"Murder, She Wrote" Amsterdam Kill (TV Episode 1994) Poster

(TV Series)

(1994)

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6/10
"Like the Kidnappings Which You Find in the Windmills of Some Kind"
WeatherViolet4 March 2010
This episode opens with a brutal murder in the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in which the driver of an automobile plows into a telephone booth as the victim conducts a conversation with Amsterdam Police Inspector Van Horn (Theodore Bikel).

Mystery Author Nigel Allison (Joseph Maher) then meets his colleague Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), as they share spots upon the panel of the International Copyrights and Royalties Conference, which is being hosted at the hotel at which they each book suites.

Walter Burger (Albie Selznick), demonstrating an expanded version of the typical "MSW" hotel desk clerk, welcomes Jessica and Nigel to the regal establishment, and later provides a series of clues in the aftermath of a kidnapping and, of course, a second murder.

Hotel guests from South Africa, Philip De Kooning (Richard Lynch) and wife, Lydia De Kooning (Leann Hunley), keep various secrets from each other, as mystery surrounds their various dealings.

Nick Halsey (Richard Young) serves as the pilot for Philip and Lydia, and while he tells Philip that his private airplane won't be repaired for take-off for another day or two, Nick carries on with Lydia on the side, as they secretly plot to substitute her genuine jewelry for imitation and reap a tidy profit in the process.

Harry Tigner (Cliff Emmich) has dealings with Philip, which turn sour, as Harry's outstanding loan cannot be met by Philip, and so he trails the De Koonings around Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, Lydia secretly meets with Herr Kronin (Alex Rodine), who, upon inspecting the diamond necklace which she intends to sell, informs Lydia that it is paste, causing Lydia to understand that Philip has beat her to the punch.

Monika Vidal (Camilla Søeberg) introduces herself to Jessica at the International Copyrights and Royalties Conference, as a reporter from a Dutch magazine, who wishes to interview Nigel and Jessica, but Jessica asks for a postponement because Nigel hasn't shown for the Conference.

Colin Biddle (Marcus Gilbert) introduces himself to Jessica as a British agent without disclosing very much detail in front of Walter Burger at the registration desk, when Walter informs Jessica that Nigel has checked out from the hotel. Colin reports that he has spotted Nigel at the airport, but Walter later tells her that Nigel didn't retrieve his passport.

Nigel Allison has, in fact, been kidnapped, after being shot with a tranquilizer dart and transported beneath a hotel room service cart. He is now being held captive inside a windmill, from which his captor makes demands from the shadows with a voice disguiser machine.

After Jessica reports the incident to Inspector Van Horn, with Officer Muller (Erick Weiss) on hand, Colin Biddle insists that she not deal with the authorities because he represents British Intelligence.

Jessica soon learns from Inspector Van Horn what has become of Informant Hendrik Kuyper (Andreas Reinl), but when she receives a message that someone has information to share about the whereabouts of Nigel Allison, she stumbles across another body, the victim of a stabbing, for which authorities consider Jessica the prime suspect because her fingerprints are found upon the handle of the knife plus the note which she has received.

So, Jessica manages to convince the authorities that she has figured the identities of the perpetrators of the kidnapping and the double murder, as she enters the windmill of the "Amsterdam Kill."

The cast is rounded out by Nicole Eva-Maria Brandt as Chambermaid, Lilyan Chauvin as Hotel Restaurant Dispatcher, and Cornelia Kiss as Panel Chairwoman.

This episode represents the most recent acting credit to date by Andreas Reinl, and one of the most recent by Richard Young, as well as the only acting credit to date by Nicole Eva-Maria Brandt.

This also marks the second of two "MSW" appearances each for Richard Lynch and Albie Selznick, the third of three for Leann Hunley, and the fourth of four "MSW" guest roles for Theodore Bikel.

Lilyan Chauvin, acting in film and on television since 1950, and Joseph Maher, acting since 1958, have unfortunately since passed.
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8/10
When Van Der Valk isn't on hand, Jessica steps up.
Sleepin_Dragon27 November 2023
Jessica attends a conference in Amsterdam, where she encounters her old friend, another author, Nigel Allison. Nigel disappears, Jessica reports it to Inspector Van Horn, who dismisses her story as fantasy.

Series eleven has definitely started very well, another very enjoyable, very original episode. Whenever they decided to take Jessica on her travels, it was either London or Ireland, Amsterdam makes for a refreshing change.

