Khan

I think the relationship that I enjoyed the most of any characters on "Sisters" was Truman and Beatrice's. I feel like they gave a lot of people hope. Plus, it was especially sweet to see Bea discover what love REALLY was after being mistreated for so long by Thomas. I just hate that her and Truman's love story had to end with a depressing storyline about Alzheimer's.

I haven't listened to the podcast yet. What did DM say? Did she express resentment or concern about that?

True dat. I mean, I'd much rather see him play a dick than see him in his default "Game Show Host" mode, always on the verge of asking newlyweds to name the last place where they made whoopie.

Whenever I think of David Bailey, the only thing that comes to mind is, well, this:

Perhaps, if they had marketed those rings as a sex toy, they might've saved the show.

I ask myself the same question all the time: what does it say about Cameron Mathison as a person when he's more authentic as a heel than he is as a hero?

Not to mention: the Skipper and Millie Swanson from "Mayberry R.F.D."! Every time I watch "Trial by Error," and I hear Brock Peters prattle on once more about people like Tony Bill's character getting away with murder on account of being rich and white, I'm like, "Ain't you got a chiffarobe to bust up somewhere?" (IYKYK, lol). Between Macdonald Carey, Allan Miller, Lenore Kasdorf, Jon Cypher, Brock Peters, David Ackroyd and Michael Swan, "Error" is like a little piece of soap opera heaven. And speaking of Kasdorf and Arlene Golonka, here's another piece of trivia: years later, the two would appear on the same episode of "In the Heat of the Night," with Golonka as Robert Ginty's mistress, and Kasdorf as his ill wife, who dies of a heart attack while confronting Golonka, lol!

I think I know the action you're referring to, lol. I agree that you'd never think of a sci-fi writer like J. Michael Straczynski as being comfortable with writing and producing a "cozy mystery" series like MSW. I know I, myself, was stunned at first to see his name in the credits, because I still remembered when he wrote for "The Real Ghostbusters", lol! Years ago, I read Fischer's memoir, and one of the coolest things about reading that book was reading how, at certain points in his life, like when he was starting out in the business, or when he had finally retired, he'd watch AMC and become totally fascinated with Erica Kane, lol.

It might have been a little of both, but I think it's also due to Peter S. Fischer's decision to leave after the 1990-91 season. In the next season, there's a new showrunner (David S. Moessinger, who lasts for just that season before he, too, exits); and while some of MSW's original vibe remains, there also are noticeable changes. Under Moessinger, the pacing is edgier, for lack of a better word, and the music is more synthesized. (I sometimes call S8 the Sexy Sax Season for that very reason). There isn't as much humor on display, so that, for example, Cabot Cove and its' denizens are less eccentric than they were in seasons past. Similarly, the overall acting style on the show is less broad and more naturalistic (although, some guest stars and recurring actors clearly didn't get the memo, lol). The episodes penned by writer/producer J. Michael Straczynski maintain Fischer's tradition of tightly plotted mysteries with clever endings. However, MSW's eighth season has always felt to me like one of Dean Hargrove's shows ("Matlock," "Diagnosis: Murder," etc.). The season contains some very good episodes, but it also feels slightly dumbed-down and not as literate as the Fischer-produced seasons had been.

Which was the best decision to make, IMO. There comes a point for every successful, long-running series when you realize you've done all you could with these characters, and that to keep going would just hurt the show in the long run. As I've said before, MSW never reaches a point where it becomes unwatchable (due mostly to Lansbury herself), but there IS a sense in S12 that it has become too hard to invent new stories or new ways to surprise the audience. If CBS and/or Corymore had decided to keep producing MSW, they would've needed to do something major - such as maybe have Jessica relocate once again (this time, to L.A., or maybe somewhere outside the U.S.), or sign on as a "consultant" with the CIA or DHS - in order to shake up the series.

Thanks, @kalbir, for sharing that article! It's a shame Angela Lansbury never got around to writing her memoirs. I would've enjoyed reading more about her career, her process in preparing for each new part and how much certain parts, including that of Jessica Fletcher, truly meant to her.

Sounds like a porn name, or a Sheena Easton song.

