Murder, She Wrote Appointment in Athens (1984–1996) Online

Season Six open with this episode featuring international intrigue after British MI6 Agent Laddie Fairchild (John McCafferty) is kidnapped in the only "Murder, She Wrote" episode set in the nation of Greece.

Upon Laddie's abduction, near a Greek landmark, action shifts to the airport in Paris, France, at which Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) learns that her flight to Cairo, Egypt, has been delayed for several hours.

British MI6 Agent Michael Hagarty (Len Cariou) approaches a surprised Jessica at the airport counter because she realizes from the start that she's in for another of Hagarty's wild schemes should she accept his invitation to join him on his connecting flight to Athens. She does anyway.

While in line at the airport in Athens, Greece, two thugs shadow Hagarty, causing him to ditch Jessica, leading the observing British MI6 Agent Harold Baines (Ian Ogilvy) to rescue Jessica, and to offer her a courtesy suite at Hotel Grand Briton (as it is pronounced, but its outdoor sign as seen by night contains additional letters).

(This leads to another minor goof, as Jessica and Harold identify these accommodations as "suite 324" early in the episode, but twice as "suite 326" a bit later on.)

Hagarty then reappears with plenty to explain to Jessica, such as the reason as to why they have been registered as "Jessica Reardon and Michael Reardon," and then additional confusion mounts with the arrival of Pamela Drake (June Chadwick), who presents herself as "Pamela Reardon, wife of Michael Reardon."

Dimitri Popadopalous (Thom Christopher) acts as a "go-between" to convey messages from the kidnappers to MI6, and to accept MI6's ransom to turn to the kidnappers in exchange for the safe release of Laddie Fairchild, which is Hagarty's reason for Jessica's "Mrs. Reardon" alias, as she supposedly has "all of the money in the family."

Henryk Stuyvesant (Peter Van Norden), a purported Dutch agent, acts as a spy to report MI6 activity to Dimitri Popadopalous, and as a counter-informant to report back to MI6 regional bureau headquarters.

British MI6 Colonel Alec Scofield (Richard Todd) serves as bureau chief for the region which covers Athens and conducts meetings with Henryk Stuyvesant, to feed Dimitri Popadopalous what he would have him to know. Madge Scofield (Sybil Lines), wife of Alec, attends Dimitri Popadopalous' lavish reception at Alec's side and also maintains a presence in Alec's office during meetings with Stuyvesant.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reardon" also attend the Popadopalous reception, but afterward, as Jessica and Hagarty, they stumble across a body, the victim of strangulation.

Sergeant Petrakas (Steve Inwood) investigates the murder and has quite a few questions for Jessica, as Hagarty has cleverly covered his tracks and switched Jessica's passport to reflect her new identity.

Well, when Jessica insists to speak with the American Consulate if Sergeant Petrakas presses charges, Petrakas releases Hagarty to track down the kidnappers and Jessica to trap the murderer, but not before Hagarty involves Jessica in another scheme at Bank of Cyprus, before their "Appointment in Athens."

The cast is rounded out by Anthony Gordon as Monsieur Le Bon, Rosie Malek-Yonan as Air Levant Clerk, Braeden Marcott as Airline Clerk, Thom Keane as Hotel Clerk, George Zaver as Bellhop, and R.J. Adams as Father Markopulos.

This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances each for Anthony Gordon and Thom Keane, the second of two for Thom Christopher, the second of three each for Steve Inwood and Peter Van Norden, the first of five for Ian Ogilvy, the fourth of five for R.J. Adams, and the fourth of seven for Len Cariou (each in his role as British MI6 Agent Michael Hagarty).

Richard Todd, acting in film and on television since 1937, and Anthony Gordon, acting since 1975, have unfortunately since passed.

I don't know about you but if Len Cariou had roped me into one of his spy deals the way he roped Angela Lansbury in this episode of Murder She Wrote. But I'm figuring Jessica Fletcher just looks at it as getting more material for a future mystery.

Season 6 opens with Len Cariou on a mission to ransom or rescue another MI6 agent and his undercover role calls for him to be a married man. When his female partner doesn't show up he actually has Jessica Fletcher's flight to Cairo overbooked and her fly with him to Athens.

But in Athens the original partner does show up, but she's murdered shortly after. Our Maine mystery writer peels away the layers of intrigue and does of course solve the crime.

Angela's co-star from Broadway's Sweeney Todd made 6 appearances on Murder She Wrote. It's one mission after another he ropes Lansbury into. Still Cariou carries off the role of Michael Hagerty beautifully. The rest of the cast fits their roles as well in this good season opener.

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.

"Appointment in Athens" is a decent start to Season 6, a worthwhile appointment. To me, there are far better Season 6 episodes to follow let alone 'Murder She Wrote' in general. While the story is intriguing and the murder mystery is engaging and neatly and satisfyingly resolved, some of it is preposterous and convoluted, the abduction plot didn't have as much clarity and neither did the early parts of the episode.

It occasionally lacks lustre pace-wise too, or at least to me it did.

On the other hand, it's the charms of the entire cast and the acting that elevate "Appointment in Athens" to a higher level. Angela Lansbury demonstrates why Jessica Fletcher is one of her best remembered roles, while Len Cariou proves why Michael Hagarty is among the best recurring characters on 'Murder She Wrote', just adore the chemistry between them.

Support acting from particularly Ian Ogilvy, Thom Christopher and June Chadwick couldn't have been more ideal.

Production values as ever are slick and stylish, Greece looks fabulous and the fashions are nostalgia-inducing. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune. The writing is mostly thought-provoking, light-hearted and amiable.

Overall, decent Season 6 opener but better was to follow. 7/10 Bethany Cox