Not particularly difficult to deduce who the face behind the mask is, or to work out what's going on, but it's an enjoyable mystery nonetheless.

Always great to see the wonderfully charming Marcus Gilbert, even if his on screen name out me in mind of a Carry on film. He was not impressed by Jessica's interference.

Perhaps the most successful effort yet in terms of making an episode look as though it was filmed abroad, the footage marries up well, some scenes look very convincing, Jessica however is never seen outside.

8/10.
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7/10
A lovely city for conventions and intrigue
bkoganbing6 August 2017
It's Amsterdam where Jessica Fletcher is in for this episode. She's at a writer's convention and meets yet another old friend Joseph Maher who is in town for the same event. Maher is a writer of spy novels and he writes from his own experiences.

A rather elaborate and well planned kidnapping of Maher is carried off, but not without arousing the suspicions of Angela Lansbury. The problem is who to trust.

Theodore Bikel plays the Amsterdam PD inspector and he's not quite as tolerant of Jessica Fletcher doing her own investigation as many other law enforcement officials in other episodes are. Besides he also has a related homicide to solve that Jessica and the various British Intelligence operatives aren't making easier.

Nicely done and nice solved of course in a story with the kidnappers themselves not really trusting each other. The episode reminds me a bit of the classic Hitchcock thriller Foreign Correspondent.
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6/10
Why didn't she just call Michael Hagarty?
planktonrules4 August 2023
Jessica is in Amsterdam for a writers conference. Soon after arriving, she meets up with an old friend, a fellow writer who is about to do a presentation with her. However, when the time comes, he's not there...and Jessica knows the guy wouldn't just walk away from the conference or her. Someone is trying to hide this, however, as soon she gets word that he's back in England...which makes absolutely no sense. There are quite a few twists and turns and eventually, naturally, Jessica sorts it all out and saves her friend from doom.

This is a mildly entertaining episode. I'm surprised it was the second episode of season 11 instead of the first, as in many previous seasons the first episode was set in some foreign land (episode one was set at an American zoo). My only complaint is that when a man shows up saying he works for British Intelligence, Jessica never contacts her old British Intelligence friend, Michael Hagarty for help or to confirm whether or not this other man is an actual agent.
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7/10
Amsterdam Kill
coltras3512 August 2023
The scene is a writers' conference in Amsterdam, attended by (among many others) Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her British friend Nigel Allison (Joseph Maher). Things take a sinister turn when Nigel is kidnapped--whereupon the victim's so-called friend Collin Biddle (Marcus Gilbert) assures Jessica that there is nothing to worry about. Even investigating inspector Van Horn (Theodore Bikel) appears to be indifferent about the abduction, prompting Jessica to take a hand in matters. What follows is a maelstrom of intrigue involving espionage, illegal arms and illicit drugs.

Intrigue, hotel rooms, kidnapping plot and enough twist and turns to keep you watching, plus you got Jessica Fletcher wounding up everyone, especially the British secret agent, with her sleuthing ways. It's a nice amiable episode with a neat twist at the end.
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5/10
Murder comes to Amsterdam
TheLittleSongbird24 November 2017
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.

"Amsterdam Kill" is another one of the very much watchable but nothing special episodes. It's fun and intriguing enough with a very clever scheme and the ending was a surprising one, one really does not guess who it is responsible. As a result of having a lot of (perhaps too many) elements, it's also somewhat convoluted and slightly bloated. There is tension and urgency, but the duller stretches at times makes it not come quite consistently.

The dialogue does have its contrivances and dreariness again and for such a brilliant criminal and clever scheming the killer's acting was bland, not just in the denouement but throughout. There wasn't much difference to their acting in the denouement, which wasn't particularly ruthless which didn't match their actions, than in the rest of the episode.

On the other hand, Angela Lansbury seems incapable of giving a bad performance and Theodore Bikel really is a comfort in his role. The tension between the two is great and gives the episode the urgency needed. In fact much of the acting is good, Richard Lynch in his second 'Murder She Wrote' (the first being the victim in Season 8's "To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee") appearance is another standout.

While the mystery is not mind-blowing, it does maintain attention and is never obvious. A very good job is done giving a sense of not being able to trust anybody.

Production values as always are slick, stylish and suitably cosy. 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 patchy but has enough thought-provoking moments to intrigue.

In summary, watchable but not much special. 5/10 Bethany Cox
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