By BEATRICE BROOKS ’27
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 6 Nov 2026
Leaves crunch on the sidewalk as women with permed bobs and cable knit sweaters pass by, filling the seaside air with the sounds of gossip. The year is 1984, and the setting is a tiny fictional fishing village on the coast of Maine: Cabot Cove.
Cabot Cove is home to retired high school English teacher, current murder mystery author and style-icon Jessica Beatrice Fletcher—called Mrs. Fletcher by her students, “J.B.” by her adoring fans and “Jess” by her girlfriends at the Cabot Cove beauty parlor. Despite her grandmotherly, innocent character, Jessica has quite the skill for devising a puzzling murder mystery plot.
Jessica also has quite the talent for solving a local mystery or two. According to BBC research, her quaint fictional Maine town of 3,560 people suffered 60% more murders per year than Honduras, the real-life murder capital of the world. Jessica solves every murder case that comes her way, be it in Cabot Cove, or on one of her many illustrious trips abroad.
This is the premise of the beloved-by-Grannies TV show, “Murder, She Wrote,” starring Angela Lansbury as J.B. Fletcher.
For a rural retired English teacher, Jessica sure gets around. She teaches criminal justice at New York University, works with an archeologist friend in Mexico City, uncovers an espionage ring in Moscow and works in Hawaii with Thomas Magnum of “Magnum P.I.” in the world’s most magnificent crossover episode. Other common excuses for her excessive traveling are her many book tours, visiting former students or seeing her many relatives.
She will often visit a niece or nephew, though she has no children of her own. In Jessica’s words, she and her late husband Frank “were never blessed that way,” in Episode Three of Season One. She isn’t a mother, but she is known as “Aunt Jess” to her many nieces, nephews and in-laws.
As far as typical murder mystery “whodunits” go, “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t do anything revolutionary. In fact, the plots are so predictable that I often watch episodes while cleaning dishes or doing homework simultaneously. If you’re looking for realistic excitement and nailbiting suspense, look further: this is not the show for you.
However, if you’re looking for your newest comfort show, with all the love and atmosphere of your grandmother’s house in the ‘80s, “Murder, She Wrote” fits the bill. The plot and scene settings are perfectly under-stimulating after an overwhelming day. Jessica’s maternal care, ridiculously corny jokes, fantastic ‘80s & ‘90s fashion and her offers of dinner or tea to anyone she meets have drawn me into the show with a passionate loyalty.
Yes—the plots might be weak, but the vibes are spot-on. Not only that, but the show has tons of subtle ‘80s girl boss imagery. Jessica is a self-made woman in a business world dominated by men. Her identity isn’t rooted in her beloved late husband Frank, nor in children of her own. She is, instead, a friend to many. She is appreciated for her love, kindness, intelligence and wit. And her hair is always immaculate.
If you’re looking for a show with a complex plot, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a show with a corny plot, and thoughtful messaging about purpose and meaning in life, all bundled up in Christmas wrapping with love from Aunt Jess, you will find it in “Murder, She Wrote.” ★