It certainly was better than "The Szechuan Dragon," which probably ranks among the very worst of the "bookend episodes." (I still can't believe Peter S. Fischer thought it'd be good to center an episode around Grady and Donna, lol). Jessica didn't always show disgust toward the culprit. Most of the time, it seemed like she felt sorry for them. But "Trial by Error" might be the one time she comes closest to appearing judgmental, lol. I think what gets me about that episode is how the killer thought their defense, for lack of a better word, would be believable to everyone, including the jury. Their entire story was just so illogical, I was surprised at how they were able to use it at trial.

Frankly, I'm not even down with that. If you can't kill him off or send him to jail, then just have him leave Salem in disgrace, never to return.

"Nailed" is unusual in that it's the first season opener since S8's "Bite the Big Apple" not to take place in an unusual or exotic locale - which, in retrospect, might have been the first sign of the series' creative lethargy. If I had been Angela Lansbury or showrunner Tom Sawyer, I probably would've opened the season instead with Jessica travelling to the Holy Land or to Africa.

I'm not surprised that most of the lowest-rated episodes aired during the final season - and not just because of the time slot change either. I think I've said this before, but even though MSW never exactly declines in the sense that the show itself becomes unwatchable, a feeling of lethargy does indeed permeate many S12 episodes. There's one episode ("Something Foul in Flappieville") where the milieu is inconsistent in a way that's uncharacteristic for MSW (whether the episode is set behind-the-scenes at a children's TV show, at a Punch-and-Judy-esque puppet show, or at a toy factory is anyone's guess), a Japan-set episode ("Kendo Killing") that suffers from a lack of authentic locales, two episodes set in New Orleans and Ireland ("Big Easy Murder" and "Nan's Ghost," respectively) that play like cut-and-paste jobs from previous episodes set in the same locales (right down to several actors playing the same roles, only with different names), another episode ("What You Don't Know Can Kill You") that plays like a bad '50's teen movie, and what might be - for my money, at least - the all-time worst episode of MSW (the series' penultimate, "Mrs. Parker's Revenge"). Whether the series' overall lethargy in S12 was due to everyone's displeasure over being forced to compete with NBC's "Must-See TV" Thursday night lineup, or just the sense that they're simply out of fresh ideas, or a combination of two, is hard to say. However, even if CBS had not moved MSW to Thursdays, I do suspect that MSW wouldn't have been able to last beyond another season.

Well, for one thing, I don't believe there are that many Hortons left; and in some cases, like with Jeremy, they were handled so badly by whoever was in charge at that time that I'm not sure I'd want them back.

Frankly, I couldn't care less what happens to EJ and Belle, or to EJ in general. He raped Sami. I'm not here for yet another rapist receiving their "redemption arc" on soaps. Dan Feuerriegel might be cute, but he can go.

I agree!! As @kalbir points out, Richard was exactly what the show needed. But like you said, @Chris 2, it's probably because the weekly battles between Chase and Angela had grown stale already (and not helped at all by questionable casting, something that always plagued FC, IMO).

So. Any predictions on when DAYS will get wacky again, and how? Methinks we'll see (budget) flying saucers and CGI-generated giant spiders by Christmas.

Pam Long and Jeff Ryder intended for the new Spaulding family members to have a much bigger role on the canvas beyond their introduction. However, P&G nixed their plans, because they were skittish about the Spauldings having African-American relatives.

It seems like SFT faced the same issue that all ailing soaps have faced. It wasn't enough for CBS/NBC or P&G that SFT remained consistent or was building toward something better that, in time, could excite the audience. TPTB didn't have patience for that. They wanted SFT's ratings up, and they wanted them up yesterday.

I still hate that the Pollocks killed off Dan Allison. They could've written a really fascinating redemption arc for him once he lost Carolee for good.

I wouldn't have been opposed to that, lol. For me, the issues actually began in Season 2, with the arrival of Richard Channing. FC is supposed to be about the constant tug-of-war between Angela and Chase. IMO, Richard's arrival just muddies the waters. Also, I'm not happy with how they resolved the Carlo Agretti murder mystery. Naming Julia as the killer was a huge mistake, as I think she played an important role in the family dynamics, especially between Angela and Lance. Abby Dalton wasn't much of an actress, but she was needed on that show. More so than Margaret Ladd's Emma, whom I would've exposed as the culprit instead.