Jessica Fletcher: "Murder She Wrote" or is there MORE to this story?

So I am living in Tallinn, Estonia. I am here conducting research = the someone is paying me to hang out in Europe. I take two classes of which I am neither paying nor do the grades count. I sing in a choir twice a week, see friends, and sleep. I have no job. Oh, and I have a blog = I have plenty of free time. Currently it is December, the temperature outside is below freezing, and there is about 6 hours of light per day (see blog about daylight). Therefore I do what any patriotic, red-blooded American would do: I sit around the house in my most comfortable clothes and watch T.V.

Did I mention that I am living in Estonia. This means that the majority of programming consists of things I do not understand and old shows from the 80's. Occasionally there are more recent programs like "Dr. Phil" and "Queer Eye", as well as every american soap opera. Despite the shortage of "quality television", like any American, I have no problem wasting my time infront of the tube. Most recently, I can be found engrossed in one of Jessica Fletcher's crafty life-mysteries on one of our old favorites: "Murder She Wrote".

This show is broadcast every weekday at 3:30pm on one of the Estonian stations. I can even choose to enhance my language skills by reading the well-translated subtitles. Most importantly, the show stars one of Britain's greatest exports to America, Angela Lansbury. She is probably best known for her role as Mrs. Potts from Beauty in the Beast. If you are like me, which I'm sure you are, a great, big smile erupts on your face everytime you hear (or even think about) her sing "Beauty and the Beast"-- You know the part where the camera sweeps down from the chandelier onto Belle and the Beast dancing amidst a golden ballroom and an enchanting evening sky.

Naturally, finding her on my t.v. screen in Estonia seemed pleasing at first. Every episode, Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury's character) finds herself in a "Clue-like" situation full of murder, intrigue, and conspiracy. Within an hour's time, she helps solve the case and dispense justice to the evil-doers. After watching a few episodes, however, I have developed a few questions and concerns about the suspiciously questionable content of this series and of it's leading lady.

Let's examine the facts:
1. Jessica is the author of murder mysteries, a novelist from Maine.
2. When not working, she travels to visit friends around the country, all of whom find themselves in their own murder mystery.
3. She is always the first person to the scene of the crime.
4. Jessica is a widow, yet we do not know how her husband died.
5. She always seems to know what happened, who did it, why, and how.
6. She is extremely curious and oftentimes finds herself in dangerous situations, yet never comes under any harm.
7. She has no faith in our law enforcement personal as she inevitably decides they need her help solving the case.
8. She has no regard for the law. In the last episode I watched, she convinced the police sheriff to hold off on prossecuting a confessed murderer because the paperwork was too cumbersome. The murderer was an elderly friend who might have died before the trial began, and only Jessica had heard his confession. She told the sheriff that, "she would hardly remember any details of the confession by the time she was on the witness stand". I think this is called obstructing justice and withholding information, as well as harbouring murderers.
9. She has in at least two cases lied about being engaged in order to set-up someone else involved in the mystery.
10. She is never formally suspected of any of the crimes she "uncovers", yet she has an extensive file at the FBI. Is she working for them?!
11. She is friends with people involved with the mob, mafia, and people with childern or family members capable of commiting murder.
12. Someone is always being poisoned.

Eventhough my faith in Lansbury is shaken, I am more distraught by the judgement of our law enforcement agencies. They all know that she is an "amateur crime-solver". Noboy become an "amateur crime solver" without having been involved in a few crimes! What police officers, detectives, and FBI agents allow random novelists to assist them in homocides? You don't see Tom Clancy palling around with the FBI or CIA. Is it because she's an old lady? Does this make her harmless? Is it because she's British? The have a soft spot for the accent? Or is it because they too saw "Beauty and the Beast" and wouldn't mind being poured a cup o' tea from her spout? "In to the cupboard Chip, it's past your bedtime".

Well...I'll let the evidence stand and let posterity be the judge of this t.v. series and it's leading lady. Knowing that "Murder She Wrote" is being broadcast in syndication around the world, we must be aware of the message we are sending about our law enforcement systems as well as the potentially dangerous ex-pat novelists lurking in our midst. If you have any question or comments during this long winter, you know where to find me...in front of the television. I do ask that you not disturb me from 3:00pm-4:00pm because that is when my new favorite show is on.

*Pics: http://www.space-debris.com/spy_lansbury_murder.jpg, http://www.tailslate.net/lsgraphics/tvIMGS/rev/murdershewrote1.jpg