "The Mole" is not just one of Season 9's worst but also one my least favourite 'Murder She Wrote' episodes in general. Not a bad idea, but an episode that contains missing informants/moles, kidnapping, blackmail and murder should have been much more interesting than what was presented here. That the significance of the episode title being one of the show's shortest is more memorable and interesting than the actual story is worrying.
A few things do compensate. Angela Lansbury continues to excel in one of her best remembered roles and really rises above the material.
Ken Howard is a powerfully formidable presence and Herb Edelman does do his best despite him being much more comfortable in his subsequent Gelber appearances (generally all in much better episodes than this and give him much better material to work with).
Production values are slick and stylish and the music has presence while not being overbearing with the theme tune still being irresistible.
Sadly, "The Mole" just doesn't engage in the story and was pretty hard to get into. It's dull in pace, repetitive and both too simplistic in the identity of the culprit and hard to swallow. Despite Howard doing incredibly well with what he has, just didn't buy the police's indifference in doing anything to bring him to justice and for such a professed powerful figure he sure does let Jessica come for him too easily.
Lansbury, Howard and Edelman aside, generally "The Mole" is one of Season 9's worst acted episodes and to me one of the worst acted of the latter seasons and overall. A big dishonourable mention goes to Joseph Bologna, whose performance is just irritating and his dialogue is so heavy in the clichés to make one groan.
The dialogue generally is unusually limp and dreary for 'Murder She Wrote' up to this point and the characters generally don't interest apart from Howard's (and much of it is to do with Howard himself), Bologna again being the worst example of both.
In conclusion, weak. 3/10 Bethany Cox
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- TheLittleSongbird
- Oct 31, 2017
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