Murder, She Wrote is a TV series that has been concluded for ages. Yet many of the moments and quotes still linger with fans, even years later. Jessica Fletcher was an iconic character, to put it mildly. And that is likely one of the many reasons her words have lasted as well as they have in the minds of fans.
Murder, She Wrote did lend for several dramatic and quotable moments. Some of these moments are our favorites, naturally. It helps that the town Jessica Fletcher lived in seemed to be so riddled with murderers. So we’ve gone ahead and collected ten of our favorite quotes spoken by the one and only Jessica Fletcher.
10. Chocolate
“There are three things you can never have enough of in life, Lieutenant: chocolate, friends, and the theatre.”
Okay, seriously, who can’t relate with this quote? Granted, you might not agree with all three points, but we’ll take it. Jessica Fletcher has always been a woman who knows what she likes. And she’s never been afraid to speak her mind. Both of these traits are evidenced here, in this one single profession of the three things she loves most in the world.
9. Don’t Want to Alarm You…
“I don’t want to alarm you but something very sinister is going on here.”
As we all know, the best way to avoid alarming somebody is to start off a sentence with “I don’t want to alarm you.” But in all seriousness, we adore how calmly Jessica Fletcher was able to be so calm while stating how everything is basically falling apart around her and her friends. It’s truly quite impressive. We should all hope to have her level of calm someday.
8. One Of Us Doesn’t Leave Here Alive
“[to her new computer] All right, we come to an understanding, or one of us doesn’t leave here alive.”
Ah yes, the dreaded misbehaving computer problem. While Jessica Fletcher may be a writer, that doesn’t automatically mean she’s up to date on the times or the technology. That being said, there is something very endearing about her bafflement when it comes to all things computer and advanced tech. It’s the sort of thing that only she could pull off.
Also, who hasn’t felt the need the threaten their computer every now and then?
7. We Have A Saying
“Back home, we have a saying. Flowers that bloom too quickly are fair game for a late frost.”
Sometimes the most florid of quotes contain the most meaning. Here Jessica Fletcher is talking about a relationship, and we have to admit that we do agree with her insight on the matters. Not every relationship will start out with a fiery passion – and that’s okay. We adore her statement here, while also feeling like our hearts are breaking for our endearing widow. She would know better than anyone the cycle of love and loss.
6. I Have Been Insulted
“These last few days I have been insulted, browbeaten and patronized and I say no thank you! Back in Cabot Cove, the only thing with claws are the lobsters and we eat them.”
There’s that sass and indignation we love! Nobody can pull off a statement such as this quite like Jessica Fletcher. And okay, nobody else can get themselves in these sort of situations either, but that’s a totally different story.
This quote by itself is enough to get a chuckle, but when picturing it said in our beloved character’s voice, it takes it to a whole new level, does it not?
5. Killer in Our Family
“We’ve only had one killer in our family. 1777, I believe, and the Redcoats shot first.”
We love this quote from Jessica Fletcher, and for a couple of different reasons. For one, it shows off that perfect balance she has between poise and sass. And for another, it seems especially perfect given some of the more modern theories about how she’s the cause for all the murders in her home town.
4. Teapot
“Just as I suspected. When under stress, the English always head for the teapot.”
Okay, we really can’t fault Jessica Fletcher on her logic here. But the succinct statement still rings a very strong bell, one that will surely make all her fans chuckle. This is the sort of commentary we live for while watching her series.
3. A Good Guest
“A good guest is like Halley’s Comet, seen and enjoyed, seldom and briefly. Right after my lecture, I go straight back to Cabot Cove.”
There are plenty of sayings out there about good guests and their frequency (or brevity) of coming by. But Jessica Fletcher’s take on the subject beats them all. This is a woman that knows what she likes, and what she’d rather be doing. She’s also aware that she doesn’t want house guests to show up or linger too often, and thus grants the same courtesy to everyone else. This seems rather fair, don’t you think?
2. Motives
“That’s the puzzle. Those who were inside didn’t have motives and those with motives couldn’t get inside.”
Oh, what a conundrum. Jessica Fletcher had quite the talent for stumbling upon murders and mysteries. Some of them were relatively simple to solve, while others were complex enough to boil the brains of the police on the scene. Yet Jessica Fletcher was never stymied. She simply kept on working, until she found the perfect solution. Though occasionally her frustration would vent with a quote like the one above. And we don’t blame her one bit.
1. It’s Hard to Know Yourself
“The truth is that you can be married to someone and think you know them intimately. And then… Well, it’s hard to know yourself, let alone another person.”
This quote is possibly the heaviest quote on our list, but that doesn’t reduce its importance any. Jessica Fletcher had a way of cutting to the quick with some of her statements. Just like this one. Here she talks about the tragedy of ending up with somebody you never really knew at all, despite your assumptions and best efforts. And in many ways, she’s explaining and excusing how that sort of thing can happen. This quote showed her deep levels of compassion, despite (or perhaps, in spite of) everything she has seen during her years. And it’s one of the many reasons we adored her character so much.
