Murder Mystery Recaps: Murder, She Wrote "A Virtual Murder" (1993)

Kurt Money and Kateline breakdown the Murder, She Wrote episode called “A Virtual Murder”. JB Fletcher is off to Silicon Valley to help Kevin Sorbo launch his VR game based on an original story she wrote called “A Killing At Hastings Rock.” An episode about VR in 1993? And it’s got JB in a VR booth multiple times plus THREE actors who also appeared in Seinfeld? Need we say more?

The hothead game designer (who looks like the bad guy in A Knight's Tale) drops dead and JB is on the case to find out who did it. The mystery itself is kinda weak, but the good news is there’s a lot of Angela Lansbury with a VR headset on shooting on location at the Starfleet Academy from Star Trek: The Next Generation and also Bio-Dome. It’s worth a watch. Plus good ol Doctor Seth only has about three minutes of screen time but you know he’s a grouch the whole time! And even though it was shot at the place as Bio-Dome, have no fear, there is not a Pauly Shore or a Stephen Baldwin in sight. You know who is there? Christie Masters Christianson!

K$ and KL delight in the hilarity of the episode as well as discuss the many tropes of these early “VR is the future” stories that plagued our televisions and movie screens in the early 90s. And you know KNOW it includes a hot shot 16 year old whiz kid who carries around a hacky sack but cannot for the life of him keep his beeper on!

MURDER MYSTERY RECAPS is a twice-monthly show where Kurt Money and Kateline take a show or movie with a murder mystery in it and break it down to within an inch of its life, critiquing the story, the outfits, the actors, the time period, the hairstyles and most importantly the MURDERS.

Other shows that could be covered here include the classics like Columbo, Luther, Poker Face’s Charlie Cale, Raylan Givens from Justified, Monk, Lew Harper, Veronica Mars, Benoit Blanc and anyone else you can name!

Information about the episode discussed:
Show: Murder, She Wrote
Title: A Virtual Murder
Episode: 203 (Season 10, Episode 5)
Airdate: October 31st, 1993
Plot summary from the MSW wiki: Jessica happens on a computerized clue to a murder while writing a mystery story for a friend's interactive video game company.
Starring: Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher
Reoccurring: William Wyndom as Dr. Seth Hazlitt
Guest Starring:
Julia Campbell as Sharon Baskin
Kate McNeil as Kate Walden
Allan Miller as John Crowley
Phil Morris as David Salt
Shawn Phelan as Alex
Thomas Ryan as Dan Porter, P.I.
Kevin Sorbo as Michael Burke
Richard Yniguez as Sgt. Ignacio Delcanto
Ramy Zada as James Lindstrom
Sherman Augustus as Officer Rossi
Art Cohan as Jeremy Hastings
Danny Woodburn as Mr. Townsend
Wayne Bolton as Colonel Fleming
Shoshana Henri as Carrie Brandeis
Heaven Brooke as Servant Girl
Ryal Haakenson as Man in Restaurant (uncredited)